Makeup or Fake-Up?

Looking at this April 2013 cover of Life & Style Weekly which reads “Stars Without Makeup” as a large blurb of text, placed in the direct center of the cover. First of all, why is this idea of stars without makeup so fascinating to society? Sure it’s entertaining to see what stars can really look like naturally when we are so used to seeing them dolled up, but makeup or not, the celebrity is a person and doesn’t need to be exploited over something so insignificant such as dark under eye bags or uneven complexion. Though this concept can in some ways show the realness of celebrities, allowing people to almost feel relatable to the celebrities themselves, it still reinforces the idea that lack of makeup, celebrity or not, is not as “beautiful” as what one could be with it. The way the Life & Style Weekly’s cover presents the idea of stars without makeup, conveys an idea that makeup improves appearance by showing stars in an unflattering matter next to “glamorous” after pictures of caked on faces. A chuck of text states “How Celebs get beautiful”, a phrase that implies, before the foundation, lipstick and liner, these celebs aren’t beautiful. That right there is the message, that makeup creates beauty. Again, despite the fact that society sees these stars naturally and can take a sense of comfort knowing they too have flaws, this idea also influences women to feel as though makeup is necessary in order to cover flaws, become beautiful and be like their celebrity icons.