GIving The Makeup Industry A Make-Over!

By Regent Park Focus - September 11, 2012

Regent Park Focus Youth Media Arts Centre continued its information gathering session on the LiveGreen project with Environmental Defence.

Since 1984, Environmental Defence has been inspiring change by connecting people with environmental issues that affect their daily lives in their homes, workplaces and neighbourhoods.

On September 11 2012, Regent Park Focus youth and students from University of Toronto, and random people walking by, were there as Environmental Defence gave the cosmetic industry a "make-over". Environmental Defence brought a mural artist to paint a picture of a female face on a huge canvas, only using make-up products that men and women use everyday.

While the artist was painting this work of art, Environmental Defence volunteers grabbed passersby and asked them few questions regarding the types of make-up products they use, and if they had known the types of toxins in them? And after the passersby (most of the time U of T students) were done, Regent Park Focus had them talk about what they had learned on camera. Most of the students we interviewed were somewhat aware of the types of toxic chemicals goes into their makeup products, few did not.

Environmental Defence also had these student sign a petition to be presented to the federal government; urging the government to better monitor the types of toxic chemicals the cosmetic industry use.

As for the face mural, painted completely from makeup materials, its was kind of scary. Some of the students we interviewed were impressed that someone could actually use makeup and paint with it.

The students also had signed their named on the mural.

Regent Park Focus will edit the all the interviews and other materials into a nice video as part of the Live Green project.