Bare Faced Beauty: Flaunting my Makeup-Free Face and Thoughts on Cosmetics

Today, Franca of Oranges & Apples is hosting the Friend Friday Roundup on the theme of no makeup. See her post and links for all the other contributors here.

Never shy to sport a statement lip or dramatic eye, this blog has served in part to archive and share my makeup adventures. However, the look that makes me most hesitant is actually the most natural one. No, not the 'it took me 15 products to look natural' kind, but a clean, makeup-free face. So here it is, my boldest look yet in all of it's naked glory:

As beauty bloggers, many of us appreciate cosmetics in ways that the average person would find ludicrous. We lust over limited edition items, build museum worthy collections, race across town on the quest for a particular lipstick, swoon over unique packaging, and research a particular shade for hours. But for how many of us does this appreciation transform into a feeling of need? Especially in a culture that often values women for their beauty as much as (if not more than) her brains, it is pretty easy to feel this way. Wearing makeup makes me feel confident about myself, sure- but it would be just plain idiotic to think that this didn't have anything to do with these cultural values and how people respond to me. Knowing this, I have been trying to be consciously aware of my relationship to cosmetics. 

My relationship with cosmetics has been a bit of a pendulum swing. When I was in middle school, I had absolutely no idea what shades worked for me or how to apply products. Thinking that more was better, I was chided by my parents for trying to look more mature than I was with my crappy blue eyeshadow (oh yes, I was that girl!). By high school and through college, my makeup routine had simplified to a handful of neutral shadows, a brown liner, a mascara, and pressed powder. I was a busy, self-confident bookworm who had little interest in changing up my daily routine.

 It wasn't actually until two years ago or so that my interest in beauty culture really kick started, and it was like middle school all over again. Loving the transformation cosmetics enabled, I frequently spent more than half an hour doing my makeup each morning and gravitated towards bold shades. I figured if I was going to wear makeup, I might as well look like I am wearing it, right? Somewhere during that time, I went from liking makeup to feeling like I needed it to look not just beautiful but just plain average. 

Thankfully, I have started to mature out of that phase. Though I still appreciate a sexy red lip or an artfully blended eye, I am discovering that I actually look better the less makeup I wear. Realizing that my skin is actually quite nice, I have recently swapped my full coverage foundations out for more medium coverage ones and tinted moisturizers. While it is rare that I forgo cosmetics all together, some days a little concealer, mascara, and lip balm is all I have time or effort for.  And I certainly don't wear makeup while just relaxing at home, and I can bare running to the grocery store with my face naked. I feel less depend on cosmetics and though I prefer to wear makeup, I know I don't need it all of the time to look like a normal, presentable human being. 

That being said, I am still excited by makeup (what a boring blog this would be if I didn't, right?). Most of all, I love how I can transform my look with makeup in a way that allows me to consciously construct, channel, and exude different expressions of femininity. My inner drag queen revels in this sort of gender play. What kind of woman am I today? An Old Hollywood starlet with matte red lips? Or how about a bad ass 90's biker chick with kohl rimmed eyes? Or maybe I am a powerful Grecian goddess with ethereal, glowing skin? Or maybe I am just lazy me, chillin' on the couch, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns with my friends, with not a stitch of makeup on at all.

Do you ever bare it all or do you wear makeup everyday? 

Do you ever feel like you need makeup? 

Do you use makeup to consciously present and play with your gender expression?

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Posted in Beautiful Brains , Beauty Industry , Blog Love , Body Image , Feminism

Beautiful Brains: Bootie Babe Cosmetics...WTH?

*UPDATE: When I first posted this blog entry (5/4/2011), I also emailed the company directly. In the email, which was very polite, I provided them with a link to this post. I assured them I was not attacking their company and invited them to participate in our conversation about their packaging. I thought this to be the responsible thing to do. This morning I received an email requesting I remove their trademarked images from my blog. Disregarding the content of my original email, their only response had to do with legal rights to their images. I have removed the images and asked for permission to add them back in at a later date; where images were I have now linked to their website below. It seems, however, that they would have to hunt down more bloggers than I if they are concerned about folks copy and pasting their images; besides, critical of their packaging or not, bloggers are creating buzz for their company. Anyway, I stated that the company is still welcome to this dialogue. Unsurprisingly, they do not seem to want to participate.*

