Beauty Trends
What is beauty? Is it an inborn quality or an trait that one develops over time? Beauty is most commonly defined as a physical attribute of things that makes these things beautiful to see. These things may be natural objects such as sunsets, landscapes, humans and works of beauty. In nature, beauty is usually the result of a combination of physical, visual and historical factors. However, when we come indoors, beauty is usually defined by a personal preference for beauty products or characteristics.
Beauty has become an extremely important and polarizing concept in twentieth century culture. Advertisements thrive on the portrayal of beautiful people. TV shows depict beautiful people in all forms – good looking men, good looking women, handsome babies and supermodels. Advertisers even create television commercials that make beauty a matter of urgent desire. And if this desire is not satisfied, then it is an indication that the individual lacks some kind of deficiency or emotional handicap that society has determined to be a beauty defect.
Beauty beliefs are not necessarily based on factual evidence. Instead beauty beliefs can be based on personal preferences, peer pressure and even a desire to impress others. Most beauty beliefs are constructed from personal experience and interpretation. These beliefs are formed because of negative feedback or perceived criticism from other individuals. When beauty beliefs are formed from an inaccurate or incomplete understanding of beauty, they are dysfunctional and can lead to debilitating self-esteem issues and even depression.
Beauty product marketing works on the premise that beauty is a matter of what sells. It uses beauty trends to create and maintain a sense of societal importance and societal norm. By promoting beauty products, advertisers hope to decrease the number of overweight adults and increase the number of obese children. They use beauty trends to determine the popularity and desirability of various beauty products. Advertising is also very successful in increasing the consciousness of beauty issues and in defining their uniqueness.
Advertisers also use beauty trends to establish which beauty standards should be regarded as’more important’ than other beauty standards. They use beauty trends as a means of defining and reinforcing social values and social ideals. A prime example of beauty trend is the beauty myth, which essentially states that all women are beautiful regardless of how they look. This myth has been used time and again to define and create societal standards.
Beauty products are a multi-billion dollar industry. Each year billions of dollars are spent by women around the world to enhance and beautify their appearance. The majority of beauty products are readily available in supermarkets, drugstores and department stores. Many beauty products have become popular for a variety of reasons. Some beauty products provide an instant boost of confidence, by redefining beauty. Others are only useful for particular situations and provide a temporary escape from the daily hassle of dressing.
