Why the everyday make-up?

sulkisu

I doubt if many women wear make-up every single day, it is probably just every day that you see them - i.e. when they go to work. I wear make-up to work, nothing heavy but the basics (foundation, eye-liner, mascara and lip gloss), so colleagues may think the same about me. However you won't find me made up when I'm at home, or at the gym (when they don't see me), my face is naked.

jackieb

If you saw my face when I got up this morning you wouldn't have needed to ask. :eek:

squirrelchops

'BB' creams are the way to go! I have just started wearing them - lots of different manufacturers make them but I am a Clinique fan. They are a blend of light cream, SPF protection, concealer but can also be used under a regular foundation. Coverage is very natural.

Anyway I digress.

I wear makeup for 2 reasons:

1) I like to have nice looking skin - i admit I hate having a spot and feel self conscious. A healthy glow and looking reasonable flawless makes me feel more confident.

2) as a barrier. I deal with many difficult situations in my job and have to face awful things that people hav done as well as managing agressive and hostile people. Makeup for me is a type of psychological barrier - a bit like a uniform that I can wash off at the end of the day and feel like a bit of me has been protected.

puddy

onlyroz wrote: »

If I followed your advice then I'd have to buy new make-up every time I fancied putting some on

The only make-up I own is the stuff I bought for my wedding 10 years ago. I agree that the mascara has probably had its day but the foundation and lippy still look OK...

ive got makeup that is older than my kids, seriously old, like over 30 years old...

puddy

Welshwoofs wrote: »

As a lifelong non-makeup wearer and also someone who doesn't have pierced ears and never wears jewelry (again I don't own any) I certainly have experienced some odd comments, always from other women. They range from assumptions that I'm on a 'dress down' day, to comments like 'oh you're lucky, we have to look professional at work' (as though not wearing make-up/jewelry is somehow lacking professionalism) and even as far as the backhanded compliment of 'it's a pity because you have a pretty face but you'd look great with makeup on'. I've dressed for weddings and then been asked when I was going to do my makeup, I've had queries why I've never had my ears pierced (as though poking a bit of steel through an appendage is the default option) and even been asked if I was a 'bit of a tomboy' as a child.

this thread is really worrying me i have to say, ive never had comments like that, despite rarely wearing make up and certainly not for work. i do remember going to a fostering panel once where i was a bit nervous, for some reason i put make up on and the manager said to me 'why have you put make up on!' obviously people are used to seeing me without any

but ive never even noticed whether someone does or doesnt wear makeup and would assume that no one thinks of me 'she's not wearing makeup'

is it because of the job i do, and have done, always in public sector, but this of course is public facing?

is it because i wear a bit of lippy sometimes (i dont bother re applying so by lunchtime its gone) so i 'conform' in that way?

ive had 2 interviews recently, got the job both times, no make up was worn and for the second one, the day was so frantic that by the time i turned up after some really difficult home visits and long drives, my hair was a total mess, really stringy and mad looking and i had a button missing on my top. i also realised after leaving the room that my ID had slipped down my cleavage, looking v odd

without sounding arrogant, or however it will sound, im considered an excellent worker wherever ive worked and really valued by management and colleagues. if i worked in another sort of environment, are people saying that i would not be seen as professional because i dont wear makeup?

Bogof_Babe

I think there is a big difference between wearing make-up to correct flaws, and wearing it to make a statement. My objective is to use it in such a way that it looks like I'm not wearing it, but has the effect of making me look more as nature intended, not less.

I wouldn't want it to look obvious that I'm wearing it, although artificial eyebrows are easily spotted close-up, but I can't help that. From a distance I hope I just look like someone who still has eyebrows! I've thrown away no end of blushers because they looked unnatural when applied, likewise with lipsticks - I often wear two at the same time, a lighter one to tone down one that is too dark. Mainly though it's to even up my skin tone, cover the blotches and broken veins, and stop my nose shining - not a good look I'm sure most would agree.

lessonlearned

jackieb wrote: »

If you saw my face when I got up this morning you wouldn't have needed to ask. :eek:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

OK here's daytime make up. I am 61 and look perfectly ok without it, but better with it.

Moisturiser - my skin soaks it up like a sponge, I make sure it has an SPF of at least 15
Foundation or tinted moisturiser - if I'm looking a bit pale, it also evens out skin tone and covers my scars caused by having a Basal Cell Carcinoma removed
Eyeshadow - just a taupe colour during the day - makes my eyes look larger
Eyebrow pencil - makes me look as if I have eyebrows
Mascara - gives the appearance that I have some eyelashes
Blusher or bronzer - to give me a healthy glow
Lipstick - warms up my face

I finish off with a squirt of light perfume or cologne - because I like to small nice

It takes just 5 minutes.

If I'm having an at home day or just nipping to the local shops then I probably won't bother. Make up is not a necessity - I am not even too concerned about covering my scars.

Make up irons out my imperfections, enhances my good bits and gives me a nice healthy glow. It's a matter of choice, my choice.

Like most ladies on here I am not a slave to make up and I'm not in the thrall of advertisers. And yes of course we all have societal and cultural influences which affect our choices about our clothes, our hairstyles and whether or not we put on a bit of slap. It doesn't make us prisoners to the mirror though.

I do think some of the views expressed by the anti-make up wearers on here are a tad extreme, possibly as a result of early childhood or teenage experiences.

As I mentioned before I have facial scars and I was born with a birthmark but I guess I have been very lucky because I was never teased nor tormented about the birthmark and the scars do not concern me at all. My scars - like my wrinkles - are my badges of honour and testamony to a life well lived.

As a matter of interest I never wore make up to cover my birthmark - due to the fact that it was raised and it had a rough texture it couldn't be concealed anyway. So for me make up was never about camouflage it was always for fun.

Nicki

I think this advertising malarky must work

I am 43 and normally a make up free person other than on special occasions, but after reading this thread over the last few days, I went out today to invest in some BB cream and touche eclat for every day. Somehow, I would rather be the well adjusted lady who spends 5 minutes to improve on mother nature on a daily basis, than the slightly unhinged fanatic seeing psychosis or neurosis in everyone who is not completely au naturel on a daily basis. The make up wearers definitely come across as being the ones to copy on this thread at least!

FatVonD

I confess I wore make up to work a couple of days this week as a direct result of this thread

As a general rule I'm glad that I don't give a stuff what people think of me but I got to thinking about how I'd said I used to wear it when I was freelancing (and wanting to make a good impression) which seemed kind of disrespectful to the people I work with now (in that I can't often be bothered to make the effort for them!)

Torry_Quine

This thread and some of the comments really sadden me as it seems as women we should be supporting each other in the decision whether or not to wear make-up. There are those who wear it because it makes them feel good and others who wear it to give them confidence to face the world. On the other side there are those who don't wear it as they are happy in their own skin and others who don't wear it as they lack the confidence to wear it. Wherever you are on that spectrum no-one should be made to feel inferior by their choice.