By Jillian Ogawa
Buying $500 worth of makeup for a mission may sound absurd to some, but for Brooke Meyer it was a reasonable price to pay for a year and a half of beauty.
“Makeup makes me feel confident about myself,” said Meyer, 22, of Toluca Lake, Calif., a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. “I feel like more of a woman, otherwise I”d feel like a man.”
Meyer”s view that makeup boosts confidence is common among BYU students. More than half of respondents to a poll of 50 female students said they wear makeup everyday. Most responded the main reason for wearing makeup is to feel better about themselves.
“When I look good on the outside, I feel like I can take on the world,” said Adele Marcum, a senior majoring in family history. She said her appearance affects her attitude towards life.
Tammy Adams, a freshman from Napeville, Ill., majoring in sociology said that she sees makeup as an enhancer of her features.
Katie Magleby, 24, a history teaching major from Provo Utah, enjoys cosmetic trend shows for the free makeovers and gifts. She sees the idea of trying different styles and being pampered not only a fun thing to do, but also a chance to become a different person for a day.
But others insist makeup is a shallow cover up of flaws, not a confidence booster.
“I just don”t base my confidence on face paint,” said junior Christy Hawks, a health major.
Kristin Romeril, 19, a psychology major from Calgary, Alberta, said makeup price is also an issue.
“It is too expensive for what it does,” she said. “I paid $60 for a makeover and the salesperson also pressured me to buy a $24 lipstick.”
Although Romeril said the lipstick only looked good for one outfit, she still keeps it because of the money she spent.
“That lipstick still infuriates me whenever I look at it and I think about the waste of money and how badly I got gypped.”
Holly Del toro, a cosmetics manager from a local department store addressed both views. “You can survive without [makeup]-it is not a necessity. But it does make us feel better and benefit a concern we have.”
She added that customers who come to the cosmetic counters already have a personal concern or interest, and her first priority is assisting those needs.
“We are not going to sell anything that they don”t need,” she said.
Del toro said women often get caught up in other things like a job and forget about taking care of themselves. Makeup creates a higher energy and a feeling of taking care of oneself.
Caleb Skidmore, 22, an electrical engineering major, expressed his concern that girls take care of themselves too much.
“I”m worried that women who wear a lot of makeup are spending too much time on it, especially if they wear it every day. I don”t think you have to look like glamour shot every day. Your friends should like you for who you are.”
“But girls need makeup to look naturally beautiful,” said senior Andr?s Almend?riz, 22, majoring in international law and diplomacy from San Francisco, CA. “I think that”s what every woman wants-to feel naturally beautiful and makeup definitely helps that.”
