It’s been a routine since my early twenties. The alcohol free toner soothes the tightness after washing. The serum I only added a couple years ago I’m currently using an OTC retinol/ niacinimide at night. And moisturizer everyday otherwise I feel naked.
Gotta use lotion too arms legs feet and torso. After work I spritz my face with hypochlorous acid skin cleanser cause I’m too lazy to wash. And no makeup so nothing to wash off.
One thing to keep in mind is that cosmetics isn’t all about cosmetics. Like, in some cultures, it’s normal for women to wear elaborate hairdos that take all afternoon to implement. And that may seem excessive… but that time is also a major form of socializing in those cultures. The time would be no less lost if the women in question were just “hanging out” for that time.
I am not a woman. My spouse does not apply any makeup as part of her daily routine, nor does she style her hair. In the other small number of adult romantic relationships I’ve had, I have witnessed some routines slightly more involved, but not by much.
I think @MandaJo hits on a lot of good insights… fashion/cosmetics/aesthetic (for men and women and other, but most prominently for women) is a complicated intersection of self-expression and self-oppression, pushing social norms and social conformity, standing out and fitting in.
Anyone who thinks their presentation is exclusively one and not the other of any of those pairings is just missing self awareness.
Thinking about even the basic ‘cost of female beauty’… even in my household I know I spend significantly less on self-care and appearance-related things than my spouse, and as I said she does not do much on a daily basis. I can absolutely believe that there are many for whom an average of $100-200 a month for ‘beauty’ is standard, and I can imagine for some the number could be even higher.
Most men who say “No makeup looks better” are just blissfully unaware of more subtle makeup, foundation, concealer, etc and assume that because a woman isn’t wearing a face like Taylor Swift on stage she must be “natural”. There certainly are women who look fine or attractive without any makeup but I’ve also known my share of women who I never thought much about and then saw them done up for an event and it’s “Whoah, hey there” so I won’t pretend to be immune to such things or declare that no makeup/styling looks better. Of course, a woman doesn’t owe it to anyone to meet their beauty standards. And definitely not to random people on the internet.
I used the word “clown” but with no nasty intent at all - in fact, my post started by non-judgmentally describing a friend who spent $200/month on makeup, applied it skillfully, and looked better with it than without.
It’s ME that feels like a clown if I wear makeup. Maybe it’s because I’m so unused to it, don’t know how to apply it, use low-quality products, or some combination of those factors. But I’m hardly being “nasty” when I’m talking about my own face and perceptions. Just telling it like it is, no judgment of others implied.
If you’re describing yourself, fine. And you weren’t who I had in mind when I wrote my reply.
For me, my makeup use is subtle enough that I really don’t feel it all once it’s done. I’ve only felt like a “clown” or something similar when I’ve worn stage makeup. That’s yucky stuff.
Appreciate your honesty and it is true, makeup artfully applied does enhance a woman’s appearance. It’s a little sad though that a makeup free babe is overlooked until she puts on a made up face.
How do men artfully or magically enhance their appearance to be more attractive and gain notice? Beyond personal groomomg not a whole lot going on there wrt cosmetics is there.
Is an attractive dude just as attractive in farmer overalls or a tux? Or do we need mood lighting, a well coiffed head and a moisturized face to make us look?
I tend to like the natural hippie look as well and I am well aware that sometimes it takes a little makeup to achieve that look.
I recall back in my college days I had a very good friend who was a woman who wore a lot of make and stuff in her hair. She worked at the makeup counter at a department store and got into the habit there. I ran into her on campus one day and she looked gorgeous to me (much more so than usual). I blurted out, “you look great today.” She, knowing me, thought that it was hilarious. It was finals week and she rolled out of bed and went to school without doing her normal routine and had no make up or hair gel at all.
Never mind.
I feel embarrassed for women who feel they have to paint their faces. Stenciled eyebrows, false eyelashes, etc. How do women to expect to be treated like equal adults when they look like they’re in clown face? Nothing wrong with wearing some makeup, but there’s a point after which I have to wonder what they’re trying to compensate for.
I often feel that if I were a straight guy, I’d be disgusted at the thought of pressing myself up against all that excess material.
I can’t say that that ever crossed my mind. It’s not as though I go around rubbing my face against other people’s faces. There’s lipstick, I guess, but eh.
