In recent years, trends in American culture have become increasingly prominent. The growing emphasis on skincare routines and the rise of ‘no-makeup makeup’ styles are leading examples of these trends.
These recently developed trends have heavily emphasized a person’s “natural” appearance. The no-makeup makeup trend is all about using as minimal makeup as possible to give a skin-like finish, complimenting a person’s natural beauty instead of altering it. Organic beauty in today’s fashion scene has ushered in awareness of different body and skin types and its primary goal nurturing the future generation’s love for a person’s natural beauty instead of society’s crushing beauty standard women are held to.
These trends–dewey skin, natural makeup, insistence on skincare–have been created in good spirits, yet some people beg to differ with the questionable principles that leading influencers hold themselves to, and by extension, other women.
Many women hold the belief that trends, by their very nature, tend to promote a particular aesthetic or behavior that is universally desirable.
Despite the efforts from this new age to promote individualism among people, it still holds the drawbacks of the pressure that it puts on people around the globe to conform. The commercialization of popular trends is yet another popular issue, making influencers’ efforts seem ingenuine with brand deals and advertisements.
Sophomore Abigail Riddle of Colts Neck is a firm believer in the contradictory nature of beauty. Riddle questions the ethics of minimalism, including the new standard of showing off one’s natural complexion.
“I feel like it’s dumb and people should let others do what they want. People make every little thing a trend,” Riddle said. “If a girl wanted to come in with a full face of makeup–foundation, concealer–don’t be like ‘Oh that’s so 2016’. It’s her makeup! But if another woman wants to come in with no makeup, that’s fine. Leave women alone!”
Riddle continues to criticize the conflicting morals of natural complexions when influencers are known to use extensive amounts of editing to cover up their imperfections, as opposed to makeup.
“I think [influencers] have done a terrible job with all their editing. They’re rich so they can afford all those high-class skincare products that aren’t normally accessible to the majority of women. Even though they’re trying to demolish the old beauty standard, they’re just reinventing a new one,” Riddle said. “Yeah, I have acne. Yeah, my makeup’s from Walmart. So what? Leave me alone and leave women alone.”
