TIME Says Hailey Bieber’s Lipgloss Is “Cultural Appropriation In Beauty”
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September 27, 2022
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September 27, 2022Do y’all remember back when TIME used to be a reputable, quality media and news organization? Yeah, those days are over. Now, TIME wants to inform the public that women of a certain skin tone aren’t allowed to line their lips with brown liner and put clear gloss on top because that’s “yet another example of cultural appropriation in beauty.” Why? Because this particular makeup technique has been “favored by Latinas and Black and brown women since the ’90s.” So no one else is allowed to do it, apparently.
Back on Aug. 23rd, Bieber posted a video to TikTok modeling what she called “brownie glazed lips,” and there has been harsh backlash as a result. Because how DARE a white woman do something that women of color also do or did first? That just seems silly to me. Latina, Black, and brown women often use this lip technique because it looks GORGEOUS on them, especially with their darker skin tones. Similarly, there’s a whole heck of a lot of white women who will NOT look good with this makeup. (I personally am not a fan of Bieber’s look here.) But does that mean that she’s not allowed to wear it?
The issue is maybe more about the fact that when Hailey Bieber posted that video to market her makeup products, a lot of white women started talking about it and referencing Bieber as their inspiration for trying out the look. And people are mad that Bieber is being considered the inspiration when Latina, Black, and brown women have been slaying with this look for a very long time. Really, they are the inspiration. The underlying issue here, I think, is credit. The idea of giving credit where credit is due. Which I get. But “cultural appropriation?” I think that’s silly. And I think it’s silly that TIME thought they needed to weigh in.
Warning, the following response to Hailey’s makeup contains explicit language but is exemplary of the backlash.
2 Comments
Oh, puhleeeez! Back in the early 60’s we used Vaseline on our lips because we weren’t old enough to wear lipstick. Then later we used lip liner plus Vaseline/lip gloss. And yes, my friends and I are white. So who appropriated from who?
Also, what is with these black gals who bleach their hair blonde? I’d say that’s appropriation, too. But we don’t go around b*tching about it. Some people just need to grow up.
Can we take a moment to appreciate the irony of cultural appropriation of a look that is not only a mere 30 years old, but also brought to prominence by black AND Latina women?
Last I knew, black female culture was different from Latina culture. Latin America isn’t the same as the Caribbean or the various nations and tribes of Africa.
So even 30 years ago someone was culturally appropriating. But now that a white person has entered the mix, NOW it’s a problem. Is Haley Bieber appropriating culture? Possibly. She does seek to profit from it, after all. Do I care? Not at all.