The Real Secret to European Beauty

While browsing through an online article about Clinique’s “makeup for men” line, a few of the readers’ comments surprised me. It seems that a number of people think that men aren’t the only ones who shouldn’t wear concealer or blush. “American women put too much [makeup] on their faces,” read one response. “That’s why they look old by 28.”

Ouch. It’s nice that news blogs want to create a democratic forum of ideas, but some voices are more blunt than others.

But maybe that jerk has a point. Let’s look at European women. It’s almost become conventional wisdom that European women are naturally beautiful, they’re sexier, French women don’t get fat, etc. There are store counters filled with products that claim to be the “secret” to European beauty, but is the real secret that those products aren’t used?

It sounds valid, but the theory doesn’t quite hold up. It is true that no matter where you live, makeup can age skin if it’s used improperly. Washing off your makeup at the end of the day will prevent clogged pores, which create a dull complexion. As for the European angle, well, the same amount of cosmetics—and most of the same products—are marketed on both sides of the pond. A lot of makeup companies are European, so unless they’re okay with half of their potential customers not using their products, that doesn’t make sense.

Older European actresses do seem to be more attractive than their American counterparts, but that can’t be attributed to cosmetics. For one thing, very few American actresses over 60 are even visible anymore. Name any older actress who’s appeared in a current film and you’ll find that almost all of them are from Europe. Sadly, after about age 45, American actresses tend to go for cosmetic surgery. And too many trips under the knife can make a famous face unrecognizable, even scary. In Europe, women don’t have that pressure to look eternally youthful. They look more natural. And that, paradoxically, may make them look younger.

The “secret” to European beauty isn’t necessarily about makeup. It’s about self-acceptance. Our imperfections don’t really matter that much if we don’t fixate on them. In Spain, for example, you won’t see acne products advertised as much as they are in the US. Of course, there are makeup products you can use to cover a zit, but eliminating every blemish isn't absolutely necessary. It doesn't have to be that way in America either.

Women are beautiful in every part of the world, and that includes the States. We just aren’t told that enough. Now if only it didn’t take a snarky statement on a message board to prove it.