Professional Versus Self-Applied Makeup: Do Makeup Artists Add Value?

Abstract

While a number of studies have investigated the effects of makeup on how people are perceived, the vast majority have used professionally applied makeup. Here, we tested the hypothesis that professional makeup is more effective than self-applied makeup. We photographed the same target women under controlled conditions wearing no makeup, makeup they applied themselves, and makeup applied by professional makeup artists. Participants rated the faces as appearing more attractive, more feminine, and as having higher status when wearing professional makeup than self-applied makeup. Secondarily, we found that participants perceived the professional makeup as appearing heavier and less natural looking than the self-applied makeup. This work shows that professional makeup is more effective than self-applied makeup and begins to elucidate the nature of makeup artistry. We discuss these findings with respect to personal decoration and physical attractiveness, as well as the notion of artists as experts.

Cosmetic makeup enhances facial attractiveness and affective neural responses

“…In a series of two experiments, participants rated faces wearing makeup as more attractive than faces without makeup. Our results offer further corroboration of previous findings, which suggest that makeup increases perceived facial attractiveness [ 9 – 18 ]. The most important finding of our study was that faces with makeup elicited more negative EPN and more positive LPP amplitudes than did faces without makeup in both Experiment 1 and Experiment 2.…”

“…Thus, Experiment 2 replicated the effects of makeup that were observed for one’s own face on the EPN and LPP amplitudes in Experiment 1 and extended these effects to other female faces. These findings are consistent with the findings of existing research that has demonstrated that facial makeup improves the perceived attractiveness of both an individual’s own face and others’ faces [ 9 – 18 ].…”

“…A series of previous studies have supported the positive effects of makeup on perceived facial attractiveness. Both male and female observers rated faces with makeup as more attractive than faces without makeup [ 10 – 18 ]. This appearance-enhancing effect has been repeatedly confirmed, both with self-applied makeup [ 10 , 14 , 16 – 18 ] and professionally applied makeup [ 9 , 11 – 13 , 15 , 18 ].…”

“…Both male and female observers rated faces with makeup as more attractive than faces without makeup [ 10 – 18 ]. This appearance-enhancing effect has been repeatedly confirmed, both with self-applied makeup [ 10 , 14 , 16 – 18 ] and professionally applied makeup [ 9 , 11 – 13 , 15 , 18 ]. Additionally, the Implicit Association Test (IAT) revealed that makeup use is subconsciously associated with positive evaluations [ 19 ].…”

“…Although such procedures facilitate the control of the physical characteristics of makeup, it remains unclear whether we can extend the results of these studies to self-applied makeup in the general public, which underscores the necessity of evaluating the influences of normal makeup use. Indeed, Batras et al [ 18 ] reported that professionally applied makeup was rated as less natural looking than self-applied makeup, despite the fact that the former was rated as more attractive than the latter, suggesting that self-applied makeup has higher ecological validity for non-makeup specialists.…”