For the major project, a research question needed to be found, that showed what interests the individual and states the topic to be researched.
The question needed to be
· relevant
· manageable
· substantial and within original dimensions
· consistent with the requirements of the assessment
· clear and simple
· interesting.
But also needs to be
· focused
· researchable
· feasible
· specific
· complex
The major project allows the make-up artist freedom and creativity to unearth strengths and tailor them to future goals, maximising employability opportunities.
The title of the proposed research project is ‘Appearance and Attractiveness’, and the aim is to find out what is it about a person’s appearance that others find attractive. The research question is ‘Why do humans feel the need to change their appearance?’
Through primary and secondary research, exploring why and how individuals change their appearance and by researching the history behind these changes will enable the make-up artist to correctly design four looks and assist in the design process that will effectively communicate with the audience to be authentic accurate and believable in film, television, theatre and editorial.
The question reflects personal relevance and interest. The connection of the makeup artist and the 30 years' experience of helping predominantly women enhance their appearance with temporary beauty treatments will aid in completing four looks in a self-initiated design project.
Throughout history, people have frequently changed their appearance in the quest for perfection and to become more attractive, succumbing to fashion trends and undergoing various extreme treatments to achieve this. More and more procedures are available now in invasive and non-invasive measures.
Men and women are becoming more aware of the importance of outer beauty, leading to an increase in the popularity of cosmetic surgery trends and undergoing major, permanent procedures to achieve this. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, cosmetic surgery and non-invasive treatments are valued at $4.6 billion and are booming globally. (Bal, 2021).
Inking skin by tattooing is another popular way to change a person's appearance. According to Dorr (2021), tattoos have been part of various cultures for the last 6000 years. Tattooing has steadily gained popularity, with stigmas waning and social acceptance increasing and has become the subject of mainstream pop culture.
Gender identity can be defined as "deeply held in the feelings of whether you are male, female, both or neither" (diversity and inclusion, AHS, 2020). Gender expression, on the other hand, is choosing to express your Gender through names, hairstyles, behaviour, clothing, voice, or body features.
In film and television, the genre previously called "cross-dressing cinema" is now referred to as "transgender cinema" (Donegan,n.d). There have been many representations of the transgender community, but many represent trans women who are sexualised at the narrative's focus. Bendix (2020) claimed trans men had been almost completely ignored and met with trans-phobic reactions, like Max in the television show "The L Word" portrayed by actor Daniela Sea. Alex Schneider, associate director of transgender representation at Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), quotes, "trans men and non-binary people, have largely been invisible on television". Including trans-and non-binary characters can only be good for the industry where trans-masculine stories have been largely untold. (Bendix, 2020).
Some animals can naturally change shape and colour to avoid being attacked by predators, change colour with the seasons, or attract mates. As humans, we are the only species that feel the need to change our appearance artificially for many reasons including vanity.
A study by Vandevort et al. (2015) suggests that body dissatisfaction is the primary motive for men and women to change their appearance, especially young adults and women. Dayal (2021) states that “we live in a society where we will be judged 99% on how we look”. Overly concerned individuals will significantly change their appearance to feel better about themselves by
· Using too many cosmetics like makeup or fake tan.
· Follow time-consuming facial and hair routines.
· Changing outfits and accessories lots of times before going out.
· Extreme diets and dietary supplements to lose weight.
· Over-exercising.
· Undergoing cosmetic surgeries and body modifications.
(Centre for clinical interventions, 2019).
There are many reasons why people want to change their appearance, according to Hornthal, cited by Lecklitner (2020). “What we see in the mirror is also a reflection of how we feel inwardly, so being unsatisfied with the way we look can signal deeper psychological issues”. Around one in 50 people change their appearance because of body dysmorphic disorder. This disorder can affect all genders but usually starts in early adulthood or teenage years, around the time when they start comparing themselves to others. This is a long-term illness and if left untreated will get worse as they age. This mental health condition can be why some individuals have multiple plastic surgeries trying to improve their appearance. (Cleveland Clinic, 2020).
However, The Mental Health Foundation (2022) have established that one in five adults aged 55+ suffers from anxiety and depression. Specifically, because of their body image, especially women because their external image makes them feel disconnected from their bodies as their appearance and perceptions do not match as they age.
Appearance altering behaviours can be helpful with both under and overly focusing on appearance and can lead to a negative impact on your life (Centre for clinical interventions, 2019). Dayal (2021) expresses that human beings tend to treat another person based on how they present themselves, but despite people being attracted to someone because of their looks, as looks matter in a relationship, defining beauty will be primarily based on personality. Gruys (2019) adds to this by stating, “the single biggest predictor of human happiness is the quality of a person’s social relationships”. Dayal (2021) sums it all up with the fact that media clouds judgement and your judgement is more important than others and
“The dream you, is more than just looks and more than just personality. It’s both”.( Dayal,2021)
References
Bal, N (2021). The evolution of facial sculpting. [Online]. Available at: https://www.facialsculpting.co.uk/the-evolution-of-facial-sculpting/. (Accessed 20 December 2021).
Bendix, T (2020). How a new class of trans male actors are changing the face of television. [Online] Available at: https://time.com/5686290/transgender-men-representation-television/. (Accessed 20 December 2021).
Centre for clinical interventions (n.d). Caring less about your looks. Module five. Appearance altering behaviours. [Online]. Available at: https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/CCI/Consumer-Modules/Caring-Less-About-Your-Looks/Module-5-Appearance-Altering-Behaviours.pdf. (Accessed 20 December 2021).
Cleveland Clinic (2020). Body dysmorphic disorder. [Online]. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9888-body-dysmorphic-disorder. (Accessed 3 January 2022).
Dayal, R (2021). Why physical appearance is so important. Online]. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-physical-appearance-so-important-dayal-ram. (Accessed 20 December 2021).
Diversity and inclusion, AHS (2020). Gender, gender identity and gender expression. [Online]. Available at: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Alberta/Pages/gender-ID-expression-LGBTQ.aspx. (Accessed 19 December 2021).
Donegan, S (n.d). Trans representation in cinema and TV, n.d. [Blog]. Available at: https://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/lgbt-health-blog/trans-representation-cinema-tv/. (Accessed 19 December 2021).
Dorr, J (2021). Are tattoos going out of style? 31 July [blog]. Available at: https://www.jobydorr.com/blog/2021/7/31/are-tattoos-going-out-of-style. (Accessed 15 December 2021).
Gruys, K (2019). How does appearance affect our success? [Online]. Available at: https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2019/atp-appearance-success. (Accessed 19 December 2021).
Lecklitner, I (2020). How changing your look can change your perception of yourself. [Online]. Available at: https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/content/story/changing-look-can-change-perception. (Accessed 2 January 2022).
The mental health foundation. (2022). Body image in later life. [Online]. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/body-image-report/later-life. (Accessed 3 January 2022).
Figures reference
Figure 1. Miller, J (2019). Chameleon. [Online]. Available at: https://www.teddyfeed.com/pets/animals-that-change-appearance/. (Accessed 7 January 2022)./
Figure 2. Northcut, T (2016). Mirror image: people with body dysmorphia most commonly focus on their skin, hair and nose. (In that order). [Online]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/mar/06/the-ugly-truth-about-body-dysmorphia. (Accessed 7 January 2022)
figure 3. Hagen, S (2015). The truth about body dysmorphic disorder. [Online]. Available at: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/truth-about-body-dysmorphic-disorder. (Accessed 19 December 2021).