Abstract: The representation of urban life is a highlight in African American women novels during the Harlem Renaissance. Cosmetic consumption and rituals, which fully embodied the unique feminine traits, exemplified the interaction and integration between African American culture and the mainstream culture in cities. What the writing of cosmetics connotes is these writers' creative impulse to portray a new image of the Black woman in their novels. It is the mass consumer culture and the African American women's desire for a new urbanized image through cosmetics that generated the cosmetic culture among African Americans. Also, advertisement played a key promotional role for its rapid development. The African American cosmetic culture had a two-fold impact. On the one hand, African American women followed the popular trend in the culture of consumerism and took an active part in the production of fashion industry because they learned that the use of cosmetic products could enhance their body consciousness and soma aesthetics, which in turn would help them meet the expectation of the mainstream society and get more opportunities for employment, social life and marriage. On the other hand, the cosmetic culture prevailing within the African American community clearly adhered to the “white is beautiful” aesthetic criteria of the white America, contradicting the “black is beautiful” belief among African Americans, and creating an identity crisis for African American women who tried to come to terms with their “blackness”.

Key words: Harlem Renaissance, African American women novels, African American cosmetic culture, Blackness, cultural identity