11 minute read
Showing face
In 2018, beauty is more than skin deep.
by Hannah Conway
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Undoubtedly, it’s an overwhelming time to be alive. The acceleration of media and its mass consumption, technological disruption and a shifting value system have led to the most hyperconnected generation yet. At this moment, there are 500M daily active users on Instagram, with 40 billion photos shared to date. The rise of social media has changed the way that we present ourselves: today, one’s appearance exists not only in the real world but in a virtual one as well.
At first glance, two polarizing ends of the beauty spectrum are immediatelyapparent — natural and made-up.
At one end, more and more people are embracing what seems to be the softer side of the industry — the widespread adoption of skincare regimens, the growing demand for all-natural products, and the pressing desire for regeneration, both in the body and the planet — all this pointing toward a type of person who turns to their beauty regimen to promote an inner sense of peace, positivity and growth in themselves and their environment.
At the other end of the spectrum is the embrace of “extra”: acrylic nails as ornate as the Hall of Mirrors, pastel hair in every shade, the short-lived (but nevertheless unfortunate) glitter bum phenomenon at Coachella. The move toward such exuberant self-fashioning seems completely at odds with those consumers seeking out all-natural products as a way to improve their everyday well-being.
But through further scrutiny, we can acknowledge that these opposite poles are not as far apart as one would first think. Rather, both the natural beauties and the makeup maniacs embrace the beauty industry whole hog, using the tools given to them to represent who they are and what they believe in.
Representation, at either end of this spectrum, is the primary platform to show one’s interior self.
We must then ask the question — does everyone see beauty through the lens of individual expression? Or do some view beauty as a means to fit in with the world they live in?
Society has always impacted the way we present ourselves to the world. But in an environment where appearance plays a heightened role in our lives, many recognize how our current climate shapes the way we fashion ourselves. We can extend the spectrum in another direction: those in the previous camp, who view beauty as an expression of interiority, and those on the other side acknowledging beauty as a reflection of the reality around us.
Some recognize the harmful effect of the media and the beauty industry on their conception of self, and have taken a stand against the beauty images that previously were conceived of as “truths.” Saying “no” to photoshopping is not enough — people are calling for the vindication of characteristics like body hair, wrinkles and acne. This tribe embraces the natural state of being by acknowledging and actively resisting the ideologies surrounding beauty standards that exist in our society.
Others recognize the role that appearance has in their own self-realization. The term “pretty privilege” speaks to the unacknowledged benefits that individuals reap due to their physical attractiveness. The embrace of beauty products and cosmetic procedures is not vanity: it’s necessary to one’s success in the world today.
Through this exercise, we can identify four archetypes:
I got it from my mama
The embrace of all things “natural” — natural hair, natural skin, products with all natural ingredients — is a way that people identify themselves, with respect and self-worth at its very core.
Makeup is me
The beauty market has a fan-base. Enthusiasts assert makeup, hair, nails, etc. as a personal choice and expression of identity.
The resistance
People today are engaged and active in issues they care about — individuals address the harmful role that society’s valuation of beauty has played in shaping our sense of self.
Pretty privilege
The rejection of “normative” beauty standards is not actually the norm. Cosmetic procedures are ever increasing in America, as well as the rest of the world.
Conception of self is multifaceted, as such these trends must be recognized on a larger spectrum that is not composed of hard lines, but rather a gradient. These opposing viewpoints on what it means to be beautiful all coalesce around one idea: in 2018, representation matters. It is deeply aligned with one’s personal vantage point, perhaps more now than ever before. The way people represent themselves in their appearance, both on their social feeds and in everyday life, speaks to their view on what our notion of beauty is and where it comes from.
I got it from my mama
The rise of “self-care” in many ways should be seen as a turn inward — a desire of individuals to regenerate, grow and embrace new ways of being that promote a happier and more positive lifestyle. According to a survey of millennial women by mindfulness app Shine, 72% of millennial women resolved to make mental health and self-care priorities in 2018.
There is a duality here, as this commitment to care for the self extends to a commitment to care for the surroundingworld. The same audience embracing self-care want to give back, and do so by choosing products and servicesthat are good for the planet.
Those who embody this movement express their commitment to its ideals through the beauty products theypurchase and the experiences they indulge in.
All natural everywhere
The embrace of “skincare” runs parallel to the embrace of all-natural products. People recognize wellness in their skin andbodies as the foundation of their beauty routine and say “no” to chemicals that might do them harm.
Mintel Beauty, 2018
1. “Well+Good is your healthiest relationship.” The beauty andwellness publication sees 8M monthly unique visitors, 1.2M social media followers, and 800K newsletter subscribers.Fast Company, 2018
2. Sephora recently rolled out a “clean seal” which is a stickerthey put on any product that is all natural. This CleanBeauty category includes more than 50 participating brands.
