Makeup Trends

When reading about makeup on the internet, a common theme is the latest trends, appearing largely due to influential figures, and thus there is a influx of targeted products which encourage us to ‘get sharper cheekbones’ or ‘make that cat-eye sharper’. This is to be expected, when a substantial number of people pay attention to something, it gains popularity; it is how movements gain traction and ideas become reality. However, it could be argued that within these trends, we see societal conditioning at its best and in reality, these trends are more than just silly fads, they are genuinely harmful.

No one is born wanting to be slimmer or wanting to change their facial features, youth is innocent and free of negative influence. As we grow older, we are inundated with signs that we are not quite right, this can be through harmful media or through the people we associate with. Either way, by the time someone becomes an adult, they will have been told repeatedly what is wrong is them and given suggestions on how to fix them. It is important to note that this does affect all genders, undeniably women get the brunt of this condition but it is very dangerous to ignore the danger this influence can pose to everyone.

In fashion and makeup, trends are constantly changing and so is our standard of beauty; there is a reason why the series ‘100 years of Beauty’ exists on YouTube, what we see as ideal and the styles that people choose has developed greatly through the years. It is undeniable that what is seen as ideal is constantly shifting but, in general, there is a consensus. For women, the aim of ideal beauty is to look feminine and desirable. This obviously varies from country to country, there are probably even regional differences but women are encouraged to be their ‘best self’, which usually means living completely unsustainably and possibly even harming themselves to reach idealised beauty.

This concept of idealised beauty, which is a broad and nuanced topic, contributes to these makeup trends. The idea of a cat eye or smoky eyeshadow are expressions of creativity and makeup can definitely be called art, it takes a great amount of skill to paint on a moving canvas and it should not be dismissed as just ‘vanity’ or as worthless. However, the idea of contouring your cheekbones or jaw to give the impression of slimness and even boniness is quite distressing. To do something for personal enjoyment should obviously always be encouraged, it is unclear where to draw the line though. Is this temporary alteration nothing to worry about or is it a symptom of a society which does not know when to stop idealising problematic ideas?

In my personal opinion, it is another way in which we encourage self-hatred and so harm those who can be influenced, in other words: everyone. People should be allowed to wear what they like, but its popularity is just another way in which people are told to change the features they were born with. Contouring your cheekbones is not the problem, it is the idea behind it that I take issue with. When another celebrity shows up with more noticeable cheekbones or another instagrammer posts a picture with ‘sharper’ cheekbones, people look and take notice. This seeps into our mentality and it becomes desirable, when really it seems like we are being told fat is unattractive and that to become a ‘better’ version of ourselves, we should submit to this. This concept does have roots in the idea that if a woman has higher cheekbones, she is ready to reproduce; however, this is clearly an outdated concept. Yet, even if it was true and was correct, that does not mean it should be accepted for several reasons such as the unpleasant implications associated with the portrayal of women’s sexuality. In this trend, we see slimness being unconsciously seen as pretty and thus women are given unrealistic standards to aspire to.

Moreover, it could be said that consumerism and capitalism definitely factors into this. There would be some companies that truly care for experimenting with makeup and the joy that comes from it, but the majority of companies are concerned with exploiting what is new and making money from it. A celebrity popularises something, companies pick that up and present it to the masses, telling them that they can do it too, they can look like what beauty truly is and people are delighted. Many then buy the product and a cycle ensues wherein capitalistic companies abuse these vulnerabilities. It is clear to see that our consumerism feeds into this and then we are faced with the issue of supporting the such companies. How can we support companies that wish to exploit us? This is a topic that deserves greater discussion, but generally if we try to be more informed consumers, it could help decide how to buy smarter.

Of course, it could be said that this is creating an issue out of people’s creativity and that it just further associates makeup with improving a women’s appearance, something which we’ve grown past. It is true that the purpose of makeup has developed past just ‘correcting’ the issues with a women’s face and has truly evolved into an amazing way of exploring art, it is also true that this topic links makeup back to ‘improving’ women and that is why it needs to be discussed. Accepting trends and following what is popular on YouTube and Instagram is not necessarily what women need, what is important is to consider the negative consequences of letting these trends influence our decisions. Changing facial features with makeup is a more temporary form of plastic surgery and it all raises the question: why do we bother trying to alter ourselves like this? The answer is not quite clear cut; it can definitely be seen that these makeup trends glorify beauty standards that are stupidly unrealistic and thus harms women significantly.

In conclusion, makeup can be freeing and gorgeous; however, like most things, it has a darker side. These trends allow for the elevation of ideals that hurt women and forces them into lowering their self-confidence, completely unknowingly. That is why it is something that needs to be addressed, we cannot claim to be a civilised society which is progressive if we still praise such beauty models and ignore the pain and even death caused by it. Makeup is part of this pressure women feel in many ways, trends being particularly significant.