Always sunscreen, usually eyeliner and eyeshadow, occasionally everything else. I just like makeup.
Here in J-land, most women wear makeup all the time, and there is some serious talent behind it–to the extent that you’ll sometimes hear stories of women who absolutely, resolutely refuse to ever let boyfriends/husbands see them without it.
I like hitting the cosmetic counters, except that often the people behind them are used to creating more dimension on Japanese faces, which ends up making me look like a drag queen.
If I don’t wear makeup to work, I get loads of sympathy and “oh you poor thing you look exhausted” comments–starting when I walk in the door in the morning. So I slather it on, usually in the taxi on the way to work. heh.
On one hand, I think makeup is like wearing a mask. You don’t see who I really am, you see how I’ve painted my face to appear to be. Like a push-up bra, it’s kind of a lie.
So I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis. I do not wear makeup to work because this isn’t a meat market, it’s my job. I’m not trying to impress anyone and I don’t think makeup or lack thereof equals professional or not. I dress professionally and have a nice, neat, clean, respectable haircut. I also wear glasses, so there is always something “decorating” my face.
On the other hand, my lashes and about half my eyebrows are blonde. My eyes disappear behind my glasses without makeup. So, for going out, when I want to dress up, I wear eye makeup at a minimum (liner, shadow, mascara). For certain funsexynekkidtime games, I will be asked to really slut it up with the makeup; he likes that look. But sometimes, we will go have dinner or go to a movie or something and I just couldn’t be bothered. My big test of whether a guy likes me for me or if he likes me for appearances is if and how he comments when I don’t bother wearing any. Most men, in my experience, do not care if you’re wearing it or not, and many can’t even tell the difference. I can’t tell you how many times, I’ve put on makeup and then turned to the BF and said something like, “There! Isn’t that better? I think this looks really nice.” And the guy says, “I can’t tell any difference at all.”
So that means that wearing makeup is for me, and not for anyone else. If it makes me feel pretty or sexy and that’s how I want to feel when I walk out the door, I will put on makeup. Generally speaking, I’m not looking to feel pretty or sexy at work, so no makeup it is. I find that any kind of foundation melts off my face by 10 a.m. here in the sultry Florida humidity. There’s almost no point at all. Eye makeup will generally stay put for several hours at a time despite the heat and humidity, so if I’m going to do it, no foundation. I own it, but only use it when I’m going to be in a climate-controlled environment for the duration. The only thing that looks worse than no makeup at all is humidity-melted makeup smeared all over your face.
I love makeup. It’s fun to put on and makes me look a lot better. That said, my goal is to wear the least amount possible. So on a workday, it’s shadow, liner, and concealer. On an extra special day, I add some powder. And on a weekend, maybe nothing.
I wear makeup for special occasions, like my wedding, or the company holiday party, or when I’ll be speaking in public. I’ve referred to liquid eyeliner as liquid courage - like Dogzilla said, makeup can be a mask, and sometimes I want to wear a mask. Even then, I don’t go all out, just powder foundation, lip stain, eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow. For small want-to-feel-fancy days, its just eyeliner, mascara, and lip stain. To me, professional means clean and neat, not fancily painted.
I wear some makeup some of the time. The only makeup I wear at all is concealer, powder, eye shadow (using shadow as liner most of the time). I despise foundation, and blush is terrible on me. Mascara makes my eyelashes itch, so I never wear that either.
I wear it going to work all the time, going to family get togethers, parties, etc. I do not wear it schlupping about the house, and will only go with concealer and powder if I’m out running errands, none of the eye makeup. If its a formal event or special party, I will wear eyeliner to get a better line, but for day to day, I prefer the softer look of well applied eyeshadow.
I forgot the lips: 99% of the time I just use lip balm occassionally, but once in a while I will use lipstick. Never liner. Can’t draw lines that well.
I wear makeup everyday. I get a shower first thing in the morning and it is part of ‘getting dressed’ for me.
I don’t wear foundation (unless I am going to to a wedding or something) but I wear eyeliner, concealer, blush, bronzer, mascara and powder (I am an oily person). Takes only a couple of minutes and since I have been wearing makeup since my early teens, I just don’t look like me without it.
I also curl my eyelashes but that is more defensive (they scratch my glasses and/or sunglasses if I don’t since they are long, tough and stick straight out).
I wear makeup to the office and I will on weekends if I’m going somewhere fancier than Target. Generally, that means foundation, blush, mascara, and chapstick. I’m one of those people who is always cold, so in the winter I’m perpetually pale, except for my bright red nose. Something has to be done about that!
I’d love to be better at doing makeup, but I’d also like to be fluent in another language and play an instrument well and exercise regularly.
I voted “All the time” although that’s over stating it a little - I wouldn’t actually wear it to clean the house or do laundry; however, if I’m going out for anything more involved than walking to the mail box I’ll put a bit on. I wear sunscreen all the time, and it’s white so I need to put something over it or I look like I’m wearing a Kabuki mask.
I must add, the one time I went out with *no *makeup on–I was just getting over a bad illness, stomach virus or something–and staggered to the Shop-Rite for “sick food”–I ran into an ex-boyfriend.
Served Me. Right. Now I put on a swipe of lipstick and make sure my hair is brushed even when I step outside to pick up the paper.
I voted that I never wear makeup. But, in reality, I think that I’ve worn makeup probably 5 times in my entire 37 years. So, I guess I’m a wee little bit of a liar, but not much. 
I’m a big fan of makeup— I have a huge desk full of it, I watch makeup videos on Youtube in my spare time, I read beauty blogs all day, and my favorite thing is to go makeup shopping. Hell, I even started a thread here titled Ask The Girl Who Knows A Lot About Makeup."
