Passport Makeup on TikTok: Empowerment or Pressure?

The TikTok Passport Makeup trend that has taken the platform by storm has generated mixed reactions with some positive and others negative. The trend involves the use of makeup to create different illusions of contoured face making it seem that one is wearing a passport photo filter. This trend is constantly being debated in terms of whether it empowers people to look their best or puts more pressure on them to conform to stereotypical beauty standards existing in the beauty industry.

The trending Passport Makeup empowers TikTokers to look their best because it promotes creative expression. Through makeup artistry, users can experiment with different makeup colors, styles, and application techniques to boost their uniqueness. This creativity can encourage users to embrace their individuality and uniqueness.

The Passport Makeup trend also promotes self-expression. Since makeup application has long been considered a form of self-expression, this trend has continued to allow TikTokers to express their personality in diverse ways. Some users who are already in the beauty business have copied some of the trend’s styles to create different makeup applications for themselves to generate new sources of income.

One can argue positively in favor of Passport Makeup because it promotes inclusivity. People from all genders, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds continue to embrace the challenge and participate in it. This trend will continue to showcase the diversity in beauty standards alongside the challenges created by the belief in the notion of one-size-fits-all in the beauty industry.

There is a growing fear that Passport Makeup may contribute to setting unrealistic standards. When the idealized version of a passport photo is through the use of makeup, individual users may become pressurized to conform to new standards of digitalized altered images. Failure to meet these unrealistic standards can bring about feelings of inadequacy and a distorted perception of beauty.

Passport Makeup can also create “Comparison Culture Pressure”. Since social media is often linked to aggravated comparison culture, individuals may feel the urge to replicate the Passport Makeup trend the way they see it on TikTok. This can likely diminish their confidence if they fail to achieve the same results they see on the trend. The pressure to conform to certain looks can be daunting to people.

The huge time and effort dedicated to the Passport Makeup challenge can create pressure on TikTokers who want to look their best and impress others. This can be even more challenging for those who have busy schedules for other things. This trend may be suitable only for those who have sufficient time to spend applying makeup.

Upon looking at the positive and negative aspects of the Passport Makeup trend, it appears the only way one can benefit from it while lowering the risks of the negativities is to handle the trend reasonably. The trend will surely empower an individual to express themselves creatively while celebrating their unique features but when it becomes an obsession, it will be difficult to lower or eliminate the pressure to conform to beauty standards.