Women put a great deal of importance on cosmetics, mascara and lipstick to make themselves attractive. They feel good about themselves when they are all dolled-up with cosmetics. Just hearing someone say, “you look nice today”, can make their day. Yes, cosmetics, mascara and lipstick have become basic necessities for well dressed women. In fact, most women do not feel that they are good looking without makeup. They feel they will be adversely judged if they do not look pretty. Is there some truth to this? Does society put such emphasis on appearance?
Even though looks shouldn’t matter, the question arises–do good looking people get treated with favoritism? Do they tend to have greater advantages in life? For example, would a stranger be more inclined to come to the aid of a woman who is very attractive? Might she receive better service at the auto shop? Simply because she is good looking?
An experiment was conducted in New York city. Two women were given folders filled with papers. They were told to drop them on a busy sidewalk and observe what would happen. Would anyone help them? When the attractive woman dropped her folder, suddenly people immediately came to help. Then she observed the other “average looking” woman drop her folder. She was saddened when nobody came to her friend’s assistance.
Why this differential treatment? Is this strictly a cultural phenomenon? Do we learn this from observing and imitating others? Well, studies show that babies will look more intently and longer at prettier faces. If infants could not possibly be influenced to be biased at this tender age, then we must somehow be hard-wired, rather than conditioned, to respond more favorably to more attractive people.
<b>What can we do about it?</b>
If it truly is an intrinsic quality of humans to show a more favorable disposition to more attractive people, then there is very little we can do about it. All the rebellion in the world won’t change human nature. If someone pays us a compliment by telling us how nice we look, would we chastise them? Would we question why they show partiality? No, rather, we would be grateful for this compliment and view it as a human kindness.
<b>How to accept this ugly truth?</b>
It will be easier for us to accept this human tendency if we admit that we ourselves at times are partial to this kind of admiration. Depending on if it is to our advantage or not. Favorable when it is to our advantage; not-favorable when we are at the short end of the stick. We must be realistic and remember that a person’s physical attractiveness, just like their personality, impacts every individual literally from birth to death. As unfair as at that may be, it’s reality. We can never change that. The best thing that we can do is change our attitude, learn from others and use it to our advantage.
<b>How to use it to our advantage?</b>
Movie stars are usually renowned for their good looks. To them, their appearance is a top priority. This is because their livelihood depends on it. In fact, some are noted to say, “It is better to look good, than to feel good!” Although, we may view this as an inordinate emphasis on vanity, in reality, it may not be. Think about it! Would they have achieved stardom in show-business due to their excellent health? Of course not! Image is everything in their world. They just know how to project their image to the best of their advantage. We must learn to do the same.
<b>What can we learn from movie stars?</b>
If movie stars put their best foot forwards, wouldn’t we gain limited success by applying their thinking? Consider this–just because a movie star is naturally good looking, doesn’t cause her to not wear makeup. No, she will actually put emphasis on it. Consulting makeup artists to achieve her best natural look. Accentuating the positive, and making negative features less noticeable. Their livelihood and reputation depends on their taking every advantage to look their very best, on camera and off.
<b>How to capitalize on your looks?</b>
Movie stars are privileged to employ the efforts of various makeup artists to achieve their best look. This gives a fresh perspective on what may look better. However, most women who are not in show business, have only done their own makeup application. As a habit, they may be using unfavorable colors and application methods. If you feel like you need a new perspective, why not consult a makeup artist? Their fresh approach and greater experience, might be just what you need to accentuate your best facial features. It is common for women to consult their hair-dressers for a new look–why not do the same with a makeup artist?
<b>How natural cosmetics can help?</b>
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to just accentuate positive facial features and not have to cover up imperfections. Well, the truth is many skin problems are actually a result of makeup! Most makeup products contain chemicals that irritate the skin and cause blemishes, discoloration, redness and dryness. Instead of covering up facial flaws with synthetic blends of makeup, why not try to correct these flaws by the use of natural cosmetics? You will be surprised how much better your skin will look and feel. Also you will not need to wear as much foundation and makeup! This will save you time, money, and you will be able to concentrate on accentuating positives!
Yes, looks do matter! We do live in a society that puts a great deal of emphasis on appearance. Without cosmetics, society views women as not fully dressed. We can’t change that. But we can take advantage of this. By wearing cosmetics in a way that accentuates our appearance, cosmetics can actually open doors that may otherwise be closed.
