Further thoughts about makeup.
I'm sifting through my thoughts on makeup. This entry and others are an attempt to solidify my thoughts. My main question is why don't more women debate the overwhelming pressure in our culture for one gender to wear makeup? I believe that in feminist circles especially, this discussion is almost non-existent because there's an assumption that the only conclusion to be drawn from a serious critique of cosmetics is a prescriptive one: that is, to recommend women stop wearing makeup.
I disagree with this as an inevitable conclusion of any feminist debate or analysis, for the following reasons:
- As many women enjoy wearing makeup, and feel more confident in public wearing it, this "solution" alienates women from any critical discussion about makeup.
- It alienates makeup-wearing women in general from feminism and feminist thought.
- It assumes that we live in a society where women have simple choices to make, and that wearing makeup has no social, economic, or cultural consequences.
- It attempts to distract from, or completely remove, men from the analysis. In other words, by setting up an "either/or" debate (either you-wear-makeup-and-are-happy-with-it, or you-aren't-and-so-you-don't-wear-makeup), the double-standard of beauty is camouflaged. The question of why men aren't pressured - or able - to wear makeup goes unaddressed. It also overlooks women who feel ambivalent about makeup, and assumes women fit into two categories (makeup-wearing and makeup-rejecting).
For another thing, makeup is a huge source of pleasure in many women's lives. Finding that right shade of lipstick, or right eyeshadow, or blush, provides many hours of consumer fun for some women. Not to mention the pleasure of packaging design and the sensory pleasures makeup can provide. I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but I may have to introduce a few clouds. (Or you can look at it another way: that I introduce some sunshine in an otherwise overcast world by questioning makeup.) But I'm finding it a difficult line to walk.
Perhaps if I just start with the "why" questions. And what strikes me as odd.
So why does there appear to be minimal questioning of makeup? Not since the 1970s feminist movement (circa Sisterhood is Powerful) and a small gap until 1982 and Naomi Klein's The Beauty Myth, has this subject been addressed. There appears to be a huge silence in public forums of discussion about the double-standards of beauty, and particularly makeup. There are several reasons why makeup isn't discussed or debated much in public arenas:
1. It's considered self-evident: women wear makeup to look better, duh.
This is a stubborn, hostile reaction that some people take. They refuses to analyze this issue in any depth. In effect, it supports the status quo. It is usually, but not always, taken by those who are not asked to cover their faces in makeup every morning. In other words, it is easily taken up by men, who have the most to gain from supporting the beauty double-standard, and suffer least by it.
2. Money.
The beauty industry is a multi-mullion dollar industry. They contribute much of the advertising revenue that funds women's magazines. The editors and publishers of women's magazines, therefore, can't afford to raise this issue, even if their readers may be thirsting for just such a discussion. This is an economic wall supported by cultural norms and patriarchal ideology. If what our society values changes enough, the money will follow.
3. (Male) Might makes Right.
The debate about makeup leads too easily into an simplistic, prescriptive solution: stop wearing it. This does nothing to change the system (unless, of course, enough women stopped wearing it). It implies, in fact, that there's nothing wrong with the system, and that the individual must conform, or not conform and face the consequences. But the ideology is never wrong because, afterall, it is the norm. To this way of thinking, "might makes right", and "commonsense" is neutral and has no political intentions. In this system of thinking, women who do not play the beauty game and wear makeup will be penalized. But the consequences are just: that's what you get for not "playing the game".
Note: The above was written in May/June 2005, and was originally titled "To Helen Wheels, a commenter - Part II". "To Helen Wheels, a commenter" is held in the archives for May 2005.
17 comments:
Right off the bat I can think of a few reasons women wear makeup other than solely to enhance themselves...
For self confidence; a statement; a "here I am, sit up and take note!".
To hide; a woman may feel less vulnerable if she has it on.
Habit; it "doesn't seem right to leave the house without it"; going out without makeup compared to going out naked.
To conceal skin disorders (such as rosacea); some men -- though fewer -- do so as well.
I rarely wear makeup because I spent too many years as a psych interviewer (of people with schizophrenia), and if I wore makeup, the interviewee (male or female) was more likely to pay attention to me and less likely to say what they really were seeing/hearing/feeling/thinking. Almost as though my makeup was a distraction; wearing a white coat meant my interviewees were even more distant.
