Pig-headed man checking in. Some women don’t need it, some do. But even the ones who don’t need it can look absolutely stunning when they do.
Actually, the younger and more flawless you are, the more makeup you can get away with without looking awful.
On working days I darken my eyebrows a bit, because otherwise I don’t have any. I also use mascara for pretty much the same reason. I might also add a bit of blush, especially in winter.
If I have a conference or important meeting of some sort, I might add some eyeshadow and an unobtrusive shade of lipstick.
Especially since I turned 40, I’ve found that sunscreen and moisturizer is better than foundation and powder on my fair, not very oily skin. Makeup just makes me look crusty.
For parties…well, the only person wearing a lot of makeup at the kind of parties I go to lately is the one making the balloon animals.
I think that makeup can greatly enhance a woman’s looks in some cases, but should be used as sparingly as you can get away with.
When I was 16 (I’m 28 now), I had a coming out party, southern belle style. I had etiquette lessons, deportment lessons, the whole works. Including lessons that were reinforced by my mom about proper attire and makeup. My mom drilled into me that a true lady does NOT show her face in public without flawless makeup. According to her that is “just not done.” I still hear a lot of that on occaision. God knows I heard a lot of it when I decided to get a masters instead of getting married. But back to the point, I enjoy wearing makeup - in moderate amounts it makes me feel pretty and confident, especially when going to large, dressy functions. But I don’t feel I need to wear makeup all the time to make my SO happy, and besides, wearing it all the time gives me zits. I don’t like zits. I also don’t like the feeling that I have to scrape my face clean at the end of the day. Ewww.
No makeup. I hate it on women.
If I can tell that a woman is wearing make-up, she’s wearing too much.
Some make up is a good thing, but I prefer a minimalist’s approach.
female, 26
I usually don’t bother with it. Mostly because I have no idea how to put the stuff on right and the couple times I had it done professionally it was way over done and I looked like I should’ve been standing on a street corner.
I will put it on to cover up a blemish or if DH and I are going somewhere “nice” (he doesn’t care if I wear it or not).
I have had my employer approach me and make “suggestions” about my appearance and how I should look more “professional” (ie. wear makeup and do more with my hair). I had a few choice words for her about that. Its been about a year since the last “suggestions” so I’m sure I’m due for another “talk”
Scarlett, the last part of your post reminds me of a scene in a Douglas Adams book in which an unhelpful airline employee is described as “turning the full glare of her corporate lipgloss” on the poor custormer. Can’t you just picture it?
Female, 49.
Minimal makeup, if any. Too much hassle.
(Save my vanity purchases for nail polishes, in the twice yearly times I have 10 long nails at once.)
Husband mostly doesn’t care one way or another, but objects to kissing and smearing greasy dark lipsticks.
Female here. I love wearing makeup - but I wear the natural looking makeup, so it just enhances my features and adds a little color without looking like Ms. Piggy! I love natural makeup that adds some “kick” to your looks. Some women look great without makeup, some look horrid. I guess it’s just a metter of opinion!
I never have liked make up. It makes my face feel fake and I scratched at it all day.
Most people don’t believe me when I say I don’t wear any. The color of my eyelids look like I have on brown shades of eyeshadow, my lips are really dark and I have thick lashes.
My boyfriend says he hates me in make up. He prefers the natural look.
23 year old woman here-
I guess I wear a lot of makeup. It varies from a smidge of glittery eyeshadow and lipgloss to full on eyliner, mascera, blush and highlights. I look fine without makeup, but wearing it is so much fun. When I dyed my hair black (I’m naturally blonde) I really needed it to make my face show up, and I’ve been having fun with make up ever since then.
I kind of enjoy having an articial, vaguly retro, look. I know most guys don’t, but screw 'em. I like looking colorful and dark and like a rock star as often as possible,.
36 year old graduate student -
I used to wear a lot of makeup, in my teens and early 20s. Wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without mascara and foundation, at least. It was kind of a self-esteem thing. Then I dated a guy who really disliked makeup, so I stopped wearing it except on special occasions, like weddings or fancy dress-up dinners. Also a self-esteem thing.
