Make Up and Feminism

There is debate within the feminist movement as to whether wearing make up is considered feminist or not. An established focus of feminist critique is the social pressure to conform to idealized notions of feminine beauty, and the role of cosmetics in this process. The emphasis on aesthetics constantly shifts attention to women as objects “to be looked at,” with a history of controlling not only female appearances but also their actions. The “aesthetic tradition” has been challenged by many scholars, schools of thought and various theoretical approaches, ranging from “sociologists, feminist critics, postmodernists, and artists, among others” especially due to an insistence of “universal standards and perceptions” of beauty.

It has been argued that the notion of femininity itself is a man-made construct, and has nothing to do with femaleness. Cosmetics are then considered a tool in the patriarchal box to keep women subservient to the pursuit of femininity. Critics of make up and cosmetics have found an ally in Marxist writers, who claim that the industry "exploits female insecurities with regard to men, employment and society, in its quest for profit maximization". Feminist authors have condemned the role of cosmetics in "internalizing conceptions of an idealized beauty." In this regard, its impact in the structuring of a standardized face has been noteworthy. However, this critique may "crumble under the pressure of the pursuit of perfection". Symmetry and proportion are intrinsically associated with classical notions of beauty. Under this argument, it is unfair for feminist writers to link cosmetics with the crimes of standardization and normalization, since the pursuit of proportion has been culturally inscribed into the attributes of beauty. This acknowledges that underlying any trend toward the standardized face achieved through make up or other means lies a deeper issue that cannot be easily resolved in regards to the commercialization of cosmetic products.

Historical Context

Egyptian women applying primitive make up. [1]

Long before the feminist movement existed, women were finding ways to improve their appearance and fix facial flaws. Conceptions of beauty have existed for eons, with the admiration of classical beauty in Europe and particularly Greece and Rome which “remains a governing beauty ideal” to more contemporary ideas of beauty as something exotic - “many Americans still consider African appearances beautiful only if exoticized.” With such an emphasis on female aesthetics and beauty, it is no surprise that cosmetic use have been around for almost as long as the conception of beauty itself. The Egyptians were known to use kohl, and early form of eyeliner/mascara, and Native Americans used plant-infused formulas to cover up facial imperfections. However, the majority of cosmetic recipes can be traced back to Queen Elizabeth and other Victorian women. They made homemade cosmetics from boiling egg whites and alum until it thickened. It wasn't until the late 19th century when Harriet Hubbard decided to market her home-made beauty cream that the make up industry was born. Criticism of the use of make up has existed as far back as the early 1600s. "Women mixed household products to create rouges and lip colours," creating a "false face." Many condemned the use of make up, seeing it as a "mask for women's sins and vices." Diving deeper into the history of make up, the earliest records of make up use date back to around 3000 BC. There is also evidence to suggest that Neanderthals may have used coloured pigments on their skin around 50,000 years ago, before they even wore clothes. On a more primal level, females in the animal kingdom have ways of advertising their youth, health and sexual availability through various means. They use this to make it known to the males that they are ready and capable of producing strong offspring. However, in humans, these signals are less pronounced. Women's bodies do not clearly show fertility like our closest relatives. Studies have proven that women's faces appear more attractive to both males and females when they are in the fertile phase of their menstrual cycle. Make up is effective because it can exaggerate or even completely fabricate the subtle signs of fertility and sexual availability, making them more attractive. In the nineteenth century, make up and similar products were also viewed as “particularly pernicious symbols of commerce, linked to prostitution, female con artists, and tainted goods,” further shedding a negative light to the history of cosmetics.

Lipstick Feminism

Lipstick feminism is a type of third-wave feminism that embraces traditional concepts of femininity. Lipstick feminists support the belief that it is possible to be a feminist while also displaying femininity and being sexually active, or literally wearing make up. Earlier generations of feminists condemned this school of thought. Some feminists have criticized lipstick feminism because they believe engaging in displays of sexuality while advocating for equal rights for women is contradictory. Some feminists believe that displays of sexual power play into the patriarchal system which objectifies women. Others argue that taking control of their sexuality empowers them and women in general. It is argued that women deserve “the choice to do whatever we want with our faces and bodies without being punished by an ideology that is using attitudes, economic pressure, and even legal judgements regarding women’s appearance to undermine us psychologically and politically.” Some feminists have advocated for “recognizing western beauty practices as harmful cultural practices” which can have international societal implications. Sheila Jeffreys for example, has stated that the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women need to act to change social attitudes and norms that underlie these beauty practices.

