Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett : The Guardian
From the soot-rimmed eyes of the ancient Egyptians to the lead paint worn by the Elizabethans, women and girls have experimented with cosmetics throughout history. Indeed, according to the Roman playwright Plautus, “a woman without paint is like food without salt”. Shakespeare’s Hamlet was less keen but just as rude, telling Ophelia: “I’ve heard all about you women and your cosmetics too. God gives you one face, but you paint another on top of it. You dance and prance and lisp; you call God’s creations by pet names, and you excuse your sexpot ploys by pleading ignorance.”
So is makeup necessary seasoning, a conniving ploy by manipulative sexpots, or neither? Ask a group of women why they wear makeup and you’ll receive myriad responses. Some will say it makes them feel more confident, that they don’t feel completely “done” without it; others will say they love experimenting with looks and colours as a way of expressing themselves, that there’s a fun, theatrical element to face paint that allows them to channel different personalities and aesthetics.
“After 20 years working as a makeup artist I can say quite confidently that women wear makeup for themselves,” Lisa Eldridge, the author of Face Paint: The Story of Makeup, tells me. “There are many different roles makeup can play in a woman’s life. There’s the playful and creative aspect – who doesn’t enjoy swirling a brush in a palette of colour? Then there’s the confidence-building aspect – why not cover a huge red blemish on your nose, if you can? Finally, there is an element of war paint and tribalism. Makeup can make you feel more powerful and ready to face any situation.”
But just as there are women and girls who wear makeup completely for themselves, there are those who wear makeup for the perceived benefit of others, or who feel as though they are unacceptable without it. Makeup can be a mask you hide behind that gets you ready to face the world, or something you deploy as a weapon – to attract a partner, to intimidate, shock and amaze. It is used as part of religious or cultural rituals, or to align yourself with a subculture. It can mask your insecurities or be used to enhance the bits you love the most.
Need of Makeup.
Makeup’s ubiquity turned going without it into a statement, like the “no makeup selfie.” Female celebrities face scrutiny for appearing bare-faced in tabloids. Boybands exploit young women’s insecurities by proclaiming love regardless of appearance, as parodied in Amy Schumer’s “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup” sketch.
“After 20 years working as a makeup artist I can say quite confidently that women wear makeup for themselves,” Lisa Eldridge, the author of Face Paint: The Story of Makeup, tells me. “There are many different roles makeup can play in a woman’s life. There’s the playful and creative aspect – who doesn’t enjoy swirling a brush in a palette of colour? Then there’s the confidence-building aspect – why not cover a huge red blemish on your nose, if you can? Finally, there is an element of war paint and tribalism. Makeup can make you feel more powerful and ready to face any situation.”
Some women wear makeup for themselves, while others do so to please others or due to feelings of inadequacy. Makeup can serve as a mask for facing the world or as a tool to attract, intimidate, shock, and impress. It is used as part of religious or cultural rituals, or to align yourself with a subculture. It can mask your insecurities or be used to enhance the bits you love the most.
Makeup’s pervasiveness in our society has reached a point where women going without it can make a statement, exemplified by the “no makeup selfie.” Female celebrities often face scrutiny for appearing without makeup in tabloids like the Daily Mail’s “sidebar of shame.” Boybands exploit the insecurities of young women by proclaiming their love for them as they are, a trend humorously portrayed in Amy Schumer’s sketch “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup.”
Readers of women’s magazines will be familiar with the use of evolutionary psychology to flog cosmetics. I’ll never forget reading an article that suggested I wear crimson lipstick so my lips could mimic blood-flushed labia. To appeal to men, some recommend creating a baby-like facial appearance or a vagina-shaped mouth, frequently endorsed in magazines and capitalized on by Maybelline’s Baby Skin range.
Cosmetics companies exploit women’s insecurities, fueled by exposure to idealized images in the media, to sell products. They reinforce the idea that makeup is necessary to conceal flaws and blemishes. Women spend significant amounts of money and time worrying about their appearance. Naomi Wolf argues in “The Beauty Myth” that the beauty industry aims to control women and hinder their emancipation by fostering anxiety and perpetuating the pursuit of physical perfection.
From a young age, society instills in us the message that natural beauty is insufficient. I started wearing makeup as a teenager because I believed my freckles were unattractive. My redheaded mother, who always says, “Just need to put on my eyelashes,” never encouraged makeup until she saw me using fade-out cream on my freckles. She guided me to foundation, despite occasional orange marks on my chin. Initially, concealing my freckles made me feel more attractive, fitting the ideal girl for boys. But as I gained confidence and saw diverse media representation of freckled girls, I questioned if my freckles were truly hideous.
When faced with a predominantly uniform notion of beauty, it’s natural to seek solace in makeup to conform. However, as is often the case with feminine expectations, you find yourself caught between conflicting choices. Studies repeatedly tell us that men are more attracted to women who wear makeup. We’re pushed to pursue an artificial natural beauty, captured by Calvin Klein’s quote: “To look natural, it takes makeup.” (Thanks, Calvin.)
Excessive salt, likely common in ancient Rome due to lack of refrigeration, can have negative effects. According to a study, an inaccurate perception of others’ preferences influences perceptions of attractiveness with cosmetics. The Atlantic, reporting the findings, highlights the potential variation in beauty standards across different locations.
In makeup, we’re often our own worst enemies, believing we must conform when we’re actually fine as we are. Why do women wear makeup? It’s a blend of patriarchy, sexuality, enjoyment, and a thick layer of misplaced insecurity.
