Beauty measures: Are we over-buying it?

Beauty can be defined in many different ways. The verstaility of beauty has succeeded in making people believe that becoming a dead ringer of a famous celebrity only makes them appear beautiful. On numerous instagram accounts, we can find girls copying looks of different stars. From Kylie Jenner to Katy Perry, make up transformtions truly proved itself as the mania of the decade. If beauty had a Système international d'unités (or a Si international measuring system) like length or height, it would probably be a scale from 1 to Kylie Jenner. There are over 1000 posts on Instagram dedicated only to try looking like Kylie whose face is 90 percent made- up. Not that it is wrong or forbidden, it is just that people have stopped analysing and differentiating between what is natural and what is fake. Beautifying one's self is not a crime nor is it one of the seven deadly sins, but then again being yourself is what everyone has been preaching about right? Oh wait, that was before the contour and highlight mania. Sorry, my bad!

There are over 100 youtube channels that are fully dedicated to make up tutorials and contouring lessons. These channels belong to both males, females and everything in between (go figure)! According to an article written by Sara Halzack (2015) who is a Washington Post reporter, makeup stores such as Sephora and Ulta witnessed a 59 percent growth in their profits in 2014. If this says anything, it is a proof that people are becoming "beauty centered." Make up is no longer a product only desired by women. The mania is strong enough to affect both males and females. A woman on Quora, Danielle Lan confessed that she finds make up "pretty awesome" because it basically transforms her face and she can shapes her facade according to her desires. Does not this remindic  you of plastic surgery? Make up became so advanced that it can make your face thinner and enhance your cheek bone structure. Speaking of surgeries and needles that can poke the human skin for good purposes, permanent make up is now the next big thing. Elizabeth Dosoretz, a blogger and founder of accordingtodna.com mentioned her struggle with deciding whether she should be with or against permanent make up. She highlighted that most often people refuse the fact that we are all meant to grow up and with the process of growing up, face feature changes are truly inevitable (except for Kim Kardashian of course who sleeps with full make up on)!

 Before afflicting anyone with my opinions about men wearing make up, I am in no way trying to humiliate any male who does so, I am just trying to get the facts right. Masculinity to me always lied in a well trimmed beard and a pair of well-polished shoes. Even though the measures have changed for most people, the question here is, does make up reduce masculinity in anyway? Benjamin Puckey, a New York based make up artist asserted, "A flawless, foundation-covered and glossy-lipped look desexualizes these guys and makes them appear cuter and less threatening to younger women." He also added that being flawless truly alters masculinity and sometimes completely demolishes it. I cannot disagree with his opinion because it is parallel  to mine but then again parallel lines never meet. He clarifies that having a little make up on a man's face is fine as long as he does not over do it and here is when both his opinion and mine take seperate ways. As a 22 year old girl, I believe that any man who uses make up is killing his masculinity with a 12.7 mm bullet. Brad Tuttle of Time magazine stated that men use terms such as facial fuel and urban camouflage to give themselves the excuse or the reason to put make up on. At the end of the day, when I choose a man for the beauty of his face or the sexiness of his body, do not come preaching me about the beauty of the heart. I will simply not get convinced!