How I lastly learned to love my bigger lips as a black woman
Black People’s Lips, If you type “lipstick tutorial” into the YouTube search bar, hundreds of thumbnails of white women clutter the results page, guiding you to the perfect plump pout. Over the years, the fixation for more giant lips has increased, slowly but surely pushing lip augmentations such as lip fillers, lip liners, and Botox. In 2019, a Vice poll on lip fillers even saw voters compare the procedure to getting a haircut or a manicure, but I can’t help but find the popularity of lip fillers jarring. Why? Everything is in pursuit of achieving what I spent years feeling insecure
Table of Contents
I Produced up in a Mainly White Area of North London.
As the solitary black kid in my class, I developed hyper-aware of my physical differences early on. Reading tween mags like Mezz and Bliss only emphasized the sense of otherness, as the free pink lipsticks with each issue didn’t sit well with my more giant brown lips. Being called “monkey” by a bully at school certainly didn’t help, a racially charged term for lip-smacking black people. He made me avoid lipstick altogether, fearing it would bring out my more giant lips.
Years Later
Fast-forward to 2021. During the 2000s. What once made me feel insecure about my appearance became a hot trend. Katie Price (then known by her alias Jordan) led the full-lip look along with other glam models, soon followed by reality stars. It wasn’t Kerry Washington or Brandy who remained publicly admired for their naturally full lips when I remained a teenager. But Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts. And also, it’s fair to say that lip fillers have infiltrated society, with large lips becoming an admirable feature. But black women often have them naturally and are not considered inspirations.
Bigger lips only Seem Attractive When Non-Black Women Champion the Look,
A phenomenon that left me feeling left out as a teenager despite having what my white friends were looking to achieve with their overly bright pouts. It be situated until I went to a diverse college, where I remained surrounded by more black and brown women with topographies similar to mine. That I began to accept my parts. At the time, MAC Cosmetics was the only major beauty brand to offer products that suited dark skin tones. Coming out, I experimented with shades like Ruby Woo and Rebel. Still. I didn’t feel confident in my look. As makeup brands outside African American-owned companies weren’t yet correctly acknowledging diverse beauty.
Erasing Black People From Beauty Principles Remains Linked to a Long History of Racism
In the 19th century. Our appearances were cruelly mocked through hideous depictions of black faces, exaggerated red lips also seen in the offending Mammy cartoon. And golliwog dolls. The dispossession of our physical identity has happened in the hundred years since then our features are emulated by non-black people while black people dissipate. Tatyana agrees We went through the teasing, the teasing, and the fetishization. She says. You can’t help but sit and scratch your head at the irony. Even when big lips are what people want, the double standard still exists for people with darker complexions.
Conclusion
According to Hanner, if you mess with your lips, you can become needier, more selfish, and more out of control emotionally. And the more you plump them up, the more you welcome drama. Watch out if your upper lip is filled larger than your lower lip — that means you’re someone who loves to create drama in relationships.