Effects

On Consumerism

Avon advertisement from India

Cosmetics and beauty products have contributed to the massive rise of consumerism in contemporary life, which arguably not only feeds the interests of capitalism, but also adds to the discussion of female agency regarding beauty and makeup. Business historian Kathy Peiss noted that even in “China, India, Amazon rain forests, women sell Avon, Mary Kay, and other beauty products." Companies and business have began to shape social meanings and physical attributes of femininity, such as Cover Girl make up in the late 1950s and 1960s. Some business have even developed an idea of cosmetics as “medicated make up,” to supposedly help with problematic skin problems, with slogans used such as “glamour that’s good for your skin” and “clean makeup. Mass-marketing has allowed corporations to create certain types of ideals, by creating and marketing very hyped products that unconsciously reproduce certain gendered beauty ideals.

In Professional Life

There are a number of positive outcomes associated with physical attractiveness in regards to employment benefits. These include hiring, wages, and promotion. It is also correlated with social and personal rewards including work satisfaction, positive perceptions of others, and higher self-esteem. As a result of these outcomes, women perform beauty work, "reproducing and strengthening a social system that privileges youth and attractiveness." Although it may not be “socially suicidal” to choose not to wear make up, it is proven that the failure to wear make up “affect women’s ability to get and keep employment and the degree of social influence that they may wield." Even practices “that appear to have the least effect on the health of women and girls, such as lipstick wearing, can be damaging. In a Boston University and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute study, women were shown with varying amounts of makeup: bare-faced, natural, professional, and glamorous. Respondents viewed the women wearing more make up as more competent. According to this study, wearing make up "increases people's perceptions of a woman's likeability, her competence and her trustworthiness". It also confirmed that cosmetics boost a woman's level of attractiveness. Many studies have shown that men consistently rate women as more attractive when they are wearing make up, versus when they are bare-faced. They also viewed them as more confident and healthier. Men also think women wearing make up appear to be more intelligent, make more money, and have more prestigious jobs. Looking at the science of make up, it would be unsurprising that cosmetics are a $40 billion dollar a year industry. Make up is effective because our bodies are designed to perceive sexual signals from the colouration of our faces. Cosmetics have been used in one form or another for thousands of years, across different and diverse cultures for the same reason. Make up taps into the primal urge to find suitable mates who will produce offspring to pass on our genes.

Role of Media

The proliferation of the popularization of cosmetics have been due to the role of the media. While traditionally used as a commercial tool to sell beauty products and make up, media outlets have also increasingly began to facilitate conversation about the place of feminism in the cosmetic world. There is still a substantial and undeniable pressure from the media for women to look beautiful and wear make up with cosmetic advertising, beauty magazines and growing online “beauty communities”.

Popular Media

Magazine cover featuring makeup and beauty tips

Magazines for women have always had some elements of cosmetic and beauty product advertising in them, with numerous articles on the “best make-up styles for different ages and occasions” and even to more radical changes such as cosmetic surgery.

Social Media

There is a large online community comprised of millions of women who watch and sometimes produce videos about make up and beauty. The online beauty community is a space in which “feminist rhetorical practices occur alongside and intertwined with commercial and professional activity.” Feminism practiced in this community does not always align with the academic theories. The contemporary third-wave take on feminism maintains that women can “wear make up and engage in other consumer oriented behaviours” while still actively resisting the patriarchy. This take on feminism attempts to reclaim beauty practices as “enjoyable, self-chosen, and skilled feminine pursuits.” It has been suggested that this movement was intended to be a more appealing version of feminism that aligns with the “growing culture of online spaces,” given that the popularity of feminism in mainstream culture has declined following its critique of normative beauty practices. Second-wave feminists might consider some of the activities of the women in the online beauty community to be unfeminist in nature, or do not resist “patriarchal structures and discourses.”

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