Even though I'm in oncology now, I still don't wear it at work. I do, however, sometimes wear makeup on dates, when I feel like being fancy.
Make-up is also considered a badge of maturity. I remember being forbidden to wear it until I was 16. So I used it at my best friend's house, on the way to school. It was both a milestone and an issue of conformity. All the other girls did it, so I didn't want to stand out as an exception.
Conformity is also an issue. Any difference from the norm is suspect--a woman with a bare face must be making a statement rather than acting out of personal choice. I seldom wear it not because of an an ideological position but because I don't like how it feels. I don't often conform to any other standards, so why should my face be any different?
I appreciate you making me think about the implications of things we take for granted. Thank you!
I'd better clarify: I meant reason #1 ("It's considered self-evident: Women wear makeup to look better - duh.") to represent the resistence to examining the reasons for makeup as a norm; it wasn't meant as a comprehensive list of the reasons. My grammer confuses the issue and I may change it to this:
1. It's considered self-evident (e.g., women wear makeup to look better, cover minor imperfections, it gives them confidence, people notice them more, and on and on)."
I was using the "look better" reason as a stand-in for all those types of reasons. It was meant as a representative of a certain mindset that sees the surface, utilitarian reasons for wearing makeup, and denies all political underpinnings.
Hi Sour Duck - firstly, thanks for this post (and the others that preceded it) on this topic. I agree wholeheartedly that it's an area that *should* be examined.
My opinion is that makeup and cosmetics are neither intrinsically good nor bad - if an individual (male *or* female) *chooses* to wear (or not to wear) makeup, more power to them. I worry if that "choice" is as a response to external / peer / parental / employer pressure... for example, the young girl who feels compelled to wear, in order to "fit in"... or the airline flight attendant who is *required* to wear makeup for work, or face disciplinary action...
Disclosure - I wear makeup. In my case, it's for some of the reasons that jodie highlighted, i.e. concealing skin issues, increasing self-confidence and reducing personal risk. Those three factors mean that I wear makeup most days. If those factors didn't apply, I would probably wear makeup occasionally (i.e. when I felt like it) - but purely as a matter of personal expression. If I was ever forced to wear (or not to wear) then I would kick and scream blue murder! ;-)
First of all thanks for another thought provoking post.
'This does nothing to change the system (unless, of course, enough women stopped wearing it). '
Yes on a wider level you aren't making the makeup companies lose thousands of dollars, or changing the wider opinions of makeup but but you are leading by example.
Which I'm a big fan of. I don't wear makeup (except for the very rare and big occasions such as weddings).
I think by doing that in a much smaller scale i'm showing an example of a women's face which has its imperfection, occasional acne, occasional dark circles under the eyes etc. Things that I am not proud of, but real things! Things that we shouldn't have to cover(men don't) if we don't want to. I'm also showing that you can be well presented without throwing chemicals on your face. I'm also not further supporting makeup companies. Many of which test on animals, and use horrible chemicals and/or animal products in their products. Did you know that most lipsticks contain fish scales, yuckyyyy!
The strange thing is that a huge compliment that I get from men relates to the fact that I don't wear makeup and how they hate it then followed by comments about they hate it when women wear too much makeup. I also don't take long getting ready. Both things which have been mentioned in a positive way by several men over the years.
I'm also continually shocked by female friends who remark in suprise that the new man in their life saw them out their worst (no makeup) and was still attracted. This makes me incredibly sad.
I think for me the easiest way is to simply not wear makeup(another claim for activism on a daily level perhaps?), besides it also feeds into my lazy mentality.
I'm not saying that is the answer for everyone (although i must admit i wish it was) and i guess thats where its gets more complicated.
I am lucky enough to still have really healthy skin, and find that I wear less and less makeup. I do wear it to the office and when I go out on social occasions. But I have always been a light user of makeup.
I have often wondered why I feel compelled to wear makeup, especially since I have good skin and well-formed eyes. I guess I just like to look better!
There is another angle to the makeup industry, however: Thousands of women support terrible animal cruelty by buying makeup made by companies that use animal testing.
