Why people wear makeup
Makeup has become an obsession for high schoolers and young adults. Social media is overfilled with people showing off expensive brand names and perfectly done makeup. A new fad takes over every other week. It is a common misconception people wear makeup to seem more appealing to others, yet it is more common for people to do it for themselves. Whether this means wearing makeup for confidence or as a hobby
According to Statista the total revenue of the cosmetic industry in the year 2015 was $56.63 billion and shows no sign of slowing down. The average women spends an average of $144 a year on beauty. To anyone who has seen the prices of higher end makeup this makes sense due the through-the-rough costs.
Psychology Today says women wear makeup because of socialization and what people find beautiful worldwide. Cosmetics target to do such as even tone, focus on eyes or make the wearer appear healthier were found to be more attractive cross-culturally. According to the Daily News, women generally tend to have more natural color on their eyes and mouth which could explain why women tend to highlight their eyelids and lips.
“I wear makeup to cover up dark circles and make my eyes standout,” said Arianna R ‘20.
While it is true some women and men wear cosmetics only to be more confident and appear more attractive, for some makeup is a hobby more than anything else. It can become an art form for people who like to practice their techniques; it can be used to entirely alter the way someone looks.
“It’s like the only form of art I can do,” said Sam T ‘19.
Average people are able to learn the kind of makeup tricks previously only known by professional makeup artists. Although the only true professionals are those who have training such as beauty school, a large amount of people have a vast amount of makeup tricks just from enjoying the practice.
Celebrities like Kylie Jenner or Mariah Carey creating their own line has become popular in the last few years. Celebrity lines give the consumer the opportunity to feel similar to their favorite singer or actor. These makeup lines tend to drive fads and entice fans to want to imitate the styles they see on celebrities.
Makeup has stemmed far from making women look conventionally attractive. Nowadays people of all genders do it for themselves and do it to make themselves happy.
Keylee C • Oct 18, 2017 at 10:24 am
I really enjoyed this article and it is beautifully written. I love all the different sides and opinions you showed throughout. Most people believe people only wear makeup to impress others, but for a lot of people, like myself, its to make themselves feel happy and confident, and for other people its a form of art.
Maddie Gwinn • Oct 18, 2017 at 10:10 am
I can’t believe the makeup industry makes so much per year, then again I didn’t even realize Mariah Carey had a makeup line.
Zainah Yousef • Oct 18, 2017 at 10:07 am
I really liked reading through this article, especially because you presented both sides of the topic. Not many persuasive articles do that, but you certainly hit on that. I also found myself agreeing with what you were saying. I know many people in high school and out of high school that use makeup, but the idea that people use it merely for other people is not always true, and I thought it was a great idea that you included student quotes to show how many people do it for themselves. It was also good to include statistics, as they always help to make a better argument. Overall, good job!