"You shouldn't wear makeup." ...riiiiiiight...

McKayMachina

Okay, so I was browsing Reddit and the age-old discussion comes up again where all the young guys are like, "Women look so much better without makeup! I prefer it!" And then like a dozen naturally VERY pretty 20-year olds post their with and without makeup pics (and they are rarely actually make-up free - usually just minimal in the "withouts") and it gets all circlejerky with the guys congratulating themselves for being right.

Can I just say something? ...THAT IS B.S.!

I'm 26. I have dark under-eye circles and wrinkles PLUS I still get regular breakouts and have old scar pocks (not bad, but they're definitely there). I don't go out without concealer, foundation, powder, eyeshadow, liner, mascara and clear gloss, minimum.

And I have had men tell me I should wear less make-up. Then when I do, they're like, "Oh, forget your makeup today? Wanna go do that before we leave?" And I'm like, SERIOUSLY? I TOLD you this would not be enjoyable for either of us.

Really...when is that last time you were hit on sans makeup? For me that would be approximately...oh...NEVER. But I slap a few coats of paint on and it's a whole 'nother story. Does this make anyone else feel crazy?

Remi79

The only make-up I wear is Eye Liner and Mascara and sometimes Eye Shadow. I have been blessed with hardly any acne ever in my life, my cheeks are naturally rosey. BUT I never go out without my eye make-up on. I think I look like a freak after I take a shower and it's not on.

EDIT: I would probably wear more face make-up, but I have never been shown properly how to put it on. Everytime I try, I think it looks fake. I have Bare Minerals foundation and such.

skinnyjeans13

I love makeup and have a slight obsession... I think makeup should be used to enhance what someone already has... I, too, don't ever leave the house without foundatio, concealer, blush and mascara at the minimum. However, people often think I'm not even wearing any makeup.

There's nothing worse than someone with caked-on, piled up crap on their face (especially when they don't need it) but I also think that personally, I look better with it, it gives me more confidence, and it's fun!

sunshine__angel

LOL!! I hear ya... I'll be 25 in a couple of months and I still get acne, I have wrinkles on my forehead and I am as white as a ghost. The only person who sees me with no makeup on is my boyfriend, and I barely even like to do that (and we live together! ha)... I know there are a lot of naturally pretty girls and of course, everyone is beautiful in their own way, but I don't think I would have gotten as much attention as I did in high school if I went there each day looking the way I look right now!

I think this post is hilarious because I used to be so self conscious about my skin that I wouldn't even go sit in my own backyard without makeup on. I wouldn't swim in my own pool because I couldn't go under the water or my makeup would come off... it has since gotten better but the idea that I shouldn't wear makeup in public... ha!... it's a scary one!!

CraftyGirl4

I rarely wear makeup, and I have very similar skin problems to the ones you are describing in yourself. I have old scars on my forehead especially, and that's also where my wrinkles are starting to show. But, you know what, I look good!

For a lot of women makeup helps their confidence, and studies have shown that men actually prefer a woman in makeup than one without. But I feel like the sexiest thing is confidence. If you can walk with your head up and feel good about who you are, it doesn't matter if you're wearing makeup or not. I usually bust out a little makeup when I have an important business meeting or something else where I know I'll be close to people and I want to be taken more seriously (remember, the studies...)

Angela4Health

During the summer when I'm tan I go without any foundation or powder, and just put on some blush and mascara, but during the winter or when I'm pale, I do use a little powder or foundation to even out my skin tone. Blah. I never wear eye makeup except mascara though, unless it's for a special occassion.

oyvonnee

Those same guys who gave the girls kudos for not wearing make-up -- will be complaining in a few years - "She never fixes herself up anymore!" Do what makes YOU feel good. When you feel good, you act confidently and that's a beautiful thing! :flowerforyou: Yvonne

lulu1962

Eyeliner & mascara for me every day...what's an "oldster" to do???:sad:

MissAnjy

I think what those men MEAN (in all honesty) is that they like when the makeup is natural. So natural infact, that they believe you're makeup-free! Some men don't realize that you can wear makeup modestly and not have it caked all over your face like some girls we've all seen in clubs. I believe THAT is what they believe doesn't look great & so when a girl doesn't have 2 layers to peel off her face, they don't believe she's wearing makeup.

Making your makeup look natural & like it's non-existant is key.

merrillfoster

I think when people say 'without makeup' what they mean is without it looking like it was applied with a spackle. Few guys even realize when you're wearing things like light powder or mascara--that is, until you don't. Me, I pretty much always wear mascara. If I'm going out, I'm add eyeshadow or liner or some light powder, maybe some undereye concealer (cause mine are terrible, I wake up from 12 hours of sleep looking like I haven't slept since Regan was in office). I think that when guys say 'no makeup', they don't actually know what that is. I think they mean make it look natural, so it LOOKS as though you aren't wearing any. That's what I usually go for, anyway (unless I want to have fun with eyeshadow, lol).

