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Is beauty bias? ! The beauty industry in Australia is booming, with the Australia Financial Review reporting it being worth $6.5 billion in 2018, it's clear why brands are maximising their advertising reach (Mitchell, 2018). Social media sites such as Instagram and YouTube are essential for brands to advertise and build relationships with Millennial and Gen Y consumers. Brands are regularly utilising influencers and beauty bloggers to offer the newest products to achieve whatever look is trending.! But what about Gen X and Baby Boomers?! Mature women aged over 50 are most impacted by ageism within the beauty industry. The lack of representation of mature women demonstrates ageism and further enforces the societal obsession with youthfulness being the pinnacle of beauty, femininity and sexual desirability, whereas ageing is viewed as unattractive and an issue that can be “fixed” with the right products (Clarke and Griffin, 2008; Clarke, 2018). Within Vares’ study ‘Reading the ‘Sexy Oldie’: Gender, Age(ing) and Embodiment’ (2009), a group of female participants acknowledged the “social construction of older women’s bodies as ‘saggy and unattractive’”. The participants also acknowledged the feeling of being socially invisible, and how it equated to feeling a loss of power.

A study by Bauer Media Australia found that while most advertisements that target this demographic focus on fighting ageing effects, only 10% of the surveyed group said they were afraid of getting old (Hemphill, 2019). The study further identified that 75% saw advertising as being ageist, with 85% believing advertisers should focus on qualities and values, rather than age. A participant of the study questioned “Why do I have to fight my wrinkles? What's wrong with keeping them?”, this begs the question - if ageing is natural, why is it advertised as negative, especially for women? As ageism and age discrimination are often discussed in platforms such as academic journals, as well as media and advertising outlets including Mumbrella and WARC. The representation of mature women in advertising and media is prevalent, has cause for discussion, and it is important to highlight the ethical implications and social views that may be raised. Section 2.1 of the AANA Code of Ethics addresses the discrimination of a person or section of the community on account of age, however, advertisers continue to use language that supports the social construct of ageing being negative (Code of Ethics – AANA, n.d.).! Most women over the age of 50 do not conform to the portrayed stereotypes of advertisements, which often depicts the demographic as caricatures being frail or vulnerable, and often dependent. M. Beasley (2016) proposes that this may be “age bias by people working in agencies and marketing departments – most of whom are aged below 40”.!This suggests that marketers should undertake additional research to further understand the values, motivations and interests of this demographic to ensure they are fully engaging and accurately representing mature women.! Beauty brands such as L’Oreal, Dove and MAC Cosmetics are actively advocating for diversity by including models that range from different ages, skin colours and body shapes. In 2019, L’Oreal partnered with British Vogue to release ‘Non-Issue’, an 80-page special edition magazine (Simpson, 2019). ‘Non-Issue’ included world-class editorial, fashion and beauty content tailored for the target audience of women over 50.!

The magazine featured L’Oreal brand ambassador and actress Jane Fonda on the cover, and include feature articles with Dame Helen Mirren, Isabelle Adjani and Val Garland. It aimed to increase visibility to women over 50, challenge stereotypes and help shift the negative messaging around ageing to create positive conversation and inspire change. Dove commissioned studies in 2005, 2006 and 2008 to better understand women aged 15-64 perceptions of beauty (Morel, 2009). They found: •

90% of women worldwide want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance;

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67% did not engage in certain activities because they felt bad about how they looked; and

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91% felt women over 50 need better representation from the media and advertising.

From these studies, Dove went on to release several beauty positive campaigns, resulting in an increase in sales from $2.5 billion to $4 billion within a 10 year period. My own experience as a makeup artist and cosmetic counter manager for MAC Cosmetics gave me first-hand encounters of women over 50 looking for products to smooth wrinkles and cover their skin, in order to meet society’s standard of beauty. These women often felt intimidated to try new or bright colours, and habitually repurchased natural tone products that they were encouraged to wear by media and the opinions of peers.! This often prompted me to offer a complimentary makeover so the women were able to try new products and looks with no obligation to purchase, and usually, if one woman with a group was to like a product, the rest of her peers would request to try it as well.! These encounters were one of the many reasons that inspired me to pursue a career in advertising and media, specifically within the beauty industry. I feel they have shown me the importance of actively working towards a more inclusive and vibrant representation of all women, regardless of their age. It is also important to show that these women are multi-faceted. They can be mothers, or grandmothers, but they can also be academics, nurses, fashion designers or CEO’s. They deserve to have an accurate representation by the media and feel seen by society.!

References! Aana.com.au. n.d.!Code Of Ethics – AANA. [online] Available at:

[Accessed 10 August 2020]. Beasley, M., 2016.!How To Market Effectively To The 50+ Consumer. WARC Best Practice. [online] WARC. Available at: [Accessed 10 August 2020]. Clarke, L. and Griffin, M., 2008. Visible and invisible ageing: beauty work as a response to ageism.!Ageing and Society, [online] 28(5), pp.653-674. Available at: [Accessed 15 August 2020]. Clarke, L., 2018. Women, Aging, and Beauty Culture: Navigating the Social Perils of Looking Old.!Gender and Age: A Focus on Women, [online] 41(4), pp.104-108. Available at: [Accessed 10 August 2020]. Hemphill, B., 2019.!Why Brands Are Struggling To Engage With Women Aged Over 50. [online] Sydney: Mumbrella360. Available at: [Accessed 10 August 2020]. Mitchell, S., 2018.!Why The $6.5B Beauty Market Is Booming: It's Not Just The Lipstick Effect. [online] Australian Financial Review. Available at: [Accessed 16 August 2020]. Morel, L., 2009.!The Effectiveness Of The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty In Terms Of Society And The Brand. Honors. Syracuse University. New York Post, 2019.!These Stunning Models Are Over 50 With Beauty Tips To Share. [image] Available at: [Accessed 16 August 2020].

Simpson, G., 2019.!L'oréal And Vogue Challenge Beauty Perceptions After 50. [online] Campaignlive.co.uk. Available at: [Accessed 15 August 2020]. Vares, T., 2009. Reading the 'Sexy Oldie': Gender, Age(ing) and Embodiment.!Sexualities, [online] 12(4), p.514. Available at: [Accessed 15 August 2020]....