Cosmetic Products and Its Effect on Self Confidence
What is one thing that almost all women have in common aside from physical structure? The answer can be found on the shelves of beauty stores, stocked in their compact, sleek packages, neatly lined up on the shelves and organized by color, style, brand, and purpose. The answer is beauty products, specifically cosmetics. Whether women still use them present day, it is not uncommon for them to have encountered and taken advantage of the products’ purpose, to create beauty, in their past years. A common attribute of the American teenage girl is the desire to use these cosmetic products in their everyday lives. While these products are heavily used daily, do their users know the truth behind them? The design and purpose of cosmetics, specifically color correcting concealer, depicts the valued ideals of American society, showcasing its views on appearance, self-confidence, simplicity, and minimal importance of environmental and personal health.
One of the most valued ideals in society, especially for women, is appearance. It is such a simple word, yet it fails to abandon its place on the highest podium of society’s values. The question of “how do I look?” is uttered at least once daily amongst female teenagers and clouds their perceptions of themselves and others. Looking presentable, even younger in certain situations, is often a top priority in life for some women. Cosmetic products offer an easy and reliable way to ensure that one looks as presentable as possible, even if that means altering their natural appearance to be unrecognizable. L.A. Girl’s color correcting concealer comes in many shades and styles in order to meet the demands of all women, regardless of skin tone and body type. The invention of color-correcting products was specifically designed to alter one’s natural skin tone and remove impurities to look more natural. Women who use this product regularly have the mentality that “wearing makeup [will] improve their social interactions” because they appear to look more presentable and attractive (Miller 784). Society tends to favor that more attractive females over less attractive ones, even if they prefer to showcase their natural appearance. Attractiveness is directly related to appearance, which is heavily correlated with cosmetic product usage levels. A woman who values the usage of cosmetic products such as this color correcting concealer “can change her attractiveness” and appear to be more socially approachable by “[stimulating] a more structurally attractive appearance,” (Osborn 45). When women use more cosmetic products, they discover new ways to alter their appearance and create new versions of themselves that vary in attractiveness.
One aspect that relates to appearance is self-confidence. Color-correcting concealer has the power to increase one’s self-confidence artificially. This color-correcting concealer set pictured offers many different color choices with various purposes, to hide the impurities and highlight valuable features. When women use this concealer to hide impurities such as dark spots, redness, and dull skin, they remove the parts of their body that make them feel self-conscious. When the concealer alters a woman’s skin tone, it allows her to feel “more self-disclosure and [less] feelings of social isolation and loneliness,” creating a false sense of confidence (Theron 979). This false sense of confidence only lasts while the woman is wearing the concealer. Once she takes the concealer off, her confidence decreases and returns to its normally low levels. When the concealer is on, they feel as though they do not have to themselves and that they can interact with others around them. They begin to feel more social, more attractive, and more valued, almost as if they were a completely different person. This concealer set highlights the idea that natural confidence holds little value in American society. People feel as though they need to present themselves as a different person, often one who appears to be more successful and well off. By hiding “bad” facial features and showcasing “desired” ones, women have the power to experience a “boost in self-perception and well-being” which allows them to appear more professional, presentable, and approachable (Nash 503). The set’s various colors and purposes market itself to women with several different skin tones, allowing all women to alter their appearance and obtain this artificial sense of confidence. Society only wants to see the pretty and attractive women and solely seems to value them over others. Feeling pretty has become a large desire for many women and teenage girls across the country. They do not feel confident as their natural self and as a result, they turn to cosmetics and color-correcting concealers to paint themselves into a “pretty” version of themselves in order to reach their desired confidence levels.
When observing the packaging of this product, one can conclude that it is very minimal and simple. Simplicity is a valued factor when marketing this product. The packaging is clear and contains minimal colors, other than the actual color of the product. The simple clear packaging allows for the product to be on full display, showing how different shades are available for all women to use rather than hiding the product with a fancy tube-like many other companies do. LA Girl’s simple design also showcases the fact that more time went into creating the product itself, rather than the marketing behind it. This gives off the impression that the company has confidence in its product and that simple packaging is necessary. It also shows that companies in the United States value using the least amount of money possible on their product and marketing to maximize their profits. Simple designs and minimal packaging require the least amount of money possible, allowing the company to save money to create new products or put it to better use.
Another feature of the product’s packaging is the fact that it is made of plastic. Squeezable plastic tubes, such as this one, are often not able to be recycled. Therefore, these packages end up in trash cans and are thrown into landfills with other materials similar to them. While plastic is an efficient packaging mechanism and is often the simplest method, it is also one of the more dangerous methods regarding the environment. On the back of this plastic packaging is a list of ingredients used to make the concealer. Cosmetic products, such as this concealer set, often contain chemicals that damage the environment. When women wash off the concealer, the chemicals get washed down the drain and end up in rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds. These chemicals are evaporated into the clouds and transported to other areas when it rains (“Are Cosmetics Bad For The Environment?”). The list of ingredients present on the back of the tube also showcases a disregard for the personal health of the consumer. Similar to the environment, certain chemicals in cosmetic products are harmful to the skin and body. Preservatives and skin irritants are common ingredients in cosmetic products. One particular family of chemicals called Parabens is commonly used as a preservative. Parabens in cosmetic products have been suggested to be related to breast cancer in women and can interfere with female sex hormones (“The Dirty Dozen: Parabens”). Several parabens are listed on the back of the L.A. Girl color correcting concealer set as well as Propylene Glycol which is a skin irritant. The presence of these harmful ingredients shows how cosmetic companies do not put much thought into the overall safety and health of their consumers.
The way a product is created and what its purpose is can say a lot about the ideals behind its presence. Cosmetic products, specifically color-correcting concealer is made to hide the features that society deems to be undesirable. The creation of color-correcting concealer demonstrates society’s values of appearance and artificial self-confidence. The product’s purpose of hiding a woman’s flaws illustrates the image of what society finds important, “pretty” women who appear attractive and confident. The packaging of the product and its ingredients express the fact that society emphasizes simplicity rather than what is best for the environment and the consumers.
