Dear Cosmetics Brands, Sexualizing Makeup Names Cheapens The Beauty Industry

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“Hmmm, I don’t know if I want to buy Orgasm or G-Spot…what do you think?”

Shockingly, these products are for sale at any drug store, and no, they’re not vibrators. If you’ve even been into the makeup scene, you’ll know that sexual makeup names have been around for a bit. In fact, the first Nars Orgasm palette hit the shelves in 1999. You’ve heard the phrase “Sex sells,” right? Well, unfortunately, it does — so brands have capitalized on every part of the sexual experience to market their products.

And it doesn’t seem like they’re going to stop — after all, it works.

Growing up, I loved looking at the names of all the makeup on the shelves. While I wouldn’t necessarily choose a product based on its name, it was fun to read the thousands of lipstick names and choose which one I liked the most. I remember my mom’s nail polishes, not because of the hue, but because of their fun names like, ‘Crawfishin’ for a Compliment’ and, ‘Now Museum, Now You Don’t.’ These cute, quirky, and fun names made a great conversation and added a little laughter to our day. It wasn’t until middle school when my mom went into Ulta to buy Nars’ Orgasm that I realized some makeup brands may go too far when naming their hues. 

As I grew up, I found that my love for saying the more taboo names like ‘Better Than Sex’ and ‘Deep Throat’ preceded my actual love for the product. I’d beg for these makeup products and I wouldn’t even use them, I would just say them. Brands know what they’re doing when they name these products — they’re not just selling makeup, they’re selling sex. There’s no way you can’t feel sexy wearing ‘Orgasm’ on your cheek, right?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but we’re past wearing makeup for men. The makeup scene has transformed over the years; now, it’s a symbol of strength and individuality rather than encouraging an over-sexualized and filtered appearance that appeases the male gaze. Today, everyone wears makeup and that’s empowering as hell. But the men in charge of these makeup companies, like François Nars and Louis Dasazars of Nars, or Jerrod Blandino and husband Jeremy Johnson of Too Faced, are still sexualizing the names of their products. The not-so-covert (and way off-base) message they’re conveying? That women will do anything to satisfy the male gaze, even if that means wearing a face mask named ‘Glow Job.’

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve laughed at some of these names before. I’ll admit that Better Than Sex mascara sometimes does live up to its name. I don’t think it’s wrong to throw in a raunchy name every now and then. Heck, it could make a great bachelorette party gift or a birthday gift. There’s a scene in Gilmore Girls where Lorelei pulls out her lipstick and tells her mom that the shade is called ‘Vicious Trollop’ – why? “Because ‘Dirty Whore’ was taken.” The joke was funny and quick, not too serious. But there’s a big difference between the fictional ‘Vicious Trollop’ and Nars’ very real ‘G-Spot’.

Believe me, I’m not standing here on a high horse and saying we all have to unionize a strike on makeup until the companies only market with G-rated names. But I am drawing your attention to something that honestly has become too normalized in the beauty industry. I personally don’t want to have a conversation with anyone and tell them I’m wearing Climax on my eyelashes. I want makeup to empower me, not embarrass me. I also doubt anyone wants their kids’ first run-in with these terms to be in a drug store or an Ulta.

Stylist Magazine interviewed a few women about this issue and they had a lot to say. Ellie said in her interview, “It’s not that [the name] offends me as such, but it just makes the product feel cheap. I understand that brands need to cut through the noise of marketing, but I’d rather they do it in an empowering way…rather than in a sexual way.” If makeup is supposed to boost self-empowerment, why does it still have to be so overtly sexual? 

Another woman said, “Wearing a lip balm called ‘Deep Throat’ doesn’t exactly instill me with a sense of power — despite makeup having the ability to embolden us to feel like our best selves. Instead, these innuendo-named products often feel like a cheap way to shock consumers that moves the focus from feeling good to feeling surprised by how racy it is.”

The overall reaction about sexual makeup names was that it didn’t amp up their appeal, but rather made them seem cheap.

Makeup shouldn’t alienate anyone. It shouldn’t exclude or marginalize any group of people. We’re so past that. Today, men and women and nonbinary people — everyone wears makeup and no one blinks an eye. But when you sexualize these products, it only tarnishes this beautiful art form. No one is running out to the store to buy ‘Fetish’ because they like the name. They might like the lipstick, but more likely than not, the name had nothing to do with that. 

So where do we go from here? How do we deal with brands who try to turn our sexuality into an easy cash grab?

I say shop for quality above all else. If you do find that you’re drawn to one of these brands or strangely-named products, buy it! The key to loving your makeup and falling in love with your routine is to buy products that make you feel good. But if you think that by buying it and sharing its name, you’ll feel at all slimy or uncomfortable, don’t. Take power back in your makeup routine. Understand that it doesn’t have to be sexual in order to be good or interesting. The best kind of makeup will speak for itself. It doesn’t need a celebrity endorsement or some raunchy name to sell out. 

In the end, your makeup routine is your own. Be empowered knowing that no one can dictate that for you.

Have you heard of any of the sexual makeup names we mentioned? How do you feel about them? Comment below!

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