Makeup Foundation Research Paper

Decent Essays
Makeup foundation as an object plays a significant role in lives of women. The objective function of makeup foundation is to enhance the face complexion. This essay will focus on the impact of the practice of using makeup foundation as a means of defining a woman’s identity in society and globally. I will argue that makeup foundation is a cultural object that symbolizes femininity and this ideology is used as a cultural resource that legitimizes gender and power inequality possessed by patriarchal-capitalists society.
To begin with, Makeup up foundation is a cosmetic product that is used to change the natural skin tone by making the skin tone even out. This object is mainly used by women and the symbolic meaning why women use makeup foundation
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Using Patel’s analysis, makeup foundation as a symbol of feminism is a cultural object used to justify power inequality in the patriarchal system. Defining myself as a heterosexual woman in society, am assimilated to partake in my role of a woman by Failure to do so, may lead to marginalization from the societal gender binary. Robin gives an example of the negative effect that results to women failing to conform to makeup usage. She argues that the imagery of beauty is needed to be upheld by women in order for women to achieve professional success. This also showcases the power imbalance between men and women in leadership roles, where women are forced to create an ideal patriarchal description of a female for them to partake leadership roles. Kirsten states that appearance is a beauty norm that is institutionalized. Her ethnographic study reveal that the “cultural practice of women wearing makeup to reproduces inequality between men and women in work” (Kirsten …show more content…
Looking at the history of makeup, it originated as a way to symbol a woman’s freedom and independence. However, this contradictory because cosmetic companies advertise the need of makeup as a symbol of attractiveness for women. Similarly, Patel observes that Globalization has made the movement of ideas and goods easier, faster and cheaper. Emerging from US, consumer market for makeup foundation has increased overtime. Also, there is an idealization of exhibiting “An American Woman’s” imagery which is advertise as appealing. In today’s society, the need to modernize. Kirsten in her research observe women mainly use makeup to symbolism creditability and professional success. As similar case is seen in “Appearance Do Matter “article where a politician woman is forced to put on makeup as a way to symbolize her femininity and appeal to society as a favorable leader. However for patriarchal capitalists, makeup foundation is seen as a cultural resource used to make profit and maintain power in societal as well at a global

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