Cosmetics

Synonyms

Beauty aids; Beauty products; Makeup

Definition

Products applied to the body to enhance, change, or improve appearance

Introduction

A cursory glimpse at any television show or magazine depicting women will instantly cue the observer to the role or at least existence of cosmetics in the perception of female attractiveness. Women on TV, movies, in magazines are often covered in various cosmetics. Eyeliner and mascara make eyes look bigger, lipstick calls attention to the size and shape of a woman’s mouth, foundation or face powder cover blemishes on the skin – all traits that are found attractive (larger eyes, red lips, clear skin). A somewhat recent beauty fad is “contouring” and “highlighting” the skin to accentuate specific parts of the face. Interestingly, some individuals use this technique to manipulate the shape of one’s features. For example, by shading/contouring along the sides of the nose and adding a strong highlight down the center of the nose, it can create a...