The Emphasis on Beauty

In general, women in Cuenca are dressed very nicely and have their hair and makeup done.  We were told this before coming to Ecuador, but I was still shocked by the extent to which some women go. For example, my host sister works a lot and is typically wearing scrubs when I see her. However, when we go to the mall or supermarket she puts on her nicest clothes, her highest high heels, and a massive amount of makeup. The first time I saw her getting ready, I thought maybe I misunderstood where my host mom said we were going. Another example: one of the first things I noticed about my host mom was the fact that she changes her clothes at least five times a day; she seems to have a different outfit for everything. Their fixation on looks is certainly rubbing off on my host sister's six-year-old and three-year-old daughters. They are both obsessed with makeup. I know most little girls enjoy getting into their mom's makeup, but this is different... I have seen my host sister helping these girls apply makeup to go out.  I'm sorry, but a three-year-old wearing blush does not look natural. The second week in Cuenca, my host mom started asking me about makeup. “Do you ever wear makeup?” “No.” “Not even for your boyfriend?” “No.” “Not even when you go out?” “No.” I was slightly offended because I felt like she was implying I needed makeup to look “pretty.” The six-year-old is also constantly checking her hair and fixing her headbands. When I was six, I couldn't have cared less what my hair looked like! I still don't obsess over it, but I like to straighten it occasionally. Last weekend, I straightened my hair for the first time in Ecuador. My host mom called me upstairs for lunch and, having never seen me with straight hair before, stopped mid-sentence with a shocked look on her face when I sat down. I think she realized how ridiculous her reaction was because she started laughing. She apologized and told me I looked pretty. Back home, I get compliments on my curly hair a lot. Here, not a single person has said anything about it. Finally, the six year old in my family just got her very first pair of small heels and was proudly “click-clacking” around the dining room at dinner the other day. Regardless of if all Cuencan women are as obsessed with their looks as the ones in my family, more than half the women I pass walking to school on the cobblestone roads are wearing heels. I have tripped and almost fallen so many times in my tennis shoes; I don’t know how these women do it. It is interesting how there seems to be a very distinct definition of “beautiful” here (nice clothes, makeup, straight hair, heels, etc,) and how so many women (and young girls) try their hardest to fit that mold.