All Made Up: The role of make-up for women in later life

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the role played by facial cosmetics or make-up in the (re)creation and expression of self-image and identity for six older, white women. Although there has been increasing interest in notions of appearance management and body image creation as these relate to older women, there have been few studies that specifically investigate the role and function of make-up for this cohort. This study, albeit small scale, is nonetheless rich and illuminative. It is contextualized by a detailed literature review that provides important historical and contemporary background to the in-depth interviews, which were conducted with older women. The themes of ritual, self-presentation and change that emerge from our results characterize the relationship of these older women with their make-up. Make-up for our interviewees was used as a source of comfort and for personal enjoyment, as well as to look good, rather than to attract the male gaze or as a means to resist ageing. The older women at the centre of this study use make-up in ways that may be considered ritualized, and it was associated with the expression and performance of their identity. Make-up was thus found to be central to the creation of the women’s self-image; all interviewees felt more confident about facing the world when made-up. Rather than being a mask behind which the women hide, for these women make-up is an essential part of who they are and a means of expressing their identities.