That said, I am presently at my work desk, totally sans makeup. Look, as much as I love makeup, I’m realistic: I am not going to sit down and put on a full drag face to go to the farmer’s market or Albertson’s. Tomorrow’s I have to meet with clients all day, so I’ll be sure to do my makeup in the morning-- then, as tomorrow is my birthday (YAY!!!) and we’re going out to dinner, I’ll way darken my makeup before dinner.
On average, I probably wear full makeup 2-3 times a week (that’s the whole shebang: primer, foundation, concealer, powder, multiple eyeshadows, eye liner, mascara, blush, bronzer, highlighter, fill in my brows, lip liner, lipstick, lipgloss). I’d imagine I do “light” makeup (for me) 2 or so times a week (this is usually a little blush, one to two colors of neutral eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipgloss). Then, a couple of days out of the week (like today!), I’m not wearing anything but moisturizer and chapstick.
MsRobyn, have you tried putting a primer under your makeup? There are primers at all price points-- it basically creates a barrier between your skin and the makeup, so not only will the makeup stay in place longer, but it’ll also be less damaging on your skin. If there’s a Sephora near you, I can suggest some brands to try-- they’ll give you free samples.
If you can’t wear face makeup at all though, that’s no biggie. The key thing you can do to look more “done up” is to wear eyeliner and mascara, even if they are light. Basically, anything that’ll make your eyes POP is really important. A nice sheer lipgloss will also make your whole face look more young and vibrant. Lipsticks are more aging, but so long as you get a glossy one (usually labeled “cream”) you’d be fine-- matte lipsticks are much harder to wear and more frustrating because of that.
But if nothing else: throw on a little eyeliner and mascara. I swear, you’ll be blown away by the difference just that makes.
I’ve been too frazzled the last year or so to apply full war paint. I’ll put on good old-fashioned lipstick in a plum or brown shade and a swipe of eyeliner on my little piggy eyes to go out in public. For an actual outing, moisturizer, foundation, a dusting of old fashioned Coty loose powder with a big brush. Eyeshadow, light glimmery gold or silver tone. Eyeliner again, sometimes mascara (though I’ve about given up on it and besides I wear glasses so I don’t feel the need to coat each. tiny. eyelash.). This flies in the face of all advice that a woman of my advanced years should lighten up, wear beige or taupe eyeshadow, blush, and pink lipgloss! I hate pink lips on me, and I hate lipgloss, it’s so sticky! Are there any not-too-sticky lipglosses out there?
Basically all the Mac ones are super sticky, so avoid that brand. Nars isn’t very sticky (lots of good colors, too).
The best advice is always: if you’ve got a Sephora near you, go. Molest each lipgloss. You’ll find some at all price points that’ll meet your needs.
FWIW: I personally prefer stickier lipgloss just because it stays on longer, but that’s neither here nor there.
I’ve always felt the same way about lipstick: just a swipe of even the palest color adds a little brightness and focus to a face. Like many men look better with a beard or moustache; most women look better with just a little lipstick. It says “I give a fuck and am making an effort to look nice for you.”
You must be my long-lost twin. I used to wear makeup but somewhere in time, my eyelashes pretty much disappeared. Mascara won’t bring them back. And any foundation or powder just seems to look cakey. I’m definitely not saying I look good without makeup. I’m just saying I look even worse WITH!
This post struck fear into my soul. My eyelashes are my best feature; whatever will I do if I should lose them?!
I wear makeup when I am out in the public eye, so basically every day. I wear it because I feel like I look like a little boy (from the neck up) without it, and as that is not an image that feels like “me,” that’s not the image I want to present to the world. I also enjoy playing around with it, seeing what different colors and shapes and shading and whatnot do for my face. So every day: foundation, concealer, eyeliner, curled eyelashes, mascara, lip balm. Sometimes blush, sometimes lip gloss. I’ve been experimenting with eyeshadow but have yet to move on from the “it’s new to me therefore it looks weird” phase, so I haven’t worn it out.
I also find makeup tutorials on Youtube to be wonderful aids for insomnia and anxiety. They’re so soothing.
I enjoy makeup, and I’d say that I put it on any time I’m leaving the house, with the possible exception of “around the corner to the convenience store” type trips. I don’t wear it at home. Hell, I don’t even put on real clothes at home, never mind makeup.
Saturday errands:
Tinted moisturizer and loose powder
Blush on cheeks and swept across eyelids
Eyeliner and mascara
Pale lip gloss
Work:
See above, slightly intensified eyeliner
Drinkin’, dancin’ and gallivantin’:
See above, intensify all, add eyeshadow and deeper colored gloss
I went with “professional reasons” because I feel that the frequency of my makeup usage fit that better than saying “sometimes”. Job interviews, or going out to dinner or having a party - yeah, I’ll wear makeup. I have never gotten into the habit of wearing makeup every day, though, and I never bother just because.
It’s not so much the applying of the makeup that bothers me, but the removing of it. Even with great cleaning products, I get annoyed at the process and so I avoid it in the first place.
That said, I’ll be wearing makeup today when I go out to the pub with friends that I haven’t seen in a year. 
I rarely ever wear it. Maybe once a year at this point. Like the OP it makes my face break out.
Bare Minerals doesn’t seem to make my face break out but I am still wary of it.
I feel like when I have makeup on I just look like I have makeup on. I’m either not doing it right or I am just not used to seeing it.
I think it does make me look a lot better - from afar. Up close (like in a mirror) I look cakey. I also feel like I am wiping it everywhere - on my clothes, on the clothes of anyone I touch, on napkins, on jackets.
It just doesn’t suit me.