The primary goal of makeup in today’s world is to enhance the facial features of women, in order for them to come closer to the suggested ideal female face. Therefore, each cosmetic must transform its corresponding facial feature’s shape or color into that which society deems more desirable. Foundation is the base layer of makeup designed to give the face a whiter and clearer complexion. Although there are foundations made now for people of color, that is a more recent addition to this cosmetic and not many grocery stores and the like are stocked with them. Furthermore, if these are present then they encompass perhaps a fifth of the store’s shelf. The racial implications are clear with makeup and go to strengthen the belief that a whither face is symbolic of wealth and power. Eye Shadow is a cosmetic that accents the shape and color of the eyes, which implies that the female eyes without enhancement are less beautiful and plain in comparison to a man’s unadorned eyes. Mascara is an extension of eye shadow and it produces longer fuller eyelashes, and these attributes are symbolic of youth and innocence. The ideal quality produced is the look of a naïve girl batting her eyelashes mindlessly toward her male companion. Lipstick was designed to give the lips a fuller shape and an unnaturally red color (sometimes a different color but not generally) in order to attain a more voluptuous and pouty look. In addition, the ideal presented is that red lips have superior beauty and only white women have naturally red lips. Blush was created to give women a flushed expression of rosy cheeks that is characteristic of the female face during intercourse. This means that the ideal women upon meeting a man will appear to him as she would during sex, now that is scary. An alternative implication is that blush creates a look of shyness or delicateness, which reassures men of their superior strength and women of their frailty. Today’s image of Western, female beauty can be seen everywhere in the culture, in the media, on the products, the children’s toys, and just about every corner of a commercial establishment. Women are pushed to meet unrealistic physical appearances to get respect and power. Today the goal of cosmetics is to come closer to a whiter and more doll-like appearance.

But before the 1920s, when makeup became a popular social tool, makeup had different uses and was not specifically gendered toward women. In the Elizabethan era, makeup was to be worn only by men for theatrical purposes. If women did wear it, they were of the upper class. Makeup in Asian culture was predominantly used for theatrical purposes as well, with men as the only users. In fact, cosmetics did not become widely seen phenomena before Western influence; instead wearing makeup was associated with a mask that should have a more useful purpose than beautification. Native American and African cultures used makeup for more symbolic or instrumental goals; and it was used by men, by women, and even for animals. It was worn to demonstrate the mind frame of the individual during ceremonies, war, or to express emotion such as grief. Today, mostly women wear the makeup and use it not for such symbolic gestures, but for beautification.

In our culture today, makeup is used exclusively by girls and women, and has different purposes for different age categories. Elementary Girls are introduced to makeup with toy cosmetics and dolls that associate makeup with beauty and maturity. The effect is that young girls learn that they need to make themselves pretty (implying that they were not already) the way that their toys teach them and the way they see adult women portrayed. Adolescent Girls begin to seriously experiment with using makeup in a social setting other than their home, it is not just a game to them anymore. The effect of this is that girls become more concerned with their appearance and make judgments about their self worth and what they can accomplish as it relates to their physical beauty. Teenagers see makeup as a symbol of maturity and as a way into social acceptance. Therefore, they learn to believe that the prettier they are the more people will like them, i.e. the cheerleader or prom queen dreams. Women aged 19-24 see makeup as part of their daily routine and generally feel very dressed down if they are not wearing it. This implies that makeup is a symbol of good hygiene and a necessity for social interaction. Those that choose not to wear cosmetics are often labeled “earthy,” “grungy,” or even “lesbian.” Women in the workplace always wear makeup and would probably be looked down upon as unprofessional if they did not conform and wear it. This insinuates that a beautification process is a prerequisite for women to be capable of professional work, while the same is not true for a man. As women get older they are expected to wear makeup to cover up smile lines, wrinkles, age spots, and other signs of a well worn body.

Suggested Readings:
Brumburg, Jone Jacobs. The Body Project, 2. Random
House Inc. New York New York 1997.

Balsamo, Anne. Technologies of the Gendered Body,1996.