I once wrote in one thread here that I believe I can generally tell whether a woman is wearing makeup or not (even if it’s just a little or meant not to be noticed; I have good eyes and am a detail-oriented person).
Since then, however, I’ve wondered. There are certain cosmetic products that apparently contain pigment but are not meant to be seen. Perhaps this is more of a semantic issue, but do these qualify as makeup? Examples:
I once stayed over at the apartment of a friend who is not very girly and who, in a certain context, had once mentioned that she doesn’t wear makeup. So when using her washroom, I could see all the stuff she did use, and while there was indeed no eyeshadow, lipstick, blush, powder, or mascara, there was a little jar of “moisturizer” that evidently included a skin-toned pigment. Does that mean she actually uses makeup?
What about concealer? I once saw a woman apply this stuff in the subway, she just kind of put it under her eyes and it was invisible. Is that makeup?
Any other products that add pigment, but are not meant to be seen? Are they makeup?
What about this: I read somewhere that in the 1950s, when the vast majority of men was clean shaven, you could get talcum powder in a flesh color to apply after your shave to mask the shadow under the skin. Can someone corroborate this, and if so, does that mean that technically, some men in the 1950s were applying makeup? (Again, this could be a semantic issue, like when they came up with the G.I. Joe toy line, they didn’t call the soldiers “dolls” but “action figures”.)
I believe at one time the idea was that makeup was supposed to improve your looks without anyone knowing you were wearing it. Of course, IMO it still works even if it’s perfectly obvious to see.
And I think some people wear it with the object of self-expression, or art, more than beautification.
I don’t see anything wrong with men wearing makeup, although I personally wouldn’t be attracted to anything too garish.
I guess if it covers up your actual skin color and condition it’s makeup. Men used to use colored talcum power after shaving. What I remember seeing was very light reddish powder, almost pink. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen men powdered like that.
There seem to be endless products for skin color. Mainly I think of makeup as things like lipstick and mascara type stuff, pretty much for highlighting facial features as opposed to stuff for the skin meant to hide its actual appearance. I mostly notice women wearing makeup when it’s poorly applied or there too much done.
Yes it’s makeup. Tinted moisturiser is a very simple way of covering up blemishes without much effort, as is concealer. Just because it doesn’t make you look like a Barbie doll doesn’t mean it isn’t makeup.
I would say that all makeup is cosmetics, but not all cosmetics are make up. Cosmetics include products that clean and treat the skin, as well as ‘beautifying’ it. Makeup just covers things up or enhances appearance.
Face cleanser is a cosmetic, but I wouldn’t call it make up.
If it’s called makeup then it was absolutely intended to be seen. Sometimes it’s to prevent natural features from being noticed, but mainly so that natural features are more noticeable. Lipstick and eye makeup must be the most frequently used forms of makeup and are absolutely intended to be noticed.
Lipstick is sometimes intended to be noticed, but with most makeup, the goal is for the wearer’s attractiveness to be noticed without realizing that she’s wearing makeup. Some of it is still noticeable anyway, but that’s just a sign that whoever put it on wasn’t very good at it.
I think it’s somewhere between the two. Well applied eye shadow can be seen very clearly when it’s in an interesting shade. Same for lipstick. But foundation, powder and blusher are really there to make the wearer look healthier and more attractive rather than for the makeup itself to be obvious.