To think most make up is a waste of time?

*I also love it

I hear you. But honestly people treat me completely differently when I wear makeup. And it doesn't take long to put on, maybe 5-10mins each morning. So it's worth it to me

I'm like you OP, I don't get any of it and personally hate it, but I'm not so ignorant to think that everyone else should think like me. Some enjoy it, some, it boosts their confidence. Whatever their reasons for doing it, I respect their choices and I respect that everyone's choices and preferences are different.

I don't really get it either and wish I did tbh. People that are really 'into' make up and new techniques and experimenting look like they really have fun with it.

I put the bare minimum on so that I don't scare small children when out and about. Beyond that I feel like a toddler drawing on my own face.

Why should anyone have to justify themselves to you? We’re not all the same. Ffs

Why does anyone do anything that’s not essential?! Generally because they like it and want to do it.

Make up is essentially artistic and a way of expressing yourself. It’s like piercing your ears, wearing certain clothes. It’s mostly fun for the people that like to do it.

I'm one of those who doesn't like to leave the house without makeup, I look and feel a lot better with it on and it's not a waste of my time, I enjoy putting it on.
I probably spend around 30 minutes on hair and makeup before work each morning and around an hour if I'm going out, to just pop to Tesco then I can do it in 10 minutes. I've had this same routine since I was a teenager and I'm now in my 40's.
As to why I started, who knows?!? My mum never bothered. Someone mentioned nails being a waste of time, I disagree.. I love it when I can escape for half hour to the salon, same with getting my hair highlighted.

I enjoy makeup, I like the results.
I like buying it, applying it and how it improves my appearance.
It makes me look polished and professional which is a must in my industry.

It is all a waste of time for me so I don't do it we are not forced to wear it

I find it a boring waste of time but I mean make-up in some form has been used for thousands of years, the ancient egyptians stained their eyebrows and wore a type of rouge on their cheeks. I don't know if that was just the females, or whether men used make up too. So there is something that compels 'us' to make-up our faces.

I like a few minutes thinking about myself each morning. I like the pretty colours and textures. I like making my features more defined.

I haven't read all the replies but for me it's about looking different each day.

I love creating different looks, maybe a 50s style with eyeliner or more natural the next day then a more dramatic look.

I couldn't look exactly the same with the same hairstyle every day. It would bore me.

because some people like it. And want to do it.

You could replace make-up with all sorts in this question - why go for long country walks in cold/wet weather? Why spend loads of money on gourmet food? Why spend all your time digging up the garden? Why only go on holiday in the U.K.? And so forth.

It’s all the same answer - we all like different things and live in different ways. Something that is enjoyed by one person will seem a waste of time/money/effort to another.

I look better with it, more alone and thus I feel better. It takes a matter of minutes unless I am going to a smart night out when I might spend a whole 10 minutes for fancy warpaint.

In my line of work it’s best to look polished so I have my nails done every three weeks, and forget about them in between, and always wear make up when meeting clients.

My time so my choice how I spend it. I think watching soap operas or trying to police how other women should look is a waste of time but each to their own.

I've got fair eyebrows and lashes, I would wear less if I was darker naturally but they need defining
I'm not blessed with flawless skin due to acne scarring from my teens but a tinted moisturiser and a touch of bronzer to take off the ghostly white look just makes me feel more confident. Less than 10 mins in the morning max, I go for natural as possible but makes me look more polished and together.
I would feel a bit scruffy if I didn't wear make up.

The reason I do it is because quite frankly, I look better when I do.

I am have auburn hair naturally, so even though I have long thick lashes, they cannot be seen unless I wear mascara. Need help with my eyebrows too, especially since they are now microbladed.

On top of that, I have rosacea, so I wear makeup to even out my skin tone. I wear quite a natural look but I do like to enhance my features when I go out to dinner with my partner or drinks with my friends.

And most of all, I enjoy it. I enjoy looking at it, buying it, putting it on and displaying it on my dresser.

I wear a full face every day. I had really bad acne in my teenage years and was horribly bullied about it. I am left with some scarring although I'm told by the very few people who have seen my bare bace that it's not as bad as I think it is. If I was to leave the house without it I would instantly feel like that child being bullied all over again and feel people were staring and laughing although my adult self knows that isn't true I would still feel that way. Its my mask in both ways

Congrats, you're totally not like other girls

I very much doubt you need help to understand why some people prefer to wear makeup to leave the house

Among all the other reasons mentioned...

Because women are exposed to literally thousands of images from birth of beautiful women with flawless skin and enhanced facial features, with or without makeup, and this has increased tenfold with the Internet, and beauty is a billion dollar industry that is an incredibly well oiled machine at inventing new 'problems' to fix in order to sell product. Because newspapers and magazines deliberately seek out unflattering pictures of celebrity women's faces and skin in order to sell newspapers, solidifying the belief that if you look like these women there's something wrong you need to fix. People bully you at school for your face, your skin. There are men and women out there who will openly discuss how someone's skin looks horrible, or doesn't so and so look ill cos she's so pale etc.

... you know, capitalism and patriarchy?

I would look like Night of the Living Dead if I didn't wear make up.

Other than a couple of hospital stays I've worn make up every day since 1979.