I love makeup and pretty much everything about it. I love women who wear bold colors and go against traditional beauty standards. I love men who decide to wear makeup. I love Trans people who wear makeup that makes them feel more comfortable about their identities. I love the trends of makeup and I love the confidence it has given so many people. Makeup is a transformative and powerful tool and lets people experiment with their looks. The constant bashing of women who wear “too much” make up and the endless judgement of men who wear makeup at all is still clearly an issue, but I think their tendencies are quite evident. But when I was watching makeup tutorials on YouTube, I noticed something that was really common: the products used are sometimes really expensive and excessive.
I do understand that many YouTubers are professional makeup artists who take makeup very seriously and I respect their artistry. Yet, I can’t help think how expensive it is to attain a certain “look.” There are a lot of people who can’t afford to buy $40 lipsticks or $10-$20 brushes. Often times there is an emphasis on how important it is to have all these products to get a perfect final look. There’s no denying that having more products is convenient, but is it universally accessible?
Many transgender people speak about the importance of makeup in their lives and how the internet has been a huge resource for tips and ideas. An article on Mic.com says that “makeup is one of the first steps to embracing their own gender identity” and that comes as no surprise. Even though makeup is definitely a cheaper alternative to hormone replacement therapy or sex reassignment surgery, transgender American’s are more than four times likely to face poverty. Finding food, shelter, and basic needs comes as a bigger necessity than makeup for many transgender people.
I would love to see more Youtuber’s that use cheaper products and appeal to those who can’t afford to shop in Sephora and MAC. While makeup can be viewed as superficial, for many people it is important to feel comfortable in their own skin. No one deserves to be deprived of this for any reason. Feeling safe can help us reach our full potential and makeup is a really vital tool in doing so, but it should be more inclusive to a variety of people.