After watching Ariana Grande's makeup tutorial in October 2012, a 15-year-old had set a new standard of beauty. I wanted what this girl had: her fair skin, her rosy cheeks, her long eyelashes and, most importantly, her eye-catching fuchsia lips. I memorized the name: “Maybelline Super Stay 14 Hour Lipstick” in “Fuchsia Forever”. My mom, sister, and I then went to the nearest Target in search of that lip color I so desperately needed. Target's large cosmetics section was like walking into a light bulb. The shelves were so brightly lit that it was as if the store needed me to be able to read every brand name out of the corner of my eye. I quickly found the exact lipstick I wanted, which was the exact lipstick a handsome stranger had indirectly persuaded me to buy. At that moment, looking at the sleek, shiny plastic tube, I felt like I needed this simple object. Something that felt right and felt good. It was only later that I thought about the consequences of this new standard of beauty. Maybelline products are made in Little Rock, Arkansas. Being located in America, the factory must respect American standards in terms of working conditions and wages. This does not guarantee, however, that a factory full of man-made chemicals is exactly a “safe” and risk-free environment. Daily workers must handle each chemical ingredient carefully, as some are more prone to contamination risks than others. Ingredients and toxins found in common cosmetics pose a threat not only to factory workers, but also to consumers. One of the most commonly reported lipstick contaminants is lead. In a 2012 FDA report, more than 400 shades of lipstick contained lead (El...... middle of paper ......eption. I thought looking like this little person I had exploded to unimaginable proportions in my head would make me happy But seeing everything this product has done to the world made me not want to be part of its world The first time I watched this video that. started my journey into the world of makeup, I felt like I was so oblivious to something so important in this world I was right, I was oblivious, but that was exactly what Maybelline. wanted me to be the most valuable: the things behind the mask of makeup that I didn't know existed I realized that I didn't need to listen to an absent-minded celebrity or a misleading slogan to know what to do or. buy. Decisions are supposed to be made by people in control of their own lives. It's time I started taking control of mine...