'less is better now'

Something strange is happening to modern women. When it comes to make-up, we all suddenly want to look like like we're not wearing any. It's true. Ask yourself how you'd describe your signature style or personal approach to make-up, and if some of the words 'simple', 'natural', 'understated' or 'sheer' don't come into aquation, you're a rare being indeed. So, what's going on? Have we lost interest in our appearance? Got bored of beauty products? Or have we become so confused by ever-changing beauty trends that we've just given up? The answer is none of the above. The most recent reports shows that spending on cosmetics is higher than ever, and the category that accounts for over a third of these sales is so-called 'face' make-up - foundations, concealers, powders and blushers. We're doing more and spending more to create the illusion of no make-up - a complexion so flawless we don't need any extra colour. But hold on, surely a life without gorgeous shimmery powders and brightly coloured lipsticks will simply make us look plain, boring and downright old? On the contrary. For many women, 'going natural' is the Holy Grail in the quest for younger-looking skin. And, let's face it, looking young is what we're all really after. 'Women want to be percieved as perfect - like they came out that way'. Some radiance serums were designed to create this impression - to give you the 'original skin' you were born with - and a slew of other 'complexion-enhancing' creams aim to do the same. But for feminists, this preasure for effortless perfection is nothing short of oppression. Some authors believes that a male-dominated society has made us obsessed with ageing. 'Aging in women is "undeautiful", since women grow more powerful with time', some says. But some others disagrees, asserting that it is beauty, not age, that holds most power for women, so the process of making ourselves look attractive can be seen as a feminist act in itself. (Earlier the last century, make-up was endorsed by feminists, with suffragettes wearing lipstick as a sign of their liberation). Staying youthful and beautiful just for the sake of it is no longer enough. Beauty equates to power and control. Whichever argument you agree with, it's fair to say that even the most 'natural' make-up look is rarely achieved without clever products. The paradox is that while bright cosmetics were once worn to look younger, now we think they have the oposite effect; and it's the is-she-or-isn't-she make-up that really takes years off you. Consequently, the products we want to buy are changing dramatically. Out go deep colours and heavy textures, and in come all things sheer, light and, you guessed it, natural. In Western beauty 'natural' is seen as desirable, but what is natural beauty? It is really only a perception of natural beauty that is strived for. And that doesn't mean not wearing any make-up at all. In fact, some of the latest collections contains only natural shades, including some of the best-selling illuminators. Many of the products that have achieved cult status in the beauty world are similarly 'nude'. As a result of our desire to look atural, more technologically advanced products have been developed. And the airbrushing and photo manipulation techniques used on models that inspire us to believe we too can have flawless shin have also been refined. We see the perfect skin of models in photos and we want to look the same - but for most of us, it's simply not possible to get a perfect 'no make-up' look without using make-up. The airbrushing techniques used in advertising and editorial give an unrealistic perception of what we want to look like. It cannot possibly work off paper. Another explanation for beauty's new 'no make-up' trend is the way in which many of our beauty ideas filter down from another society influences. It's our new obsession with 'lunchtime lip-filters' and 'Botox before breakfast' that has rendered us able to do without the trowelled-on make-up look. The Western preoccupation with feeling and looking younger is exporting its influence accros the pond. The stigma cosmetics treatments and procedures is slowly being lifted, and no loonger carries the fear and loathing it once did. But aside from the questionable assertion that surgical treatments have 'improved' our underlying features so we need wear less make-up, it's certainly true that we've lifted the 'nude and neutral' look from aside. But the 'bare' faces, like the tan leather handbags and perfect blow-dries, also say something about the lifestyle. With no worry lines, stress breakouts or dark cirlces, there is a hidden implication in those healthy, glowing bare faces that they've been blessed with a stress-free existence. In reality, of course, a clear complexion signifies nothing of the sort. Ironically, the easiest way to a stress-free existence is not to worry about getting older. And according to the experts, the best way to do that is to have confidence not only in yourself but also in your products. A product that helps to enhance your appearance, rather than cover or manipulate, definately promotes confidence. The theory goes that we should all be looking for the kind of confidence that comes from within, so we can feel good in our own skin, without needing trowel-loads of make-up to mask it. Women need to relax into the fact that skin does change and age, and they are coming to understand this more and more. What is perfect skin anyway? What indeed? The bare faced cheek of it.

So, do you believe less is better, now?