The partnership Il Makiage and Arsenal Women’s Soccer is bridging the gap between femininity and athletics.
New York based beauty brand Il Makiage has become the first official beauty partner of British Women’s Soccer team, Arsenal. To promote this collaboration they will be launching a multichannel campaign titled, “Focus on My Game Face.”
Arsenal is statistically the most successful club in English women’s soccer. As a team that has claimed over 50 major honors in the 35 years they’ve been around, they’ve grown a colossal fan base. Women’s soccer has been steadily gaining popularity, with more people viewing the league than ever in history and the Arsenal team breaking ticket sale records, it is only expected for more companies to invest. However, given the fact that game-day makeup has long been a subject of debate, sponsorships like Il Makiage’s can be used to bridge the gap between femininity and athletics.
In a historically male dominated industry, female athletes wearing makeup has been a source of controversy. Many argue that female athletes wearing makeup are trying to present a more palatable, “lady-like” demeanor, to appease the male gaze and sports viewership. However a 2019 worldwide survey proved that although the majority of women’s soccer viewers are men, they only comprise 54%, the remaining 46% are women. Furthermore, a study of NCAA Division One female athletes found that they are more careful about their appearance due to gender stereotypes, rather than a desire to appeal to men. The study shares, “interestingly, some softball players expressed that they must wear make-up and bows in their hair to avoid being labelled as, ‘lesbians.’ While female basketball players are afraid of being too masculine and manly, or exposing tattoos on their arms.” The study goes on to state that women in traditionally masculine sports like soccer have to prove themselves on the field in order to overcome the many stereotypes and perceptions surrounding their appearance.
Another negative cliché associated with female athletes is that wearing mascara or lipstick can show a lack of commitment to the game. This campaign is working to change that by proving that makeup can be worn by players for the sole purpose of boosting confidence and empowering female players through self-care, or a reclamation of makeup as women’s warpaint. Despite the gender inequality prevalent in athletics, women are utilizing self expression to embrace femininity in a male dominated industry.
Images courtesy of Creative Commons and Unsplash