Shrinking_Xtina

OMG! I know exactly what you mean it drives me crazy! People think I wear makeup because I'm insecure about my body and those who have seen me without makeup have said I look sick or tired! I am very light skinned so without makeup I look very pale, I'm not saying I wear a darker foundation or anything to look tan but with a dash of liner and blush I look so much more alive! It really annoys me when my friends brag to me about how they're boyfriends prefer girls without makeup, it's like really? What are you implying? that the reason why I'm single is because I wear makeup?! B.S. I can understand when girls overdo it then it looks pretty ridiculous. But I don't see what's wrong with a bit of makeup, because lets face it, we live in a world where appearances do come first.

monkeybuttsmommy

I love wearing makeup and I am 37, I have many acne scars under eye circles and blotches but as I have gotten older I have developed allergies to alot of the makeup out there so I CANT wear it anymore. Now I only wear it on special occasions and take benedryl when I get home and wash it completely off immediatly. Otherwise my eyes swell and itch. It sucks!

HolleeERL

YES!!! I have terrible skin and quite honestly, I'm ugly without my makeup. I don't use a spackle to apply, though. I like my makeup to look as natural as possible (if that makes sense). I've heard men say that they like no makeup, but what they really mean is they don't like OBVIOUS makeup. I've been told countless times that I look like a totally different person with and without makeup. I take no offense since I know it's true. I wear makeup to go shopping because I get followed as if I'm gonna steal something if I don't. People think it's all in my head, but I've experimented (unscientifically, of course) on this several times.

So I agree wholeheartedly! The "I prefer the no makeup look" is total BS!! )

HolleeERL

I love wearing makeup and I am 37, I have many acne scars under eye circles and blotches but as I have gotten older I have developed allergies to alot of the makeup out there so I CANT wear it anymore. Now I only wear it on special occasions and take benedryl when I get home and wash it completely off immediatly. Otherwise my eyes swell and itch. It sucks!

OMG Me, too!!! I'm 41 and just started encountering this lovely phenomenon!! UGH!

kateanne27

I at least put some foundation under my eyes and around my nose where I get red, a little translucent powder to even the rest out, and mascara on my light lashes. I usually think women look better without too much makeup (but then I am not hitting on them) simply because so many women grossly overdo it, to the point where they look like hookers even just going to the store or work, or it just plain looks cheap and immature and old at the same time.
I dont feel like myself when I am over made up, but I feel self concious when I have nothing on at all, tho my husband hasnt mentioned it wither way, I don't think he pays too much attention to the nuances of it, unless its shimmery and glittery lol

bwesser

I'm 22, and I grew up a tomboy for the most part, so make up hasn't been a necessity for me. I think the last time I wore any type of make up was about three weeks ago for a wedding and it was foundation, powder and mascara. The comments I usually get if I don't wear make up include looking like I'm 16. If I do wear make up, people say I look like I'm 25.

And though my boyfriend says he loves that I don't wear makeup, I still see reaction when I do. Maybe because I don't often? Who knows?

In my opinion, you should be comfortable in the skin your in. Many men might think the same thing, hence the "you should wear less makeup". Some make up, though it covers any flaws, can create breakouts because it's clogging your pores. There are some great foods that you can eat to make your face look more vibrant and break out less. I don't know what to suggest, but I'm sure there are sources on the internet that can give you that information. And I know that some of it definitely has to do with genetics (my brother got the acne and I was the lucky one, our parents both had it as children), so I'm not trying to say that you haven't tried these things.

And in response to the "forgot your makeup?" comments that you have gotten. That's just plain rude. Just saying. You're a beautiful person, you just have to believe it before other people can.

Learnin2LuvMe

My husband tells me the same thing,that i don't need makeup on,that i have natural beauty.its really hard for me to see that.i have alot of freckles and i also get dark circles under my eyes.i can pull off not wearin eyeshadow,blush,etc.but i would always have to wear foundation. But i have also been to places with no makeup and complimented on,so idk.i guess everyone is different:)

HolleeERL

. And I know that some of it definitely has to do with genetics (my brother got the acne and I was the lucky one, our parents both had it as children), so I'm not trying to say that you haven't tried these things.

You ain't a-woofin'!!! I started getting acne when I was 13. I'm now 41 and STILL have acne issues. Hormones...

Learnin2LuvMe

I love wearing makeup and I am 37, I have many acne scars under eye circles and blotches but as I have gotten older I have developed allergies to alot of the makeup out there so I CANT wear it anymore. Now I only wear it on special occasions and take benedryl when I get home and wash it completely off immediatly. Otherwise my eyes swell and itch. It sucks!

