Bunnies Don't Wear Lipstick

      "The philosopher is no slave to sex, smart clothes, shoes, and adornment. He is interested in the changeless and the enduring. He is the seer, not the seen. He practices the separation of the soul and body, and in so doing, he practices dying" (Ashwell & Langton, 149). As a "true" philosopher, Socrates felt that one mustn't concern himself with services to the body, for the body is a mere vessel. This view was especially embodied by people in 18th Century Enlightenment period, in which they valued individualism, uniqueness, and freedom. Rather than being concerned with how to alter their appearances in order to appear more aesthetically pleasing, people felt that the self should be the focus of others' attention.  However, such beliefs seem to have fallen at the wayside in today's Western World, and instead, people have adopted a more19th Century Romanticism (an era of liberalism and radicalism) view - "I must wear articles of clothing that set me a part from the masses and I must go to great lengths to achieve this individualism." In other words, it is the clothes that make a person, not the actual self of a person. With such prevalence of vanity, people don't typically take into consideration the ethics of what they're wearing. This ignorance is problematic because those harmed during people's selfish fashion endeavors often times do not have a voice to object to the cruelty - especially when those being harmed are innocent animals.

       Makeup is an effective medium to use for fashion and self-expression - it is essentially the paint that adorns girls' canvases, or (more literally), faces. Girls discover the usefulness of make-up as soon as they can say the word, "makeup;" they realize that lipsticks, blushes, eyeshadows, etc., alter their appearances in ways that can make them more aesthetically pleasing to others. As stated in Slaves to Fashion?, "The physical aspect of the art of pleasing is found in one's dress, and this physical side of the art is the only one that the child can cultivate"(Ashwell & Langton, 151). As young girls grow older they can perfect the artistic techniques of
applying makeup in the utmost flattering ways. They have found the best foundation to cover every small skin imperfection and the best mascara to make their eyelashes long and flirtatious. While I could rant and rave about how the constitution of makeup contributes to the objectification of women, I have chosen to speak for those who are unable to. Women have the choice to "paint" their faces however they please and although they might not realize it, these decisions have consequences. In order for them to obtain that perfect shade of red lipstick, a bunny had to endure trial after trial of tortuous experimentation. So sure, women achieve their goals of creating beautiful "masterpieces," but can this beauty be truly admired if it comes with the cost of innocent creatures' lives?

       Well-known make-up brands, like Covergirl and Mac, are infamous for their use of animal testing for their products. I frequently hear my female peers rave about the quality of makeup from these companies, but I wonder if their attitudes would change if they knew about the cruel practices behind the creation of their cosmetics. As stated on the PETA website, "Around the world, rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and other animals are force-fed products or endure the pain of having chemicals applied to their sensitive eyes and skin for product tests––even though the results of animal tests are unreliable and not applicable to humans ." The last part of this statement, "...even though the results of animal tests are unreliable and not predictable to humans," is particularly disturbing. Bunnies' fur is being burned off and their eyes are being blinded by harsh cosmetic chemicals, but for what reason? If the results of such tests aren't 100% applicable to humans, then why even bother to subject these innocent animals to such inhumanity? Furthermore, "These cruel tests are not required by law in the U.S., and they’ve been banned in the European Union and Israel" (PETA). Makeup companies are not even required to perform animal testing; their products can receive government approval without the sacrifice of animals' lives. Yet, animal testing continues and defenseless beings die for no legitimate reason. Sadly, I don't think these companies will change their ways any time soon without extreme federal urging, but in the meantime, people can choose not to endorse the unnecessary abuse.

 
        I do believe that it is important to practice what you preach, so as a consumer, I do my best to shop ethically. I choose to not buy makeup brands that I know utilize animal testing. This task is made fairly simple when companies use the "Cruelty Free," and "Leaping Bunny" logos on their products. This logo assures the buyer that the company's products were not tested on animals and is made quite visible on the backs of cosmetic products. It would be dishonest for me to say that every single one of my cosmetic products is cruelty-free, because I am almost certain that some of my hair products are tested on animals. However, I am in the process of changing that; I have been gradually replacing cosmetic items with cruelty-free brands. Through this process, I intend to achieve a complete collection of cruelty-free products. It is unreasonable to expect someone to completely change his/her consumerism overnight, for both monetary and personal reasons. Therefore, the act of gradually changing  is a plausible and realistic solution. As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day," so while I can't hope for an overnight revolution, I can hope for a more "conscientious consumer" future in which people think before they buy that perfect shade of red lipstick.

       There is nothing wrong with wanting to "feel pretty," by dolling yourself up with some makeup; it is a personal choice that women have. I, myself, do find that certain occasions call for an extra

swipe of mascara. However, while I apply that mascara, I don't want to envision all the pain that product has an inflicted upon a poor innocent bunny or other small creature. Thus, I choose to conscientiously buy my cosmetic products. In doing so, I feel that I achieve a reasonable balance in the ever-pending aesthetics vs. ethics battle that we, as consumers, face on a daily basis.