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Thesis on Beauty:
There has been a significant amount of research done on the effect that advertising in the fashion
and beauty industry has on women. By creating advertisements with unrealistic images of
beauty, it has resulted in anxiety, low self-esteem, and low self-confidence in many women.
Most of these negative emotions stems from unhappiness among body and appearance. Less
research has been performed relating to cosmetics and how this can have an influence on women,
and how women can use cosmetics to manipulate their appearance. This paper first discusses the
existing research that focuses on the cosmetic industry’s influence on women. From this
research, a general survey was created in order to gather general information about a group of
college student’s cosmetic usage, habits, and beliefs. The results indicate that college women are
high users of cosmetics, are very aware of the cosmetic industry, and that some individual
differences can have an effect on the choices a woman makes regarding cosmetics.

The Beauty Industry’s Influence on Women:

“My mother always called me an ugly weed, so I never was aware of

anything until I was older. Plain girls should have someone telling
them they are beautiful. Sometimes this works miracles.” – Hedy
Lamarr

One of the first studies that involved the effect of cosmetics on women was done by

Marsha L. Richins along with Peter H. Bloch, “You Look ‘Mahvelous’: The Pursuit of Beauty

and the Marketing Concept.” This study focused on understanding adornments, items “used to

THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY’S INFLUENCE ON WOMEN 5

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increase attractiveness and to obtain accompanying social benefits,” and how they are related to
assessments about attractiveness (Bloch & Richins, 1992, p. 4). Adornments could range from a
pair of clothing, makeup, jewelry, etc., anything that makes a person feel better and more
attractive. This study found that consumers who believe they are unattractive will “rely heavily
on adornments as compensatory tools” (Bloch & Richins, 1992, p. 9). Because the media has
been found to cause women to feel unattractive, it correlates that these women lacking in
selfesteem are going to use adornments. This is also supported by Cash & Cash’s (1982) study;
“Women’s Use of Cosmetics,” which found that public self-consciousness is positively related
with cosmetic use. Because many women who lack self-esteem are also self-conscious, it makes
sense that adornments are used to blend into a world of beauty these self-conscious women do
not fit into (Cash & Cash, 1982).
As stated before, there is much less information on the direct effect of cosmetic
advertisement on consumers, but much of the previous research discussed has implications for
the cosmetic industry as well. From a young age, girls are taught to experiment with makeup to
increase their attractiveness. Different amounts can be applied as needed, and it works as a
temporary boost in self-esteem. What is so appealing to most women about cosmetics is that it
can be a quick an easy way to temporarily solve beauty problems. In Beausoleil’s study,

“Makeup in Everyday Life: An Inquiry into the Practices of Urban American Women of Diverse
Backgrounds”, he states that “many women report having different makeup routines depending
on what they expect to do during the day” (Beausoleil, 1992, p. 33). Because it can be applied so
quickly and is relatively easy and inexpensive compared to other more drastic measures such as
diet, exercise, or cosmetic surgery, cosmetics have become an easy way to measure up to the
standards of beauty enforced by society. Thomas Cash performed much of the early research on
the influence of cosmetics on selfesteem. One of his studies, “Effects of Cosmetics Use on the
Physical Attractiveness and Body

Image of American College Women,” reported “individuals often actively control and modify
their physical appearance and physical aesthetics across situations within relatively brief periods
of time” (Cash, Dawson, & Davis, 1989, p. 249). In other words, makeup is used differently in
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different situations because it makes women feel more self-confident. This idea has been a theme
for many other studies done on the use of cosmetics. To further support this idea, Cash argues
“cosmetics use and grooming behaviors, in general, function to manage and control not only
social impressions but also self-image” (Cash et al., 1989, p. 350). To further support the idea
that makeup is used in all types of situations to increase self-image, this particular study required
that volunteers take photos with and without makeup and then rank their attractiveness based on
these photos. The results of this study confirmed that “facial cosmetics, as typically self applied,
influence both social perceptions of college women’s physical attractiveness and the women’s
own self-perceptions (i.e. body image)” (Cash et al., 1989, p. 353). In summary, this study found
that both women and their peers viewed the women as more attractive with makeup than without.
The women themselves felt that they were more physically attractive with makeup, and often
overestimated their attractiveness with the makeup, while underestimating their attractiveness
without makeup. Although not proven by this study, this overestimation of attractiveness while
wearing cosmetics could very possibly lead to confidence and increased self-image. A further
finding of this study was that “the more women appeared to believe in the beautifying effect of
cosmetics, the more makeup they tended to apply on a daily basis” (Cash, et al., 2006 p. 494).
This is an important realization, especially for the beauty industry and the marketing of the
products within the industry.

