I wear at least foundation every day. It’s very light, you’d not even know I was wearing anything, but it evens out the color so that my very pink cheeks don’t look blotchy (and no, I don’t have rosacea). If I remember, I add some eyeliner. It makes me look more awake. Lipstick, in a shade that is the color of my lips only deeper, at least in the morning or right before a date. I rarely remember to reapply. And always before a choir performance. I remember getting chewed out by the director of a women’s choir I was substituting in when I was the only woman not wearing lipstick at a performance (in a military jail, no less!) It just adds that more professional look, if it’s not an extreme amount or color.
I don’t always wear makeup, especially on my days off, but when I catch sight of myself in the mirror, I usually wish I had it on! But I prefer to wear it in an amount that is not obvious…it just makes me look and feel more rested, more confident.
23-year-old female. My coloring is such that all I really need is foundation to even out my skin, blush, and lipstick. I have dark eyelashes and brows and eyes, so I wear mascara only about once a year, literally. However, I have developed a bad habit of leaving the house with my face fully done (foundation, powder, blush, eyeshadow/liner) and no lipstick, which looks really dumb. It’s just that lipstick is the most annoying thing on earth - I’m always getting it on my clothes, it needs constant reapplying, and my SO doesn’t seem to like kissing me when I have it on.
I like makeup because it makes me look better. I also stand out at work because I work in an office where most of the women don’t bother with makeup. I figure being a standout at work is a good thing.
I wear makeup because I think it makes me look better…my skin tone is kind of splotchy so I wear foundation…also for the sunblock.
I also wear a brow-shader because I have very sparse eyebrows. Basically, I take the approach of enhancing what I can, but don’t try to cover up anything excessively (some zit cover-ups can look awfully bad).
On weekends, I usually don’t use the eyeliner.
I went through a phase where I didn’t wear any makeup. I don’t think the hubby noticed at all.
I very seldom wear makeup. When I do, it’s because I feel like it, and in the style I like, which tends to stray pretty far from the general expectations.
I don’t like makeup. Tastes funny and doesn’t look natural. I agree it looks nice sometimes… but with the SO/GF that isn’t as relevant as you’ve already “chosen”.
I would like to wear make-up because I think I would feel better about myself, however when I put it on, it looks goofy. (or I look like Goofy?) When I have gone to the upscale stores to have their help, I wind up looking like a hooker (not a good thing for a preacher’s wife :smack: ) Mark’s preference is for me to skip it.
Translucent powder-just a dusting
Brown eyeliner
Brownish plum colored cream eye-shadow
Blush (preferably cream, but I’m out of it)
Lipstick in a brownish red. Dark-I like darker lipstick.
I’m a 33 year old woman. I’ve worn makeup since the age of 13 - pretty much every day since. Sometimes I cringe to think of how much money I’ve spent on the stuff.
I have blotchy, uneven skin, and I have hereditary dark circles under my eyes, pale eyebrows and pale, sparse eyelashes. I have very nice lips, but they’re also very pale. Without makeup, I feel like all of my good features disappear.
For work I wear foundation by Almay (it has Kinetin which over time supposedly improves your skin somehow - I’m a sucker for advertising), undereye concealer, blemish concealer if I have any breakouts (usually pre-period only), eyeliner, one shade of eyeshadow, mascara, curl my eyelashes, a light dusting of bronzer to give my pale skin a bit of “life”, lip liner in a fairly natural colour - just darker than my own, and lip gloss in whatever fun shade I feel like wearing that day. Probably takes less than 10 minutes altogether.
Weekends - I try to get by with just tinted moisturizer, but it usually leaves me feeling too self conscious, so I often end up doing the foundation. Then usually just mascara and some lip gloss.
My boyfriend says I don’t need makeup, I look beautiful without it, but I also get the most compliments from him when I’m “done up”.
Whoops - I forgot two things - I get my brows tinted darker about once a month (only costs $15 with tip) - to keep them from disappearing - it is AMAZING what a difference it makes to my face.
