Wearing or not wearing makeup

I always wear make up. As a child my Mum used to put a little ( what she called) - rouge on my cheeks . This was because, unlike my siblings, I was very pale and washed out and , as my Dad had the local butchers’ shop, I was a poor advert for his wares. I like wearing make up and it does make me feel better. Without it , people ask me if I’m alright or have caught a particularly debilitating bug that’s going round.

I only wear makeup when I go out.
Don’t see the point of wearing it at home where no one sees me usually.

If I don’t wear it I look so washed out and pale and haggard .
Not a good look.
Have to be careful though . Not too thick with the all in one crème powder.
Unfortunately, my eyelids are drooping and my eyes now look smaller. A bit of makeup improves them slightly.

I love makeup and as a singer, have worn it for the stage as a matter of course. I’m with the actress Edith Evans who said “I take the paint well”.
IRL and used wisely, it makes me look tons better. I find the process therapeutic too. Don’t bother too much if it’s a day at home, just lipstick and vanished eyebrows restored.
My mother once said I NEED makeup! Thanks mum.

I often wonder what young men think when the young lady they met the night before appears without her false eyelashes, thick brows and huge smoky eyes. Not to mention possible wigs and hair extensions, and lumps and bumps that had disappeared under the smoothing undergarments

‘Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma’am?’

merlotgran

^I often wonder what young men think when the young lady they met the night before appears without her false eyelashes, thick brows and huge smoky eyes. Not to mention possible wigs and hair extensions, and lumps and bumps that had disappeared under the smoothing undergarments^

‘Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma’am?’

Tip for a first date to the chaps
“Go swimming”😁

Let women/girls decide for themselves ... it's not a written law ! Sometimes I do and Sometimes I dont ..

I can't "do" make up at all. I never get it right. At the most a touch of something on my face, a bit of blusher and a slick of something on the brows. I try mascara but my hands have never been steady and despite trying all manner of lipsticks and similar it all disappears before I've left the bathroom.

Nail varnish feels heavy such that if I wear it (and struggle with unsteady hands) I can't wait to get it off.

I'd like to say I have good skin, but I don't. It's pale and uneven (as was my dad's) and pretty wrinkled now at 73 (as was my mum's). I never expose it to sun and never have.

All that said, I really don't have the time to faff about with it all tbh cos I have better things to do with my time!

But I do admire ladies who make the effort and look good.

To answer OP, why do some women wear make up at home? It's a fair question. I suppose they/ we do it for different reasons. One is that it might be a daily habit, whether you go out or not..and you never know if you're going to go out anyway do you? It might be the same argument about clothes/ wearing a bra/ getting dressed/ combing your hair! There is a rhythm to life and an internal dignity that comes from deciding how to express yourself to the world and to yourself. That might be wearing some make up, no make up, spades of make up. Or being a total slobby scruff at home or dressing fairly well. I imagine its different for everyone. If I am home alone all day, i'll wear comfy clothes that are 'me', still brush my teeth, put on moisturiser and a splash of perfume. If I ended up having to go out, I'd probably put on mascara. If i dont, people tend to tell me i look tired!

Internal dignity - I haven’t heard that before, but it sums it up perfectly I think Franski, thank you.

Hubby loves me as I am. Our first date I went with just a bit of lipstick on and a touch of mascara. He appreciated it because I wasn't "painted". He had dated women who almost had to scrape the layers of makeup off and looked totally different without. I was just me. 😊 And still am.

Lovetotravel

Poppyred

Lovetotravel

Just wondering why some women (mainly) feel the need to wear makeup all the time? Some will say because it makes them feel better about themselves, but why? You can’t see it yourself unless you keep looking in the mirror and when you’re out and about shopping nobody really takes any notice of you. I get it if you’re eating out or at work but not everyday or when you’re at home alone.

Why does it matter to you? Everyone is different, just mind your own business?

I thought this was a forum where thoughts and questions could be discussed. What do a lot of the posts on here matter?

Exactly everyone is entitled to their opinion Lovetotravel was just asking for peoples thoughts on this lighthearted subject I don’t think there was any need for the rude comment from poppyred, with all the horrific things going on in the world it’s nice to have some light hearted chat.

I don't see anything wrong with wanting to look and feel your best. If I'm at home I don't always bother to wear make up but if anyone turns up unexpected I feel a mess if I've not put any on. I'd never ever leave the house without it. I just feel more comfortable and ready to face the world when I've got my face on. At the end of the day, who wants to look at my face without it?! Certainly not me!