The Power of the Beauty Effect:

Beauty, or what each culture calls beauty, can be an illusion, a dominant force in life, or a trivial
pursuit — take your pick. But there’s no denying that meeting the physical demands of beauty in
any culture has benefits that can be life-changing. Careers, marriages, and fortunes are often built
on the presence of beauty, and that is one of the prime reasons the beauty industry will always do
well.

Women, during WWII, knew that beauty had a place in their lives, and cosmetics companies
benefitted from it. “…a makeup case got a propaganda twist, where women believed that it was
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their patriotic duty to look as glamorous as the stars in glossy magazines. It wasn’t enough to just
put their morning face on — that was no way to stick it to Hitler.” It was, women were told, their
role in winning the war by keeping up morale and the pretense of self-assuredness.

Cosmetics, especially lipstick, to improve both the appearance and lift the mood was advised by
the style-setters Coco Chanel ( “If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack.”). Elizabeth Taylor
advised, “Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick and pull yourself together.” Red was the
prime mover.

Beauty and Psychological Research:

The implications of beauty in our lives have gripped researchers for decades, if not centuries. A
resulting trove of articles and conclusions are fascinating and sometimes contradictory.

Once a researcher declares a valid finding, another one sets out to counter it and thereby add to
their reputation. Undoubtedly, the world of research is a dog-eat-dog one where only the most
prolific and influential survive. What have they uncovered so far?

Primitive human beings had to classify things as safe or dangerous quickly. If we extrapolate that
to foods, an attractive-looking fruit was more likely safe than one with rot on it.

Quickly, the human brain began to process information via these “attractiveness” templates,
which have been passed down to us, according to scientists. These basic-information processing
bits were then extrapolated to judgments regarding global events, people, and things. Thorndike
in 1920 categorized this as the halo effect.

We could have called it the robust “first impression effect,” and it would have been just as valid.
It gave rise to our implicit theory that “nice people tend to have nice attributes.” Wasn’t Willie
Sutton a charming bank robber who dressed in a dapper fashion?

Although we have been warned that “you can’t tell a book by its cover,” that first impression
cover refuses to evaporate. Ultimately recognized and used cleverly, it has given rise to
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scoundrels and grifters seizing power and wealth for themselves. Perhaps we should be listening
to a refrain about the crocodile in “Alice in Wonderland.”

“Caterpillar: How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spreads his claws. And welcomes little
fishes in, with gently smiling jaws.”

Lifting a Burden:
A psychology professor who has studied beliefs about physical attractiveness, Dr. Ellen
Berscheid, knows about the problems and the bias. “It is clearly a myth that ‘beauty is only skin
deep,” she said in an interview.

The beauty or attractiveness bias has, in her estimation, a long-lasting effect on personality,
social life, educational efforts, and career opportunities.

Is it wrong to want to look attractive? If we can improve our physical appearance in some way
without a hint of addiction, what is the harm in doing it and, if doing so enhances our life, why
not?

Cosmetics have been around for thousands of years, and they are used effectively to create a
more pleasing appearance for the wearer and, in light of all the research, a brighter future.

No one has to agree with this, and anyone who wishes to refrain from utilizing anything in the
way of cosmetics or any other physical change may do so. No one is taking away their right to
appear as they wish, just as no one should be taking away the rights of anyone who wants to
improve their appearance. This is all a matter of personal choice, and there’s nothing wrong with
it.

Of course, we’ve heard about individuals who are so driven to physical change, usually by
cosmetic surgery, that they cannot stop. Yes, they are tortured, I can imagine, by the belief that
they have not yet achieved the perfection they wish.

However, we need to remember that we live in an imperfect world, and perfection is an idea that
does not exist in this world, as Plato knew.
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Conclusion:
In a nutshell, diving into the world of "Beauty" shows it's more than skin deep. It's a mix of
culture, feelings, and personal outlooks, affecting art, connections, and how we feel about
ourselves. Bottom line? Beauty is subjective, always changing, and a big deal in shaping how we
experience life.

References:

scholars.unh.edu
drpatfarrell.medium.com