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Made Up: How the Beauty Industry Manipulates Consumers, Preys on Women's Insecurities, and Promotes Unattainable Beauty Standards
Made Up exposes the multibillion-dollar beauty industry that promotes unrealistic beauty standards through a market basket of advertising tricks, techniques, and technologies.
Cosmetics magnate Charles Revson, a founder of Revlon, was quoted as saying, "In the factory, we make cosmetics. In the store, we sell hope." This pioneering entrepreneur, who built an empire on the foundation of nail polish, captured the unvarnished truth about the beauty business in a single hope in a jar.
Made How the Beauty Industry Manipulates Consumers, Preys on Women's Insecurities, and Promotes Unattainable Beauty Standards is a thorough examination of innovative, and often controversial, advertising practices used by beauty companies to persuade consumers, mainly women, to buy discretionary goods like cosmetics and scents. These approaches are clearly the average American woman will spend around $300,000 on facial products alone during her lifetime.
This revealing book traces the evolution of the global beauty industry, discovers what makes beauty consumers tick, explores the persistence and pervasiveness of the feminine beauty ideal, and investigates the myth-making power of beauty advertising. It also examines stereotypical portrayals of women in beauty ads, looks at celebrity beauty endorsements, and dissects the "looks industry."
Made Upuncovers the reality behind an Elysian world of fantasy and romance created by beauty brands that won't tell women the truth about beauty.
Cosmetics magnate Charles Revson, a founder of Revlon, was quoted as saying, "In the factory, we make cosmetics. In the store, we sell hope." This pioneering entrepreneur, who built an empire on the foundation of nail polish, captured the unvarnished truth about the beauty business in a single hope in a jar.
Made How the Beauty Industry Manipulates Consumers, Preys on Women's Insecurities, and Promotes Unattainable Beauty Standards is a thorough examination of innovative, and often controversial, advertising practices used by beauty companies to persuade consumers, mainly women, to buy discretionary goods like cosmetics and scents. These approaches are clearly the average American woman will spend around $300,000 on facial products alone during her lifetime.
This revealing book traces the evolution of the global beauty industry, discovers what makes beauty consumers tick, explores the persistence and pervasiveness of the feminine beauty ideal, and investigates the myth-making power of beauty advertising. It also examines stereotypical portrayals of women in beauty ads, looks at celebrity beauty endorsements, and dissects the "looks industry."
Made Upuncovers the reality behind an Elysian world of fantasy and romance created by beauty brands that won't tell women the truth about beauty.
- GenresNonfictionFeminism
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 17, 2020
While the Beauty Industry seems to be made up indeed, Laham is for real.
This is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. While people can ignore the siren call of the Beauty Industry, they risk jail time and heavy fines if they decide some day to stop paying with their hard work for the academic leeches like Laham. How about Laham's own diploma Industry putting a whole generation on student loan debt because everybody should have a diploma?
Some of the issues in this book are real. Some are just made up because Laham wants to move up the ladder and one needs some Social Media support for going on TV.
This is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. While people can ignore the siren call of the Beauty Industry, they risk jail time and heavy fines if they decide some day to stop paying with their hard work for the academic leeches like Laham. How about Laham's own diploma Industry putting a whole generation on student loan debt because everybody should have a diploma?
Some of the issues in this book are real. Some are just made up because Laham wants to move up the ladder and one needs some Social Media support for going on TV.
January 6, 2021
I have a minor in marketing and I have the right to judge this book based on my prior knowledge and opinions.
I know marketing can be very "evil" and it is definitely one of the rare careers where you can actively spend your whole working life working out how to both please the customer and manipulate them subtly to buy more of your stuff. Every marketing major knows this. But this is why we learn ethics and how to make sure we are not pointing a gun to consumers' heads and forcing them to buy things. What I THOUGHT I would gain from this book was perhaps some new insight into how that is accomplished in the cut throat beauty industry and how they really influence us to buy lip gloss in the middle of a pandemic. That kinda voodoo is what I want to see, honey. Spill the secrets. Tell me what insecurities I have that allow the beauty industry to exploit them so openly!
Instead, I got a dull, dull book with too much marketing jargon, facts and referencing that reads like a college student's unedited thesis. 😩
Made Up: How This Book Let Me Down in 5 different ways
1. The book was really too dry in general. There was nothing enjoyable or engaging about the writing in my opinion because it bombarded us with way too many facts and statistics to back up the chapters, referencing EVERYTHING from the Forbes to the New York Times. Maybe some readers enjoy reading the receipts, but I found that between the cheesy stock images, dry writing, statistics overload etc, I just couldn't enjoy it very much. The references section took up a quarter of the book and I wish the author could have simplified most of the chapters.
