In his essay Make up: makeup laid bare, French journalist Valentine Pétry analyzes and questions our relationship to makeup. A relationship full of contradictions: we find it both superficial and essential, because it allows you to have self-confidence and assert your identity. But why do we wear makeup?
“Even women who don’t wear makeup have things to say on the subject! », says Valentine Pétry in an interview. The author explains that we have attributed different values to makeup for centuries and that it is for this reason that our relationship to it is so ambiguous.
“Since ancient times, makeup has been considered a tool to seduce men. Women wear makeup to make themselves look beautiful, to hide their old age and to deceive men. He is regularly associated with the devil by the Christian religion. Makeup, seduction and deception are closely linked,” she explains.
This idea will evolve over the centuries, and today, there are two visions that intertwine: “The first is the idea that women wear makeup to comply with social conventions created by patriarchal societies, and putting on makeup therefore constitutes an imposed and inevitable task. Secondly, carried by the feminists of the second wave, we wear makeup to create our identity, it is a means of expression, a gain of power over ourselves,” analyzes Valentine Pétry.
A political tool
She recalls in her essay that Hillary Clinton dreamed of being able to do like her male colleagues, go out naturally, without effort. The author calculated that in 2016, during the election campaign, she spent 600 hours doing her hair and makeup, the equivalent of 25 days! And when she goes out without makeup, everyone notices it.
Women are expected to wear makeup, but not too much, just the right amount. Either you don’t have enough makeup and you look tired or too old, or you have too much makeup and you’re a bimbo, with all the stereotypes associated with women with too much makeup, i.e. we are dishonest and will seduce and deceive to achieve our ends.
Valentine Pétry, journalist and author
In the public sphere, makeup is an obligatory ritual, but it can be used for political purposes, because wearing makeup on a daily basis, as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat elected to the US Congress, maintains, is anything but trivial. “For her, it’s a way of asserting herself. This video she shot for the magazine Vogue was a huge success because through her beauty routine, she talks about herself, a committed, feminist, hard-working woman, who uses makeup to enhance her personality and reminds us that femininity has power. She talks about her signature: her very red lipstick, which she started wearing while going door to door. It gave him confidence. »
Valentine Pétry also talks about the launch of Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, the first major brand to make inclusion its main focus, which shook up the market. “There were already brands that offered ranges for all skin types, but global star Rihanna revolutionized the makeup industry by creating 40 foundation colors launched simultaneously in 17 countries. Fenty Beauty has become essential and many brands have subsequently offered many more shades and shades for all skin types,” analyzes the journalist.
An industry that is still very gendered
The cosmetics industry is still very gendered. It targets women and still ignores makeup for men. Because beyond skin care, do men wear makeup? “There was the kohl of the Egyptians, the complexion powder of the kings of France, David Bowie… Men’s makeup is very marginal and it is even more codified than that of women. Most of the time, it’s makeup that isn’t presented as makeup! It will be a tinted anti-fatigue eye contour (concealer), a healthy-looking cream (foundation). We have to reassure them that they are still men, which is a very caricatured vision of masculinity that is still present. »
We see that there is a generational change, because there are a lot of beauty influencers who use makeup and who are redefining gender expression. Things are changing thanks to new generations who are open on the subject.
Valentine Pétry, journalist and author
For Valentine Pétry, the cosmetics industry is selling us dreams. Economists clearly show that people still buy makeup, even in times of crisis or recession, because it is associated with pleasure. “There are real ecological and sustainability issues, there are refills in skincare and makeup, but we have to be loyal to the same product, while the industry only lives by novelty and pushes us to consume. Buying makeup is a childlike pleasure, as if we were in a candy store through the color palettes. »
Make up: makeup laid bare
Editions Les Pérégrines
240 pages
