Hey everyone! Here's my full rough draft of my paper. I still have a lot more work to do and am going to put a lot more time into it this weekend. Anyways, have a good weekend and see you all next week!!
Ashley Nelson
Dr. Kyburz
College Writing II
9 April 2015
Hidden Message?
Whereas many people seem to think
that makeup is harmless and just something women commonly wear, makeup
industries may actually be sending out a deeper message along with their
products; one that consumers are oblivious to. Product names on beauty products
are something that most of us just look over. We’re more so concerned about
finding the right shade or product that suits us well. More recently, the
beauty industry has been releasing makeup products with scandalous names that
cause their customers to blush just thinking about them. Alexandra Kozinski in
“What Turns Cult Beauty Products Like NARS Orgasm Blush into Massively Coveted
Products?” touches base on a famous makeup industry that consistently places
scandalous names upon its products; that company being NARS, most commonly
known for their blush that was recently released in the shade of “orgasm.” This
product was so popular that the company ended up making a whole collection
based off this blush (Kozinski). But why are people so quick to buy these
products with outrageous names?
As a woman who wears makeup on a
day-to-day basis, I’m curious as to why companies allow for such names to be
displayed on their products and why they’re okay with it. Recently, I purchased
the Urban Decay Naked palette. Not thinking anything about the name, I was more
so concerned about the shades and how well the eye shadow would work for me.
But why refer to it as “Naked” if it’s actually covering up one’s eyelids? I
didn’t come across the product because I liked the name, I came across it
because I heard many people talking about how wonderful it was so I figured I’d
give it a try. These fads are called “cult” following. When someone famous like
a celebrity or a makeup artist reveals how great a product is and where to get
it, people who hear about it or follow them will immediately try to find that
product as well, commonly referred to as cult beauty products (Kozinski).
Kozinski explains her first encounter with a cult following:
One
of the first two beauty products I recall to have gained a cult following in
recent years was MAC’s Angel lipstick and NARS Turkish Delight gloss. This lip
combo was made famous after Kim Kardashian revealed these were the products she
used to achieve her signature pinky-nude pucker. More recently, there was the
explosion of the Urban Decay NAKED palette (followed by NAKED 2 and 3), which
have quickly become staples in the beauty arsenals of makeup artists, bloggers,
and beauty enthusiasts everywhere. (Kozinski)
The
online community has a lot to do with how cult beauty products gain their
followers. YouTube has thousands of channels dedicated strictly to beauty
product reviews and tutorials. Wanting to know more about a product before
buying it, often times women will watch a tutorial or review to gain an opinion
about that product. If enough people share the same opinion then this is how
the product gains a cult following (Kozinski).
So who is the famous creator behind
this NARS company with the scandalous orgasm blush? Klaudia Tirico analyzes
where the NARS products get their names from in “The Man Who Named ‘Orgasm’
Blush: Francois Nars Dishes on the Brand’s Scandalous Product Names and More.”
Francois Nars is the famous man behind these products as well as their names. A
line that now has a massive collection of over 600 products originally started
out with only twelve coveted lipsticks. Tirico explains, “Nars is known for his
outstanding makeup innovations and provocative shade names like Orgasm and Deep
Throat, but have you ever wondered how he comes up with all these genius
offerings?” (Tirico). The details for this question are revealed in a recent
interview. When asking how he came up with this creative approach to new
product innovations, Nars said:
I’m
very spontaneous; I try not to think too much. I follow my instincts and use
everything I’ve learned over the years. I create products based on what I’m
attracted to in that moment….I am always reinventing products, never settling
for the same thing. We are constantly moving and looking forward, we try not to
create the same thing twice. It’s important to be open minded and fresh, never
boring. (Tirico)
Regarding
the brand’s outrageous product names, Nars said that it was very simple in his
mind. He gave the products those names as a way to bring them to life and make
them seem more special. He wanted to give them a personality. Nars explained:
I
wanted it to really click for women; I wanted them to remember the given
product. It’s no longer just a tube of lipstick—it’s a movie or a character
that you can identify with, a destination you travel to through products and
colors. The names make the product ‘larger-than-life.’ (Tirico)
Maybe what he’s saying has a point,
that these product names are a form of inspiration he had at the moment. But a
blush called deep throat? Really? When being asked what shade of blush you’re
wearing I’m sure many women will literally blush when they say the words “deep
throat.” Is this some kind of strange way for Nars to be bold and attract
attention to his company products? Or is there some deeper meaning behind these
names. For example, Nars also has a lipstick called “manhunt.” Is this name
indicating that women who wear this bright red lipstick are on the prowl for
men and that’s the only reason why they’re wearing it? Research shows that
there are times where women actually do wear bold and dark makeup as a means to
attract men and to feel more confident. Nicolas Gueguen in “Makeup and
Menstrual Cycle: Near Ovulation, Women Use More Cosmetics” reports on two
separate studies that were done regarding women and makeup. One study was done
in a laboratory and the other study was performed in a real context. Once the
participants for study one were picked out, they arrived to the laboratory
where each participant was welcomed by a female experimenter. She informed them
that they were going to be partaking in a survey on cosmetics choices. Gueguen
explains the study in more detail:
The
participant was first instructed to evaluate the time spent, in minutes,
putting on makeup that morning before arriving at the laboratory. After that,
the experiment added that she wanted to take a photograph of the participant’s
face. Then the participant was administered an LH salivary test in order to determine
her fertility….Based on the results of the LH test, each participant was
allocated into one of the two conditions: fertile or nonfertile. Among the 64
participants, 14 were in their fertile phase whereas 50 were in their
nonfertile phase (Gueguen).
