[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/mirror-mirror-in-the-wall\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/mirror-mirror-in-the-wall\/","headline":"Mirror, mirror on the floor…women bombarded by beauty products controlling imagecul","name":"Mirror, mirror on the floor…women bombarded by beauty products controlling imagecul","description":"The beauty industry and media have long reflected society\u2019s ideas of what is considered beautiful. In 2018, a study showed that unrealistic beauty ideals perpetuated in the media negatively impact women\u2019s self-esteem and self-image. The HomeGround Asia explores how the persistent practice of controlling women\u2019s bodies continues through the promotion of idealised standards of beauty. […]","datePublished":"2021-03-30","dateModified":"2022-04-14","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Maisie%20Leong\/#Person","name":"Maisie Leong","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Maisie%20Leong\/","identifier":227,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f5c852853ba8ed19bedc5417be7db8166064cfcb8857f5ec40bb516fab94b2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f5c852853ba8ed19bedc5417be7db8166064cfcb8857f5ec40bb516fab94b2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1617122316109_How_society_controls_a_woman27s_body_image_1080x626.png","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1617122316109_How_society_controls_a_woman27s_body_image_1080x626.png","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/mirror-mirror-in-the-wall\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rEEH_AOhB-U#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rEEH_AOhB-U","name":"Uptown@Farrer ..... city fringe living at its best!","description":"","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/rEEH_AOhB-U\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/rEEH_AOhB-U\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/rEEH_AOhB-U\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/rEEH_AOhB-U\/sddefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2020-08-15T16:00:12+00:00","duration":"PT2M29S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rEEH_AOhB-U","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCzeNzOjdlI31-7mjB7339cQ#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCzeNzOjdlI31-7mjB7339cQ","name":"Low Keng Huat S Ltd","description":"","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_lJKQuQERHMyTy68K2w_ojDGHUdCbSd7XfwCM-5MHSN=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rEEH_AOhB-U#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rEEH_AOhB-U#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rEEH_AOhB-U&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rEEH_AOhB-U#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":5396}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rEEH_AOhB-U#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":40}]},"about":["Asia","Health & Wellness","Local","Sex & Gender","Singapore"],"wordCount":1478,"articleBody":"The beauty industry and media have long reflected society\u2019s ideas of what is considered beautiful. In 2018, a study showed that unrealistic beauty ideals perpetuated in the media negatively impact women\u2019s self-esteem and self-image. The HomeGround Asia explores how the persistent practice of controlling women\u2019s bodies continues through the promotion of idealised standards of beauty.We are no stranger to the plethora of bizarre beauty products that land on the shelves of physical and virtual stores, and make their way into shopping baskets. By some estimates, the global beauty and personal care products market is expected to grow to more than US$756 billion by 2026.From commercials to body-care products, advertising and marketing heavily influence a woman\u2019s self-image, reflecting society\u2019s standards of what women should or should not look like.\u00a0Jade rollers and Yoni eggs aside, it is 2021 \u2013 the era of body positivity and plus-sized models, where selfies on Instagram accrue shame and fame in equal measure, and acceptance of one\u2019s physical imperfections forms a bigger part of social media discourse than ever before. Yet, beauty products continue to reflect and entrench exacting expectations for physical beauty.\u00a0Wellness company goop\u2019s Jade Egg, an egg-shaped piece of jade that is vaginally inserted and claims to aid Kegel-like pelvic floor exercises, may be one of the most well-known examples, but the products below reflect more startling standards for beauty pertaining to physical appearance.\u00a0A woman\u2019s neverending journey to perfectionFor the chest-conscious, the Pinky Queen Top Pack offers a solution that is sure to nip your insecurities in the bud, with a product that promises to \u201cinstantly [tint] skin pink for decent, natural, baby-like colour\u201d nipples. Here, pink is associated with a \u201cbaby-like\u201d innocence \u2013 yet another physical trait that is supposed to be desirable in women.Subtle terms, such as \u2018discreet\u2019 and \u2018uneven patches\u2019, are also used in the product’s descriptions to refer to perceived physical imperfections, despite darker colouration being linked to hormonal changes due to the side effects of natural occurrences, such as menstruation, puberty, and pregnancy, as well as from the consumption of oral contraceptives.\u00a0Aside from being rose-scented, it is notable that the \u201cnine varieties of beauty ingredients\u201d in the Pinky Queen Top Pack includes placenta extract. An ingredient that has gained popularity over the years for its purported health benefits, placenta extract is becoming increasingly commonplace in beauty products \u2013 a sign, perhaps, of the lengths one is willing to go to in the name of beauty.\u00a0A leg upFor those looking for a boost for the booty, MediQtto\u2019s Buttock Lifting Nighttime Leggings harness the benefits of compression leggings to combat gravity\u2019s relentless attack on the body. Who needs squats and \u201cbubble butt\u201d workouts when you can wear leggings that deliver a \u201cmaximum 2cm lift\u201d for your bottom? This follows the rising popularity of firm and toned posteriors as a beauty ideal, with the hashtag #squats being used in over 20 million posts on Instagram alone.