Call me a “hater,” but everywhere I look, every magazine I open, and every celebrity’s face I see in the media have mundane similarities: matte plump lips, false eyelashes, noticeably framed eyebrows, contoured nose and cheekbones, and you can’t forget about highlights out of this world!
Somehow, when I think of these specific makeup traits, Kylie Jenner pops up in my head. She models, she owns her own makeup brand, but most importantly, she accentuates her beautifully natural features with well done make-up.
I have nothing against this well established individual, but I feel like I have even fallen into the “Kylie Jenner Trap.” She is the epitome of the facial features girls are trying to achieve. I feel like there’s this pressure to look exactly like Jenner in order to be considered “acceptable” by others. She is so extremely influential that whatever she does others will follow, especially in terms of fashion and make-up.
To prove how influential and popular she is, I can give you an example. I don’t follow Jenner on any social media platforms, yet photos of her appear in many of my feeds.
Oddly, whenever I open a social media app, or various other news platform, the female faces I see all have similar traits to Kylie Jenner: the matted plump lips, false eyelashes, contour, and highlights.
I felt a bit intimidated when my make-up didn’t look like the other girls on social media. How do they get their eyelashes so long? What brand and colour of matte lipstick are they wearing? I find myself being worked-up over these trivial matters, when I should be focusing on more important things.
If and when I finally do buy these products, I will somehow be replicating these girls looks. I noticed myself seeping deeper and deeper into achieving “The Kylie Jenner Look.” I bought the matte lipstick; I learned how to do my eyebrows like Jenner, and I was even considering purchasing false eyelashes because I wanted to to look like everyone else.
It wasn’t until very recently that I noticed this trend, and I asked myself, why can’t I and other girls accentuate our own features, instead of replicating others? I also wondered why I felt the need to look like Kylie Jenner or others who try to replicate Jenner’s features? Why can’t Jenner promote individuality instead of her make-up brand which advertises achieving the exact same look as her? We are all beautiful in our own ways, and we shouldn’t have to feel pressured into needing to look like a clone of other individuals to be considered beautiful.
Jasmine Grannum
2A Arts and Business