I find this topic very interesting. I rarely wear makeup and don't beleive anyone should have to wear it. That being said, I am always certain to wear it when I have a job interview or a presentation due to social and professional expectations. I work with other women mostly and have tried to spark a discussion on this topic but for most, the thought of not wearing makeup is appalling. To them it would be like not wearing a bra, something "other" women do but they certainly wouldn't! Although not strictly makeup, they feel even more strongly about shaving their legs. It seems to me, at least in some professional and social circles, that women not only choose to wear makeup for the reasons the post and other comments mention, but also because they feel that they MUST. While perhaps not a representative sample, in these women, the need for makeup goes beyong external social pressure and has been internalized to such a degree that leaving the house without their "face" is almost as scandalizing as being caught naked at high noon in the middle of the street.
Did you know that wearing makeup used to be considered Witchcraft, and if a woman was proven to have used any form of cosmetic, her marriage was null and void?
I love make-up. It's indulgent, it's subversive, it's fun. There's nothing I love more than a guy with tattoos and tons of black eyeliner. There are two issues here - gender and oppression of women. Why shouldn't a guy be able to wear make-up to work? Why am I expected to? These are rigid gender roles defined by the patriarchy, and they have nothing to do with who humans really are.
We need to make a conscious effort to get out of the patriarchal binary - there are more than two genders, and only one real sexuality. You may prefer one gender to another, but that doesn't mean you won't go for the "other" under various conditions. Humans are pansexual, and getting that would save a lot of people a lot of hassle.
Then there's the issue of women being expected not only to meet a societal expectation of appearance, but to hobble themselves to do it. That pair of Jimmy Choos was made in a sweatshop by child labor; the person who wears them is wasting income that could be better spent elsewhere, and they make her more vulnerable to injury and attack. The also frequently require surgery to repair the damage they cause, or to make the foot fit the ridiculously designed shoe. If we don't want to be oppressed, then first we have to stop participating in our own oppression.
For my part, I wear Birkenstocks and Chanel lipstick. My feet don't hurt, I still look good and I can run or kick ass as needed. This is one of those areas in life where we don't have to be so all-or-nothing in it's approach. The idea of the wear it or don't school is an illusion. There are many, many options in this case. Life is not an either/or situation.
Thanks for the really interesting series of posts on makeup. It has really prompted me to think about my own makeup use, why I still do it and what I want to do about it.
I'm going to write a post about this today on my blog rather than overload your comments!
Interesting debate. I wear almost no makeup - just a little foundation, because of a bad skin. I do feel self-conscious about that, and would prefer not to be seen without it most of the time.
However, I've just never really worn much other makeup. It just looks so wrong and false! It was not a conscious decision, but then I don't paint my nails, have any piercings or colour my hair.
This has not been due to any strong ideological decisions - it's just not me to do those things. The men I've been involved with have never expressed any negative opinions about it - in fact some have remarked on how much they dislike make-up on women (I think this translates to "a lot" of make-up as they may not notice it otherwise). I suspect, though, that most of the time they would still find an expertly made-up woman more attractive than one without the polish, as it were.
Most of the women I work with and know socially, as well as the rest of my family, wear make-up as a daily ritual (definitely can't go out of the house without my "face"). However, I can't recall anyone commenting on the fact that I don't - which makes me wonder if most people even notice ...
The only time I do wear make-up is if I'm going to a formal occasion, or I might wear a little lip gloss if I'm going out to dinner etc.
As for whether the social pressure is justified - I feel largely that it's not, especially because of the gender difference. Men are coming under more and more pressure to look after themselves and look good and smell good and use skincare products - but for a woman to feel stigmatised for not wearing mascara and lipstick is unacceptable. I have no problem with make-up for what it is - but have fun with it, don't let it continue to be a source of anxiety. If men want to wear eyeliner - good luck to them I say :)
Interesting discussion. I love makeup, but really just because it is fun to play with colors and eye makeup. I don't really wear foundation but I do wear concealer to cover up breakout and stuff - that's just about positive self-presentation. I don't know that I really "feel" more confident when I cover-up breakouts, but I definitely feel more comfortable projecting confidence and professionalism when my skin tone looks even.
Eye makeup is the part that's fun to play with. I love to experiment with different looks from the "I look like I'm not wearing makeup" nudes to heavy charcol shadow liner in the evening, etc. It's a bit like painting or coloring or something. I don't do it because I think I look bad without any eye makeup but because I like to play with different ways to highlight my eye color or my look.
