"Birthing makeup" or "labour makeup" is about crafting a beauty look for baby's arrival. Photo: AFP
When waters break, contractions start and pain ramps up, there's no doubt that baby is coming soon.
And while most women might concentrate on trying to relieve the pain inherent to an imminent delivery, some TikTok users prefer to take advantage of this moment to prep their look.
In fact, "birthing makeup" has become a viral trend in recent weeks, referring to the makeup look crafted in the moments before giving birth.
An intimate moment of the most natural kind, childbirth is currently a subject of debate on social networks, and especially on TikTok.
It's not about questioning the key steps of the process, or about the consequences the arrival of a child can have on a relationship, but about whether or not to apply makeup a few minutes, or a few hours, before the arrival of a newborn.
The phenomenon is such that videos showing labouring mothers in full makeup sessions are now counted by the dozen, if not the hundred, on the Chinese social network.
Called "birthing makeup" or "labour makeup" the trend has already scored several tens of millions of views on the social media platform.
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A self-esteem boost
Unlike most of the beauty tips found on TikTok, this is not about a particular technique to improve your daily routine.
It's simply a matter of whether or not you might choose to give yourself a mini makeover right before giving birth – in other words, while in the delivery room.
The trend is actually not so new, since people have been talking about birthing makeup for several years.
However, a video, made at the end of 2021, has just resurfaced to reignite the debate about whether you need to look good (or not) during such an intimate and authentic event.
Viewed some 13 million times, the post has clearly piqued the interest of TikTokers.
As you might imagine, there are pros and cons, but what future mothers have to say on the matter is of particular interest.
In fact, listening to them, it turns out that this process, which may seem superfluous, could serve as a kind of outlet for them, empowering them to release, to let go – fuelled by an added self-esteem boost – in order to face the crucial step of the process at hand.
But that's obviously not all. The traditional family photos at the maternity ward, which are becoming more and more important in the age of social networks, are also part of this trend.
Whether we like it or not, aesthetics matter, especially when professional photographers – and family members – come to shoot tired new mothers after what can be a physically and mentally draining experience.
As a result, it's all about gaining self-confidence and looking your best to create what will be the starting point of the family album, kept forever in the household archives.
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Complying with beauty standards
But these photos will not only be displayed on the family mantelpiece, they will probably end up on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites. And there are many new mothers who will go to great lengths to comply with the various standards of perfection propagated on social media.
That's exactly what those who are against the "birthing makeup" trend deplore.
Not to mention that it appears to be for this same reason that the trend is currently booming on TikTok.
That's probably not unrelated to the proliferation of videos of stars and influencers filming themselves during childbirth, and showing themselves in their best light a few minutes – or hours – later.
Moreover, in the UK, the most prominent members of the royal family have appeared in makeup in front of photographers a few hours after the birth of their child.
Whether for psychological, aesthetic or societal reasons, it's clear that the trend is now being followed on social networks, even if it divides people.
Originating in the US, the phenomenon is starting to arrive in Europe, and could lead to the emergence of another trend: the multiplication of social media stagings, whether realistic or fantasised, of this most intimate of moments. – AFP Relaxnews
