Foundation for change: How make-up can be used for activism, cultural reclamation and empowerment
Can make-up be a powerful tool of self-empowerment? The answer might surprise those who’ve dismissed it as merely superficial cosmetics.
In a world where self-expression can be limited by cultural norms, political restrictions, or societal judgments, for some, makeup has emerged as an unexpected hero in the fight for identity and voice. Far beyond concealing blemishes or enhancing features, cosmetics have evolved into powerful tools of resistance, cultural reclamation and personal empowerment across diverse communities worldwide. Find out how.
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The political canvas
Taipeiqueen combines make-up and fashion tutorials with raising awareness of political issues (Photo: screenshot from Instagram / @taipeiqueen)
Make-up and face painting tutorials on platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become an unexpected playground for political resistance, a phenomenon that scholars have dubbed as the “rise of playful activism”. This involves tutorials on how to draw a country’s flag on one’s face, how to strategically place hashtags on the forehead or cheek and more. For instance, on TikTok, several accounts can be seen teaching users techniques of drawing the Palestinian flag on their face.
Meanwhile, on Instagram, several make-up and beauty content creators have used their platforms to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza. One of them is an account called Taipeiqueen, a drag queen who raised funds for a family in Gaza by appealing to her 350k followers on Instagram.
Reclaiming cultural beauty
Kohl-smeared eyes and bindi are a signature cultural look for many South Asian women (Photo: Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels)
For South Asian communities, specific make-up styles have long served as cultural touchstones—winged eyeliner, black kohled eyes, lipstick and a bindi (or dot) on the forehead, the latter signifying one’s marital status. Yet these same aesthetics can be stigmatised in mainstream international circles as unsophisticated, parochial and backward. These can lead South Asian women to eschew these traditional make-up for a more “modern”, international look.
In response, certain South Asian brands have stepped up to create beauty collections that reclaim these trends, transforming what has been used as a weapon to marginalise communities into symbols of pride and cultural heritage. Some of the pioneering ones are Milagro Beauty, which champions concealers and foundations specifically for brown skin, and Fabindia, which leans into the traditional Indian look with its oil-based kajol pencils that deliberately create a smudged effect around the eyes.
Personal empowerment through self-expression
Shakiira Rahaman is a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur who founded the make-up brand Kira Cosmetics to empower people with physical disabilities (Photo: courtesy of Shakiira Rahaman)
Beyond cultural and political statements, make-up can serve as a deeply personal tool of empowerment, particularly for individuals facing unique challenges.
Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Shakiira Rahaman, who has muscular dystrophy, founded the make-up brand Kira Cosmetics, after being inspired to start a beauty line through watching a YouTube video on make-up during an extended hospital stay in 2019. Speaking to Tatler, she shares how cosmetics became a source of strength during her recovery. “Make-up can help an individual feel empowered in various ways. When I take the time to apply make-up, it gives me a sense of control over my appearance and helps me feel put together.”
Recognising that many disabled individuals lose strength in their arms, making make-up application difficult, Rahaman has created products specifically tailored for the disabled community. “By creating products that can help with their bodies, we are helping by giving them their confidence back,” she says.
For some men, make-up has evolved a tool of self-expression too. The idea of men wearing make-up is still considered taboo or seen as a threat to the idea of traditional masculinity. But with the boom of social media, we’ve seen a shift in this mindset, and a rise in male beauty and make-up influencers in the online space.
From offering product reviews and beauty tutorials to and showcasing their artistry, these influencers are not only celebrating diversity in beauty but also breaking gender stereotypes.
More than cosmetic
Aditya Madiraju is a beauty influencer, who is steadily normalising and championing the cause of men wearing make-up (Photo: Instagram / @adityamadiraju)
What these diverse examples reveal is make-up’s remarkable versatility as a medium of expression. Whether applied as a cultural reclamation, personal empowerment or creative outlet, cosmetics can transcend their surface-level purpose. So the next time you see someone applying a bold red lip or perfecting a winged eyeliner, consider that you might be watching more than a beauty routine—it could be an act of resistance, a reclamation of cultural heritage, or a deeply personal ritual of self-empowerment.
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