The Power of the Beauty Effect
How it affects your life and how to use it.
“My mother always called me an ugly weed, so I never was aware of anything until I was older. Plain girls should have someone telling them they are beautiful. Sometimes this works miracles.” Hedy Lamarr
Beauty, or what each culture calls beauty, can be an illusion, a dominant force in life, or a trivial pursuit — take your pick. But there’s no denying that meeting the physical demands of beauty in any culture has benefits that can be life-changing. Careers, marriages, and fortunes are often built on the presence of beauty, and that is one of the prime reasons the beauty industry will always do well.
Women, during WWII, knew that beauty had a place in their lives, and cosmetics companies benefitted from it. “…a makeup case got a propaganda twist, where women believed that it was their patriotic duty to look as glamorous as the stars in glossy magazines. It wasn’t enough to just put their morning face on — that was no way to stick it to Hitler.” It was, women were told, their role in winning the war by keeping up morale and the pretense of self-assuredness.
Cosmetics, especially lipstick, to improve both the appearance and lift the mood was advised by the style-setters Coco Chanel ( “If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack.”). Elizabeth…
