I saw this ad for permanent makeup last week in a Las Vegas regional magazine:
What struck me is the way that permanent makeup–that is, tattooing your face so you appear to have makeup on all the time–is being marketed as “natural.”
The phrase “permanent makeup” serves a lot like “cosmetic surgery” does–to obscure what’s really going on. “Cosmetic” surgery sounds harmless, superficial, not like “real” surgery. “Permanent makeup” probably sounds less frightening and invasive to many people than “face tattooing” or “makeup tattoos.” Permanent makeup procedures are now widely available, and in a lot of states there’s not much training required to start doing them (I knew one cosmetologist who had no tattooing experience but took a weekend-long seminar and then was certified to do permanent makeup; I presume in some areas it requires more than that to be certified.). Anyway, I’m just generally fascinated by the way we use language to try to make the often extreme things we do to our bodies seem non-invasive, simple, and harmless.
For another interesting example of how language is used to marketing cosmetic procedures, see our post on Botox as “freedom of expression.”
Comments 39
Jenn — November 12, 2009
Couple some makeup tattoos with latisse and you'll have solved the dire medical disorder of not meeting Beauty 2.0 standards!
I love patriarchy. I just comes up with more and more invasive ways to "solve" women's "disorders" of not looking suitably fuckable 24/7. I seriously wouldn't be surprised if someone started offering removal of your gag reflex to improve your "bedroom prowess".
rachel — November 12, 2009
What's ironic is that it's NOT "natural-looking"...it doesn't even look like the already completely unnatural, ordinary makeup. Those eye brows don't look like hair, they look like paint.
I also think they stress that their service or product, whatever it is in each campaign that uses the word "natural" is to tell the potential consumers, "Our shit is 100% fake...but it totally looks not-fake!" Nevermind that the photos they use beside the words likely say otherwise.
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist — November 12, 2009
jesus. I didn't know they had this. wow... why can't some women just accept the way they look and get over it?
Sisi — November 12, 2009
Largely, not men advocating this. It's mostly older women getting this stuff done. WHY?! I have absolutely no idea. But there's a few tattoo parlours (see: permenant make up clinics) in my town, I've glanced through their make-up pages while I was waiting for a job interview or two.
I don't understand it. It makes you look like a cadaver waiting for an open casket funeral.
KD — November 12, 2009
It is interesting that they are using double-lidded asian eye to demonstrate their wares. Are they hoping the increasing number of young asian women going in for eyelid surgery will tack on a tattoo?
Tom Clark — November 12, 2009
ew
thoughtcounts Z — November 12, 2009
I think it's worth noting that this, at least to me (and I suspect many would agree with me, but feel free to say so if you don't!) is significantly more extreme than "regular" tattooing. How many people do you know who get tattoos on their eyelids? Lips is pretty shocking too, I guess, but it's the eyelids that really do me in. Where do they physically put the needle? How do you not go blind from it?
junequest — November 12, 2009
There's been a bench in Biloxi advertising this for years.
I like to think of makeup as an optional part of my wardrobe--like jewelry or a scarf. Wouldn't there be days where you simply didn't want to wear makeup? Or you might want to wear different makeup?
kristyn — November 12, 2009
Tbh, I think some of the critique here is unfair. Many women genuinely feel self conscious if they have thin eyebrows or lashes, particularly people with alopecia. If getting their eyebrows or whatnot tattooed on makes them feel better, then I think that' a good thing. It's easy for people to dismiss makeup or whatever as being things women should get over - it changes how you feel about yourself, and when I wear makeup i feel much better about my appearance and more confident.
pbrim — November 12, 2009
My mother did this 5 years back, when she was 75. Her reasoning was that, the way she was raised, going out without makeup was as unacceptable as going out without clothes. However her hands were not as steady as they used to be and her eyesight not as clear. So she got the eyebrow and eyeliner tats, but drew the line at the lipliner tat. Now she just puts on a little gloss and she's ready for company, by her standards. A lot of her friends did the same for similar reasons.
Me, I'm 54, never worn makeup of any kind, and can't imagine doing this.
a — November 13, 2009
Many people have medical issues with the loss of hair among other things. This ad seems to be targeted for such groups of people. This is sort of similar situation as if someone critisises the use of wheelchair as a method of transportation for those who have lost their legs. Completely utterly ridiculous.
As for the make up part of it... Everyone here agrees that such constant normative portrayal of women in media has an effect, especially for the younger people. But then again, I take that each member of the female sex has enough sense of sensibility to not take the dispreferred messages to heart. Like an ad like this, there is no way that any person in their right mind would feel that it is threatening or oppressive in any way what so ever. Common sense, applies to feminism too. Hopefully.
Marjorie Rodrigues — November 14, 2009
[...] sobre cirurgias estéticas vaginais? A BBC publicou uma ótima matéria sobre. Leia também uma reflexão bacana do Sociological Images sobre a linguagem utilizada nas propagandas de cirurgia [...]
TheJoseiThing — November 15, 2009
BHey, I can't believe the blogger and all the commenters missed a chance to prasise something rare and good -- the eye in the "before and after" shots is clearly an Asian eye, and it isn't "corrected" to look more Caucasian in the after shot, it's the eyebrow that's being done and the Asian eye is just incidental, seen as normal. thumbs up for that i say!
Lady Lately — June 11, 2010
I contemplate this every time my red lipstick rubs off after a meal and just leaves a ring of color. Granted, if I did that, it wouldn't be for the color to look 'natural'. (Granted, I've never really viewed makeup as anything but face-paint, really). And I'm young.