(from Harper's Bazaar, September 1992)
For thousands of years we've been decorating our face. But why?
Tina Gaudoin debates the politics of
MAKEUP
Never mind the adage men don't cry. In this culture (by and
large), men don't wear makeup. Elementary? Well, think about
it. In 1991 American women spent $4.7 billion on maquillage and
millions of hours on the choice of product and their
application. For most of us, that's probably dollars and time
well spent. Nonetheless, it begs the question: Why, and for
whom? Is makeup part of our mating ritual? A pleasure enhancer?
Or is it our protection (physically and metaphorically) against
the outside world? Do we wear it for ourselves or for others?
And, perhaps most important, are we in danger of becoming
makeup-dependent? "If we did away with the cosmetics companies
and advertising completely, women would reinvent the industry.
Making up is quite literally in our genes; it's part of
our genetic reproductive strategy," says Helen Fisher, Ph.D.,
an anthropologist at the American Museum of Natural History in
New York. Fisher contends that in a society where males
traditionally choose females, decoration and youth are
immensely important. "From a Darwinian perspective, the male
wants to pick the best-looking, youngest female with the
freshest supply of eggs. A woman instinctively knows that it's
to her advantage to look younger and that makeup can help."
"Looking young and healthy with the help of makeup is second-
best to being young and healthy," agrees Arie Kopelman,
president and chief operating officer of Chanel, Inc. And while
cosmetics bigwigs are obviously likely to be upbeat where
maquillage is concerned, few of us would question the premise
that we feel better and more attractive with, rather than
without, makeup.
**********************
Wearing makeup is not just about attracting a mate; it's the
polilical implications of the ritual that need serious
consideration.
**********************
In our culture, it's not so much the wearing of makeup as the
social attitudes relating to its application that rile many
women. "Makeup is not just about decorating the face, which has
long been a tradition in the history of humans," says Carol
Tavris, author of The Mismeasure of Woman. "The issue today is,
which sex is expected to paint, and for what?" According to
Tavris, facial decoration has long been a rite of passage for
war, religion, and sometimes beauty. What she finds alarming is
that makeup is now regarded as a necessity for women. (How many
of us feel improperly dressed and unable to face the day
without going through our makeup routine, no matter how
cursory?)
"Women feel they have to measure up to a makeup standard," says
Tavris. The implication is that failing to meet makeup
expectations can be an indictment of one's personality or one's
ability. "Consider the term make up--what it implies
psychologically is that you are compensating for something you
don't have," says Linda Barbanel, C.S.W., a Manhattan-based
psychotherapist. "It's peer pressure; you feel you have to look
like everyone else," admits one Bergdorf Goodman shopper when
asked about her reasons for loitering at the cosmetics
counters.
Peer pressure or not, in makeup's defense is the fact that it
has been around in one form or another for a long, long time.
Cleopatra made good use of kohl and hair dye, the Elizabethans
used a white lead compound to obtain a fashionable pallor, and
the Victorians bit their lips and rubbed their cheeks furiously
to effect the necessary high color. "As far back as we can go,
we're finding vials of hair dye and pots of face paint," says
Fisher. In other cultures, body paint, tattoos, or adornment
such as neck rings, lip plates, or nosepiercing amount to much
the same thing as Westernized lip gloss and eyeshadow
(although, admittedly, it's often the opposite sex doing the
adorning).
Inevitably, the media take a good deal of flak for allegedly
"coercing" women into believing that makeup equals social
approval. Naomi Wolf, author of the much-touted The Beauty
Myth, claims that it's not making up that she disapproves of,
it's the idea that women have been "manipulated" by the media
into feeling that they have to wear makeup in order to be
"approved of and to look feminine." Wolf says that our idea of
perfect beauty is warped because the embodiment of that concept
is almost always coated in professional makeup. "In other
cultures, makeup is a source of pleasure and delight--why not
in ours?" she asks.
But many women would argue that, for them, the application of
makeup is quite simply a necessary, exceptionally pleasurable
part of their day. "Forget the beauty myth. I adore applying my
makeup--it gives me pleasure and confidence," says one Oxford
graduate. "Feminism has nothing to do with it," asserts Gale
Hayman, owner and creator of Gale Hayman, Inc. "Every woman
wants to look her best, and, frankly, a naked face is not
anyone's best look." Applied correctly, there is little doubt
makeup can enhance features, and as Richard Hartigan, president
of Lancaster Cosmetics so diplomatically puts it, can "mask
minor imperfections." And it's not just women who benefit. Bob
Mills, makeup artist for Pretty Woman, points out that actors
are as dependent on makeup to hide facial flaws as actresses
are. (Julia Roberts was not the only one submitting to shading
and enhancing on the Pretty Woman set.)
