Story by Emily White
It is no secret in the world of psychology that confidence is a struggle for young adults, females especially, and some even feel something as basic as makeup only worsens the lack of confidence in the female population. However, is makeup really that bad for mental health?
Sophomore Karli Pinkley, who wants to be a freelance makeup artist, does not think so. “I think it makes people more confident. When girls wear makeup, it makes them feel better about themselves. Why would they pay someone to professionally do it for them for important events? It is enhancing their best features and they feel more confident,” says Pinkley.
Junior Kate Mosier has a similar opinion. “I’m sure there are some girls that view makeup as a shield because makeup can cover up virtually anything you want covered up,” says Mosier. “If a girl is insecure about her acne, I feel like she has the right to cover it up if she wants and not get ridiculed about “hiding” behind the makeup, because the makeup nor the acne defines her.”
Despite the ever-present feeling of confidence makeup can bring an individual, one of the main issues which inhibit confidence is how an individual is going to be viewed by their peers. According to pyschologicalscience.org, it takes just 13 milliseconds for the brain to determine if a face is attractive or unattractive, which is faster that the body can be made consciously aware of what happened.
However, Mosier has a tip for the victims of peer related pressures. “At the end of the day, you take your makeup off and you’re the same person as you were with it on. Makeup doesn’t give people unrealistic expectations,” says Mosier. “Everything is perception.”
So whether makeup has a psychological impact on today’s society or not, one thing is for certain: “Makeup doesn’t change who a person is on the inside,” says Mosier.
