Disney princesses have always been considered a standard of beauty for young girls. We all grew up watching the likes of Ariel, Snow White and Belle gracefully sashay their way into a prince’s heart with their legendary beauty and good hearts. Yet part of the allure of Disney princesses for girls around the world is the fact that they are usually ordinary women put into extraordinary circumstances (i.e. a lowly maid who marries a prince, or a tomboy who saves her entire country by posing as a guy). Furthermore, these women are often heralded as having inherent, natural beauty. But how natural is that beauty, really? With heavy eyeshadow, bold lipstick and, yes, even contouring, what we’re really seeing is women made up for the camera. So BuzzFeed took it upon themselves to reveal the princesses’ real natural beauty.
The video, called “Disney Princesses Without Makeup,” hypothetically displays what some of the most popular Disney heroines would look like without makeup. The results can range from subtle:
to completely game-changing:
The video also featured comments throughout pointing out how these women don’t really need the extra glam factor to be princess material—they’re all stunning enough au naturale. But this video, while meant to be an entertaining look at these characters we so dearly admire, also brings up a sobering reality about Disney films and their treatment of women.
For young girls around the world, these animated fictitious characters are actual role models. Girls dress up as them for Halloween, watch the movies on repeat, and thus grow up believing that these princesses are what they should strive to be. For the most part, this is a good thing—these women are largely strong, independent and fearless: traits we all hope to embody. Yet by revealing that these women, despite not actively trying to look beautiful, are in essence wearing makeup, BuzzFeed has unearthed a worrying double standard. The princesses are admired for a natural beauty… which isn’t actually shown in the movies, giving the impression that those made up faces are, in fact, what we should consider to be natural beauty.
In a world where females are so relentlessly pressured by the media to achieve an unrealistic standard of perfection, Disney movies are supposed to be a positive and empowering voice for impressionable youth. If they too have fallen prey to the idea that a woman cannot be accepted by society or a significant other unless she wears makeup or fits into a specific definition of what women should look like, then what is left to show girls that real beauty comes from within?
We can only hope that with this realization, Disney cartoonists might think twice before giving Moana eyeshadow!