Morning routines can be stressful. From straightening our hair to picking out what clothes to wear, it seems like girls are always frantically running to their bus stops, no matter how early we wake up. Beside being late to school or work because of the inclination to look “beautiful,” women also have to suffer the fees of being pretty. Buying makeup, hair products, and keeping up with trends is costly, and women everywhere are breaking the bank to look their best.

Average amount women spend on hair per year: $257.42

Average amount men spend on hair per year: $154.44

Average amount women spend on makeup in their lifetimes: $15,000 

Average amount women spend on nails per year: $1345 

Average amount women spend on clothes per year: $571

Average amount men spend on clothes per year: $323

Not only does the price of beauty strain our pocketbooks, but it also promotes the ideology that a woman’s worth is only determined by her looks. Since when has a woman’s amount in society been based off of what she looks like? With all of the “women supporting women” empowerment being encouraged in 2019, why are we still the ones pressuring each other to look this certain way.       

In all, creating an image is tough financially and emotionally.

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The truth is that to be a girl in 2019 is expensive.  Ask any dad who is terrified to pull out his wallet at Ross Park Mall when shopping with his teenage daughter, her gleaming eyes begging him to spend on her. But even more so, the price of beauty is the continual competition to always look the part. To be the best. To meet the standard. To always be “beautiful”…

However, does this standard we set for ourselves as women stem from the obligation to look nice for other people, or because we genuinely like to look this way for ourselves? In our society, it is culturally appropriate for guys to put next to nothing into their appearances, but for women it is the complete opposite. According to an NAI student who wished to remain anonymous, “I feel lots of pressure to wear makeup to school and I like to look good for school, so I wear some makeup, but it’s so expensive and I don’t have the time to put it on.” Another student had a starkly different perspective on their appearance, “I don’t spend money on makeup because it’s too much effort, and I don’t care what I look like.”

Obviously, there is a huge divide in our society on whether or not to wear makeup and what the reason is behind why we wear it. New trends such as “no-makeup” makeup or natural” makeup can change people’s views on the use of cosmetics, but the truth is that they are still wearing makeup products. If the whole reason you are wearing makeup is to look like you’re not, why are you wearing any at all? Take preschoolers for example. They simply wake up and go to school without worrying about what they’re wearing or how their hair is done. It’s inspiring.

This article’s aim isn’t to persuade anyone to not wear makeup, but to assess the reasons why many women feel compelled to. Supporting women no matter how they choose to do their hair, wear makeup or not, and stop being scared of being judged for how they look is a small step in closing the gap.  

Our identity should not be based on our looks, or whether we choose to spend an hour on our makeup and hair on a given day. Rather, it should be based on things which cannot be seen to the naked eye. Talk to me.

“How do we stop assigning value to women based on their looks.”

Instead of assigning value of women based on how they dress themselves, the way their hair is done or the makeup that they apply; we should judge a woman on her character and the way she treats others, not by how she looks.