Swore never to post here again but this is weighing heavily on my mind and I want some opinions. Also want to add that this may be controversial; want to add a trigger warning as well. Please do not read if you have been sexual abused.

My question is does anyone else think heavy makeup use is blurring the line between late teenagers and young adults?

We are living in a much different time. Just say 10 years ago there was not as much access to makeup and beauty content. Girls are now constantly competing to adhere to the unrealistic beauty standards set forward by the media. Makeup is one of the most affordable and common ways to enhance ones appearance.

I am going to make a few claim here’s so correct me if wrong but usually makeup is makes the young look older and those older look younger. I think this dynamic is blurring the line between late teenagers and young adults. I may go as far as to say into the early 30s. I have seen makeup give someone a completely new face. I have seen makeup turn men into women (drag).

Let’s use the example of a 17 year old girl. I know that’s legal in some places but I am coming from a moral argument. Most men understand that they can be aesthetically attracted or even sexual attracted to a 17 year old. I do think this is rare occurrence for most men, about 1/20 girls (naturally) will look old enough to be attractive to the average man (that is attracted to women, and often young adults). I truly believe that makeup (and other factors) is bumping these numbers up (let’s from say 5% to 15%). Plastic surgery is also a factor. Let’s take Kylie Jenner for example, with plastic surgeries likely starting around 16. I am not saying this is common (but definitely more so in wealthy circles), but nose jobs, hip whatever the surgery is, and maybe soon bbls are the reality of the world now, and the beauty standard, especially on social media. Other factors are shows casting people in there late 20s as high schoolers, and photoshop, I’m sure there are more as well.

Men know we can be tricked, and some of us have been lied to. It’s not that hard to understand that we may occasionally mistake a 17 year old for a 24 year old, especially when dealing with looks alone. Acting after knowledge is a topic for another discussion.

I find women have a harder time understanding and accepting this. I think it works much better when you use and example of like that one guy and high school who looked thirty (already balding, usually a husky frame, may have facial hair), everyone acknowledges that (maybe another topic for another discussion is boys on peds and how that may be similar to this topic)

Also another good example to use is mistaking a grown women for a teenager. This seems to be a fairly common lighthearted trope, but I find many women have a hard time seeing how the reverse situation could ever be true.

I would really like to hear some opinion on this, especially from women. Thanks.