2. The chapters are too lengthy and boring, especially the ones about dangerous chemicals in cosmetics. Half of that chapter is about litigation court processes for fake advertising claims that wouldn't mean a thing outside America. Other chapters are no better. They read like a self help guidebook for marketers looking to penetrate the market for cosmetics. Sounds like my consumer behaviour textbook. Nothing new or valuable for me as a CONSUMER. 😠
3. It lacked personal thoughts and opinions of the author or even regular consumers who buy makeup. Tone was too detached and impersonal for my taste. What do regular women think of when they buy lipstick? We didn't get that.
4. I also REALLY don't like the way that the author always has to write things like "let's explore", "let's find out". It felt very amateur, as though I were sitting in a very dull lecture where a professor talks to me like a child. You can say "let's explore" ONCE but do you have to do it every single chapter? Getting straight to the point would be better.
5. Too much history and unnecessary padding. Book consists of 99% telling, listing, showing and summarizing academic studies and 1% explaining the author's own thoughts. Did I read this book wanting to know the entire history of Audrey Hepburn? How is that relevant to the beauty industry? Why is there a lack of movie stars or celebrities or beauty idols from other countries besides good ole America? How does this relate to marketing fallacies and cosmetics?!!! The padding was atrocious. 😪
4. Missed opportunity in the chapter about beauty ideals. While Western beauty standards still influence most Korean beauty ideals, it is important not to generalize that they wish to look Caucasian since fair, light skin is prized historically in all South and East Asian cultures as a symbol of nobility way before colonizers arrived. The author failed to mention historical influence, meaning and motivation behind certain beauty standards in other non-Western countries that do not necessarily lead to looking "Caucasian". Eg: It's a fallacy to believe that surgery in Korea means looking "White" because the Koreans aren't getting blue eye transplants or dying their hair blonde. The majority of them are looking at rhinoplasty (nose lifts), higher cheekbones, V shaped face, slender body, larger eyes, smoother and fairer skin and a youthful look which are arguably international beauty standards desirable by most people worldwide.
Koreans undergo plastic surgery not to appear more American or Western or European but to achieve a certain look that is more doll-like, friendly and flawless because it may increase their job prospects due to the highly competitive nature of their job market. Read here
I just felt disappointed by the narrow scope of the beauty standards discussed in the book since she only covered Iran, Brazil and Korea. What about colorism? How has beauty standards evolved today in countries worldwide and how has this affected demand and supply? What about skin lightening in the Philippines and India? What a shame that it wasn't mentioned.
TLDR
Sensationalist and dramatic title but no real content. Shallow, surface level exploration. Factual overload. Probably not going to wow people with prior marketing knowledge.
I wanted to know how the industry preys on my insecurities but instead, I got heavily referenced marketing concepts from my Fundamentals of Marketing class.
I know marketing can be very "evil" and it is definitely one of the rare careers where you can actively spend your whole working life working out how to both please the customer and manipulate them subtly to buy more of your stuff. Every marketing major knows this. But this is why we learn ethics and how to make sure we are not pointing a gun to consumers' heads and forcing them to buy things. What I THOUGHT I would gain from this book was perhaps some new insight into how that is accomplished in the cut throat beauty industry and how they really influence us to buy lip gloss in the middle of a pandemic. That kinda voodoo is what I want to see, honey. Spill the secrets. Tell me what insecurities I have that allow the beauty industry to exploit them so openly!
Instead, I got a dull, dull book with too much marketing jargon, facts and referencing that reads like a college student's unedited thesis. 😩
Made Up: How This Book Let Me Down in 5 different ways
1. The book was really too dry in general. There was nothing enjoyable or engaging about the writing in my opinion because it bombarded us with way too many facts and statistics to back up the chapters, referencing EVERYTHING from the Forbes to the New York Times. Maybe some readers enjoy reading the receipts, but I found that between the cheesy stock images, dry writing, statistics overload etc, I just couldn't enjoy it very much. The references section took up a quarter of the book and I wish the author could have simplified most of the chapters.
2. The chapters are too lengthy and boring, especially the ones about dangerous chemicals in cosmetics. Half of that chapter is about litigation court processes for fake advertising claims that wouldn't mean a thing outside America. Other chapters are no better. They read like a self help guidebook for marketers looking to penetrate the market for cosmetics. Sounds like my consumer behaviour textbook. Nothing new or valuable for me as a CONSUMER. 😠
3. It lacked personal thoughts and opinions of the author or even regular consumers who buy makeup. Tone was too detached and impersonal for my taste. What do regular women think of when they buy lipstick? We didn't get that.
4. I also REALLY don't like the way that the author always has to write things like "let's explore", "let's find out". It felt very amateur, as though I were sitting in a very dull lecture where a professor talks to me like a child. You can say "let's explore" ONCE but do you have to do it every single chapter? Getting straight to the point would be better.
