In the past year or so, we’ve seen the emergence of trends such as the ‘clean girl aesthetic’, a microtrend that promotes aesthetic minimalism. This, of course, includes minimalistic makeup. Undeniably, this ‘aesthetic’ is a drop in the bucket of microtrends that are encouraging needless overconsumption.
Is ['no makeup' makeup] just another way in which the male gaze dictates women’s bodily freedom?
Despite it’s ‘minimalistic’ face, the trend itself invites us to buy material signifiers of being a ‘clean girl’. The notion that minimalistic makeup makes someone appear ‘clean’ is particularly problematic. I’d argue this implication invites us to take a negative view of women who choose to wear maximalist ‘full faces’ of makeup. Alongside this, there’s been online discourse between men shaming women for donning maximalist makeup on birthdays and nights out. Thus, I’d question whether ‘no makeup’ makeup is merely a way to bring other women down? Is it just another way in which the male gaze dictates women’s bodily freedom?
The online stigma surrounding women’s choice of makeup also translates to the everyday school setting. When studying year 10 and year 11 pupils, Archer et al (2007) found that working class pupils were marginalised in the classroom due to their “Nike identity” (coined by Archer). Particularly, working class girls were singled out for wearing jewellery, fake tan and maximalist makeup. These findings appear more relevant that ever – despite being eighteen years old – with the move from magazine culture to social media overconsumption. When brought into a contemporary context, Archer’s findings also suggest these trends create an intersectional issue, of which the working-class woman suffer the most.
I’d argue we should have the freedom to wear as much or little makeup as we like, without commentary from others. So, I wonder, why do we still allow for trends to dictate our personal choices? Why should one style of makeup be ‘superior’? And why haven’t we progressed since 2007?