Sunday 22 July 2012

TOWIE, Kardashians, Tranny, Reality TV Make Up Trend




"I don’t think it’s enough, think you need another layer"
"Of foundation?"
"Yes. I can still see your freckles"
"Yes you’re right. Oh my god, how much make up are you using?"
"Loads."
"These girls must spend so much money on make up!"

This was the conversation between my friend Mimi and I when I was doing her make up. Mimi kindly agreed to be my guinea pig in this experiment. We wanted to recreate the very much widespread make up trend of slapping it on with layers of foundation, fake tan, drawn on eyebrows and fake eyelashes. The less you see of your features, the better the look.
Even a make-under show has sprung up as a reaction to this trend, the hilarious Snog, Marry, Avoid.

Transvestites and drag queens have always used to do make up like this for the stage. Exaggerated eyebrows, exaggerated shading and highlighter, etc. But that was men trying to look like women, not women trying to look like trannies trying to look like women.

So we are putting so much make up on that our features are almost all lost so we can paint some new ones. Do we really hate ourselves that much?

Who actually decided that a very thick foundation is a good look?

I remember having a celebrity client a few years ago who was naturally very pretty, but a few years down the line she demanded more and more foundation than I deemed was necessary. The excuse was that this kind of make up looked better in photos when "papped". We sadly stopped working together which is a shame as I really liked her as a person, but that look really wasn’t my style. I was probably too much of a fashion make up artist. And I still am.

I find this look very old fashioned, "old school" make up artists trend, reserved for "old school" celebrities. So guess that’s it, these days with reality television celebrities are made every second so this "celeb look" got adopted and now you see it around you wherever you go, be it Essex, Liverpool or Chelsea. It has nothing to do with class or money, but everything to do with how famous do you think you deserve to be. And what’s your interpretation on how the famous people should look. 

The difference in how cheap you end up looking is only in how good are you in putting three pairs of false eyelashes (are they crooked or not) on or do you have to pay someone to do it for you. Paying someone to do it does not guarantee you won't end up looking like Katie Price. She has a make up artist by the way.

The problem is, when that look was “invented” it was mainly done for TV, stage and photos. TV has since gone high definition, digital photography is picking up so much detail that photoshop is a must just to look normal. We were not supposed to see those old school celebs in real life. But we sadly do see the "desperate scousewifes" and the likes in real life. And the look is not pretty. I can see men freaking out and not recognizing the girls without their make up on. Bring on the jokes we left in the 50s please..... Oh no, men are joining in with the fakery. Trannylicious.

So let me go back to my friend Mimi. In real life she looked so much older, but in photos she actually looked ok, but very different to what she normally looks like. This was not a high definition camera though and no photoshop. We took some photos on my iphone and posted them on Facebook. The comments were interesting. Gay men were first to congratulate her on her newly found tranny look, straight men were appalled and could not recognize her, while women were strangely drawn and most liked it.

What does it say about us? Are we women so conditioned to think that looking like someone else is the only acceptable way of looking? I’ll let you draw your own conclusion. Hopefully you'll join the debate and give us your opinion. 


This is Mimi before the makeover. She had some make up on when she came to visit.


This is Mimi post makeover. 



8 comments:

  1. Whoa can't believe how different I look!!! Such a great post and I think it's so interesting that you are examining women's self-image in this way.

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    1. Thanks! Funny but a lot of women on twitter think you look very nice! One comment: "I personally think Mimi looks stunning after the make over but it's the daily routine that would make it appear tacky.."
      It seems that if you went out like this it would be very acceptable.

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  2. What can I say? I personally find that overly made up look trashy and cheap, stinking of self-unacceptance and serious insecurities. But it seems to be very in in the UK in particular so all we can hope is that this trend is soon over as it ain't pretty at all.

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    1. Thanks, yes I agree that is very prevalent in UK at the moment.

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  3. No bigger offense for me than too much makeup. However, having said that, some (perhaps most) women do look drab and plain, have a washed out look without something on their faces. Celebrities look nothing in real life like they do when the cameras are rolling, and if not for the image we sadly are so used to, women probably wouldn't be trying to be copy cats. But then again... do we really want to see plain Janes on our screens when we, ourselves are. So, I just leave the heavy stuff for those other ones, and sleep well knowing that my husband won't wake up screaming: "Who are you?"

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    1. I think you're missing the point - I'm not against make up. Hell no, I'm a make up artist and that would be counter productive. But all I'm saying is that "some" make up is needed as ALL women look better with some. I have a problem with too much of it and all the accompanying accessories (fake tan, fake hair, fake nails) on a day to day basis. That look seem to be prevalent in UK at the moment and when done badly is really bad.
      I think Mimi would look as nice with less make up and maybe I'll have to do a make over on her one day that is not too much :)

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  4. I think it's fun!! Not for every day, but once in a lifetime, wouldn't everyone like to find out just how trashy-beautiful they can look? Or have this done when one wants to spy on a husband.... Well, I'm off to see if I can do this at home, sans the lashes....

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