Reasoning

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 It is true that the makeup and cosmetics industry often uses sophisticated marketing tactics that can mislead consumers, including women, into believing their products will make them look significantly younger or fix perceived flaws. Many products use vague or unregulated claims like "dermatologist tested" or "natural" which do not necessarily guarantee efficacy or safety. This is partly because cosmetics are not tightly regulated unless they claim to treat medical conditions. 

 Cosmetics companies invest heavily in social media, influencer partnerships, and personalized marketing to create strong desires for beauty ideals, which can put pressure on consumers to buy products in hopes of achieving those ideals. Some critics label this as a form of "scam" since the promises do not always meet reality, and the industry thrives by capitalizing on insecurities. 

 Makeup and societal beauty standards can indeed have harmful effects on women's psyche and mental health. The pressure to wear makeup and conform to idealized beauty norms often fosters feelings that natural appearance is not good enough. This can reduce self-esteem and create anxiety, depression, or body dysmorphic disorder, where women obsess about perceived flaws and feel compelled to rely on makeup as a mask. 

 Women may develop a dependency on makeup to feel acceptable or confident, which can damage their authentic self-acceptance and cause emotional distress if they feel unable to appear without it. Social media exacerbates this pressure by promoting unrealistic beauty standards through filters and heavily edited images, increasing dissatisfaction and anxiety about appearance. 

 Physical consequences of excessive makeup use, such as skin problems, can further harm self-esteem, creating a harmful cycle of reliance on cosmetic products. Studies also link beauty standards to greater risks of eating disorders, social isolation, and other mental health challenges in women, especially younger females. 

 In summary, while marketing in the makeup industry can be manipulative and create unrealistic expectations, calling it a "scam" reflects the darker side of beauty marketing where companies profit from consumer vulnerabilities through misleading claims.