*UPDATE #2: Bootie Babe granted me permission to include their images in this post, provided I link back to their site (which I was already doing...but fine). They have yet to engage in conversation regarding their product.*

As a graduate student in a gender and sexuality studies program, I see an opportunity for a feminist analysis in almost everything. In fact, this is how this blog, and the Beautiful Brains posts in particular came to be. The beauty industry and our participation in it is not divorced from the politics of gender, sexuality, race, class, capitalism, and so on. I am a beauty blogger after all so it should be fairly obvious that I do not conform to the stereotypical response people assume feminists will have to the beauty industry. I do not think that there is anything inherently wrong with women wearing makeup, and we should have the freedom to stylize our bodies in whatever way we see fit. However, I do think it is our responsibility as consumers to be more conscious of the industry we are participating in, and this requires us to be attentive to topics of race, gender, sexuality, capital and so on.

Enter Bootie Babe Cosmetics. The company's website went live a few days ago, and they are accepting pre-orders for a line of 12 nail polishes that is scheduled to launch June 1st. As far as I can tell from the site, the polish colors look pretty generic and the names are not terribly creative. So what is the selling point? The bottles are shaped like booties. Yes. Like a woman's ass.

After seeing this image floating around on  facebook, I went to Bootie Babe's website for more info. Here is a screen shot from their website that includes their mission statement (click to enlarge to read text):

*UPDATE: This image appeared on an earlier version of the site. Changes have since been made to their site.*

Let me be clear. I am pretty much the farthest thing from sexually conservative, and as a queer woman I have as much adoration for the female figure as the next person. I am a great lover of the bootie, my own and others'. But bootie shaped nail polish bottles? I have read tons of online comments from women who can't wait to get their hands on these booties (haha). But to be honest, to me they look like gag gifts you might buy for someone's bachelorette party from the neighborhood porn store. I am perplexed, and I have a lot of questions:

1- What the heck does nail polish have to do with my butt?

2- Speaking from a purely practical stand point, is this a user friendly polish bottle? Won't the brush need to be pretty stubby to fit in there? How do you reach the good amount of product trapped in the....uhh...thigh region?

3- The company's mission is to "embrace the bootie, honor the bootie and rejoice in complete and utter babe-itude." Does nail polish and a bootie shaped trinket help us love our bodies?

4- Piggybacking off of question 3, are we talking about booties of all shapes and sizes here? Because judging from the blue and pink cartoon vixens serving as the company's mascots, it looks like only the bootie of a busty cinched waist chick is being "embraced" and "honored":

*UPDATE: This image appeared on an earlier version of the site. Changes have since been made to their site.*

So what is going on here? I have more questions than answers, but I think it is fair to say that this is basically a novelty item. Who knows, the polish might be pretty rad. But the whole concept hinges on the bootie. Why? Well, plainly put, because it sells. I bet these little booties are going to sell like hot cakes. Using sexualized images of women's bodies has time and time again proven to be a sure fire way to reap profit. This is a fact that company owner Mark O'Hara, who is also the lead vocalist in San Fransisco's band SuperBooty, undoubtedly knows. He states that "I wanted to create a consumer product line with some humor and an edge, and what better way to do that than with bootie shaped bottles?” What could be more edgy and humorous than fragmenting and sexualizing women's bodies?

What gets me most is the company's mission statement to "embrace the bootie, honor the bootie and rejoice in complete and utter babe-itude." First of all, because the sexualization of women's bodies is such a successful (and at this point, unoriginal) marketing strategy, we are not exactly experiencing a void of bootie-centric images. Booties are pretty much everywhere. Moreover, the mission statement seems to imply that their polishes celebrate and empower women, helping them to love their bodies and come into their "babe-itude." I can only speak for myself, but this doesn't transform my self-image in the least bit. I feel no added swell of pride for my backside looking at these. Of course, beauty products often make women feel more confident (that's one of the reasons why we are beauty junkies, right?) but I think that we need a lot more than bootie bottles to encourage women to embrace the skin we are in. And if the mainstream media and beauty industry, which perpetuate impossible standards of feminine perfection, are often a part of women's negative body image then I think it is a stretch to say that Bootie Babe is sincerely promoting body-positivism.

