Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Or, is it, ladies? Is makeup progressively becoming more of a necessity than an accessory for women? A survey recently produced results that said a woman’s likability and competence in the workplace is increased by the usage of makeup. There is a discussion on NYT.com, covering viewpoints from different people, both men and women. The question is: Ultimately, does makeup damage a woman’s self-esteem or elevate it?
Below– a taste of what the debaters think:
Natasha Scripture– blogger and writer: “I don’t think I’m ugly without it [makeup]. It just makes me feel like I’m presenting a slightly better version of my natural self; even if the difference is only noticeable to the discerning eye. The point is that a harmless touch of makeup makes me feel better. I wear it for myself, not for anybody else… With red lips, I often feel like I can rule the world.”
Phoebe Baker Hyde– author of “The Beauty Experiment”: “Makeup should be good for self-esteem, and yet somehow, instinctively, we doubt… In my own life I’ve seen both strategies succeed and fail. All I can say with conviction is that my own self-esteem is not pegged to the lipstick (organic or not), or to a tantrum-y refusal to wear it. Self-esteem for me now is about dismantling that tank, one piece at a time.”
Scott Barnes– makeup artist: “A woman applying makeup is sort of like a man donning armor to prepare himself for battle. Makeup gives you confidence. It helps you exude the best possible version of yourself. And confidence is a good thing to have on the battlefield… A man can’t work a skirt, mascara and blowout to light up a room the way a woman can. Use it… Use beauty to bolster yourself and the people around you, not just for vanity. Use beauty to create positive change. It works.”
Deborah Rhode– author of “The Beauty Bias”: “As a law professor of a certain age, I should confess at the outset that I rarely use makeup. I doubt that my students much notice, let alone care, whether I’m wearing mascara. And as a matter of principle, I’d prefer that they didn’t… If makeup enhances women’s self- confidence, they should by all means wear it. But it should be a choice, not a requirement imposed on employees where it is not essential to job performance. The world would be a better place if women were judged more on competence and less on appearance.”
Mally Roncal– makeup artist: “Makeup empowers a woman to present herself in exactly the way she chooses. She is the one deciding, which contributes to her self-esteem. When you put on makeup, you’re saying, ‘Here I am. I took three minutes today for myself because, you know what, I deserve it.’ If that’s not demonstrating self-esteem, I don’t know what is… Makeup doesn’t just transform you on the outside. It transforms you from within, filling you with a sense of empowerment and strength, and that’s a beautiful thing.”
Nancy Etcoff– psychologist & author of “Survival of the Prettiest”: “Makeup is a powerful but understudied tool. Research suggests that women can feel objectified by makeup, and for such women, any potential advantage may be offset by the emotional labor of wearing it. In other words, makeup is what you make it of it. It is a choice. Market trends suggest that males are now surging in self-adornment, and using not only skin products but some color cosmetics. If so, we’ll need a new set of studies.”
Thomas Matlack– founder of The Good Men Project: “I realize that beauty is a personal and sometimes controversial topic when it comes to men and women. I put makeup in the same category as fake breasts, even if it is a less extreme form of ‘beautification.’… Who are we to judge what someone else decides to do to her own face or body?… So when it comes to makeup and self-esteem I plead ignorance other than to say women should do whatever they want.”