Cosmetics have evolved from use in ceremony and theatre to a form of individual expression that is reinforced and shaped by corporate branding. From the dawn of it’s creation using pigments derived from berries and earth to a world manipulated through marketing and elaborate package design, “make-up” has become almost a form of modern art, mired in controversy and style.
To achieve the dramatic look of the Egyptian lifestyle, women used crushed carmine beetles, and for eyeliner they used kohl that was a dark-colored powder made of crushed antimony, burnt almonds, lead, oxidized copper, ochre, and ash. Primitive African cultures used face paint in patterns of specific colors to indicate certain periods in a person’s life, such as puberty, courting, and marriage. Native Americans used two major ingredients for body paint: charcoal and ochre. Other ingredients, included bird droppings, plant leaves, and fruits were mixed with animal fat and hot water to make paint. Tree branches and animal bones were used as paintbrushes. During the Renaissance, women used Ceruse (white lead), as a Concealant. The Japanese geisha, entertainers to the Samurai, went to great lengths to achieve their outer beauty, going as far as to apply poisonous pigments to their faces. The mascara “Lash Lure” manufactured during the early 1900s resulted in blindness for many women.
Cosmetics have gone from having a cultural purpose to being almost completely a device of security. Beauty marketing will find as many ways to find a flaw in someone in order to come up with a product that will be a “band-aid” quick fix.
Due to a drastic change in my financial situation, I was forced to confront my own relationship with this topic. I realized the absurdity in my purchasing and that a lot of these items were exactly the same thing. I was being duped by the “limited edition” mentality. I fell headfirst into the idea that if I wore a color or was seen buying something elite that people would care and want to talk to me.
Living in the digital era we have the Internet, a popular websites such as YouTube.com where the user can create their own videos and have an audience to subscribe to their channel. There are women and girls who make tutorials of cosmetics application lessons, showing step-by-step details of how to create different looks. The youngest girl on YouTube who makes cosmetics related videos is only 11 years old and already has a huge collection of cosmetics and a large following. Another woman from England has been making cosmetic tutorials since the summer of 2007, has 150,342 subscribers, backed by the BBC and makes a six figures income every month for showing how to apply makeup. With this said, there are women who are now full blown cosmetic addicts who will do almost anything to obtain a piece of a particular limited edition item. They spend vast amounts of time reading cosmetic bulletin forums to keep up to date with the latest color trends by the cosmetic companies. All to often I have heard stories of my online friends going deeper into debt, or make sacrifices and choose cosmetics over food.
A lot of women dislike the idea of leaving their house without some form of product because they feel it gives them security about their self-image. Being prepared to hide natural occurrences in fear of what other people might think if they see a woman who “doesn’t have her face on”.
My goal is to communicate what the culture of cosmetics has become and how some women have become “full blown makeup addicts” from the pressure of other women. The audience that I want to focus on is preteen girls because cosmetics are being marketed towards younger girls through all types of entertainment mediums having an effect on their body image and self esteem.
AUDIENCE
Primary Audience
Pre-teen & Teenage Girls
Secondary Audience
Women (21+)
OBJECTIVE
To establish a connection between a drug addiction and cosmetic addiction.
CRITERIA
Awareness of the problem
Vivid and engaging
Race and gender neutral
EDUCATIONAL GOALS
As I complete my final semester at Emily Carr
University of Art + Design I would like to improve on my typography and Adobe Indesign skills.
RESEARCH
Blauer, Ettagale. “Body Decorations of African Cultures”. January 12, 2009
Dubin, Lois Sherr. “Body Decorations of Native American Cultures”. January 12, 2009
“Today Show: ‘Mass Media Marketing Sex and Beauty to Little Girls’”. YouTube.com. January 12, 2009.
Panacea81: ‘Make Up Lessons, Tutorials & How To’s”. YouTube.com. January 12, 2009.
Specktra.net: “The definitive independent MAC Cosmetics authority!”. YouTube.com. January 12, 2009.
Wikipedia.org: “Cosmetics”. Wikipedia.org. January 12, 2009.
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