Why Do Women Wear Cosmetics

Cosmetics have multiple uses worldwide and various forms have existed for many years. Beauty products originated in Egypt in The modern cosmetic industry rose and prospered in the United States and Europe in the 1920s along with the popularity of flappers. Flappers were identified as a “’new breed’ of young Western women in the 1920s” (“Flapper.” 1). These women had tendencies to smoke, drink, and have casual sex. Flappers wore short skirts and dresses, and excessive amounts of makeup. They wore more makeup than was “previously acceptable outside of theatre usage” (“Flapper” 1). Flappers generally wore dark red lipstick, dark eye makeup, blush, and pale foundations. Women were pressured to appear beautiful and young and used makeup

Cosmetics can enhance natural beauty, but can hide it when too much is applied. Some women are self-conscious, some like the art of applying makeup, and many others simply feel the need to wear makeup. Females may feel pressured to wear makeup for various reasons. Some women think that they can find happiness in the use of cosmetics. Likewise in her novel addressing cosmetics, Phoebe Hyde states, “Weekly, sometimes daily, I found myself digging through bins at a street-side sample warehouse near our apartment, believing something at the bottom of the bin would have the power to make me happy, or satisfied, or sexy, or whatever it was that suddenly, inexplicably, I wasn’t.” When people turn to man made products to find joy, something else must be missing in their lives. Nevertheless, some women wear makeup because they think it will help them to attract more men and improve their dating lives. Though many men claim to like the “au natural” look, an experiment performed by Nicholas Geugen proved that 33% more men talked to women in bars when they were wearing makeup, than when the women had bare faces. Other women may feel the need to wear makeup in order to have more successful careers. Makeup can help women to look more polished and put together and may increase their chances of being promoted or given a job opportunity. Younger females may feel pressured to wear makeup for numerous reasons. Once a female begins puberty, she becomes very aware and self-conscious of her body image. Because of this, girls may feel pressured by their peers to look “pretty”. As teenagers, girls can be very judgmental and cruel and many girls may conform just to fit in. Girls might also wear makeup to attract the attention of their males in hopes of forming relationships. Lastly, some teenagers are pressured by their mothers to wear makeup. As said by the hosts on the Today show,