Made Up - by Martha Laham (Hardcover)

About the Book

Made Up takes a hard look at the multibillion-dollar beauty industry that props up unrealistic beauty standards, perpetuates gender stereotyping, and promotes cosmetic enhancements to fulfill a growing cultural obsession with image and appearance. This revealing book also expo...

Book Synopsis

Made Up takes a hard look at the multibillion-dollar beauty industry that props up unrealistic beauty standards, perpetuates gender stereotyping, and promotes cosmetic enhancements to fulfill a growing cultural obsession with image and appearance. This revealing book also exposes the darkest, most well-kept secrets of the cosmetics industry.

Review Quotes

. . .a thoughtfully argued, well-documented study of how the beauty industry has created ldquo;unattainable beauty standardsrdquo; in order to ensure its products sell . . . Organized into sections focused on the beauty industry, standards of beauty, advertising, and the dramatic increases in body modification practices, Laham explains why women fear aging, how they react to it, and what the beauty industry does to ensure this anxiety fuels consumerism.

This book, #39;the culmination of a three-decades-long examination of gender representation in advertising, #39; reflects the author#39;s view that the beauty industry #39;promotes unrealistic beauty standards#39; for women. Through advertising published in magazines such as Seventeen and Glamour, cosmetics companies encourage girls and women to live up to standards of perfection that are unattainable, observes Laham. The attraction of the quest for beauty and eternal youth has given rise to a giant anti-aging market with #39;clocked sales of $250 billion in 2016.#39; Indeed, as she writes, the beauty industry is virtually recession-proof. She further notes that when the economy drops, cosmetics sales rise as women cheer themselves up with splurges on beauty productsmdash;a phenomenon economists have dubbed #39;the lipstick effect.#39; From Egyptian beauty practices of 10,000 BC to today#39;s #39;cosmeceuticals#39; (products claiming medicinal effects), beauty products have held out the promise of enhanced physical appeal. Revlon company founder Charles Revson understood the modern industry well, saying, #39;In the factory we make cosmetics. In the store we sell hope.#39; Providing extensive analysis and documentation, Laham looks behind the marketing, magic, and mythologizing to show the inner workings of the beauty industry. The book will be useful for marketing majors, their instructors, and interested professionals. Recommended.

Whether considering evolving definitions of "the perfect woman" or debunking advertising claims, the text offers relatable examples and engaging anecdotes. There are nods to current positive innovations, including body diversity, authenticity, and inclusivity. This is a thoughtful consideration of a timely and ever-popular topic, and should have wide appeal.

About the Author

Martha Laham is a professor at Diablo Valley College, where she has taught business, marketing, and advertising for thirty years. She has authored college textbooks in marketing and selling, developed instructional materials for educational publishers, and contributed to HuffPost. She is the author of The Con Game: A Failure of Trust. She lives in Oakland, California.