The most “made up” person I ever dated was a goth girl in college. I don’t remember it ever being an issue in general and, if we were hot and heavy, I was too into other things to worry about some pale powder touching me 
This speaks to me.
Anyhow, for good or for ill, i don’t wear any makeup. Okay, i bought some… I dunno, i think it was marketed as eyeshadow to hide a really prominent zit the day i got my passport photo and my driver’s license photo, but that’s the only makeup I’ve worn in decades. I wash my hair and comb it out when it’s wet, and i brush it and tie it back most days when i get up. It’s not “styled” and i haven’t paid to get it cut since i was married. I usually use some lip balm before bed, but that’s pretty much it. No creams, no hair conditioner, really, not much of anything.
When my hair started going gray i tried dying it partially purple, but the stuff washed out too fast, and I wasn’t willing to do the upkeep to keep it. So my hair is gray.
I did get some chin hair removed by an electrologist. She chided me for not having a skin care regimen. But my facial skin is pretty healthy, honestly. Anyway, i used to pluck hairs off my chin, and i don’t have to do it much any more. So that’s nice.
I suppose I’m not beautiful. I’m old, and fat, and I’m okay with all that.
I think keeping an attractive figure is the most difficult part of female beauty, actually. I think people who make up their face often enjoy it. It’s an artistic expression, and it’s a form of self care, time when you are doing stuff for you. That can be nice.
I have to wonder how many women do it because they think it’s expected - “Mom always wore makeup so I have to.” Of course, the why is a personal decision, regardless of what the choice is.
I just started thinking about it from a strictly fiscal perspective and being mostly frugal, I found the cost over a month, a year, or a lifetime to be potentially, well, insane (IMHO, of course.) I’m sure someone looking at my non-essential expenditures might say the same about certain things. I do have a rather large stash of yarn…You don’t make me apply blush and I won’t force you to crochet. We can still get along.
My father hated lipstick and so my mother never wore it and, while I don’t really hate it, I made it clear to my wife that I would rather she not wear it. One result is that my two DIL don’t use it either since our boys were not accustomed to it. And I think our daughter also avoids. The other thing is that I think that eyes framed in black are just ugly. I think my wife wears some sort of face cream, but I am unaware of it.
My wife did go to a hairdresser a couple times a year. Then, during the pandemic, she moved back to France where she was from. My wife can’t be bothered to find a new hairdresser, so her hair is getting longer and longer and she braids it.
My wife wore makeup as an adult until covid hit. She looked good but I think she looks good without makeup. She says she feels better not having to spend time applying it.
I used to wear make-up off and on. Mostly special occasions, weddings, nights out, when we played music. Heavier application cause of lights. I quit wearing mascara decades ago. I became sensitive. Then I just quit altogether.
I did wear eyebrow powder for a while as mine have thinned and grayed to almost nothing. I colored my hair for a loonng time as I started graying in my mid 30’s. Then I decided to let it go gray. I keep my gray hair up though. I use purple shampoo and conditioner. After washing I mousse and scrunch. I also wear moisturizer on my face and body.
If I had the money I’d have an eyebrow lift so I can see better and look more awake. There’s other minimilist stuff I’d do, but I’m poor folks, so who knows?
I think it’s damn rude to judge other people on their make-up choices. It’s not paint or spackle, etc.
I knew a woman who wore full makeup and jewlery to her husband’s sotball games. It seemed weird to me, but she seemed happy so different strokes.
Womens’ choices are always questioned, it seems.
Not surprisingly, men often get the impression that their choices are “always questioned” too.
I agree and this doesn’t sit well with me. I’m a 60 year old man with personal preferences like anyone else but ridiculing women for how they choose to adorn themselves is gross.
Yes, this thread is partly just nasty, intermingled with interesting, true-ringing insight into the cost of female beauty.
I’m a guy, and know few women whose appearance is not enhanced by some makeup. It’s not false etc., it’s just an optional, temporary boost, no different from well-fitting, stylish, sexy clothing that you wouldn’t wear all the time, for any number of reasons.
I know for a fact that many women feel more attractive with some makeup, in a way that directly affects my prospects of getting intimate with them. So there cannot not be a positive, lifelong impact in my male outlook on the subject.