Although prison is not designed to provide its inmates with the finer things in life, makeup in prison sounds like too sweet of a deal.
But some commissaries do provide the bare essentials, such as bronzer, mascara, and eyeliner. Due to supply rotations, it’s critical to stock up on whatever products are available. They may not be available for another 6 months.
Because female inmates have limited access, many of them are forced to seek out more readily available alternatives. Sometimes it does not matter how unorthodox they may appear!
Inmates Do Make-Up In Prison To Express Themselves!
Foundation, mascara, and lipstick are sometimes the only cosmetics available on commissary. Therefore, many women in jail may get very creative with their make-up.
- Sharpies or pencils will be used as eyeliner, and soaked M&M shells will be used as a lip stain
- Colored pencils with baby powder can be used to make eye shadow. Alternatively, glitter from greeting cards mixed with Vaseline can do the trick as well!
- In prison, Cosmopolitan and other beauty publications are very popular. The perfume samples are quickly torn out, and the colors on the magazine pages can be utilized as artwork. Advertisement hues like pink and red can be utilized as blush
- To create a sheer blush, simply dust your cheeks with baby powder. Then rub the pink or red hue from the ad over your cheekbone.
- Many female inmates’ cosmetic regimens can benefit from instant coffee grounds. If you can’t get foundation, you can use the grinds as an exfoliator. Moreover, you can also mix them with lotion to make a foundation.
- You can also use baby powder as a dry shampoo and setting powder.
It’s also worth noting that using non-makeup goods as makeup is prohibited. Some police are unconcerned, while others make it their life’s mission to catch any lady seen using sharpie eyeliner.
The punishment was normally a CDV (conduct violation) or extra duty. However, if you breached this regulation regularly, the punishment might be far more severe.
Consequences Of Risky Makeup In Prison
Some of these makeup techniques are risky. It’s not a good idea to use a lead pencil as eyeliner, but women do it all the time.
They will rub the pencil’s tip against the wall to release the lead and fatten the tip before applying it to their eyelids. This could result in catastrophic harm.
Make-up Use Is Frequently Overlooked By Prison Guards
To prevent women from drastically altering their appearance, prisons have tight standards in place. The purpose is to ensure that if rogue prisoner is discovered, law enforcement will be able to identify them.
The majority of the times, workers overlook these approaches to makeup application. Even if it is forbidden, applying a red tint to your lips is not a crime. However, you have to make sure that it does not actively put anyone at risk.
However, in 1908, jail guards were surprised by a female inmate who managed to emerge with precisely rouged cheeks. She did that without any access to makeup!
Despite the guards’ urgent search for contraband, they were perplexed by the convict until they looked at her more closely. She was able to make a pink hue for her cheeks by removing the red thread from her garments and soaking the small colored fibers in water.
Are Women Well-Served In Prisons?
Female incarceration has increased by more than 700% between 1980 and 2016, according to reports.
The majorities of the regulations governing female inmates’ rights to fair access to makeup was enacted decades ago. These have not been updated to reflect the growing number of women in prison.
These rules make it more difficult for female inmates to obtain beauty materials. They force them to resort to potentially harmful techniques like making makeup tools out of home or food items.
How Do Women Maintain Eyebrows In Prison
Because tweezers are prohibited in most prisons, some jailed women thread their brows to keep them in place.
Threading rips out rows of hair with a fine cotton or polyester thread. As an alternative to using a thinner thread, inmates utilize floss or rubber bands.
Females Prisoners Can, In Fact, Benefit From Makeup!
Cosmetics provide solace to many inmates as you’ve been stripped of your freedom, friends, and family. Makeup can help you maintain your sense of self. You can present yourself in the way you want, rather than the way rigid jail clothing standards dictate.
Women use makeup in prison to improve or entirely transform their features to their liking, which makes them happy.
Despite their circumstances, female detainees are still human beings who want to be able to have the appearance they prefer. Even if it means taking food and craft supplies to do it.
Prisons may boost inmate morale and reduce the risk of harm by giving beauty supplies to females. Female inmates discover unique and innovative ways to acquire their desired look. Even if it means serving out their sentences and having limited access.