Make Up
Sugarcult Lyrics


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She takes off her make-up
And looks like everyone else
Hiding from a universe that's ugly like herself
Ohh, Ohh.
She paints on her cute synthetic personality
Wasting all the hours on the things she'll never be
Ohh, Ohh,
Ohh, Ohh
One, lie, living in a mirror
Cause this time she loves herself too much
Wha, wha, whoa, she's such a pretty waste
Wha, wha, whoa, she's just the perfect one for me
She thinks long and hard about her phony honesty
Layer after layer covers her insecurities
Ohh, Ohh,
Ohh, Ohh
One, lie, living in a mirror
Cause this time she loves herself too much
Wha, wha, whoa.. She's just a pretty waste
Wha, wha, whoa, you're just the perfect one for me
One lie, living in a mirror
Cause this time she loves herself too much
Wha, wha, whoa, you're just a pretty waste
Wha, wha, whoa, you're just a pretty waste
One, lie, to be a bore.
This, time, she's such a bore.




One, lie, to be a bore.
This, time, she's such a bore.

Overall Meaning

The song "Make Up" by Sugarcult is a commentary on societal pressure to conform to a certain standard of beauty and the detrimental effects it can have on a person's self-esteem. The lyrics describe a woman who takes off her makeup and looks like "everyone else", implying that she feels like she needs to wear makeup to fit in or be accepted. The phrase "hiding from a universe that's ugly like herself" suggests that the woman has internalized a belief that she is flawed or ugly, and uses makeup to hide this perceived flaw from the world.


The chorus of the song is particularly telling, with the repetition of the line "one lie, living in a mirror". This line captures the idea that the woman is constantly putting on a false persona, one that is not true to who she really is. She is living a lie because she feels like she has to in order to be accepted or liked. The line "this time she loves herself too much" is sarcastic, implying that even though the woman may have moments where she feels good about herself, she is still ultimately consumed by insecurities and self-doubt.


Line by Line Meaning

She takes off her make-up
She removes the cosmetic layers from her face


And looks like everyone else
Her true appearance is similar to others when the make-up is off


Hiding from a universe that's ugly like herself
She is trying to escape from a cruel world, which she believes is similar to her own ugliness


She paints on her cute synthetic personality
She fakes a charming identity which is artificial and plastic


Wasting all the hours on the things she'll never be
She is wasting her time on trying to become something she can never be


One, lie, living in a mirror
She is deceiving herself by living in an illusionary world inside a mirror


Cause this time she loves herself too much
She is obsessed with herself this time


Wha, wha, whoa, she's such a pretty waste
She is merely an attractive but worthless person


Wha, wha, whoa, she's just the perfect one for me
She is perfect for the artist, despite being a fake person


She thinks long and hard about her phony honesty
She spends a long time reflecting on her fake honesty


Layer after layer covers her insecurities
Each cosmetic layer hides an insecurity in her


One, lie, to be a bore.
She is one lie away from being an utterly boring person


This, time, she's such a bore.
This time, she is truly boring


One, lie, to be a bore.
Another lie would make her boring


This, time, she's such a bore.
Currently, she is insufferably tedious


One, lie, living in a mirror
Another falsehood is hiding in the mirror


Cause this time she loves herself too much
This time, she is extremely infatuated with herself


Wha, wha, whoa, you're just a pretty waste
The singer is addressing the listener, calling them pointless


Wha, wha, whoa, you're just a pretty waste
Once again, the listener is labeled as a worthless, but attractive person




Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@sternosaur

This song is criminally underrated :P loved this song as a kid, just dreamed of being with a down to earth attractive tomboy, girly girls weren't for me.

@tokix

reminds me of one of my exes!