Now I wear makeup when I feel like it, always very good makeup. When I can barely drag my ass out of bed to get to school to meet with my students, usually no makeup. If I actually look at my face in the mirror in the morning, beyond the blurry brush teeth/hair thing that happens, I am often horrified enough to at least try to cover the circles under my eyes and the ‘I’m too old to still be in school so God is punishing me with acne’ blemishes that appear with distressing regularity on my chin.
The better I feel, the more it goes from there. The really, really good makeup makes it look like there is nothing there but perfect skin, a healthy glow, and perhaps a hint of shadow on the eyes. Nightime is a little more dramatic. The only reason I know how to put makeup on is that I go to the counters at the fancy department stores, let them put it on me to my specifications, and ask tons of questions. Usually, they do one side, then I do the other. If I don’t like what they did, I say so and don’t buy anything.
I wear makeup because I like to, and I don’t wear it when I don’t feel like it. My husband thinks I’m beautiful, period (rose colored glasses, etc.). I suspect he’d prefer the no makeup route entirely, but he has the sense not to say so. He just likes it when I feel pretty.
Seventeen year-old female here who wears make-up because I like it, and in a corrective fashion. I have flawed skin - blemishes, large pores, undereye circles, and sometimes uneven skin. I find foundation, blusher, concealer, and powder corrects this. Also, my eyes are somewhat droopy and my lips quite pale, so some artfully applied color tends to wake me up and make me look more striking. If I had better skin, I’d probably wear much less foundation, but I really do enjoy the make-up. Sometimes I only wear a few shades of shadow + some lip stain, and sometimes I go for the full-out movie star face. As long as you use flattering shades and know how to apply it, I think make-up looks great.
Never wore more than mascara and lipgloss. These days, a bit of cake eyeliner and eyeshadow, if I’m feeling dressy. 95% of the time, nothing. I find foundation to be a disgusting idea, and I don’t need blush.
I’m a guy.
Makeup on women generally puts me off. I especially despise the FEEL of lipstick or whatnot when kissing.
I much prefer a natural look, and have never seen a gal who didn’t look better without makeup. Frankly, it’s baffling to me that many of them feel it’s necessary.
31 year old cosmitician (I bet you can guess where this post is going…)
I wear the full meal deal when I go to work. On weekends and stuff I wear a scaled back version. Sooo, that entials:
Skin perfecting serum (provides a smooth surface for the foundation).
Foundation
Concealer
Powder
Blush
Eyeshadow (3 colors) - blend ladies, blend!
Liner
Mascara
Brow color
Lipstick
Lipliner
If I’m going out for an evening, I’ll sometimes add a highlighter on my brows and the corner of my eyes. Ditto for false eyelashes. At halloween, I may add a slashed throat complete with bits of skin and blood dripping off.
I really like make up. 
However, FWIW, even when I’m fully done, you can’t really tell. Generally the difference is that with make up I look more “awake” - brighter faced. Thats about it. (Well, except for the slashed throat, of corse.)
Holy typos Batman! I think it may be time to go home…
When I was a teenager I once saw a picture of Paulina Porizkova (For those that don’t know, the super model du jour when I was growing up.) without makeup. Egads! She looked awfully plain. You wouldn’t look at her twice. So I thought to myself, “Makeup good! Yes!”…Back in the 80s I admit to wearing far too much. Ugh, the eyeliner and the hair! Yikes.
Now I’m 34 and I wear mascara, some bronzer with a little natural looking blush (so I don’t look like the crypt keeper. I’m extremely fair with dark hair.) and I MUST have lipstick. When I go out at night I will sometimes mix one part foundation to one part moisturizer…A good trick if you don’t like that heavy base feeling. It just evens out the skin tone a bit…I wear makeup because I think I look better with a little on. And who doesn’t want to look better? My husband claims he likes me both ways. Still, I feel more confident so that is what counts.
I was blessed with good skin so I take care of it. No sun, no smoking, lots of sunscreen, 8 glasses of water a day, and copious amounts of overpriced moisturizers…but I must agree withAries28 ! Lipstick is a necessity. I’ve never seen a woman that didn’t look better with it!
I’m a girl, and I think that makeup is fun. It’s interesting to play with different looks and stuff. It’s not absolutely necessary, but I enjoy it.