Make up has been used for thousands of years by both men and women so I guess there must be some reason why many of us like to use it. I've used a night serum on my face for years, changing it as new products are developed but always a gentle but thorough cleanse and something designed to improve my skin, (my current one contains AHAs and HA) applied with a dose of hope and scepticism. However, I always put the lotion on the back of my left hand first and the proof is there to see. The skin on my left hand is softer, has hardly any age spots and is plumper than that on my right and the skin on my face is very good for my age. As I said upthread generally I never leave the house without some form of skin protection even to do the gardening and it shows on my face.

I don't consider moisturiser to be make-up. I have used moisturiser all my life, but never wore foundation until I was middle-aged.

Now I'm lucky if I put the moisturiser on- all that money sent over the years hasn't made a bit of difference!

Wearing or not wearing make up is a personal choice. I like to wear a little make up when I go out but I don't need to put my face on to collect the bins in. I feel make up should enhance your natural features. Have you ever bumped into someone without make up who usually wears a lot and not recognised them?

* Bukkie* yes I have.
This is why I don’t wear it all the time.
It becomes the norm and only the truly naturally beautiful will look this good all the time.
It fosters un- achievable expectations of how a body should look.
And I think this has contributed to low self esteem and general dissatisfaction with peoples lives.

DotScot

I don't wear any makeup at all and haven't since the pale pink lipstick, blue eyeshadow and clumpy mascara days of the seventies. I'm now 68, a bit wrinkled where the laughs have been, and a Scottish peelywally shade most of the year.

I think that people should do what they are comfortable with, so long as it hurts no-one. I suppose that some people who have spent some time on their make-up probably look at me, at a wedding say, and quietly make negative judgements. That's up to them.

I did notice the unquestioned assumptions in some of the posts here:

Most Pale ladies look better with a little make up on Better than...?

Other people take you more seriously, as though you have made an effort with your appearance and not let yourself go. So much to wonder about in this one sentence. 'take you more seriously'? 'made an effort'? 'let yourself go'?

piggy eyes Aren't eyes just eyes?

Why would you need your face to be more defined? Or describe its natural colour as washed out without makeup? Why would imperfections need to be concealed?

Why do some people feel the need to perpetuate the pervasive denial of normal aging processes by making themselves look younger?

I did state my belief at the beginning that people should do what they are comfortable with so long as it hurts no-one. Are some of these assumptions, evident through the language people unthinkingly use, responsible for many of our grandchildren (it's not restricted to the girls), feeling that their beautiful natural appearance, whatever it is, has to be modified through make-up, hormones, diets or phone filters to be acceptable to the outside world?

Well said

It's a personal decision. I always wear some make up as it makes me feel livelier and happier.

If people choose not to wear it, that is fine too.

Why do some people feel the need to perpetuate the pervasive denial of normal aging processes by making themselves look younger?

Aging doesn't bother me in the least. However, I don't like looking as if I am at death's door. I am naturally pale, with very dark hair. I don't mind the pale skin but along with the dark circles and hollows under the eyes, plus red eyelids if I'm not sleeping well, I often do look ill. Some days I look fine, on others I don't. It takes 5 minutes to mitigate most of this, and the face I present to the world shows how I feel - healthy and cheerful, if a little tired.

Why do so many people who choose not to wear makeup assume that anyone who does has been brainwashed???

Granmarderby10

* Bukkie* yes I have.
This is why I don’t wear it all the time.
It becomes the norm and only the truly naturally beautiful will look this good all the time.
It fosters un- achievable expectations of how a body should look.
And I think this has contributed to low self esteem and general dissatisfaction with peoples lives.

What a virtual signalling morally superior post.

What has make-up got to do with looking younger? Why not just wear it because it is fun and you like the look. I have never thought make-up makes me look younger or better.

Look at the way children love face paints and many cultures also decorate their faces in different ways, to convey all kinds of messages, Why shouldn't we in our culture choose to do so as well, in our particular way?

If you do not like wearing make-up and feel morally superior as a result, my response is that of Sir Toby Belch to Malvolio in Twelfth Night Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?

I am afraid attitudes like yours only encourage me to wear more make-up.

A personal choice as far as I'm concerned. I've toned it down since I've got older, face moisturiser, I don't wear foundation anymore. I've got a lot of eyebrow products, brow high lighter, some neutral eye shadow sometimes, or just a primer I have an uneven skin tone. Mascara if we are going out. I do have a lot of lipsticks. What I wear on my face is entirely for me. Some of my friends don't bother with it anymore, again absolutely their choice.

Curious, why is moisturiser deemed makeup?

Makeup, at any age, is just a choice.

Some people choose full face, some choose differently.

Well it's not really, but I suppose it's the first thing I put on my face, so it kind of registers as such, but even if I didn't wear make up, I'd still moisturise.

Norah

Curious, why is moisturiser deemed makeup?

I would class moisturiser as a skincare product rather than make-up, although I guess if it's tinted moisturiser, it's more like make-up?