3. All-natural deodorant has become an increasingly popularchoice — Meow Meow Tweet is one brand that boastschemical-free deodorant, and has seen exponential growthsince opening in 2009. BBC, 2017
Routine=ritual
Wellness is expressed not only through words, but by the repeated actions that make up one’s day-to-day life.Consumers take up routines that promote both mental and physical health — from adopting an active lifestyle toengaging in spirituality in new ways — and their beauty products play an intrinsic role in these routines.
Fast Company, 2017
1. Sweat Cosmetics is a makeup line founded by athletes, forathletes who work out in the sun — this year, its monthlyrevenue has grown over 560%. Fast Company, 2017
2. Mindfulness apps have surged in popularity in the pastfive years. Bodha is a beauty brand that sells aromatherapyproducts to help consumers engage in all five sensesduring their meditation sessions.
3. Jade rollers are an ancient Chinese skin tool that havehad a major uptick in adoption in the US, with many aninfluencer incorporating the tool into their daily beautyregimen. WWD, 2018
Self-care is earth-care
Respect for the self extends to respect for the planet. More consumers are looking for products with traceableingredients, that are cruelty-free and zero-waste.
Influenster Green Beauty Report, 2018
1. Respect for the self extends to respect for the planet. More consumers are looking for products with traceable ingredients, cruelty free and zero-waste.
Makeup is me
RuPaul, of the hugely successful RuPaul’s Drag Race, spoke to Time magazine last year: “Drag is the physical embodiment of understanding who we really are… Drag takes it to the next level, which is — Oh, I can do whatever I want? Yeah, you can!”
Gen Z is seen as the most accepting generation, with studies showing that gender classification does not define a person as much as it used to in this group (J. Walter Thompson, via Huffington Post). In the US, Gen Z is the most multicultural generation in all of its history.
“Different” is no longer a bad word, and makeup, hair products and nail polish are the mediums of people’s freedom to assert their unique outlook on the world.
Right to make up
The beauty industry has historically privileged the Caucasian, gender-normative set — however, there has been a recentcall to action to address every consumer’s need, not just the majority. Read more in “Not Your Poster Child” on page 36.
Mintel Beauty report, 2017
1. Rihanna released Fenty Beauty in 2017, offering over 40different shades of foundation, to mass success.
2. bareMinerals has created an app that analyses theuser’s skin tone and creates their perfect shade.
3. JECCA Makeup works specifically for trans women “covering beard shadow, birthmarks, and acne.”
The art of extra
The word “extra” used to be a pejorative term — but in the beauty sphere it’s been co-opted by those who embracelarger-than-life trends as a signifier of their gleeful exhibition. Makeup and beauty are not there to be subtle; rather,it’s an arena of play, joyful self-expression and art.
YouTube, via BBC News, 2018
1. Australian beauty influencer Tina Yong’s video “I Tried Extreme Japanese Nail Art!” has over 2M views since she aired it in October 2017.
2. In Japan, people are embracing “ishoku-hada” ( 異色肌 ),which can mean “unique skin” or even “remarkable skin.”It’s inspired by the otherworldly characters who appear inanime, movies and video games. Kotaku, 2017
3. Outrageous hair color is going mainstream — with over 235K people posting photos to the hashtag #yellowhair, 1.5M posting to #greyhair and 5.2M posting to #pinkhair.
Beauty by choice
Men and women alike are fighting against the stigma of being “overly” made-up, and rather emphatically announce the use of beauty products as a vehicle of self-expression. Brands are responding by embracing makeup as a means to showcase one’s individuality.
YouGov, 2018
1. The term “Makeup shaming” has pulled up 69K videoson YouTube, with many influencers speaking about thedifferent reasons they wear makeup.
2. David Beckham released his beauty line House 99. Onulta.com, he elucidates, “I created House 99 to give people the inspiration as well as the right products to try out something different and feel completely at home doing so,”encouraging men as well as women to use beauty products to be “different.”
3. Covergirl’s rebrand from “Easy, breezy, beautiful” to “I am what I make up” signifies a huge change in this beauty giant’s stance on the role cosmetics play for its consumers.
The Resistance
Last year, Justin Bieber posted an Instagram story of his bare forehead, covered in acne. “Pimples are in,” he declared to his 100M followers.
The harmful effects of society’s valuation of beauty on the individual are widely recognized today, with the majority of women (53%) strongly agreeing that the media holds them to unrealistic beauty standards (YouGov, 2017). This June, The New York Times published an article titled, “Acne Can Increase the Risk for Depression,” detailing the findings of a study by the British Journal of Dermatology that discovered a correlation between mental health and “bad” skin.
