From Plastic Dolls to Digital Influencers

“Did you hear that Kylie just dropped a new palette? She sold out within seconds!” These are the conversations that are not new to many of our friend groups. From trying celebrities' newest products to hopping on new makeup trends, there's no doubt that many of us have been influenced by the changing looks of social media. The question though is, to what extent do these trends have an effect on our bodies? Do celebrities even uphold the products they promote? I mean, many high-profile celebrities have already been accused of lying about using the products they advertise and for a lack of transparency regarding their product’s ingredients. This happened with an influencer called Mikayla Nougeira, who advocated for the use of a waterproof mascara that gave a voluminous look to the lashes. However, after she showed the final result, it appeared as if off camera she applied false eyelashes, while stating that it was purely mascara. She was called out on social media and later took down the video. This highlights the salacious practices that can go with product marketing, as this video was created as an ad to promote the product. If such a public thing like this can slide, what about the things that happen behind the scenes?

Well that's exactly where my expertise comes from. During my time at Kristen Cosmetics, I was able to see first hand how highly unregulated our products were. From poor lab PPE to the heavy use of chemicals like parabens, it was very clear to me that the industry was not consumer-health conscious. In fact, our social media outlets would often misinform our consumers by stating that our products were “clean,” while our labels would discreetly disclose possible cancer-causing chemicals. This is something many companies like mine would get away with, up until a recent lawsuit came out  against waterproof makeup. It turns out a lot of well-known companies have been putting PFAS in their waterproof products. This legal case is still open and is currently accepting new clients, meaning that more people who were possibly affected by these chemicals in products could get compensation… that's the least they can do, right!? However, the main concern here is the mislabeling of makeup that intentionally leaves out mention of PFAS. Once again, cosmetic companies show their true colors by their lack of transparency. What makes this more doable is that our legal teams know how to make things fall between the cracks of existing regulation, all the while beauty trends continue to promote dangerous products like water-resistant makeup. It's honestly a very unethical practice, but money and media are able to silence many things.

It's a Saturday night, and you're at your friend's home surrounded by palettes and boxes of makeup. You each take turns glamming each other up with a vast array of the newest products and trends. The fondest of memories are formed, all through the power of makeup.

That’s right, cosmetics still have a positive side to them. Prohibiting women from using such products would be counter-intuitive to the message we are trying to send in allowing women to choose the way they express themselves. Women everyday have been bombarded with standards of how they should look and what they should do to look a certain way. Cosmetics today have evolved to better embrace different forms of beauty - from a wider variety of foundation shades being offered to more representation being seen in cosmetics’ ads. Women deserve to express themselves via the use of makeup. In fact, for many women, makeup is used as an outlet for them to express their individuality and personality. Through the various displays of colors and styles, women are able to fully capture their persona to the world as they deem. It also allows them to feel confident in their own skin.

One of the fears women get when wearing makeup is that it will cause them acne. While this may hold true for some products, there are definitely many earth-friendly cosmetics in the market that are less tough on your skin. In fact, wearing makeup can have an almost paradoxical effect, where your skin gets healthier. It's not the cosmetics themselves that may cause this, but rather that you have to remove all your makeup at the end of the day. This makes cleansing to be a part of your daily routine, allowing your pores to be cleared out constantly, resulting in brighter, fresher skin!

With more dewy looking skin, this also helps improve your complexion when taking photos! Trust, take it from me, I have personally seen the miracles professional makeup can do in photography when my boss Kristen would have her photoshoots.

Not only is it about a woman feeling mentally secure with wearing makeup, but for some, this is a way for them to fight their own insecurities. I personally use makeup to cover my dark circles and acne scars. There is nothing wrong with the raw beauty of our skin, but like many women out there, the simple act of covering these spots can drastically change the energy of the day and boost someone’s self-esteem. It’s just generally really fun to apply and a therapeutic activity for many girls around the world.