I haven’t been actively looking for a new job. But a recruiter reached out to me and, well, one thing led to another and now I have an interview on Thursday. It has been a hot minute since I’ve interviewed which led me to opening this thread.
On normal days, I don’t wear makeup. I might put on makeup for special occassions but even those days are few and far between. Normally, an interview would be the special occassion needed for me to get my butt out of bed and put make up on. However, since I don’t wear makeup regularly and it’s been a long time since I’ve interviewed, all of my makeup is expired. Like really expired.
So, I’m contemplating not wearing makeup. How bad of an impression would it make if I didn’t wear makeup? I’d still do my hair and wear my best interviewing clothes. But my face would be bare. What do you think?
I am not privy to the secrets of make up, but for me, interviews are a dress-up occasion. If you are going to wear good clothes and do your hair, it might look a little better if you did something beyond nothing. You don’t necessarily have to do the whole thing, but a little lipstick and mascara and what not couldn’t hurt.
You want to stand out in the interview. Being slightly better dressed and better turned out than the average helps that. You want them to say “oh yeah - slalexan was the one with the great resume that looked like she put some effort into it.” Clothing, make up, all those things are social signals. You want to look impressive, IOW.
Of course, I am almost 64 and I wear a suit and tie to work (I am a computer programmer). But I am a consultant, and I work mostly with people who are younger than me. And therefore the old guy in the suit stands out. So, when it comes time to renew my contract, at least they remember me as “the guy in the suit”. As a matter of fact, we just went thru the process at my current job. Not all the contractors got renewed. I did.
No doubt there are lots of reasons why that happened, but possibly one reason was because I take some care to communicate that I am serious when I am at work.
No doubt you will do well no matter what, and make up won’t help you more than, at most, 1-2%. But if there is an extra 1-2% on the table, why not pick it up?
I’m a software engineer, and I haven’t worn make-up to the last couple of interviews I had. I still got the job.
Problem with make-up if you haven’t worn it for a while (besides the expiration problem), is that applying make-up is a skill. If you haven’t done it for a while, you’re likely a bit rusty.
Having to get new make-up may be a benefit though - your old make-up is not only old, but may not be good for your coloring anymore.
Remember, the guys interviewing won’t be wearing make-up…
I don’t think they would judge you for not wearing makeup so much as you might not make an impression of looking as vibrant as you could. As we get older for many of us, skin tone is not as even, eyebrows thin out, lips and cheeks lose that youthful flush. I don’t think a heavily made up look is good. But you are the best judge of if a light touch of make up will improve your appearance and confidence. For me the answer would be yes.
I’ve never worn makeup for any interview. In fact, it’s been decades since I’ve owned a lipstick. But I landed 2 engineering positions and 4 post-retirement gigs in engineering departments without any cosmetics. In fact, it never occurred to me. The most I agonized over was whether to wear a dress or slacks. I think I wore a dress to the first interview, but never after that.
I am an older male but I sit on a lot of interview panels. I know that a lot of women come to interviews wearing makeup but I am sure that plenty don’t. I can’t be certain though because I don’t really care or notice. I assume that those that do are women that would wear makeup at work.
A while ago I convinced a panel to appoint someone with facial tatoos, although I think they are a terrible idea. However he was the best fit for the position.
I would recommend that you do whatever you like. Just be sure that, whatever decision you make, you don’t start second guessing yourself.
Along with what type of job - where is this job? West coast? South (women seem to wear a ton of makeup there)? Northeast?
Assuming you want the job, you want to look like you fit in with the people who you will be working with. If they all wear makeup, you probably should too. If none of them do, you probably shouldn’t. If there isn’t really a “makeup uniform” for people at the job, then you probably don’t need to if that’s not your style.
At the last few places I’ve worked, not wearing makeup wouldn’t be an issue.
You do want to dress nicely and put your best version of you out there.
But that doesn’t entail changing who you are. So, if you don’t wear makeup, aren’t used to putting makeup on, and have old makeup, don’t wear makeup to the interview.
Besides, this is a potential recipe for disaster. I’d give the same advice if you were contemplating a spray tan before the interview, which this sounds like.