OMG Me, too!!! I'm 41 and just started encountering this lovely phenomenon!! UGH!

Wow,your 41? You look great for your age!

McKayMachina

I love wearing makeup and I am 37, I have many acne scars under eye circles and blotches but as I have gotten older I have developed allergies to alot of the makeup out there so I CANT wear it anymore. Now I only wear it on special occasions and take benedryl when I get home and wash it completely off immediatly. Otherwise my eyes swell and itch. It sucks!

OMG Me, too!!! I'm 41 and just started encountering this lovely phenomenon!! UGH!

Wow,your 41? You look great for your age!

Seriously! I would have said mid-20s based on that pic. :flowerforyou:

Atlantique

I never wore a lot of makeup, but I wear less and less of it as I get older. As your skin starts to get those fine lines, makeup is not as flattering.

I generally use a little foundation on under-eye circles and around my nose (which is usually a bit too rosy for my taste), eyeliner and mascara and lipstick. If it's an 'occasion', I'll add some eyeshadow and maybe even a tinted moisturizer. But 99% of my non-work time, I'm only wearing lipstick, or possibly lipstick and mascara.

I think the truism is that that men generally don't like OBVIOUS makeup. And frankly, it's hard to pull OBVIOUS makeup off over 30 anyway. There are some men who like women who look cheap, but most of us probably wouldn't endorse what they want them for.

Niveous

Really...when is that last time you were hit on sans makeup? For me that would be approximately...oh...NEVER. But I slap a few coats of paint on and it's a whole 'nother story. Does this make anyone else feel crazy?

I've always been a tomboy and do not wear any makeup whatsoever. I tried it once when I was 16, hated the way it felt, and promptly washed it off. I try the very best I can to just take care of my skin and moisturize. I've never had any issues with men or getting a boyfriend as a result. If I had men who only wanted me with makeup on, they're not worth my time anyway... so not wearing makeup saves me from wasting my time. All of this is not to say that I have any kind of problem with people wearing makeup - I don't at all. Whatever your choice, it's all good for me... makeup has just never been my thing personally. :P

Lleldiranne

I hear you! I had bad acne as a young adult, and while good skin care has cleared most of it up I still have very uneven skin tone and a lot of redness. So I don't venture out of the house without at least foundation (I also use a high quality, protective foundation to help keep away the breakouts).
IMO, many guys don't know what a girl looks like with nothing vs very little ... they just see the "little to none" and the "overdone" and think that's all there is to it. There are so many levels of wearing makeup, and it can be very subtle, a bit more dramatic, or way over the top (think about the different ways ladies do eyeliner or mascara).

I think a woman wearing makeup is more for her own comfort. Many women who wear makeup feel more confident when they put it on. And it's not just a vanity issue. It's just feeling good about taking care of yourself and doing something for yourself.
I doubt the same discussion would come up about doing our hair. And there is the same level of variation in how much we do for our hair as there is in makeup (and possibly more!)

elliecolorado

Really...when is that last time you were hit on sans makeup? For me that would be approximately...oh...NEVER. But I slap a few coats of paint on and it's a whole 'nother story. Does this make anyone else feel crazy?

I've always been a tomboy and do not wear any makeup whatsoever. I tried it once when I was 16, hated the way it felt, and promptly washed it off. I try the very best I can to just take care of my skin and moisturize. I've never had any issues with men or getting a boyfriend as a result. If I had men who only wanted me with makeup on, they're not worth my time anyway... so not wearing makeup saves me from wasting my time. All of this is not to say that I have any kind of problem with people wearing makeup - I don't at all. Whatever your choice, it's all good for me... makeup has just never been my thing personally. :P

Pretty much exactly what I was going to say. Except for only trying it once, I wear makeup a once or twice a year. Never had a problem getting a guy and if a guy wants a girl who wears makeup, I'm not the girl for him anyway. I've always been a tomboy though and makeup, just isn't my thing :-)

Atlantique

I doubt the same discussion would come up about doing our hair. And there is the same level of variation in how much we do for our hair as there is in makeup (and possibly more!)

Oh, it comes up! I had a boyfriend who used to complain-a lot- about how long it took me to do my hair.

Then we went on a beach vacation and I let my hair do its thing as I didn't see the point in wrestling with the humidity. Sure enough, he said "Your hair looks better when you do all that 'stuff' to it. " At least he stopped complaining about how much time it took! LOL

But I've had the opposite happen too--some guy sees it go curly in high humidity and decides he likes that. I've also gone into the office with it curly and been insulted in a business meeting about it and that it looked 'tacky'. That was a lovely moment.

When I cut my hair from below the shoulders to slightly above them, many men in my office lamented the change. And a business colleague who hadn't seen me in years said 'WHAT did you do to your hair?!" I thought he was going to cry.

idrewacat

Oh I get hit on all the time when I'm not wearing makeup. I don't think I have any on in my profile pic. I must be lucky or have good genetics or something.

