The 💅🏼 Beauty of Cosmetics
How the Cosmetic Industry set the Standards for Beauty.
Are you Ugly?
Let’s talk about ugliness. Yeah, I said it. Because, let’s face it, we live in a world where deception rules, and makeup is one of the sneakiest culprits. It’s this magical, revered art form that can transform anyone from “meh” to “wow” in minutes. It’s so legit, you can even get licensed to do it. And women? They’re the prime target, groomed from birth to chase beauty like it’s the holy grail. Now, before you start hurling insults, remember: beauty is subjective. Don’t be a jerk. Calling someone “ugly” isn’t edgy; it’s just mean.
How the Beauty Industry Messes With Your Head
Here’s the game plan: the beauty industry sets the rules for what “beautiful” looks like, then manipulates you into thinking you need to follow them. Manipulation is their bread and butter. And why not? People have preferences—whether it’s food, cars, or who they swipe right on—but the cosmetic industry thrives on exploiting insecurity, especially among teenage girls.
Teens are an easy target because they’re figuring out who they are and are deeply insecure about their looks. The industry preys on this, teaching them that if they’re not contouring by 16, they’re failing at life. These young girls grow up tied to brands like MAC and Sephora, carrying their makeup habits into adulthood. Conditioning works like a charm.
And let’s not forget the giants: Estée Lauder and its ilk. These brands are trusted not because they’re saints, but because they’ve been around forever. And when small businesses come along, these corporations don’t compete; they just buy them out.
Marketing Wizardry
Let’s get real—if there’s one thing the beauty industry excels at, it’s marketing. These brands aren’t just selling you a product; they’re selling you a dream, a feeling, a carefully curated image of what your life could look like if only you used their mascara or bought into their latest skincare routine. And the strategies they use? Pure genius.
First, there’s the shotgun approach: ads everywhere. TV, billboards, social media, YouTube pre-rolls—you can’t escape them. Every scroll, click, or channel change brings you face-to-face with someone impossibly attractive telling you that you, too, can have flawless skin or perfect hair. But what makes modern beauty marketing so powerful is how it’s evolved beyond just commercials.
Social media has revolutionized the game. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have given rise to a new breed of salespeople: influencers. Unlike traditional ads, influencer marketing feels personal and relatable. It’s not just some anonymous model with airbrushed features staring at you from a magazine. Instead, it’s someone you’ve been following for years, someone who feels like a friend, showing you their “daily routine” or “must-have products.”
And influencers know how to work their magic. They share detailed tutorials, chat about their favorite brands, and respond to comments, building a sense of connection that traditional advertising can’t replicate. You don’t just buy their recommendations; you buy into their lifestyle. The trust they’ve built with their audience translates directly into sales for the brands they partner with.
Then there’s the psychology of exclusivity. Limited-edition drops, collaborations, or “last chance” sales tap into our fear of missing out. If your favorite beauty influencer is raving about a product that’s only available for the next 48 hours, you’re more likely to grab it—even if you don’t really need it.
But let’s not forget about user-generated content. The beauty industry has mastered the art of turning their customers into unpaid marketers. They encourage people to share their “before and after” photos, tag brands in their posts, or recreate viral makeup looks. It’s brilliant because it doesn’t just spread the word; it creates social proof. If everyone else is using this product and loving it, you start to wonder if you’re missing out.
The beauty industry’s biggest weapon, though? Data. Brands know more about their customers than ever before. They track your clicks, likes, and purchases, then use that information to hit you with hyper-targeted ads. Did you Google “best foundation for oily skin” yesterday? Don’t be surprised when Sephora’s latest ad pops up in your Instagram feed today.
And now we segue into one of the most effective tricks in the book: celebrity endorsements.
The Celebrity Effect
Celebrities bring a level of prestige and reach that even the biggest influencers can’t match. When a star backs a brand, it’s not just an ad—it’s an event. Think Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty or Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kits. These aren’t just product launches; they’re cultural phenomena.
Why does it work? Simple. Celebrities have built-in trust and massive audiences. They’re aspirational. When someone like Ariana Grande collaborates with a beauty brand, she’s not just selling makeup; she’s selling her brand—her image, her style, her persona. Fans don’t just want her lipstick; they want to feel like they’re a part of her world.
Celebrity endorsements often take one of two forms: partnerships or diffusion lines. Partnerships involve the celebrity promoting an existing product, often with their face plastered across the campaign. Diffusion lines, on the other hand, are co-branded collections. Ariana Grande’s white-label line, LOVENOTES, through Ulta Beauty, is a perfect example. It appeals directly to her younger fanbase, offering products that feel like an extension of her personality.
But it doesn’t stop there. Celebrities leverage every aspect of their brand to push their beauty products. When Ariana launched a Wicked-themed collection under {r.e.m. beauty}, she wasn’t just marketing cosmetics; she was tying her product to a cultural moment. It’s genius because it blurs the line between fandom and consumerism.
And unlike influencers, celebrities bring global appeal. A well-executed celebrity campaign can catapult a brand into international stardom, reaching markets that might not even know who the influencers are.
Still, celebrity endorsements aren’t without their challenges. They’re less personal than influencer marketing, and the audience knows the star probably isn’t using the product daily. But that doesn’t matter much when the goal is brand visibility and prestige.
Setting the Standards
Where do beauty standards even come from? Well, it’s a cocktail of biology, evolution, culture, and media. Our perception of beauty has roots in biology, where traits like symmetry and clear skin are signals of health and genetic fitness. These biological markers play into our subconscious judgment of attractiveness, shaping the foundation of what we find appealing.
