WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH BEAUTY?
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HOLLIE'S STORY
Holly Richardson, an author who focuses on women’s issues and politics, wrote an article for a British style magazine called "Dazed Digital". In the article she explains her experiences growing up in poverty; she recalls a time that her family was forced to choose between shampoo and dinner. She explains how she always felt out of place in high school since she was unable to afford the products her friends were casually applying in the bathroom. As a result of her upbringing, even as a financially stable adult she explains that she is frustrated that her “upbringing makes [her] feel ridiculous wanting anything more than necessary”, (Richardson, 2018). One should not feel guilty for pampering themselves with items they can afford, but she feels this way because in her mind she still can not afford the luxurious products. Richardson’s story is common among many women who grew up in poverty. Makeup is associated with beauty and many in poverty grow up thinking that they are unworthy of these beauty products because they can not afford them. Richardson’s story gives insight into how growing up in a low-income family can affect one’s relationship with beauty products and self-worth.
HARVARD STORY
Beauty services are important because self esteem is something that can affect one’s ego, mood, and possibly mental cognition. In fact, a group of Harvard and D’Annunzio’ University researchers did a study on makeup’s effect on mental cognition The researchers “found a significant effect of make-up on a multiple-choice test performance, with scores being significantly higher compared to those obtained after listening to positive music and coloring a face [while wearing no makeup],” (Taylor and Francis Online, 2017). Clearly makeup has a strong positive internal effect. Makeup is a device that encourages individuals to indulge in self-care and confidence. It is reasonable to infer that makeup can impact further functions of the mind. The researchers theorize that wearing makeup boosted the group’s “self-beauty perceived, consequently enhancing self-esteem, resulting in improvement of cognitive performance compared to the other groups,” (Taylor and Francis Online, 2017). Essentially wearing makeup and feeling beautiful could be a factor in increased academic performance. This could be a result of the phenomenon referred to as the ‘“lipstick effect" [which is] is a known psychological phenomenon in which wearing makeup can give individuals a confidence boost by making them feel more physically attractive”, (HuffPost, 2017). The lipstick effect is proof that makeup is a powerful empowerment device. Makeup is positively related with beauty and self-image which is why it is important to find ways for those struggling in poverty to indulge in these commodities. The Beauty Birds Plan to use cosmetics as a tool to empower our community while teaching our members professional skills and serving the community in a fun and unique way.