Makeup in Society

 

In society today, women wearing makeup have become a controversial topic. Traditional views believe women must uphold a certain look  for them to be socially accepted,  leading to multi-million makeup corporations holding a serious level of influence over the way a woman should present herself. A morning routine that includes foundation, setting powder, concealer, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, and lipstick is considered the basic minimum for a woman to “put on her face”. Where do these societal expectations come from? When did makeup become a defining factor in womanhood?

The first historical record of makeup came from the first dynasty of Egypt in 3100-2907 BC and  even then it still mainly worn by women. Kohl “which was made from antimony (a metallic element) or soot” (French 1),  was used to outline their eyes and to darken their lashes. This technique was adopted, adapted and applied today in the form of eyeliner. History denotes a variety of techniques developed to make women more beautiful. In 254-184 BC a roman philosopher, Plautus wrote, “A women without makeup is like food without salt,” He preferred a women with a “painted face” (French 1). Moving on to the French Revolution, women wore red rouge and lipstick, this was to give the impression of a healthy, fun-loving spirit. Although other countries were not impressed, and took it as the French had something to hide. Makeup continued to evolve and spread across Europe.

Makeup and femininity seem to go hand in hand. A google image search of femininity reveals delicate women wearing makeup. Why is it that women have to wear makeup and even dress a certain way for them to be considered a ”proper” woman?  Makeup has almost come to define women. Females have to look like “ladies” and act a specific way in the eyes of others. Makeup may be enjoyable to some, but a chore to others. Society thinks women should be “perfect” and the only way to reach perfection is through makeup. The only way women could possibly look good is if they do not have a single blemish. As long as they have the perfect complexion and have full lips and no one can see any of their flaws they are presentable. Enhancing one’s natural features through makeup should be a personal choice, but it’s not. This is where the controversy lies.

Young girls can be affected by the media and the social standards assigned to them at birth. Author and activists Jennifer Weiner, told her daughters  to “never lose sight of who they are, inside and out and to ignore the haters who saw them as bodies, as objects, as things,” (Weiner 2). This was before she felt the pressure to get botox by her female friends. Why tell a child to always love themselves, but then change they way you look due to the fact of peer pressure and how others may see you? Some women even workout with makeup in the fear that if they don’t someone might take notice. Women like Amy Childs and Katherine Jenkins run marathons with a full face of makeup. Do they not want to be seen bare faced? Amy says “ I love being glam.' So I did, so I ran glamorous.” (Tonks 1).

Another sourced controversy lies in the production of makeup. Although makeup is made for humans it is tested on animals, putting living creatures at risk so that women can look beautiful. What companies use animal testing? Covergirl, L’Oreal, Mac, Maybelline and Revlon are only some of the companies that use animal testing. But. the practice is commonplace, because the women in society need to look beautiful. One report notes, “Millions of rabbits, dogs, cats, mice and other animals are burned, poisoned and killed in painful and unnecessary tests each year for the sake of cosmetics and toiletries” (“Animal Testing” 1). Women use these products on a daily basis without knowing that millions of innocent animals have suffered just to they can have the perfect smokey eye, lipstick color, eyeliner or blemish free skin.

Makeup in society needs to be explored further to give people a better understanding on how people are being manipulated to like they have to live by these standards. This leads to self esteem issues in women because they may feel that they can not reach the level of beauty expected from them. This affects younger females as well, they see this is their mother, aunts, and maybe even grandmothers. The people they look up to live by the standards society sets in them and children mimic what they see. This leaves women in an ongoing cycle of mental disorders and eating disorders. But, we are beautiful, and that's all that matters.

 

Works Cited

French, Christy. “The history of makeup.” Medusa’s Makeup. n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2016.

 

Tonks, Owen. “Amy Childs: ‘I ran the marathon wearing make-up because I wanted to look glam.’”Celebrity News. 2 May 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

 

Weiner, Jennifer. “The Pressure to Look Good.” The Pressure to Look Good 30 May 2015. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.

“Which Companies and Brands Still Allow Testing on Animals?” Animals Australia the voice for animals. n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.