The
results from this study indicated that the participants estimated that near
ovulation, they spent more time putting on makeup. Evaluation performed by
professionals showed that near ovulation, the use of cosmetics was higher.
Gueguen expands on these results, stating:
Thus,
these results confirm that women near ovulation spent more time applying makeup
and used more cosmetic products than women in the nonfertile phase of their
cycle. This result confirms that women near ovulation displayed behavior that
would increase their physical attractiveness probably to appear more attractive
to men. (Gueguen)
Maybe
this study has something to do with why women are attracted to buying beauty
products with scandalous and outrageous names. Maybe it is because they truly
believe in what the name stands for and they want themselves to be more
appealing.
Study two took place in an actual
real life setting where participants were interviewed for a short survey.
During the interview, the interviewee was to take note of how much and what
type(s) of cosmetics each woman was wearing. Based off of this, the participant
would be scored, three being the highest score and zero the lowest. The
participants who took part in the interviews were asked to take an LH salivary
test which would determine their fertility. Out of all the participants, 789
were in their nonfertile phase whereas 114 were in their fertile phase. In
conclusion, Gueguen stated:
Study
2 showed that, in a field setting, women were likely to wear more cosmetics
when they went to a nightclub or a bar on a Saturday night, two places in
France typical for initiating romantic relationships. Thus, in teal life it
appears that high fertility is associated with women changing their physical
appearance in order to be more attractive to men. (Gueguen)
After
both of these studies, the only question that remains is why women wear more
makeup around ovulation. Other studies have shown that women know wearing
makeup increases their physical attractiveness. Gueguen states that this
explains why the women in study one spent more time putting on makeup and why
the women in study two used more cosmetic products when they were near
ovulation and in their fertile phase of their cycle (Gueguen).
It doesn’t really take common sense
to figure out that a lot of women wear makeup as a way to bring out their
natural beauty and to make them feel prettier. It takes effort to put it on so
there has to be an underlying reason for why she takes the time to apply it.
Being near ovulation apparently plays a key role in why a women may wear more
makeup than she usually does. This may also be a reason for why women are so
willing to buy scandalously named products and become “cult” followers of them.
But do companies like NARS have these product names geared toward a certain age
group of women? Mothers with teenage girls that are experimenting with makeup
certainly won’t want their daughters wearing a blush called deep throat or
orgasm. Is this where companies are drawing the line with these appalling
names? Susan Spicer in “12-14 Years: Ready for Makeup?” discusses the
complications that arise when your young teenage daughter begins to wear
makeup. It’s pretty normal for them to want to experiment with new looks and
this can sort of help them identify with who they really are in a way. Spicer
explains that rather than getting upset about the situation, it’s better to
help her out and give her tips as her mother (Spicer). It is better to be a
positive influence rather than to bring her down. But where do these teenage
girls get the impact that they need to wear makeup; peers, magazines, TV, their
own mother? Pamela Davis in “Makeup” tells the story of a little girl who
watches how her mother applies her makeup. She alludes:
Here
is her lipstick—Cherries in the Snow—worn flat to the rim. I swab enough to
redden her mouth. She rolls her lips together spreading the color. I say we are
done and hold a mirror in front of her face. She turns her head this way and
that, pretending to see herself beautiful. (Davis)
This
is how the journal ends and the last sentence is so powerful, hinting that the
mother tries as hard as she can to feel pretty, using multiple different
cosmetics, but without the outcome that she’d like. As a little girl witnessing
this reaction, she may be impacted by this as she grows up through her teenage
years. She may look back and think upon how upset her mother was after she’d
apply her makeup. She may also feel as if she’ll never be pretty enough either.
Makeup shouldn’t be used as a way to hide oneself behind, but it should be used
as a way to make one feel bold and beautiful.
Names given to products should be
expressed in a way that make consumers want to buy them in a good and positive
way. They shouldn’t be embarrassed to buy the product just because of the name
and they shouldn’t buy it as a means to hide themselves. Makeup is a beautiful
tool and it shouldn’t be manipulated.
Work Cited
Davis,
Pamela. “Makeup.” Prairie Schooner,
Vol. 85, No. 3 (2011): 60. Web.
Gueguen,
Nicolas. “Makeup and Menstrual Cycle: Near Ovulation, Women Use More
Cosmetics.” The Psychological Record, Vol. 62, No. 3 (2012): 541. Web.
Kozinski,
Alexandra. “What Turns Cult Beauty Products like NARS Orgasm Blush into
Massively Coveted Items?” Bustle. 23 June 2014. Web. 8 April 2015.
Spicer,
Susan. “12-14 years: Ready For Makeup?” ProQuest
Research Library, Vol. 26, Issue 9
(2009): 140, 142. Web.
Tirico,
Klaudia. “The Man Who Named ‘Orgasm’ Blush: Francois Nars Dishes on the Brand’s
Scandalous Product Names and More.” BeautyBlitz. 5 Sept. 2014. Web. 8 April
2015.
