Cosmetics and Makeup

Woman, historically speaking, represents the “other” in comparison to man. That is, man symbolizes a superior level of mental and physicality in comparison to woman. Many theorists attribute this historical narrative as a direct contributor to the oppression of woman or subjugation by man of woman using technology. One technology that our text mentions as a technology of the body is makeup. The authors define the use of this technology stating, “Makeup is used to alter one’s appearance to fit within cultural norms of attractiveness and to exaggerate and emphasize gendered characteristics of appearance, such as the eyes or lips” (Wise and Slack 2005, 161).

Today, a prime example of a technology that subjugates women is the enormous cosmetic industry. The use of makeup has largely crossed cultural boundaries, globalizing cosmetic use in a sense. While cosmetics are no longer a luxury available to the wealthy, they have marked a distinct cultural norm of woman’s identity across the world. Consumers of cosmetics today, vary over cultural, racial, and socio-economic status. Our text also cites that makeup aides in altering racial characteristics. (Wise and Slack 2005, 161) The authors further, “For example, skin-lightening cream in sued to change the color of one’s skin so that it better meets the cultural ideal of fair skin and white identity.” This illustrates the critical role that cosmetics play in a definitive alteration of one’s identity.

Primary uses of cosmetics by women act to enhance, paint, conceal, and mask woman under a veil of cosmetic products. For example, cosmetics’ uses range from the desire to achieve a femininityy that is culturally recognized, to appear younger, to appear less tired and ultimately as a defining technology that aides in the construction of woman’s identity. That is, makeup as a technology acts as a marker of identity.

Aging also plays a critical role in the cosmetic industry. In a 2010 article from the Washingtonian titled “looking Younger” authors state that, “It's a given that collagen production diminishes as we get older. Collagen is the protein that gives form and firmness to the face. Likewise, elastin, which enables your skin to spring back like a perfectly cooked cake when it's poked or pressed, is also on the wane”(Hacinli, 2010). The article further stressed that gaining begins in the early twenties, therefore, concerns of gaining reach millions of consumers.

The cosmetic phenomenon is not limited to the United States or other Western countries. For example, in India, Bollywood actresses are subject to heightened scrutiny just as American actresses are to criticism and comparisons to these women with and without (gasp) makeup. This particular cultural use of makeup challenges widely held beliefs and breaks new boundaries regarding femininity and what is acceptable. Like India, Hollywood expects makeup as a vital identifier of women, particularly actresses. Like the Bollywood site, entertainment magazines regularly feature comparisons of starts without makeup.

In conclusion, the cosmetic industry has surpassed numerous expectations as cosmetic surgeries are becoming increasingly popular. While traditional “makeup” is removable, these innovative surgeries actually rearrange the anatomy of a woman to meet some ideal or cultural expectation. Like the historical hazards associated with traditional makeup, women now are engaging in life-threatening surgeries to change their appearance. Ultimately, all use of cosmetics and cosmetic surgeries provide human beings to overcome the limits of the body. Cosmetics are just one of the millions of technologies of the body marketed daily. Once again, we are faced with the dilemma of whom technologies aide. In this case, cosmetics create one more drudgery that millions of women subscribe to a daily basis. This essentially functions to subjugate woman to meet an idealized version of herself in order to meet societal expectations and femininity as a identification.