Tied in to the benefits of makeup is the idea that it
reinforces self-esteem. "Makeup can have a great effect
psychologically; it can literally brighten you up," says Mark
Hayles, a New York-based freelance makeup artist. Nowhere is
that premise borne out more effectively and convincingly than
in the Look Good... Feel Better (LGFB) program. Implemented by
the American Cancer Society in conjunction with the Cosmetic,
Toiletry, and Fragrance Association and the National
Cosmetology Association, over the past three years the
nationwide organization has helped 25,000 women afflicted with
cancer to improve their appearance through hairstyling and
makeup. Julia Rowland, Ph.D., director of the psycho-oncology
program at Georgetown University, explains that cancer assaults
patients' self-esteem and self-image and the program helps
combat negative feelings by showing women how to look their
best. Rowland points to ongoing studies that aim to prove that
there is a direct link between healing and a positive self-
image. Knots Landing's Joan Van Ark, the National Cosmetology
Association's LGFB celebrity spokesperson, explains the
lipstick theory: "When a woman reaches for her lipstick, we
know she is back on the road to recovery." As testament to the
power of makeup, some LGFB female cancer patients complain,
somewhat ironically, that they look so "well" they fail to get
the support they need. Directly related to that issue is the
question of why painting our lips, highlighting our eyes,
lengthening our lashes, and rouging our cheeks should
necessarily alter our mood and self-perception (as well as
others' perceptions of us) so radically.
It seems it's the idea of what constitutes "perfect beauty"
that figures so largely in the self-esteem and makeup equation.
Our learned association between makeup and beauty begins very
early in life. "As children, we're socialized to think that
makeup equals attractiveness," says Rita Freedman, Ph.D.. a
clinical psychologist and author of Bodylove: Learning to Like
Our Looks--and Ourselves. (Remember how we were all compelled
to wear as much of Mommy's makeup as possible because it made
us feel "pretty" and "adult"?) "I remember my aunt telling me
that the only reason to grow up was to be able to wear red
lipstick," says New York film producer Nina Colman. "I wear
makeup for myself and for my mom--she told me never to leave
the house without it," says one Bloomingdale's shopper.
Needless to say, our desire as children to look "just like
Mommy" didn't escape the marketeers. Little Miss Makeup, a doll
described by one mother as having "the body of a four-year-old
and the face of a hooker," was one of the best-selling dolls on
the market. So it's quite likely that our ideas of what
constitutes the right sort of makeup are formed very early on,
either by what our mothers wear or, in some cases, by our toys.
"For children, glitz and tons of makeup win every time," says
Roseann Radosevich, design director of girls' toys for Hasbro,
who claims that in tests with children, dolls with what she
describes as "flashy" makeup almost always come out on top in
popularity.
As well as being a tool to convince ourselves that we are
pretty, confident, or even more mature, makeup is often a means
of telling the outside world who we are and how we want to be
perceived. "Makeup can send out incredible messages," says
Ronnie Specter, the makeup artist responsible for the
metamorphosis of Michelle Pfeiffer from nerdy secretary to
empowered, half-crazed Catwoman in Batman Returns. Not only is
makeup often fundamental to the story lines in movies, but,
says Specter, it also enables actresses to get into character
and to distance themselves from what thev are actually doing.
"Makeup can become a barrier between the actor and the real
world," says Van Ark. "I'd rather stand in front of the camera
naked than without makeup." Ve Neill, who oversaw Danny
DeVito's penguin guise in Batman Returns, claims that during
the laborious process of applying the makeup and prosthesis,
DeVito actually "became" the penguin, birdlike squawks and all.
And, says Neill, the same principle (barring the bird face and
appropriate noises) could be applied to women who literally
"put on" their face and become not necessarily who they really
are, but the person they want to present to the outside world.
Women also tend to use makeup to express their personality and
their needs. "Some women use makeup as a billboard -- they're
delinitely advertising," claims Horst Rechelbacher, president
of Aveda. But advertising what? Some experts suggest the prime
target market is men. "Putting on your face gives out the
signal 'I want to be attractive to vou. come and get me,'" says
Robin Tolmach Lakoff, professor of linguistics at the
University of California at Berkeley. Talk-show host Joan
Rivers says that she only wears makeup for men. "Forget the
idea that you wear it for yourself or for other women--I never
even put on an eyelash for any member of my sex." "Women
undoubtedly wear makeup for men. Why else would a woman ask her
husband, 'Honey, do I look okay?'" says Borghese president
Matthew Rubel. "It's not that the guy's an expert in makeup,
it's just that she wants his approval." And whether they like
to admit it or not, most men subscribe to the "she looks better
with makeup" school of thought. "Men always say that they like
the natural look, but when they're asked to choose, they
inevitably go for the image that's made up," says Freedman.
************************
Women act as censors of other women, persuading them to toe the
line. If you're wearing the right makeup, you're likely to be
an okay person.