I don’t wear make up due to having had truly epic skin problems in the past (some of which were documented here, in fact). Most of the time that has not been a handicap, but I do know there have been times it has hurt me. I’ve made the choice to value my health and intact skin over making absolute maximum dollars, but I’ve got reasons most women don’t.
The higher up in the hierarchy of a business the more significant that can become, just as men rise up the ladder the choice whether or not to wear a suit and tie can become a more important question.
So… going without make-up won’t mean you’ll never get a job, but like a number of other things (like visible tattoos, or grey hair) it can have a negative impact in an interview even if most of the time it doesn’t. If getting some new make up and using a light touch (as some have suggested, lips, eyebrows, maybe some eye make up) isn’t a big deal or huge expense for you why not? If you just don’t have the money, or feel it’s more important to get your hair cut/styled, or whatever then do that.
I once fought with a recruiter about that. She wanted me to wear makeup to the interview. I never wear makeup. I didn’t wear makeup to my wedding. I’m not willing to wear makeup if a client stops by. Wearing makeup to the interview would be false advertising. And I wasn’t desperate for that job, I suppose.
But if it’s in your wheelhouse to wear makeup, why not? My recruiter would certainly approve.
I personally have light skin and hair (and eyelashes) and I always, always wear mascara, even when working at home (because I might go out and it’s just a habit).
So I would not go to a job interview without it. But it’s a routine for me. I would feel really self-conscious about it, if I went to a job interview without mascara.
But if you don’t routinely wear it, that’s different.
I would say, do whatever will make you feel most confident at the interview. I do remember one guy in an office i worked at wishing out loud that some of the women would look like they did on the day of their job interview. Poor guy. In most cases it was just lipstick, freshly applied right before the interview. He would have looked a good bit better himself, with a little eyeliner.
It also depends on the job. I know a couple of places that demand that employees wear makeup and nail polish, and applying for that kind of job you would most certainly not want to be barefaced. (Like, Ulta? Even the men wear it.) Or if you were auditioning for a position as a TV news reporter. But a project manager? Do what’s comfortable.
The harm would be the cost. If all her stuff is too old to wear, a new basic “set” is $45-60. That’s $30:for foundation, $10 lipstick, $10 for eyeliner or mascara. Anything cheaper than that will look cheap.
Now, it might be worth it. I spent $150 on a haircut for an interview once. But if she never wears it otherwise, it does feel like a lot to pay for stuff that might as well go in the trash, after.
Yeah, what’s the equivalent unnecessary expenditure for only the prospect of a job that a man would be counselled to waste “just in case?”
I don’t wear makeup, I wouldn’t wear makeup if I got the job and I’m not going to put that shit on my face “just in case.” “Just in case” what? Why would I want to work for a company that’s so insistent that makeup is a requirement for a woman to land a job there? Yeah, no.
Puts me in mind of an interview I did where I mentioned that I do have Firstname.Lastname@ISP.com as an alternate email address that I never use because SmartAleq is kind of my normal nom de 'net and main address. The interviewer asked why I’d use the saucier address and my reply was that any company that would take issue with my usual email address is a company that wouldn’t like anything else about my personality either and it wouldn’t be a good fit. Got the job, worked there five years.
I do wear a bit of makeup most days, but I haven’t owned foundation in going on 30 years. It’s not a requirement even for people who want to wear makeup. (My usual is concealer under the eyes, eyeliner, mascara, and a bit of blush. Takes about a minute and a half. Lipstick is rare.)
Thank you all for your advice. I have decided to wear makeup, mostly because I won’t feel like I have completely put myself together without it. I went to Sephora today and bought a new basic set and they were really helpful.
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I’m thinking a suit (or perhaps just a tie). While
Many men own several, and wear them regularly, there are others who don’t have one and would feel awkward wearing one. But, for a job interview, it’s a potential question whether to wear one, and I’m guessing it would come down to similar factors (I.e. are you planning on wearing it regularly or just this time? What type of formality exists at the job? Is it better to fit a gender role or present your usual authentic self?)