The politics of gender and sexuality as related to the beauty industry are much larger than this one company; Bootie Babes is but one small manifestation of them. Let me clarify that I am not bashing or boycotting the brand.  In fact, I wouldn't say that I am totally opposed to trying or owning these polishes. My intention here is to encourage more critical and thoughtful participation in the beauty community, to raise questions, and invite a dialogue with readers and even Bootie Babe Cosmetics.

What do you think of this line of polishes? Do you think these polishes are fun and cute? Think I am making a big deal out of nothing? Think I am on to something? More importantly, what makes you feel empowered? What do you think is needed for more women to love their bodies?

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Posted in Beautiful Brains , Beauty Industry , Body Image , Feminism , Nail Polish

Beautiful Brains: The Cultivation of Need (& a Project 10 Pan Update)

On April 12th I embarked upon the infamous Project 10 Pan in hopes of clearing out old, unloved products, making way for future natural beauty purchases, and buckling down on my spending. How am I doing just 2 weeks in? I have actually started to finish up products a lot more quickly than I had anticipated. In fact, I have already hit 10...this is probably because I was already close to pan on some products and that I decided to include deluxe and travel sized products in the project as well. The next time I do a Project 10 Pan, I do not think that I will count these smaller sized products, but for a first go at this I am glad to be rid of all of those random little containers cluttering up my bathroom and makeup drawer. Since it is only 2 weeks in and several are deluxe sized products, I am going to keep up with Project 10 Pan for a while longer.

Using up that last little dusting of loose powder and that final squeeze of conditioner is indeed satisfying. However, this satisfaction does not always curb the desire to bring home some hauls from the store. I will be honest: I caved. A few days ago I placed an order with Zoya for their Nail Polish Earth Day Exchange, which ends April 27th. I justified my purchase by telling myself that this sale was an opportunity to get rid of old polishes in an environmentally friendly way and replace them with half-priced Zoya ones which are free of harmful chemicals. Of course, this is all true, but the bigger reason is that I totally succumbed to product lust. Did I need more nail polish? Nope, but I sure as hell wanted it...bad.

But let's consider that my polish binge might not simply be a moment of personal weakness but perhaps part of a huge capitalist beauty industry machine that is really good at inspiring consumers to hand over their cash. Of course, I am certainly accountable in important ways- I decided to shop the Zoya site, pick out 9 shades (which are gorgeous, but that is beside the  point here), and enter my credit card info. Yet, my individuals decisions, options, and desires are under the supreme influence of the beauty industry. I call this the cultivation of need.

The cultivation of need happens in a variety of ways. First, consumer culture promotes the notion that we are what we purchase. We often use the products we consume to display what kind of person we are. Brands are totally in on this, and cater to certain identities and niche markets. Are you an Urban Decay kind of girl or MAC? Hot Topic or American Eagle? Where we shop and what we buy has a lot to do with how we construct and communicate our identities. Secondly, I feel like the beauty cosmos knew that I started Project 10 Pan, because every time I open my mailbox or check my email I am bombarded by advertisements and tempting coupons. On the daily, Sephora, Ulta, Hautelook, Cherry Culture, among others of my frequently shopped beauty supply sources reveal new products and offer limited-time discount codes. My point is that the beauty industry is incredibly provocative and cunning in that it has mastered the ability to make their consumers feel elite in the interest of reaping profit. For instance, we can be Beauty Insiders at Sephora, indicating that we are the privilege lot that has special access to sweet deals and exclusive products. Moreover, limited time offers and coupons and limited edition shades and collections convince us that we must buy now. Rationally, sales will come again, and MAC will always have future collections, and dupes are pretty easy to find. Yet this marketing ploy creates a sense of necessity and urgency in buyers. Lastly, the cultivation of need often constructs a problem for or insecurity in the consumer, and then offers a solution to this problem or insecurity in the form of a product. We feel like we need a particular product, although we may have others already that perform similarly. Our needs and desires, if we aren't being critically aware and conscious consumers, are largely constructed by the beauty industry.

Am I saying that us beauty fiends are victims here? Certainly not. But sometimes we are blissfully ignorant. We hand over our credit cards willfully, but it is worth taking a minute to step back to take a hard look at the beauty industry that we support. It is really easy to get sucked in and completely consumed by the beauty industry. Does this mean that our whole lives should be a giant Project 10 Pan-like spending ban? No. But I think we could benefit from becoming more critical and thoughtful consumers.

