Yeah, I think it really can be true, but it might not be true for everyone who says it. I mean, at least not in the sense that their aesthetic preferences and opinion of makeup were formed in a vacuum. Although, I'm not sure that's what most people even mean when they say they do something for themselves and don't care what others think of it. Personally, I care what a lot of people think, but I can care what they think and still prioritize based on what I think. Though not without experiencing anxiety and fear about the possible and likely consequences of that.

I've wondered though, when someone puts another person in the position (often contentiously) where they have to "explain" or "defend" their use of makeup, what answer would the person putting them in that position actually just accept? Because it doesn't seem like any answer satisfies those people. I don't expect anyone to write an essay on all the reasons why they think they like or wear makeup. That's a lot of labor for some people, especially if it's an attempt to be understood by someone who is probably not going to change their perspective. An essay on your own feelings and how they have or haven't been formed or influenced by the world around you seems to have a low success rate when it comes to getting other people to realize what they should have known already: that they should just stfu about the decision someone else made about their own face and body.