By Nell Geraets
Most people know Doechii for her impeccably timed fast-paced rhymes – they’re what earned her multiple awards, including a Grammy, and the title of Billboard Woman of the Year. But the US rapper is increasingly standing out for something other than her music: visible face tape.
The Denial Is a River singer has proudly displayed the beauty hack on stage at the Grammys, while performing at festivals, and on social media. According to her stylist Sam Woolf, it’s her way of exposing things that are “meant to be hidden” – and being more vulnerable.
Doechii’s visible face tape has set the beauty world on fire, but what message is it sending to her followers?Credit: Compiled by Matt Willis
A growing number of celebrities and beauty influencers appear to be taking a more open and transparent approach to beauty hacks or procedures. Stars like Ariana Grande are sharing their “button-nose tricks” on TikTok, while others like Martha Stewart are opening up about previous beauty procedures.
So, why are more celebrities opening up about their appearance, and what could it mean for the rest of us?
Wait, what is face tape?
Face tape is precisely what it sounds like – tape applied to the face. Two small strips of tape, which are usually attached by an elasticised band, are attached to the temples to create a smooth, wrinkle-free look. In other words, it “tightens” the face to create a more youthful appearance.
It’s not uncommon for models and celebrities to wear face tape, but it’s usually hidden underneath or within their hair. Doechii, on the other hand, wears it where it can be seen, even sometimes bedazzling the tape pieces.
Though the rapper has adopted it as one of her signature looks, other celebrities, including Charli XCX, have also worn visible face tape during public appearances. It has even become something of a staple on certain fashion runways, such as those of Givenchy and, most recently, Valentino.
Does face tape actually do anything for our skin?
Some osteopaths argue its use can improve blood pressure and lymphatic circulation, as well as “freezing” facial muscles for a smoothing effect. However, professor Deshan Sebaratnam from The Skin Hospital says wearing face tape is unlikely to have any lasting effect.
“It’s a temporary effect,” he says. “It’s just a mechanical lift that lasts as long as you wear the tape.”
Sebaratnam suggests only using clean tape, and if there are any issues removing it from the face, he says water can help soften the adhesive.
“You could also apply some oil or micellar water – make-up remover – to help. Don’t wax it off [because] you could remove the top layer of skin.”
Are we becoming more transparent about beauty?
Dr Lauren Gurrieri is an associate professor at RMIT’s School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, who specialises in gendered representations on social media. She says fewer celebrities are attributing their appearance simply to diet, skincare or good lighting. Instead, more are admitting to invasive or non-invasive beauty practices, from face tape to rhinoplasties.
“A growing backlash to the body image crisis fuelled through social media, and increasing demands for authenticity in people’s online self-presentation, have resulted in a notable shift towards beauty transparency,” she says. “Social media has also given everyday people a platform to call out perceived beauty-related insecurities and hold those in a position of influence to account.”
When celebrities are honest about the “unnatural” (and often costly) aspects of their appearance, Gurrieri says it can be reassuring to everyday people wondering why they don’t look the same.
“Insincere rhetoric [can] make people feel negative about their appearance and mystified why simply drinking water or using sunscreen doesn’t yield the same results for them, fuelling cycles of self-loathing and poor self-esteem,” she says.
Perfectly imperfect
Gurrieri says there can be downsides to full transparency, though. For their followers, frequent exposure can normalise certain beauty work that is costly and even potentially dangerous.
“This is particularly concerning in the case of less invasive but increasingly accessible procedures like Botox and fillers. It heightens pressures for girls and women to consume risky and expensive treatments as part of their beauty routines, to conform to prevailing beauty ideals.”
Doechii has said her use of face tape stems from her “love for imperfection”. However, senior psychology lecturer at the University of Sydney Dr Jasmine Fardouly argues it’s actually the opposite of embracing imperfection.
“Embracing imperfection would be showing yourself without face tape. It’s still saying this is how you need to look to be attractive,” she says.
Gurrieri agrees, adding that, instead of championing individuality in beauty, it demonstrates a “status-based effort to stand out from the crowd and claim the appearance of authenticity”.
Disclaiming a beauty hack doesn’t mean it won’t still be harmful for viewers, Fardouly adds. “Knowing that something isn’t natural isn’t going to stop people from comparing and internalising the ideals promoted in the image.”
If celebrities really want to embrace imperfection, Fardouly says they need to actively expose the discrepancy between natural and artificial beauty. In other words, they need to share images of themselves both in full glam and totally natural.
“We’ve done research that shows that seeing a mix of content can be really helpful for improving body image. But the natural photos really need to be completely unenhanced,” she says.
“If you want to embrace imperfection then actually be imperfect.”
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