But the main thing I wanted to say is how encouraging it is to hear from so many men who feel women look better without make-up … it surprises me actually … but it’s great!
The only time my “natural” eyebrows looked right was about 1982, when Brooke Shields was the hottest babe around. Now, to avoid the dreaded unibrow (thanks, Dad), I pluck, wax, and sacrifice virgins on the alter of the eyebrow goddess.
OK, just one virgin, and it was me. And it was fun, and I wasn’t thinking about eyebrows at all. But the last time I was getting the hair torn off the top of my eyes, I remarked to the professional hair-ripper, “Gosh, it’s just amazing how much this used to hurt.” Now it doesn’t phaze me at all, but the first time I had it done I cried all the way home. Why did I go back? It just looked so good.
Now I have these nifto-keen new glasses, and I have become an eyebrow nazi. I love the clean arch of my brows lifting gracefully above the stern line of my glasses. Makeup, depends on my mood. But my eyebrows must be perfect.
Teenager checking in here. I wear base every day, because my skin is a little bit blotchy in places, and powder on top of that to cut down on the shine. My face is really oily. That’s all I wear. I don’t wear eyeshodow or eye liner because 1.) I don’t know how to put it on and 2.) I touch my eyes way too much. Don’t do lips either for the same reason. Most people don’t even know that I wear any make-up at all, because I just started wearing it on a regular basis a couple years ago. I don’t think anyone can tell the difference, but I can tell the difference and that’s what matters to me. If I think I look better then I feel better! I think thats how most women are.
42-year-old female. Once or twice a week, I’ll decide to put on “daytime” makeup. This means moisturizing foundation mixed 50/50 with shimmering moisturizer, over my whole face; cream blusher; neutral, long-wearing lipcolor (moisturizing). For dressing up, I add a little eyeshadow, some liquid eyeliner (very fine line), and mascara; sometimes some shimmery highlighters, too.
Every day, every day, every day, no matter what, I use Olay Total Effects, which includes sunscreen, all over my face.
Middle-aged male. While my personal preference for women is no makeup at all, I generally defer to their tastes in how much and how often (after all, they’re wearing it, not me). However, I’ll avoid anyone who puts it on with a trowel like the plague. And I agree that it doesn’t taste too good (lipsticks too).
I’ve also got a pretty sensitive nose and I’ve only found one cologne that I can wear without tasting it all night long. I’ve yet to find any perfume that doesn’t overwhelm me; I much prefer the lingering faint scent of strawberries or peaches from a conditioner.
As a woman, I wear as little make-up as possible, especially at work. If I am going out for a night on the town I wear a little more, but I still try to keep it fairly simple. As for any type of perfume, I tend to stick to the sweeter smelling scents. They are more appealing to me and since I am the one wearing them, I like to be able to enjoy the smell instead of wishing that I had tried something else.
26 year old female checking in. I love makeup. Love it, love it, love it. Cry when I have to throw away old/out-of-style/bought-the-wrong-color-on-a-whim makeup from my makeup drawer. A trip the local CVS just isn’t the same if I don’t at least peruse the makeup aisle.
That said, I don’t wear a lot at one time. I try to cover my cystic acne and enhance my eyes or lips. Usually, it doesn’t look like I’m wearing makeup, just that my features are enhanced (read: you wanna see cheekbones, then I have to wear blush). I was a theatre major so I learned all sorts of neat tricks makeup can do. I love playing around with colors and textures and seeing what they can do to my features. My husband is generally appreciative of my efforts.
I’ve given real thought to getting a cosmetology license/certificate/degree but don’t have the time to do the 1,000 hour practicum required by my state.
A quick note to ladies (and gents, I suppose) who don’t know how to apply makeup and want to, check out Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin. He was a fabulous makeup artist and it is literally astounding what hecould do with some cream eyeliner and lipgloss.
I was blessed with 16-year-old acne…still at 44 years old.
I use a light base, powder blush, mascara, and lipstick. With my complexion, it’s just not an option. I do, however, go out without makeup but if I have an appointment with a customer or a date with my husband, I’m wearing makeup.