5. Too much history and unnecessary padding. Book consists of 99% telling, listing, showing and summarizing academic studies and 1% explaining the author's own thoughts. Did I read this book wanting to know the entire history of Audrey Hepburn? How is that relevant to the beauty industry? Why is there a lack of movie stars or celebrities or beauty idols from other countries besides good ole America? How does this relate to marketing fallacies and cosmetics?!!! The padding was atrocious. 😪
4. Missed opportunity in the chapter about beauty ideals. While Western beauty standards still influence most Korean beauty ideals, it is important not to generalize that they wish to look Caucasian since fair, light skin is prized historically in all South and East Asian cultures as a symbol of nobility way before colonizers arrived. The author failed to mention historical influence, meaning and motivation behind certain beauty standards in other non-Western countries that do not necessarily lead to looking "Caucasian". Eg: It's a fallacy to believe that surgery in Korea means looking "White" because the Koreans aren't getting blue eye transplants or dying their hair blonde. The majority of them are looking at rhinoplasty (nose lifts), higher cheekbones, V shaped face, slender body, larger eyes, smoother and fairer skin and a youthful look which are arguably international beauty standards desirable by most people worldwide.
Koreans undergo plastic surgery not to appear more American or Western or European but to achieve a certain look that is more doll-like, friendly and flawless because it may increase their job prospects due to the highly competitive nature of their job market. Read here
I just felt disappointed by the narrow scope of the beauty standards discussed in the book since she only covered Iran, Brazil and Korea. What about colorism? How has beauty standards evolved today in countries worldwide and how has this affected demand and supply? What about skin lightening in the Philippines and India? What a shame that it wasn't mentioned.
TLDR
Sensationalist and dramatic title but no real content. Shallow, surface level exploration. Factual overload. Probably not going to wow people with prior marketing knowledge.
I wanted to know how the industry preys on my insecurities but instead, I got heavily referenced marketing concepts from my Fundamentals of Marketing class.
July 10, 2020
Made Up takes aim at companies whose advertising techniques create feelings of inferiority in their targets...unless they use the hawked product. Are they causing more harm than good? Should there be regulations? Some of us who have reached ripper years realized a long time ago that sex sells and boy do advertisers bombard us with photoshopped celebrity images that promise we can improve our self worth and social lives if we look younger, smell nicer, have whiter teeth, less curves, more curves, etc....ad nauseam! The author points out that this is not a recent thing. Women in particular have been encouraged in printed materials to enhance since the early eighteenth century. Potions and powders aside, there is also the push that if you don’t like the way your nose, lips, cheek bones, breasts, or other body parts are naturally, you should have some work done...Botox, silicone injections, full face lift. There used to be a website that showcased awful plastic surgery outcomes that this reader would peruse on occasion that was enough to make me a firm believer in the late actress Bette Davis’s pronouncement when asked why she never had a face lift. “They’re my wrinkles and I earned every one of them!” I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this well written and highly informative book from NetGalley. Highly recommend.
July 20, 2020
Thank you to Net Galley and Rowman and Littlefield for an advance of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Made Up is a timely book and strikes close to home with the times. I grew up not even realizing that the advertising and the companies bank (quite literally) on our feelings of not being good enough. There is so little regulation in the US, and many don't realize that a few conglomerates own most of the brands. What are we willing to do just to feel like we've as good as photoshopped models? Can we give a different message to the next generation that they don't have to be so extreme? I'm hoping so, and this book is a good start.
July 29, 2020
Thank you Netgalley for this advanced review copy. I learned so much by reading this book. I knew that the cosmetics industry was using their own techniques to get the consumer buy their products but I had no idea how deep this would go.
I loved how the author split the book in different sections, talking about the history of cosmetics, the ingredients, how advertising works and even the beauty ideal through time. There were a lot of pictures included to enhance the reading experience.
I will now check twice before buying a product once on the ingredients and also on dubious claims certain brands are using to make them seem more appealing. I want every girlfriend of mine to read this book so they can be informed about this important topic.
I loved how the author split the book in different sections, talking about the history of cosmetics, the ingredients, how advertising works and even the beauty ideal through time. There were a lot of pictures included to enhance the reading experience.
I will now check twice before buying a product once on the ingredients and also on dubious claims certain brands are using to make them seem more appealing. I want every girlfriend of mine to read this book so they can be informed about this important topic.
January 4, 2021
Professor Laham nails it! Her book is incisive in its commentary about a beauty industry which preys upon insecurities placed on women from a very young age. As a practicing facial aesthetician surgeon, I hear these concerns daily, where younger and older women seek self-validation solely by their looks. Laham's work details this is in a very tangible, evidentiary fashion- logical and insightful. Historical trends are detailed and modern sequella are realized. A necessary read!
November 22, 2022
I never thought that beauty advertisers were particularly well-meaning or wholesome, but the depths to which these companies manipulate consumers utterly shocked me. This should be read by anyone wanting to be more informed about the current level of advertisments and consumerism.
Many thanks to Rowman & Littlefield and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Many thanks to Rowman & Littlefield and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
July 12, 2022
Dragged on a bit, but pretty insightful overrall.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews