In the truest sense of the idiom, beauty is purely associated to just carnal attractiveness and external attributes sans relation to the righteousness, decency, and essential qualities of an individual. Makeup, then, is just a rebranding of the human face. With the current advent of cosmetics and medical enhancement procedures being born far from the standard or norms of beauty isn’t a problem any longer. One just needs the aid of beauty experts and voila, a magical transformation instantly happens for the right price.
Although it was considered sinful and immoral by church leaders during the Middle Ages to wear makeup, still many women insisted in adopting the fad of lightening their skin with the use of white powder to look more aristocratic. Queen Elizabeth I of England was a well-known user of the white lead substance that illustrated her influential style which was evident in all paintings of her. Pale faces were a trend during the European Middle Ages so much so that around the 16th century women would bleed themselves just to achieve pale skin. While Spanish prostitutes wore pink makeup to contrast their pale skin, the 13th century Italian women wore red lipstick to show that they were upperclass.
Due to human’s innate nature to constantly strive to attain perfection and discover new ways to enhance and improve their looks, cosmetic laboratories had astonishingly increased in number and manufacturers found a gold mine in this thriving industry. Although modern makeup has been mainly used by women, gradually an unprecedented percentage of the male populace started using beauty enhancers topped by concealer to cover pockmarks, skin blemishes, and dark shades around the eyes. Unlike during the days of yore when makeup were thick and pasty, modern technology has introduced light makeup ingredients with natural finish and wide variety of skin tones to match multi-racial consumers’ needs. Permanent makeup or cosmetic tattooing is now a growing part of the health and beauty industry. Lips can now attain permanent lip line definition, eyes can bid eye pencils goodbye, and perfect eyebrow contour are achievable, too. Today, natural-looking beauty is almost realizable through body sculpturing and facial contouring, collagen injection, glutathione use, skin peeling, rapid repair eye serum, anti-wrinkle care, nose lifting, and even hair transplant. For most people, wearing makeup is an essential duty that they cannot live without, especially among career-oriented women, for they feel great about themselves knowing that they look better and presentable. Modern society openly accepts the irresistible dictates of the pressing demands for fashion cosmetics and related beauty products which became more saleable with the hiring of influential celebrity product endorsers. Makeup, when perfectly applied, could defy age, conceal flaws, enhance physical appearance, and boost confidence and morale.
And just when you thought makeup and related beauty enhancing products and techniques can only be applied exclusively on the living, think again! If the living has beauty salons to walk into, the deceased have the funeral parlor to pamper them for the last time .
But makeup users, sometimes, have a price to pay for beauty. Excessive usage, inappropriate application or inadequate cleansing could lead to clogged pores and skin breakouts… and even allergies.
Having almost everything about makeup being covered, it is easier to conclude that one cannot always judge a person based on his or her “enhanced” looks alone for after the face has been cleared of concealer and makeup, the reality surfaces… candidly revealing the very individuality of the person and the actual look she or he was born with.
Is beauty only skin deep?
In the truest sense of the idiom, beauty is purely associated to just carnal attractiveness and external attributes sans relation to the righteousness, decency, and essential qualities of an individual. Makeup, then, is just a rebranding of the human face. With the current advent of cosmetics and medical enhancement procedures being born far from the standard or norms of beauty isn’t a problem any longer. One just needs the aid of beauty experts and voila, a magical transformation instantly happens for the right price.
Although it was considered sinful and immoral by church leaders during the Middle Ages to wear makeup, still many women insisted in adopting the fad of lightening their skin with the use of white powder to look more aristocratic. Queen Elizabeth I of England was a well-known user of the white lead substance that illustrated her influential style which was evident in all paintings of her. Pale faces were a trend during the European Middle Ages so much so that around the 16th century women would bleed themselves just to achieve pale skin. While Spanish prostitutes wore pink makeup to contrast their pale skin, the 13th century Italian women wore red lipstick to show that they were upperclass.
Due to human’s innate nature to constantly strive to attain perfection and discover new ways to enhance and improve their looks, cosmetic laboratories had astonishingly increased in number and manufacturers found a gold mine in this thriving industry. Although modern makeup has been mainly used by women, gradually an unprecedented percentage of the male populace started using beauty enhancers topped by concealer to cover pockmarks, skin blemishes, and dark shades around the eyes. Unlike during the days of yore when makeup were thick and pasty, modern technology has introduced light makeup ingredients with natural finish and wide variety of skin tones to match multi-racial consumers’ needs. Permanent makeup or cosmetic tattooing is now a growing part of the health and beauty industry. Lips can now attain permanent lip line definition, eyes can bid eye pencils goodbye, and perfect eyebrow contour are achievable, too. Today, natural-looking beauty is almost realizable through body sculpturing and facial contouring, collagen injection, glutathione use, skin peeling, rapid repair eye serum, anti-wrinkle care, nose lifting, and even hair transplant. For most people, wearing makeup is an essential duty that they cannot live without, especially among career-oriented women, for they feel great about themselves knowing that they look better and presentable. Modern society openly accepts the irresistible dictates of the pressing demands for fashion cosmetics and related beauty products which became more saleable with the hiring of influential celebrity product endorsers. Makeup, when perfectly applied, could defy age, conceal flaws, enhance physical appearance, and boost confidence and morale.
And just when you thought makeup and related beauty enhancing products and techniques can only be applied exclusively on the living, think again! If the living has beauty salons to walk into, the deceased have the funeral parlor to pamper them for the last time .
But makeup users, sometimes, have a price to pay for beauty. Excessive usage, inappropriate application or inadequate cleansing could lead to clogged pores and skin breakouts… and even allergies.
Having almost everything about makeup being covered, it is easier to conclude that one cannot always judge a person based on his or her “enhanced” looks alone for after the face has been cleared of concealer and makeup, the reality surfaces… candidly revealing the very individuality of the person and the actual look she or he was born with.
By: Mellannie M. Laman
By: Mellannie M. Laman
