Makeup Essay

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Since the wearer feels better throughout the day, they have an increased peace of mind and sleep better at night. While this benefit is not direct linked to how one is perceived, higher qualities of sleep result in a non-artificial mood boost and a boost to one’s health. These benefits circle back around to better perceptions of the individual, with or without makeup. Kate Bayless from livestrong.com writes about a study published in the Journal of Psychology that shows that women who wear makeup 2-3 times a week have a higher quality of sleep than women who don’t wear makeup or who only wear makeup 1 time a week. The study hypothesizes that stimulus via makeup application, whether it be mechanical, chemical, or psychological, at a regular …show more content…

Makeup can have a very significant impact on perception formation as well. In this way, makeup plays a factor in career progression and success. Rebecca Nash conducts a study to answer the question: does makeup make a difference in perceived career success? In her research, test subjects were shown multiple women, either wearing makeup or wearing no makeup, and asked to rate them on career standing and salary. The results show that women wearing makeup are placed into higher professional classes and are perceived to earn more. About 5% more women wearing cosmetics were placed into high class professions, and nearly 10% more women wearing cosmetics were placed into the average class professions as opposed to being low class or unemployed. Women wearing makeup were also given an estimated earning potential that is 0.221 points higher on a seven-point scale. The study concludes that the use of makeup results in more positive impression formations. But what causes people to believe that women who apply cosmetics in the morning have higher earning potentials and more prestigious jobs? Catherine Saint Louis with the New York Times may have the answer. She looks into the perceived competence of an individual based on the amount of makeup worn. Test subjects were shown women wearing four varying levels of makeup and asked to rate them on competence. The study showed that regardless of length of time that the image was shown for, the women wearing the two highest quantities of makeup in the study were perceived as more competent than women wearing little or no makeup. The study concludes that the amount of contrast between eyes and lips in regards to the rest of the face factors into perceived competence. A Proctor and Gamble Scientist, Sarah Vickery, comments on the findings to say that a darker shade of lipstick, which increases contrast, should be used when one wants to be perceived as powerful and

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