But biology is just the starting point. Throughout history, beauty standards have evolved with the times, reflecting the cultural and societal norms of the era. In the Paleolithic period, voluptuous figures symbolized fertility and abundance, while in the 1920s, women rebelled against traditional femininity by adopting androgynous styles. These shifts demonstrate how beauty is as much a product of societal values as it is of human biology.
Because of this, there was an underlying societal pressure for women to prove that they were just as capable and intelligent as men, often by downplaying the qualities that made them conventionally feminine, and this heavily influenced the beauty standards of the time.
Culture, too, plays a significant role in shaping beauty ideals. Across the globe, what’s considered attractive varies widely. In some cultures, fuller figures are celebrated as a sign of health and prosperity, while others prize slenderness or certain skin tones. Globalization has introduced a homogenized version of beauty, often skewed toward Western ideals, but local cultures continue to push back and redefine these standards in their unique ways.
Then there’s the media—the most powerful megaphone for beauty standards. From Renaissance paintings to TikTok trends, media has always amplified certain ideals, making them appear universal. The rapid-fire nature of social media today allows beauty trends to go viral almost instantly, creating new pressures for individuals to conform. It’s a never-ending loop where media creates the standard, and people scramble to keep up.
What’s particularly tricky about media-driven beauty standards is how unattainable they can be. Filters, Photoshop, and editing tools present perfection that doesn’t exist in reality. This not only distorts our perception of what’s possible but also feeds industries like cosmetics and plastic surgery, which promise to bridge the gap between real and ideal.
The evolution of beauty standards isn’t random—it’s strategic. Marketers and corporations play a significant role in shaping what’s considered “in.” They tap into both biological instincts and cultural aspirations to sell products and services that promise beauty, confidence, and social acceptance. Their campaigns subtly program us to chase after their version of “perfection.”
In today’s world, beauty standards are broader than ever before, with movements promoting body positivity and diversity gaining traction. Yet, even within this inclusivity, certain ideals dominate. Plus-size models might appear in ads, but they’re often framed within very specific, controlled aesthetics. The message is clear: even diversity has its limits when it comes to what sells.
Ultimately, beauty standards reflect the complex interplay of nature, culture, and commerce. They’re not static but constantly evolving with the times, influenced by biology and manipulated by societal forces. Recognizing this helps us question the standards imposed on us and, hopefully, redefine beauty on our own terms.
The Biology of Beauty
Let’s peel back the layers of why beauty standards even exist in the first place. At the core of it all, biology runs the show. Evolution has hardwired us to value certain traits as signs of health, fertility, and good genetics—things that supposedly lead to better offspring. It’s primal and deeply ingrained, no matter how sophisticated we think we are.
Symmetry is the golden ticket here. A symmetrical face? Our brains scream, “Yes, that’s attractive!” Why? Because symmetry is a subconscious marker of good health and a lack of genetic defects. People with symmetrical features tend to be perceived as more attractive, regardless of culture or personal preferences. It’s why makeup tutorials obsess over contouring to create balance and why cosmetic surgeons offer “facial harmony” as if it’s the secret to life itself.
According to this discipline, characteristics we perceive as attractive are often those that signal health, vitality, and fertility. From an evolutionary perspective, these are desirable traits as they suggest that an individual is a good candidate for reproduction.
Then there’s the obsession with youthfulness. We’re programmed to see youthful features—clear skin, full lips, and bright eyes—as beautiful. They’re signs of fertility and vitality, which, from an evolutionary perspective, make someone an ideal mate. Marketing knows this all too well. Anti-aging creams, serums, and Botox injections? They’re not just products; they’re promises to turn back the biological clock and keep you in the running for societal approval.
But here’s where it gets even trickier: biology and culture play a tug-of-war. While our biology makes us crave these traits, culture decides how they’re presented. For instance, a curvier figure was idolized during the Paleolithic era because it signaled health and the ability to bear children. Fast-forward to the 1970s, and the waif-thin look was in. Today, it’s come full circle with the rise of body positivity and the celebration of plus-size beauty.
Marketers are masters at exploiting these biological triggers. They know symmetry, youth, and health are universal markers of attraction, so they plaster images of flawless models everywhere, subtly suggesting, “This could be you… if you buy our product.” They pair these images with taglines about confidence, empowerment, and self-love, but the underlying message is clear: “You’re not enough as you are, but with this lipstick or serum, you could be.”
Even more insidious is how biology gets linked to status. Think about those chiseled jawlines, toned physiques, and glossy hair we see in ads. They’re not just about beauty; they’re about signaling success, wealth, and desirability. If you look good, you’re perceived as having your life together—even if the truth is far messier.
And let’s not ignore how this plays out across genders. For women, the focus is often on facial symmetry, clear skin, and curves. For men, it’s about strength, a square jawline, and height.
These ideals aren’t just random—they’re rooted in the evolutionary drive to attract a partner who seems capable of producing or protecting offspring.
So, how do we deal with this? Can we escape biology? Short answer: no. But awareness is power. Recognizing how marketers exploit these biological cues helps you make informed choices. Are you buying that cream because you want to or because an ad told you your wrinkles are a problem? Are you hitting the gym for your health or to chase some impossible standard of attractiveness?
Biology doesn’t have to be a trap. Yes, we’re wired to notice certain traits, but how we act on that wiring is up to us. At the end of the day, beauty is just one piece of the puzzle. It might catch attention, but it’s not what keeps it.
The Takeaway
Beauty is personal. Standards don’t define you unless you let them. Feel good about yourself because you’re awesome—not because some marketer said so. Work on yourself in ways that matter. And if you want to slap on some makeup, do it for you, not because the world says you should.
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