\u00a0MediQtto\u2019s Buttock Lifting Nighttime Leggings has been marketed as a \u201csimple solution to [add] lift and firmness\u201d to one\u2019s rear. (Source: Japan Trend Shop)Lift those chubby cheeksFacial slimming is yet another effect that many beauty products aim to achieve, with the Facial Lift At Once Alpha Beginners Set claiming to \u201cstimulate the face to offset the signs of ageing\u201d, by strengthening one\u2019s facial muscles. This bottle-shaped, battery-operated device is apparently waterproof, making it ideal for use while enjoying a relaxing bath.The Facial Lift At Once Alpha Beginners Set apparently combats the physical side effects of ageing that are deemed problematic, such as \u201csagging cheeks, double chins, and wrinkles\u201d. (Source: Japan Trend Shop)Your nose knowsEven facial features such as the appearance of one\u2019s nose is not spared, with the Bihana Nose Adjuster Clip claiming to \u201cslim and decrease the width of a nose and upward-facing nostril holes\u201d, reflecting the perception that straighter and sharper noses are deemed to be more attractive.\u00a0The Bihana Nose Adjuster Clip places pressure on one\u2019s nose, and is meant to be worn overnight for \u201cincremental improvements\u201d to one\u2019s appearance. (Source: Japan Trend Shop)How gendered roles impact behaviourAside from one\u2019s physical image, acceptable gender roles in media and marketing further impact one\u2019s self esteem and dictate how one behaves.\u00a0Last year, a commercial for the launch of private condominium development Uptown@Farrer, in Singapore, met with controversy over its portrayal of male and female stereotypes. The male protagonist was associated with cliches like a \u201cman cave\u201d, while the female character, his girlfriend and then wife, had fewer lines to say, and was in scenes that focussed on negative qualities, like her being naggy.A 2020 study by the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) and marketing consultancy R3 examined 200 television advertisements produced by Singapore\u2019s top 100 advertisers. It found that the majority of advertisements studied featured \u201cslim, fair-skinned and pretty women, sometimes coupled with more homely\/plain-looking men in a clear display of gendered double standards.\u201d According to the study, campaigns in the beauty industry were also said to feature a \u201crelentless parade of perfect-skinned models\u201d \u2013 another instance of unrealistic standards for a woman’s physical appearance.\u00a0Another finding \u2013 the use of stereotypes in the characterisation of females versus males within advertisements, which relied on \u201ccringeworthy clich\u00e9s, portraying men as romantic aggressors, heroes or omniscient beings, and women as romantic conquests, damsels in distress or ignorant neophytes.\u201dMoreover, 2.5 times more ads were shown to portray men in roles that provided knowledge, such as \u201cteaching others or answering questions\u201d, as opposed to women, despite the depiction of both men and women \u201creceiving knowledge at around the same rate\u201d. Perhaps a throw-back to the outmoded notion of the gendered brain, where men are believed to be better endowed in the smarts department. Products reveal cultural expectations\u00a0Marketing strategies that influence the female image have met with better reception in other cultures. In Japan, for instance, fast food restaurant Freshness Burger made headlines in 2013 for its Liberation Wrapper, a burger wrapper printed with a woman\u2019s smile. This allowed women to indulge in their burgers while maintaining a demure and polite appearance, in pursuit of \u2018Ochobo\u2019 \u2013 having a small and modest mouth, a physical trait that is considered attractive in Japan. Following the launch of this campaign, sales of the Classic Burger to female patrons increased immodestly by 213 per cent, from the previous month.Closer to home, a quick trip to the pharmacy revealed some interesting differences between products marketed to male and females.Deodorant products targetted at women highlight qualities like its whitening effects.Phrases such as ‘white and firm’, ‘white and smooth’ and ‘fresh energy’ are used to describe ideal qualities that women are expected to appreciate and embody.Men\u2019s deodorant and skincare products feature darker packaging and focus on the effectiveness of each product.In contrast, phrases such as ‘dry impact’ and ‘rapid acne oil clear’ that emphasise the effectiveness of the product dominate the corresponding men\u2019s range. Hence, although female body care products reflect society’s standards of an ideal woman’s body, male body care products appear to focus more on product features and efficacy.\u00a0The difference in deodorant products that are targetted at males (left) versus those targetted at females.Beauty advertisements targetted at women tend to feature fair-skinned, long-haired models.Product descriptions for Gatsby\u2019s range of hair pomade products.Society\u2019s control over body image can also be seen in the hair care industry. The identification of stylishness, power and trendiness as desired qualities for men in hair care products indicate a theme of empowerment. On the other hand, women\u2019s hair care products appear to hold traits such as soft, smooth and shiny hair as ideals.\u00a0Descriptions for many women\u2019s hair care products focus on qualities such as softness, shininess and nourishment.This is not to say that there have not been efforts to use healthier images of women within the marketing space. Brands such as local label Our Bralette Club intentionally feature models of varying body types to promote realistic portrayals of women\u2019s bodies.\u00a0Similarly, Dove\u2019s \u201cDove Real Beauty Pledge” showcases models of different body types and ethnicity, a step towards inclusivity in the beauty industry. And in 2016, Fenty Beauty\u2019s launch of its Pro Filt’R foundation line included 40 different shades of foundation catering to a wide range of skin tones.\u00a0We may not know what beauty ideals of the future will further coax a woman to smoothen, suck, lighten, lift or tuck. But one thing that could use a boost are consumers’ efforts to challenge unattainable and unnatural standards of beauty, and to further inclusivity in the way women are represented.Join the conversations on THG’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Mirror, mirror on the floor…women bombarded by beauty products controlling imagecul","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/mirror-mirror-in-the-wall\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]