The Make-up industry is off the roof now and no one can dispute it. Advertisements and marketing strategies are being employed by some of these make-up brands. Brands like L’Oréal Paris, Maybelline, Rimmel London, and Revlon are far gone and have penetrated even the toughest cultures in the world. Per research gate.net, factors such as quality, brand recognition, association, packaging, pricing, and advertising affected how consumers made decisions about buying cosmetics over the years. Per Science Direct, the sense of beauty varies depending on different variables such as geographic region, tradition, religion, age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Here in Africa, specifically in Ghana, not too many apply makeup daily but the few who do rock the looks glamourously. Egyptian women have been known to use makeup as well specifically under their eye shadows. Women in the United States unsurprisingly have been reported to have the most consumption of make-up products. However Amish women to date shy away from its use. Amish women avoid it because they love the “modesty” tag it comes with Kerala in South India is another location where women have nothing to do with facials even as they are groomed into adults. With all these clarifications out of the way, I can boldly say the makeup craze will catch up with many women soon even though it is a personal choice.
You know growing up in Sowutuom, Accra, Ghana, I never loved the idea of a woman applying on her face especially when she was going out. This was because my mom was not doing that. Women then had no interest in it hence it kind of shaped me as a man in that regard. Our men loved them unconditionally and I would go to the ends of the world for these types of women. Don’t get me wrong, I see it to be dope but if I were to pick between two women at this point, “no makeup” would be a huge criterion for me. However, I can not say the same for the “modern” woman who sees makeup as the tool or secret to unlocking her beauty quests. Makeup has now shifted to a fashion accessory making it difficult for many women to step out without one on. Check this out make-up is essential to any woman’s appearance in this modern age. Experts in fields such as dermatology, psychology, or sociology have come out over the years to admit that it enhances women’s beauty standards and makes them look, and feel confident. The use of these products by some women will be for its attractive vibe. Others use it for cosmetic reasons and that to me is understandable especially if that woman had experienced an accident or burns along the line. Over the years many women have relied on heavy make-up whether at work, on occasions, or even on regular days, many shy away from it when publicly asked about its use. This is because they want to be known as “natural” women which I find a bit ironic. After all, it’s a “fun thing” now so why do you have to feel bad admitting? To me, this perception comes from the dangers of the long-term use of make-up generally. Aside from the long-term effects of wearing makeup like fungal infections, contact dermatitis, dry eyes, congenital abnormalities, developmental and reproductive disorders, hair loss, dizziness, and lung injury, I feel it’s not necessary at all because women are the embodiment of beauty.
Famous women in the make-up business have had this question thrown at them but they answered from it fun side. For example, singer and businesswoman Rihanna said makeup was like a secret weapon. “Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick”. These were the words of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Also, makeup was the finishing touch, the final accessory per Marc Jacobs, an American fashion designer. Well, when establishing strong and healthy relationships in 2024, most modern men tend to avoid women seen publicly with make-up enhancements because to them they conceal a woman’s true beauty. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder hence these men would want to see the whole package without being deceived. Take an artist like Cardi B for example, she is mostly in make-up when on tour and at fashionable events across the world but takes all off when she is with her hubby Offset. She often comes on her Instagram Live to interact with her fans without make-up as well. Even those who find themselves in serious relationships do limit them a lot for their men and things seem to have gone pretty normal over the years until now. More respectable and distinguished women like Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion have all had a fair share of this “makeup craze”. These famous musicians exhibit various forms of makeup whilst performing on shows and even on their well-followed social media accounts making the younger generation learn a thing or two from them. Today what we see on social media in general are millions of beauty channels and posts revealing new ways or methods of applying makeup with huge brands releasing new makeup products for their targetted consumers daily.
However, Memphis, Tennessee rapper, NLE Choppa recently resurrected this conversion when a viral video of him was drawn to the trends. Well after his video with a random woman he was expected to take on a date after she answered his carefully selected questions correctly went viral, He became a hero and a villain in the eyes of the makeup fraternity. This video showed a more subtle side of the father figure, so his preference for a “no makeup” woman went off the roof. Choppa said to the lady “I would simply tell you no and I will say why”. Choppa referenced a line in Lil Baby’s song “I don’t like women with makeup” which was fair and direct to me. He further stated, ” I feel like you would look more beautiful if you take it off”. The lady was quick to say she could do both on any day. He continued “Do you have pictures on your phone for me so that I could catch up to you” Clearly, she was attractive to him but wanted a bit more and I could not agree more with him. Women love to look and come at their best but hey, I have to go with the rapper on this one. However many people added their voices to the short clip commending him for going for what he wanted in women because relationships these days were difficult thus the right requirements needed to be met. Many who saw his behavior as controversial asked for a former apology from the undocumented lady. Rapper NLE Chopper as we know has accomplished many things children of his age dream of. He is only 21 and his music is pleasantly infectious giving him the edge over most of his peers in the industry.
NLE Choppa passes on woman because she is wearing makeup pic.twitter.com/wdHiew8Olp
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) October 8, 2023
By watching the video and understanding the reasons for his choice, I realized that most men including me love the idea of makeup. They even love it more when they are with a random woman at a party and just having a good time. They just don’t love it when it stains their clothes. The rapper behaved instinctively like men born in the modern era and we cannot blame him. Let me break it down for you if you still do not get me. I mean most men will party all day with ladies with make-up and come home to their ladies with natural faces. I mean that is what we want from these women. Some shy away from telling their queens this but that is the fact. The rapper gave the lady a chance for a date when he opted to see pictures of her without it and guess what, she got defensive about that indicating that the rapper got chains as well to look his best. This post is truly from my heart because there are no truer words spoken on Weekynuuz, and that is we men don’t like makeup at all, we just tolerate it hence women who do without them have a special place in our hearts.
I would like to add that all these cultures cannot be stopped or avoided however if women use it minimally, it will help avoid the unpleasant consequences. Women should be offered education on the importance of maintaining healthy skin so they never feel the need to opt for any facial product. Men can also assist in this process as well if they want the best out of their ladies. For more posts like these visit Weekynuuz.com