A beauty obsessed world

The word makeup in itself suggests that wearing it will 'make you up'. Cosmetics in the Oxford dictionaries defines it as preparation applied to the body, especially the face, to improve its appearance and therefore it has remained that a girl's best friend (other than diamonds of course) is her make up set.

Beauty is a controversial topic, a mind boggling debate about whether the world is becoming purely materialistic and how the celebs in the magazines reflect the ideal image of beauty. Consumers are faced with these ideals daily and look up to these celebrities as role models but even the models in the magazines don't look like the models in the magazines.
Photoshop is a BITCH and distorts reality ladies.

Don't we all wish we could have our photos airbrushed before posting them onto social media. Magic. Instantly hiding that massive pimple that literally just appeared over night or camouflaging those black bags (actual bin liners) under our eyes. But we don't, we have make up, hallelujah! (I'm also a massive fan and religious user of instagram filters, absolute last-minute lifesaver!)

Even Katy Perry doesn't naturally look like herself.

Since the average women spends 55 minutes per day 'playing with her face', (that's equivalent to two whole weeks out of a year), I proposed to write about the journey of cosmetics and how it helped us reach this absolute fascination with enhancing one's natural beauty and expressing one's youth, an even and flawless complexion is a young and youthful appearance. Every woman's dream.

So let's take a look back in history. A virtual time machine.

Have you ever wondered why a rose tint applied to the flesh of your cheek is something of a trend? one that simply does not grow out...

Around 3000 BCE, Greek women started applying red berries to their faces. Why, you ask? Studies have shown that women's faces are more attractive around ovulation, in their most fertile state. The hormonal change actually enhances blood flow under the skins surface and voila, results in that rosey flushed look. The increased blood flow leads to pinker cheeks and redder lips (hence lippy). Men see this as attractive and a natural sign of fertility, but since when did we start listening to what men wanted ey?!

Words of Gretchen Weiner- Mean Girls

Blusher: So fetch, stop trying to make it happen, it's not going to happen. But it did and it stayed.

Of course there are contradictions which imply that no make up is prettier but would you dare to go bare?  I'm sure the majority of you have heard your parents, grandparents, boyfriends, husbands, say you look better without makeup. My theory is that there is a huge fat line between enhancing your features and plastering a mask and attaching five sets of lashes to your eyes. Minimal is the key.

I remember about almost ten years ago when foundation lips were a thing and I have to admit I was extremely loyal to this trend. (even to the point of obsession). After eating and drinking i'd adjust my patchy pale lips which had worn off. Vanity at its finest.

You wouldn't think that society's obsession with tanning began in the 1920's. Many tanning products were invented by the 1930's to darken one's skin without use of the sun and to us now, a sun kissed glow inevitably represents beauty and health! (Oompa loompa shades are another story but I'm sure we've all experienced an accidental tanning over dose. I know I have!).

Oops

However centuries back, paler skin symbolised beauty, status and social rank. Japanese Geishas painted their skin white and the Chinese ground pearls from seashells and swallowed them to lighten their skin. Lighter skin also represented social hierarchy in England where the working class were tanned due to working in the sun. How time changes everything! (I honestly wouldn't step foot outside on the first day of summer without my trusty St Moriz on).

Japanese Geisha

The beauty industry is forever growing and no matter where it began and the trends that have brought us to today, we will always be sucked into this vacuum of what 'true beauty' is claimed to be. The beauty industry has sculpted the perfect woman as if she were clay. 'A thin physique, a flawless complexion and a symmetrical face'. What poses these ideals are the airbrushed models and celebrities that pitch the latest and best beauty products. It's got to be said though, would you buy a product exhibited by a spotty faced, greasy haired, missing toothed, un-plucked eyebrowed  lady who proposes that this particular product will make you beautiful? You wouldn't, would you?

So there you have it. The beauty industry makes billions, thriving on public perception and what their audience visualizes as perfect.