The Cosmetics Racket: Why the Beauty Industry Can Get Away with Charging a Fortune for Makeup
(Alternet) — Worth $50 billion in the U.S. alone, with Asia a close second and gaining speed, the $170 billion beauty industry conspires to convince women that our fates depend on our looks which depend on what we spend. In this equation, ugliness — as society sees it — can be remedied like a disease, if you just spend enough. Refuse to buy? Your face and fate are your own fault. But is a MAC Haute & Naughty Lash mascara really worth $18? When industry meets beauty, what does “worth” even mean? Are cosmetics’ ingredients so rare and precious and labor-intensively processed as to merit these prices?
SEE ALSO
- Diddy’s Defense Admits Violence But Denies Sex Trafficking In Opening Statements
- Why Women Get The ‘Ick’ More Than Men — It Might Just Prolong Their Lives
- Why Actress Amber Iman Calls ‘Goddess’ A Love Letter To Black Women In Theater [Exclusive]
- Love Or Liability? How Romantic Relationships Really Impact Your Wallet
- Wowzer! 10 Sex Games To Build Trust And Intimacy With Your Partner
![Why Actress Amber Iman Calls 'Goddess' A Love Letter To Black Women In Theater [Exclusive]](https://ionemadamenoire.staging.go.ione.nyc/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/05/17468188616796.png?strip=all&quality=80&w=102&crop=0,0,100,153px)