I usually do wear makeup though, because, well, I feel like I need the extra spf. Anything beyond that is probably just because I like to play with color. I don't wear makeup because I HAVE to. I CHOOSE to take a few extra minutes to polish up. I pick products that have added nutrients in them. It's good for my self esteem. It's like, I take a moment to care for myself, because I'm WORTH caring for. I MATTER enough to take care of my skin. I'm not sure if that really makes any sense, but I've struggled with self esteem my whole life. Even on days where I just hate my face for no reason and can't seem to smile, you know? Those are days that I bust out the glitter. Glitter makes everything better, and really isn't too trashy if you just use a little bit.

Wear makeup or don't. It's your life, it's your body, it's your choice.

brandiuntz

I don't wear makeup. Never liked it and never wore it regularly. I'm gay, so it might help that women don't usually care if women wear makeup (though i have gay friends who do wear makeup). It's all about personal choice.

I'm 40 and still have acne-prone, uneven skin tone. I do take care of my skin, but genetics is genetics and I don't worry about it.

hazelnutflav

i have had men tell me i dont need make up or shouldnt wear it that im a natural beauty, i dont have acne or freckels and never get breakouts (even that time of the month) nor any blemishes on my face but i do have two moles that men seem to love to kiss on, i guess its a guy thing, they dont stick out on my face they actually look like i took a eyeliner pencil and put them there one is right above my lip and right below it is another below my lip i never gave it any thought until a boyfriend brought it to my attention,i dont like or dislike them there just part of my face i believe i am already attractve i look just like my ma and she is beautiful to me so thats not a issue, but wearing foundation is one of the things i wont leave home without, its like getting dressed, i have to put it on, other than eye shadow and lip gloss thats it for me but i have received complements on days when i just ran out of the house to run a quick erran and then come back without even that on, so really ladies its all up to YOU not the guy, go by what feels comfortable for you and if you think you look beautiful when you walk out of the door, then thats all that matters...
also i think freckels are beautiful i wish i had some:)

Talako

As a guy, I say wear what you want, but please don't go to far. Those of us that suffer from coulrophobia might need extra therapy sessions.

Rurouni_Kou

Okay, so I was browsing Reddit and the age-old discussion comes up again where all the young guys are like, "Women look so much better without makeup! I prefer it!" And then like a dozen naturally VERY pretty 20-year olds post their with and without makeup pics (and they are rarely actually make-up free - usually just minimal in the "withouts") and it gets all circlejerky with the guys congratulating themselves for being right.

Can I just say something? ...THAT IS B.S.!

I'm 26. I have dark under-eye circles and wrinkles PLUS I still get regular breakouts and have old scar pocks (not bad, but they're definitely there). I don't go out without concealer, foundation, powder, eyeshadow, liner, mascara and clear gloss, minimum.

And I have had men tell me I should wear less make-up. Then when I do, they're like, "Oh, forget your makeup today? Wanna go do that before we leave?" And I'm like, SERIOUSLY? I TOLD you this would not be enjoyable for either of us.

Really...when is that last time you were hit on sans makeup? For me that would be approximately...oh...NEVER. But I slap a few coats of paint on and it's a whole 'nother story. Does this make anyone else feel crazy?

I have a somewhat different experience here. I'm a lesbian, and I can safely say I MUCH prefer my women au natural. I like a person to look human and to see the wrinkles the scars, the history. Bags under your eyes? I can gauge a persons health from that, whether my friend or mate has been sleeping well, eating well or not. The only makeup I like on a person is when they're wearing a full out kimono (geisha). Give me a woman au natural anyday- scars wrinkles and all. I find the human form beautiful.

Personally, I never wear makeup. I hate the feel of it, I hate the mask and I doubly hate the breakout my face has the next day from the makeup. So as to "when is that last time you were hit on sans makeup?" I can easily answer that since I never DO wear makeup. I've regularly been hit on by guys. Fortunately since I am not interested in them I never see them again (I'm a grad student and don't leave the house or lab much) or they're people in my classes/clubs who know me well enough that when I tell them I am not interested in them and to please stop, they take it in stride. (Except for that one guy who it took a 30 minute lecture on WHY I can't "turn straight" and just go out with him... even after that he kept flirting and I eventually just avoided him entirely after that. And another guy who ended up stalking me because he kept insisting that black men were great to date. He apparently thought I was racist and lying that I was gay to brush him off. *Headdesk*)

tannaleigh

I very rarely wear much make up. I sweat a lot from my face, even from very little activity. I basically wear a light shimmer all over my eyes and water proof mascara. I have freckles, and sometimes a break out. I love my skin though, and how it compliments my green eyes. The hubby loves that I always look the same......