“…After this point, the goal shifted to selfimprovement and beauty rituals as a means of achieving satisfaction for the self. Radner (1989) also pinpoints a shift in advertising of beauty products from the early 1980s. This shift was described by one advertising executive as moving from 'raw sex' (physical appeal to men and achieved for the male gaze) to 'ego-sense'.…”
Beauty therapy is part of a vast multi-national, multi-million pound beauty industry. The beauty salon lies at the heart of a complex set of discourses and practices. Research conducted in the salon sheds light upon a number of key sociological debates including; issues of health and well-being; gendered employment practices; the construction and maintenance of gender identity and sexuality; body practices; and leisure activities. In this sense the salon may be used as a microcosm in which to investigate wider sociological concerns. In this paper, I will draw upon the testimonies of beauty salon clients, and beauty therapists. I describe four areas of treatment: pampering; routine grooming; health treatments; and corrective treatments. These areas are investigated in depth and related to different spheres in the woman's life. In particular, I show how the beauty salon is drawn upon in helping to negotiate the balance between these competing arenas. The ambivalences of achieving an ‘appropriate’ appearance in these differing spheres is investigated. Their implication in the self-surveillance of the client is also discussed.
“…After this point, the goal shifted to selfimprovement and beauty rituals as a means of achieving satisfaction for the self. Radner (1989) also pinpoints a shift in advertising of beauty products from the early 1980s. This shift was described by one advertising executive as moving from 'raw sex' (physical appeal to men and achieved for the male gaze) to 'ego-sense'.…”
Beauty therapy is part of a vast multi-national, multi-million pound beauty industry. The beauty salon lies at the heart of a complex set of discourses and practices. Research conducted in the salon sheds light upon a number of key sociological debates including; issues of health and well-being; gendered employment practices; the construction and maintenance of gender identity and sexuality; body practices; and leisure activities. In this sense the salon may be used as a microcosm in which to investigate wider sociological concerns. In this paper, I will draw upon the testimonies of beauty salon clients, and beauty therapists. I describe four areas of treatment: pampering; routine grooming; health treatments; and corrective treatments. These areas are investigated in depth and related to different spheres in the woman's life. In particular, I show how the beauty salon is drawn upon in helping to negotiate the balance between these competing arenas. The ambivalences of achieving an ‘appropriate’ appearance in these differing spheres is investigated. Their implication in the self-surveillance of the client is also discussed.
“…There have been noticeable changes in the ways that cosmetic products have been marketed to women over the years and Radner, (1989) makes the comment that one of the most important changes has been a move away from the domestically oriented woman to a woman who seeks to please herself rather than to please men. These views are echoed by Ribeiro, (2011) who, in a detailed historical discussion, stresses that women have never solely seen themselves as ''victims'' of 'male-fabricated judgements of appearance' because they themselves are centrally involved in establishing ideals of beauty: 'women choose their clothes and their makeup, not with men in mind, but themselves ' (p. 329).…”
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.
“…(Yasi)Immersion in the world of make‐up allows Yasi to feel better about herself, not because of how she looks (beauty) but because of how she feels (mood). In other words, the feeling of well‐being is not simply about physical attractiveness and one's perception of self, as suggested by previous research on the relationship between consumption of cosmetics and self‐identity (see, for example, Radner, ; Schouten, ; Bloch and Richins, ; Ragas and Kozlowski, ): it is also about taking the initiative and feeling empowered to make a change to one's monotonous life.…”
Section: Make‐up As Creative Play: Using the Body As A Canvasmentioning
confidence: 96%
“…Following Foucault, Bordo (2004) also contends that women's self-image is the product of many complicated socio-cultural and political constructs and power relationships that have historically described and prescribed women's bodily representations and position in society. From this standpoint, therefore, women's consumption of cosmetics is viewed (Radner, 1989; Lazar, 2009) as a means, not of creating sexual identities to serve men's sexual desires, but of creating ideal selves and modes of being for their own sake.…”
Section: Women and Their Bodily Representationsmentioning
Traditionally, Iranian women's use of dress and make‐up has been an arena – sometimes a battleground – for identity negotiation. The present study questions the current over‐emphasis on identity and the prevalent tendency to look for identity meanings in the use of hejab (veiling) and cosmetics. The results of fifteen interpretive in‐depth interviews with young adult women in Iran reveal that these individuals' make‐up practices are largely associated with a total immersion in the experiential, creative aspects of make‐up use and with ways to uplift their tired spirits in a monotonous environment. Make‐up routines provide these women with opportunities to escape from boredom and immerse themselves in the playful fantasies of the world of cosmetics. Despite facing various challenges, including frequent stigmatization on account of their use of make‐up, the informants in the study derive high levels of satisfaction from their make‐up practices. The study establishes that changing socio‐cultural dynamics give rise to new forms of consumption experiences in contemporary society and calls for further investigation of such experiences in women's everyday lives.
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