This recognition has led to a surge ofactivism around defying beauty norms andrejecting labels that are harmful to us all.
Show it off
The world’s most beautiful people are rejecting classical beauty norms — with American A-list celebrities using theirplatforms to show that they too have acne, scars and body hair.
1. British actress Lola Kirke received death threats after choosing not to shave her armpits for the Golden Globes.
2. Greek model Sophia Hadjipanteli describes herself as the “Founder of #UnibrowMovement” on her Instagram feed. Over 187K people follow her as she posts pictures highlighting her signature brow.
3. At Milan Men’s Fashion Week, Malaysian designer Moto Guo purposely sent out models with blotchy, mottled skin.The Cut, 2016
New lexicon
Brands recognize their consumers’ call for more inclusivity, and are coming up with a newer, more positive vocabularyto address their audience.
YouGov, 2017
1. Publication Allure announced last summer that it would no longer use the term “anti-aging,” citing, “Whether we know it or not, we’re subtly reinforcing the message that aging isa condition we need to battle.”
2. Miss America drops the swimsuit segment of its pageant(Highsnobiety, 2018), with the statement: “We are no longer a pageant. Miss America will represent a new generation of female leaders focused on scholarship, social impact, talent and empowerment.”
3. Dove Men+Care describes its mission: “Dove Men+Care celebrates a new definition of strength: one with care at its center. Because Dove Men+Care believes that care makes a man stronger.”
A beautiful cause
People use their purchasing power to protest issues that matter to them. Brands in turn use their social capital topromote causes most important to them.
Adweek, 2018
1. The Lipslut makeup line launched in 2017 — its first ever product was named “F*ck Trump.” The brand donates50% of its proceeds to charitable organizations promoting women’s rights. Refinery29, 2018.
2. Skincare brand Beautycounter organized a march onWashington to protest the use of chemicals in everyday beauty products such as shampoo, lotion and deodorant.Fast Company, 2018
Pretty Privilege
Thus far, we’ve outlined three trends that differ in many regards, but in one way are similar: each strives toward a body-positive moment in which the individual has agency to appear in whichever way, shape or form that they desire.
This last archetype undermines the idea that body positivity is the new normal. Overall, plastic surgery procedures have increased in the US by 115% since the turn of the new millennium, as well as increases around the world. With Instagram’s surge in growth came a wave of Photoshop-style apps that allow users to retouch their images.
But this archetype cannot be debased as passé — rather, it encompasses the rather brutal view that the conception of what is attractive comes from our larger societal bodies, and perhaps even our unconscious. The pursuit of idealized beauty is not baseless: it runs adjacent to the pursuit of power, achievement and ultimately, self-fulfillment.
Photo-ready finish
New apps make it easier and more fun for users to retouch photos of themselves — either after it’s taken or in real time. Read more about this trend in “Our Social Self ” on page 66.
Sensor Tower, 2018
1. Snapchat’s free desktop app Lens Studio allows users to create their own filters — since its launch in winter 2017, users have uploaded over 100K new lenses. The Verge, 2018
2. American app Music.ly and Chinese app TikTok are merging — these hugely popular platforms allow users to create and edit short video content and upload it to a global stage. Fast Company, 2018
Surgery has no age or gender
Plastic surgery is a growing industry — men, women, young and old are turning to cosmetic procedure at increasing rates. These procedures can almost be seen as an extreme form of self-care, giving younger consumers the means to “preserve” their appearance.
Highsnobiety, 2017
New York Times, 2017
1. Kylie Jenner, of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and 107M Instagram followers, spoke out about getting lip fillers at the age of 17. The Sun, 2017
2. “Preventative Botox” is becoming increasingly mainstream, with young women and men opting to get the treatment to prevent the formation of wrinkles before it happens. The “nonsurgical nose job” is another procedure that has blown up in recent years. Harper’s Bazaar, 2018
3. In South Korea, procedures such as eye enlargement, nose augmentation and contouring are especially popular among men. TBWA\Backslash, 2018
Pretty privilege
It’s a sad truth that conventionally attractive people have advantages in life. Individuals and institutions are addressing this privilege, and questioning how we can move forward.
Newsweek, 2010
1. In Brazil, the government subsidizes nearly half a million cosmetic surgeries every year. Patients are thought of as having the “right to beauty.” Quartzy, 2018
2. TV host Janet Mocks wrote in Allure: “People with privilege do not want to discuss their privilege — whether it’s privilege derived from whiteness, straightness, cisness. But we must acknowledge our privilege if we are to dismantle these systems and hierarchies. We have to be honest, and I’ll start with myself: I am pretty and I benefit from my looks.” Allure, 2017
