When Beauty Goes Ugly

Art by Taryn Riera SC ’15

My first encounter with a beauty blog occurred on Facebook. More than ten of my female friends had shared a video of British-born Nigerian blogger Britpopprincess. In this video, titled “worst make up tag: Beyonc!”, Britpopprincess was showing how many young women all over the world and especially in Nigeria were failing at their attempts to achieve Beyoncé’s “flawless” skin. Over night, Britpopprincess became an Internet session (at least among Africans in the diaspora). After my encounter with Britpopprincess, I spent more time watching beauty and fashion blogs. Every time anyone commented on the obscene amount of time I was spending on YouTube, I would always refer to the “entertainment value” these channels provide.  Fortunately or unfortunately, my views on beauty blogs changed dramatically when I stumbled upon what in my mind is an unconventional make-up tutorial…

On my screen was a 5-year-old girl (missing a couple of front teeth) holding a sparkly wand, adorned with a shimmering crown, and wearing a pink tutu and glitter all over her body. As soon as I saw this “princess” on my screen, I quickly glanced up to make sure I had clicked on the right video. Indeed it was: this make-up tutorial was called “how to achieve the perfect evening look.” To say I was shocked is an understatement, but I decided to watch the 5- minute video partly because I was completely mesmerized by her cuteness and partly because I didn’t think the video was serious. I was certain that this was a prelude to the real make-up tutorial. Boy, was I wrong! This cutie was armed with professional brushes and different types of expensive make-up brands. I watched as she explained how to apply foundation without looking “cakey,” achieve the winged eye liner, and apply blush and concealer to achieve the most natural look possible. Her aptitude for make-up was astonishing, and it dawned on me that this child probably had better make-up skills than I will ever acquire in my entire life. Midway into the video, I was no longer mesmerized by her cuteness; I was seriously trying to comprehend how her interest in makeup started, who taught her, and why anyone allowed her to have a channel on YouTube.

I don’t think its cute when a 5-year-old child is seriously dishing out make-up advice and showing me what to look like when I’m going on a hot date. Why should she know what a hot date is? Beauty blogs like hers are a sad reminder of how “real” the world has become. Innocence doesn’t exist as much anymore, and sadly, very few 5 – year- olds seem to be living the lives we did at their age. Children no longer exist; they don’t spend time constructing their own realities, babble on about nothing, or watch cartoons all day. They’ve all grown up, and society has allowed that to happen.  If a mother, like the mother in the video I watched, urges her daughter on, telling her to hold the brushes tighter and to focus the webcam on the labels of her products, how can the rest of society be motivated to shield children from the harsh realities of life?

Most of the problems that occur in our adult lives take root in our childhood. How do we expect women to feel confident in their own skin if at such a young age they are encouraged to apply make-up and dress in certain ways, if they are encouraged to seek superficial beauty? Now, I have no problem with applying make-up to enhance one’s features. This is my principle; if you’re using make-up to hide how you truly feel about yourself, then it’s not right! You need to stop and address the real reason behind your lack of self-confidence.  It should not be acceptable for a child to own a beauty blog; rather, we must encourage children such that they do not fall prey to society’s forces. Let’s teach young girls to love themselves such that when they grow older, they will be strong enough to battle the pressures of our society.