Make-up is a very common and everyday body practice among females. The use of foundation and concealer to cover up flaws in addition to blush, eyeshadow, and eyeliner, to brighten ones’ face, has been a norm in Western society for a long time.
Make-up in the past has been about covering your flaws to improve your “beauty.” Nowadays, I notice the trend towards more “natural” and mineral-based makeup to “enhance” beauty.
I think this more “natural” approach is nice and all; at least commercials aren’t telling women to cover up their uneven skin... but I also think it’s dangerous. The marketing makes you believe that wearing make-up is natural, but it’s not. It’s a common body practice that shapes the standards of how women should look.
Women act as docile bodies in the way that they strive to look flawless by putting on make-up everyday. The weird thing is, most make-up is made with chemicals and ingredients that are bad for your skin. Cheap, affordable make-up has oils and chemicals that will actually make your skin age worse with long-term use.Our society is constantly contradicting itself... “Buy make-up to look good enough, but watch out, this stuff will make your skin break out.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been wearing make-up since I was 14. It can be fun, artistic, and self-expressive. Sometimes I really enjoy it. Sometimes it feels like a chore. I think the woman in the picture looks beautiful without her make-up. Make-up has no real benefit in everyday life, it’s just a cultural norm that sets standards of beauty for girls.
I totally agree with you that make-up is a very common body practice nowadays, it's like brushing teeth in the morning. And I rarely see girl without make-up on campus. I am a guy and I like it when girls look natural , which I assume that they still have make-up on, but very light. But I kind of don't like it when girls have too much make-up on their face, they make me think that they are having party or something in their class, or heading to clubbing after. To me, the girl in the picture looks okay without make-up on, but she should put on make-up on as make-up is like an additional thing while she wears earrings and has her hair set. Besides making herself prettier, having make-up on shows her respect to whatever event she attends, at least I think, she looks much healthier with make-up.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing against make-up, I rarely leave the house without it on. Which is kind of a shame. I waste so much time and money. But it does make me feel better about myself; I feel more confident. Which is also a shame. It'd be nice to be make-up free and not worry if others are judging me. You stated how you like "natural" looks... but the girl still has make-up on. It's not really natural. And then you critique girls with too much make-up on. It's such a double standard. "Wear make-up, but not too much! Or else you look like a party girl!" That's why it's so hard for women to fit these standards. This applies to other things, too... like weight. In magazines, people critique women for being overweight, but they also critique women who are too skinny. It's just difficult for someone to be "perfect"; and that's the standard society has... perfection. And that's a reason why girls have such a hard time with their self-image, and this consequently affects their self-esteem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how it can be really difficult to be "natural". It's obviously not completely natural when a person is wearing make-up, and I've seen plenty of commercials that advertise the natural look and it looks totally fake and unreal. There is definitely a double standard sometimes, and it's tough to deal with that in our society. I like wearing make-up, and I usually don't think twice about putting it on in the mornings. But there are times when it gets to be overwhelming with the amount of make-up products being advertised nowadays. It's getting to be a bit much.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think there is a fine line between using make-up to accent and compliment your features, and over doing it. I see no problem in using make-up to even-out your skin tone or cover up blemishes. Even using mascara to lengthen and darken eyelashes seems pretty harmless. It's when girls pile on the eyeshadow and eye liner that I feel it starts to look a little too flashy. I, personally, feel prettier with less make-up on, though I admit I rarely leave the house without any whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this as well. There is a fine line between too much make up and the appropriate amount. Due to these commercials though, making it seem natural to have make up on, girls seem to think its ok and end up overdoing it. Thats where names like "cake-face" or "raccoon" originate from is when girls go over the top on foundation or mascara. It is obvious that these types of looks are UNnatural. These commercials preaching the naturality of make up also appeal to younger girls that its ok. I've seen girls as old as 9 and 10 wearing make up. I am a guy so i could be wrong on this but i feel thats a little to young. Make up is becoming too much of an emphasis in our society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that make-up become part of the daily life, but I still have lots of friends who never or barely wear make-up. And, i think not every guy likes girl with heavy make-up. As an example, I am kind of tired watching girls with "UNnature" faces, especially when i find difficult to recognize some of my friends. Some girls look much differently when they are wearing make-up.
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