Some people aren't big on the whole being girly and feminist at the same time, but I love embracing both aspects of my personality and identity.
I don't think wearing makeup empowers women or gives them more confidence. I think wearing makeup is a woman's way of announcing that she's ashamed of her actual face -- it's almost like she's apologizing for what she really looks like and applying a mask to cover herself up.
I used to wear makeup, but haven't worn it for many years now. And just the thought of putting a goopy mask on my face, lips and eyelashes, makes me cringe. My face is beautiful enough just as it is.
An Australian fashion designer who specialises in ultra girly clothes had a child a few years ago - at the time her son was born she told the media that she'd had her caesarian with full makeup on, as nobody had seen her without it, not her partner, and she didn't want her child to see her naked face either.
(I came here via Carnival of the Feminists, by the way.)
Another traveller via Carnival of the Feminists. I love eye make-up and lipstick and am aware of the animal testing. Flat shoes for me although I love high heels. You didn't mention Hair dye and that I couldn't live without. I never felt like me until the day I dyed my hair bright red and that's my personality. My blog isn't called Copperwitch for nothing. Since I'm older and not likely to ever marry again anything I do is for myself.
I'm here from Carnival of the Feminists, too.
I want to mention some other aspects of make-up which make it hard to give up - decoration, statement of identity or inclusion, ability to take on another persona... I'm an amateur bellydancer, and all those apects come into play for us. Women who don't wear make-up in everyday life get completely glammed up for shows. What form of bellydance they practice dictates what their make up looks like. American Tribal Style dancers look totally different from Cabaret dancers. Look at drag queens and goths for other groups who use make up in this way.
I should add that I live in Austin, TX, and I am an engineer - two subcultures of America in which women don't wear make up. The expectations surrounding appearance still exist, though. A debate concerning pressure to wear make up for one gender is just a sub set of the debate concerning differing expectations for the appearance of one gender vs the other.
I believe that women should have the choice to wear makeup to work... most women are naturally beautiful and are fortunate enough to have delicate skin... those who are less fortunate shouldn't be forced to wear makeup.. it's all about self perserverance...if you feel more cinfident without makeup, it will show... unless you are a clown, makeup shouldn't be required!!!!!
I have worn make-up since I was fourteen years old. My mom was the type who was so ashamed of her natural face that she wouldn't even answer the door without it. I just recently in the last few years started experimenting with how I would feel if I stopped wearing it. So I tried it and it was a real eye-opening experience (and still is). I never realized to what degree wearing make-up concealed the "real me". At first, I couldn't even look at someone in the eye. I was so ashamed of the way my face looked. I gradually became okay with it over time and could be around my friends without it. I then discovered how much I hated my natural face...I mean I really haven't acknowledged it for over 20 years and just couldn't wait to cover it up with my beautiful, luxurious colors and tricks. I couldn't believe how deeply this went, particularly about what I believe to be true about myself as a woman and more importantly what I thought about those who don't wear it. I was so surprised to find that people really could still love and relate to me if I wasn't "put together". I'm still hearing old messages almost daily when I look in the mirror and choose not to wear it. Messages like "you are so pale and your eyes are so plain;" "only woman who don't care about themselves don't wear it;" "people will think you're depressed;" and the list goes on. What started out as an experiment for me to see what I was hiding, has become a truly transformative thing. It has taken tremendous amount of strength and honesty to do this and continue to do it. The desire to just stop and go back to feeling comfortable again is so strong it amazes me. I look at my daughter (5) and ask myself do I want to teach her to think she is ugly without makeup? I saw how I valued my own external "beauty" over many things and how I judged others. I have realized I am so much more than my external shell. I choose to wear it only in social situations where it still feels really uncomfortable for me (weddings, funerals, sometimes dates/parties). For me, it uncovered a weakness I didn't know I had -- depending on outside things to cover deeper self-esteem issues. Perhaps other woman were taught a more positive message about wearing make-up but I wonder how many other women feel the same way I did and really have no idea. Just my experience. Thank you all for your honesty as I think it is a bigger question we all need to wonder about from time to time, especially for our little girls who are coming of age.
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