Makeup is Anti-feminist?

I am so sick of people telling me that wearing makeup is anti-feminist.  Usually this accusation comes from acquaintances who are not feminists anyway.  I am not the type of person who wears tons of foundation and bronzer to get that oh so coveted blonde, tanned, flawless look.  And I certainly don’t wear makeup everyday.  I am not afraid to leave the house without it.  I am a painter.    I costume myself with colors to match my mood… for fun.  For example, I sometimes put on Egyptian style eyeliner with bright green eyeshadow and beige lips.  Not exactly your typical fashion magazine look.

But still, people insist that me covering myself in any way implies that I am not ok with who I am and am seeking to succumb to conventional stereotypes of beauty.  This is ridiculous considering we all wear clothes in public everyday.  Putting on a shirt and pants does not automatically mean I have a low body-image, so why does makeup imply that I am not ok with my face? 

People have also mentions that my motive may be to look sexy or impress the opposite sex.  This is also false.  My boyfriend actually prefers me without makeup… when he can clearly see my face.  But I don’t let that stop me from ‘costuming’ when I feel like it.  I also just don’t feel a need to base the way I look on my partner’s opinions… sorry, but my relationship isn’t that shallow.

I’m wondering if perhaps this could be people’s way of trying to debunk or find flaws with my feminist views… as if finding inconsistencies in me will demonize feminism as a whole.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?  How have you dealt with it?