************************
But wearing makeup is not just about attracting a mate; it's
the political implications of the ritual that need serious
consideration. So integrated is the wearing of makeup within
our social system that it invites value judgments based solely
on the way a woman is (or isn't) made up. In the workplace,
failing to wear what is considered the "right" makeup can have
serious ramifications. Take the case of Teresa Fischette, a
Continental Airlines flight attendant who was recently fired
for refusing to wear makeup on the job. Although the case never
went to court, the Massachusetts branch of the American Civil
Liberties Union came out in her support. But this case is only
the tip of the iceberg. One law school graduate describes how
his top law firm interviewed for support staff and paralegals
by determining whether they passed the so-called ha-ha test.
"That quite literally means that if their appearance made you
laugh when they came through the door, then they wouldn't get
the job," says the graduate. And did makeup figure into this?
"Yes, definitely." "You have to look right for the job. If you
look frivolous at a bank, then customers will think you'll be
frivolous with their money; but if you're in advertising, then
you have to look fashionable," says Judith Waters, Ph.D.,
professor of psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Wearing makeup and looking put-together can also indicate
respect for your future employer or for the person with whom
you are meeting. "When I interview someone and she looks nicely
made up, I'm flattered and influenced by the fact that she took
the time," says Evelyn Lauder, senior corporate vice president
of Estee Lauder Companies.
Wearing appropriate makeup might not just get you the job -- it
could also make a difference to your earnings potential. Two
studies, one of recent Harvard MBAs and the other of women of
all age groups including those over 65 (on average the lowest
wage earners in the country), illustrated that all groups could
substantially increase their wages by wearing strategically
applied makeup. Waters, who designed the latter study, contends
that the older women get, the more necessary it is for them to
use makeup to create the illusion of youth. "In our society we
get used to a certain look, and if the skin doesn't look
youthful, we unfortunately assume the brain is in the same
condition."
Somewhat surprisingly, within a social setting it's more likely
to be women, rather than men, who respond negatively to women
wearing what they consider to be inappropriate makeup. (How
often have you mentally disparaged a woman who you think is
wearing unsuitable makeup?) "When I see a woman on the beach
wearing full makeup, I automatically assume that I won't like
her because she obviously doesn't see life as I do," says one
fashion editor. Market research conducted by Lancome found that
female customers were frightened away from cosmetic counters by
saleswomen wearing "too much" makeup. "Women were afraid to
walk up to the counters because they didn't want to come away
looking like the person who was selling the makeup," says
Lancome's deputy general manager, Margaret Sharkey. "Women act
as censors of other women, persuading them to toe the line,"
says Lakoff. "If you're wearing the right makeup, you're likely
to be an okay person in the eyes of others." More often than
not, she adds, it's the women who wear no makeup who present
the biggest threat because they're sending out unnerving
signals that suggest they have a high enough self-esteem
without the help of makeup.
So ingrained is the wearing of makeup in our culture that there
may be a danger of women becoming makeup-dependent. There are
tllose among us, however, who think that might not be such a
bad thing. (Makeup does, after all, protect the skin against
ever-increasing environmental pollution.) Nonetheless,
empirical research suggests that the stories about the woman
who rises an hour earlier than her husband to put on her face
so that he may never see her "facially naked," or the woman who
won't leave her house without makeup, are true. For some women,
makeup may actually become a barrier against the outside world,
one they feel unable to cope without. (Some women can't even
make telephone calls without their face on.) "Makeup is a
security blanket; it gives you some control over the image you
present to the world. But just like dressing, there's a fine
line between what's appropriate and what isn't," says designer
Donna Karan. "Makeup dependency is generally a reflection of
low self-esteem, and it means that a woman feels physically
unacceptable in her natural state," says Elaine Hatfield, co-
author of Mirror, Mirror: Importance of Looks in Everyday Life.
Being dependent on lip gloss and blush is one thing, but
feeling the need to wear a full face of heavy makeup even when
you're staying home for the day is quite another. "The human
animal is capable of remarkable self-deception, so that when a
woman looks at her reflection in the mirror, she will not see
her makeup, only what she thinks of as her 'face'" says Fisher.
Dependency aside, the word on makeup is essentially upbeat.
That women have been socialized into feeling the need to wear
makeup in order to be perceived as attractive and competent may
be wrong and unjust, but it is a given; and if we choose to,
those of us who wear makeup can use it to our advantage. To use
the male vernacular: We can play the game. "Makeup is power,"
says Lea Seigel, a New York makeup artist. "A woman who appears
to take pride in her appearance can command more respect and is
perceived of as more authoritative." And makeup has other uses
and advantages that most males wish they could avail themselves
of, disguise and enhancement being two. "I know what my face
looks like without makeup, and I don't want to do that to
anyone else," laughs Evelyn Lauder. "Women don't have an
addiction, they have a predisposition toward wearing makeup
that is closely linked to the mating game," says Fisher, who
adds as an ironic afterthought: "And the mating game is the
only game in town...."
