Mascara and Misogyny: The Pressure Cooker
First things first: Makeup isn't just about looking cute, its embedded in the politics of gender, societal expectations, treatment and identity. It can be a means of conforming to or challenging traditional beauty standards. It can be art or armor. But how we wear it (or choose not to) affects so much more than lip colour or lash length.
Think "halo effect," but with makeup. Studies show people who are perceived as attractive receive demonstrably better treatment across various domains in life. From better customer service, being perceived as more moral to receiving more favourable legal judgments, the "beauty premium" has significant advantages. Beyond everyday interactions, research reveals women who wear makeup are consistently perceived as more competent and qualified in professional settings. This translates to higher salaries, faster promotions and even increased client trust.
This is the makeup double bind. There is an unfair playing field, where conformity becomes a prerequisite for advancement. Of course, we can reject this and use makeup as a form of resistance. Unconventional styles and bold colours become weapons against the limitations placed upon femininity. It's a statement, a reclamation of individuality. Sounds great, but this rebellion comes at a cost: misogynistic labels, unfair judgments and potential career setbacks (to name a few) all warrant questioning whether resistance is worth it.
So where does this leave us? Stuck in a funhouse mirror of expectations. Wear too little makeup, and we're deemed ‘unpolished’, ‘unattractive’ or God forbid the dreaded ‘tired’. Go bold or unconventional, and suddenly we're ‘excessive’, ‘attention-seeking’ (and worse). It's a no-win situation, a reflection of deeply ingrained misogyny. It's the idea that a woman's appearance exists for approval, not for their own self-expression. It's the constant policing of ‘appropriate femininity’, limiting our authentic choices.
The elephant in the room: capitalism. The beauty industry, fuelled by relentless advertising and ever-evolving trends, profits by keeping women chasing an unattainable ideal. They create and exploit insecurities, feeding us the narrative that ‘more makeup equals more value’. A message compounded by the treatment women get from society for not playing the game. It's a cycle of consumption designed to keep us trapped, constantly striving for that "perfect" look.
Defying expectations can disrupt the status quo. It can inspire and empower individuals, but we need broad collective action if we want to dismantle the very system that created the double bind in the first place. We can support brands that celebrate diversity and empower individual choice. We can challenge the narrative that beauty is defined by products and trends. And most importantly, we can refuse to let our self-worth be dictated by external pressures.
Only then can we create a space where makeup is truly a choice and not a pressure cooker of expectations.