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Google beauty addict and youll find articles listing the ways you know youreliterallyaddicted to makeup.
AndreaAstes/Getty Images
Wait, youre an addict and you still have friends?
I ask all these questions because I am a beauty writer and licensed professional manicurist.
I also happen to be an addict in recoveryI recently celebrated nine years clean and sober.
Career-wise, Im a late bloomer.
Getting sober saved my life, and gave me the chance to start over.
The sites I write for respect my choice, and in many cases have stopped using the phrases altogether.
But the media is only one part of the puzzle.
This jot down of language has become common in beauty culture.
Check theInstagram hashtags for #beautyaddict.
(Pun intended?)
Popular blogs, influencers, and businesses have incorporated these words into their names.
Many major brands use the terms as part of their advertising and in product names.
If youre not looking for it, you wont even notice.
Urban Decays tagline is beauty with an edge."
The company hit the scene in the 90s as a rebellious response to the eras tame pinks and beiges.
Urban Decays rewards program is calledUD Beauty Junkiesand offers perks based on points accumulated by spending.
(Urban Decay declined to comment.)
Smith & Culttakes a slightly softer approach.
Dior carries a line of fragrances and lip products called Dior Addict.
Thead for the productsfeatures a young, pleasure-seeking woman walking into a club and wearing bold makeup.
(We reached out to Dior multiple times for comment.)
Creating a craving and an immediate desire is the oldest advertising trick in the book.
Sometimes we can feel a love and need for a product that might feel like an addiction.
Titillating terminology and racy phrasing contribute to the appeal.
I grew up in West Virginia, where so many of my friends have fallen victim to theopioid crisis.
According to theNational Institute on Drug Abuse, over 115 Americans die from opioid overdoses every day.
I do think it’s important to speak on the topic of invisible illnesses and mental health issues.
Using terms like addict and junkie lightly doesnt accomplish anything but to further obfuscate a dire problem.
Wouldnt that be beautiful?
