City Meets Beauty

Hey everyone! Welcome to my blog about my thoughts on social(ly related) issues and what not. I hope my writing is interesting enough to get you to be aware of some of the issues and problems, or even achievements (yeah!) that strike my interests.  For my 1st post, I thought, "what better ways are there for me to connect to my readers than for us to find a common ground?" So I have decided to talk about shopping at a drugstore.

The story begins with me looking for a razor. I am not delusional - I know for a fact that I am no trend-setter or fashionista, but I have lived in a city long enough (say, my entire life) to know that underarm hair and leg hair is a big no-no when such body parts are showcased in public. Summer is fast approaching, which means 'tis the season to be shavin'.

With such a pressing problem at hand/under my arms/on my legs, you can imagine my joy when I see this shiny Walgreens just across the street from the subway station.  It's one of those fancy ones too, mind you, that sells fresh fruit, salad, yogurt parfaits and foods of such healthy quality. Giddy, I walked  into this Walgreens with an overly happy smile on my face which, I'm sure, made me look stupid.

To me, it is only natural to look in the beauty/aesthetic department of the store for a beauty product.  Surprise, surprise, I was immediately bombarded with pictures of these beautiful women with various colors painted on their not-so-various skin tone(s): Kate Hudson, Taylor Swift, and... eh? Who is this woman with such chiseled jaws? She looks so familiar. Who is she? Just as my brain was on the brink of explosion...

Drew Barrymore! What? Drew? Chiseled jaws? My mind was officially blown.

That's not right.  That can't be right. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in my memories, even at her thinnest, she had never, ever had chiseled jaws because that is just not her face shape. Again, I am not delusional - I am fully aware that it is a cosmetic advertisement, and I have seen how makeup can transform a person's face. There is also Photoshop and touch-ups and technology of sorts. However, I feel very, very strongly about COVERGIRL altering Drew's face to such a degree. I mean, Drew Barrymore is the spokesperson for crying out loud, and she is the spokesperson because she is famous right? That is the point of using someone famous right? To sell a product by someone with a easily recognizable face? Yeah?

Or, perhaps that it the tactics of COVERGIRL, that their makeup is so amazing that you can use it to change your face.  I should point out that I am not against makeup at all, but my belief is that makeup is for the purpose of highlighting what you deemed your attractive facial attributes, not for repainting your face so you can look like someone else.  Besides the fact that COVERGIRL took away Drew's signature round face, which is beautiful and what makes her stand out in Hollywood, COVERGIRL has reinforced the unhealthy ideal of emaciated thin = beautiful, that what is given by your mother and father is never good enough, that something is wrong with your DNA sequencing when it comes to your face, and that you must cover it with piles of chemicals.

If that is indeed your tactics, COVERGIRL, well, congratulations. I think the advertisement firm that you hired has successfully fulfilled your demands.  You have single-handedly transformed the face of Drew Barrymore, one of the most beloved America Sweethearts, into a face of one of those unrecognizable models' faces that one can easily find in any magazines.

Body image is no new topic, even one that had been squeezed dry, but the problem hasn't gone away, and it certainly is not going away in the near future.  After politely telling the cashier that I did not need a plastic bag, with my razor in my own bag, I dragged my heavy body and spirit away from that woman who appeared to be Drew, away from the shiny Walgreens, and away from what seemed so promising only 10 minutes ago.

p.s. to see a picture with the "new" Drew, google "Drew Barrymore allure mar 2011." She is wearing a shimmery one-piece dress with a big ring on her finger.