Via Wikimedia
Though it appeared in Vanity Fair last year, a photo for which Kate Winslet posed sans makeup recently inspired a social media-based no-makeup selfie campaign. Fans were encouraged to post their own natural selfies to Winslet’s Facebook page and people participated in droves.
I get why many are applauding this effort to expose the fact that without professional help, idealized celebrities look human, too. Makeup can (and should) be fun, but we currently uphold cultural standards that require women to embody an unattainable and ridiculous standard of beauty. In fact, walking outside without any makeup on can actually feel unnatural and even stressful for many women. I know I’ve personally felt like I need to wear make up to look “human” lest people ask questions like, “Are you ok?” or “Are you sick?”
But this celebration overlooks the undeniable hypocrisy of many celebrities who advocate for “real” beauty — namely that many of those same celebrities profit from their ability to fit a stereotypical understanding of beauty. For example, Scarlett Johansson — who also participated in the Vanity Fair makeup-less campaign — was the face of Dolce & Gabbana perfume and makeup products and Kate Winslett has appeared in a Lancome campaign for a new skin tightening creme. Additionally, the women at the center of these campaigns are almost exclusively privileged white women and essentially promote an understanding of “real” beauty that is — like the mainstream standard — is still associated with whiteness.
To be fair, it’s undeniable that being a professional actress in the context of a male-dominated, sexist industry likely requires a constant balance between authentic self-representation and making money. That these women have the power to be featured in high profile advertising campaigns is certainly a form of progress itself. But perhaps instead of glossing over this hypocrisy, instead of advocating for natural beauty without addressing conflicting business endeavors, these actresses could actually help women the most by acknowledging this conflict: that beauty standards aren’t just intertwined with women’s self esteem, but, in many cases, with their overall power.
In addition to acknowledging the way beauty plays into power, these public figures would certainly help plenty of women by trying to empower them in the context of a framework that excludes beauty altogether. The truth is that, even if benevolently intended, no-makeup campaigns still center on women’s appearance over their ability. They may focus on how beautiful individuals are naturally as opposed to artificially, but beauty is still prioritized over women’s abilities and the underlying sexist system that valorizes beauty goes unchecked.
True liberation must exist beyond any construct of beauty. And, in fact, women are capable of engaging in activism that is far more meaningful and deeply realized than going without makeup. Women can do a lot more than just look in the mirror and will themselves to feel better: It’s high time we recognized, and acted on, that power.