On a lighter note, what polishes did you pick up during Zoya's exchange? I grabbed 9: Creamy, Marley, Jancyn, Dove, Gaia, Faith, Willow, Buffy, and Casey.

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Posted in Beautiful Brains , Beauty Industry , Project 10 Pan , Zoya

Project 10 Pan...It's on!

Hi. My name is Power Femme. I am a makeup addict. I bought my last beauty product this afternoon. I am six hours sober.

Project 10 Pan, cold turkey.  Goodbye Sephora...at least for a little while.

To be frank, I have not been living within my means lately. As a graduate student living off of a meager stipend and student loans, I have minimal room left in my budget for beauty products after I take care of necessities. Yet as a makeup junkie, I find it hard to resist making both big and little splurges. I have recently rewarded myself for jobs well done at school with Sephora shopping trips. Additionally, my frugal side can't pass up a good deal- as I wander the aisles of CVS, I tell myself that such and such product is only a couple bucks and throw it in my basket.  But those couple bucks quickly amount to a whole lot of bucks that I don't have.

And to be honest, sometimes buying makeup makes me feel guilty. As I drive home with my latest haul and pass by the local homeless woman on the corner begging for change, I feel like a big fat idiot. While I am thankful for the blessed and privilege life that I lead, it is silly to creep further into credit card debt for a cute eyeshadow as others struggle to cover the bare necessities. I have come to realize that I have not been prioritizing my money, or my life, very well.

I love makeup and beauty products, but let's be real here. I can't give my landlord nail polish for rent. I can't trade in bronzer for my school books. And lipstick doesn't make for a very appetizing dinner. Beyond the necessities, I do have other needs, plans, and interests outside of looking fly. For instance, my partner and I are saving up money to move out of state in a few months; my car needs a few hundred bucks worth of repairs; and as an foodie and novice cook, I would love to invest in quality kitchenware.

In the spirit of Spring Cleaning, I am embarking upon the infamous Project 10 Pan. For those who are unfamiliar, Project 10 Pan is a self-imposed ban on purchasing makeup until you have finished up 10 products. Beauty fiends, depending on their level of dedication, practice this differently: for some, simply hitting pan on a product is good enough, while others completely use up a product for it to count.  In addition, some people solely count makeup products, while others include other beauty related items, such as hair, skin care, and bath products. Since there seems to be some variation in how it is practiced, I have devised my own project policies.

Power Femme's Project 10 Pan Rules
-For a product to count, it must be completely used up.
-All beauty relatedness products are included. I will also be trying to use up my hair, skin, and bath products such as face wash, nail polish, fragrances, lotions, and so on.
-Sample sized (1-3 use) products do not count. However, deluxe and travel sized products (like those your cash in your Beauty Insider points at Sephora for or those that come in Birchbox) do indeed count. I am including deluxe and travel sized products because I have a ton of them cluttering up my makeup collection.
-I cannot buy a beauty related product until I have finished 10 products. The only exceptions are for hygiene necessities. For instance, if I run out of my favorite eyeshadow, I cannot repurchase. However, if I run completely out of my stock of face washes, I can repurchase.
-I will accept beauty product gifts.

This is indeed going to be challenging. However, I have certainly encountered larger struggles in my life as a queer feminist woman from a working class background with physically disabled parents. I have encountered more severe hardship, and I will survive. Project 10 Pan will help me clear out my bomb-shelter supply's worth of beauty related products, save up some much needed cash, and take a small step back from the beauty industry that is so easy to become consumed by. Also, this project will push me to use up products that I plan to replace with more natural or organic alternatives.

Of course, I will post updates about my Project 10 Pan adventures along the way. But just because I am participation in Project 10 Pan doesn't mean that my newborn blog will be abandoned. I still have a few online orders from Hautelook that I have yet to receive, a Birchbox that should arrive at my door any day, and several recent purchases that I would like to haul and review. Furthermore, there are a few (dare I say it) think pieces in the works, as well as future nail art posts and tutorials.

Bring it on, Project 10 Pan!

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Posted in Beauty Industry , Project 10 Pan