The Coloniality of Cosmetics: Resistances to Colonial Determinations of Gender

Abstract

Colonized individuals are often subjected to gender systems that follow what critic and philosopher María Lugones describes as a dichotomous hierarchy of “the human” versus the “non-human” in colonial and post-colonial settings. I use this oppositional structure and a colonial lens to focus on how an altering of the body, either through cosmetics, tattoos, or fashion could be read as a practice that reflects elements of colonialism. I explore the differences between how makeup affects categorial oppositions such as white women versus women of color, white men versus men of color, white transgender individuals versus transgender individuals of color, and so on. Other components of my thesis will analyze how makeup and fashion play into different dynamics of oppression to both reinforce colonialism in the makeup industry and compare how people are “playing” with their own makeup as a means of resistance to the makeup industry and stereotypes. My thesis, “The Coloniality of Cosmetics: Resistances to Colonial Determinations of Gender”, places emphasis on the works of Lugones that focus on decolonial feminism, including The Coloniality of Gender and Towards a Decolonial Feminism. It also focuses on the effects of social media on the cosmetic industry, and how it has shaped constructions of gender across racial differences.