Make up on the train: get up ten mins earlier

Judgy. You don’t know anything about their set up at home or what else they are having to go through in a morning. If anything they're probably just about keeping it together. Let them do their make-up on the train if that’s what works for them. I am much more irritated by people getting the laptops out and starting work before they've even got to the office.

My morning, up at a quarter past 6, drop husband to train, then home to get lunches ready, make sure kids have had showers and have eaten breakfast and are ready, then two different school runs then work for me. Most times I don’t get to the make up stage. If I had a train journey I’d so do it then!

AMillionTomorrows

Make up is stupid.

I have roseacea, make up turns me into a non red human, it also hides dark circles, for other people acne and grey skin. If people don’t like it fair enough but I love it!

Well, if you're not sitting next to anyone, then it's impossible. But in OP's case, someone was. Hence why she didn't like it.

If there were no single seats available and you had to sit beside someone, would you still apply the make up? If not, not a problem. If you would, I suppose that runs the risk that you would accidentally elbow or spray someone.

Genuinely surprised at all the judgy comments on this thread. I really don’t see putting on make-up as some shameful action that can only be done in private. I do occasionally do my make up on the train when something interrupts my usual routine, or I need to get in much earlier than usual. I get on my train early when the carrriage is empty; it takes me a little over 10 minutes and I’m done well before the carriage starts to fill up. I genuinely don’t see how that should offend anybody.

That said, people who are inconsiderate on trains regularly annoy me - and the person sitting next to OP was definitely that. But it is not nearly as annoying as those watching TiKTok etc without headphones, having loud conversations on speaker phone, and men who take up half your space as well as their own as if it is their right.

How would I jostle somebody? I’m not waving my arms around. And I certainly take up less space than those eating their breakfast spreads.

But more importantly:

Nobody sat next to me. I usually prefer the single seat row when I travel alone.

I love watching and judging covertly. There's always a point when they should stop but continue to slap it on. Usually poor contouring when they start drawing brown stripes everywhere

God no, I love watching women put makeup on!

I love seeing what they use, how they do it, which products they will be scraping the very last of. It feels a bit like getting to know them - you learn what they really think of their faces!

I'm someone who does put makeup on at home, and wishes she did more so I think that's part of it. It's how I found out most people apply foundation/concealer with a brush or sponge and not their fingers (game changer!).

I am both fascinated and revolted. I'm fascinated by the inevitably grubby make up bag that comes out and the yucky look of all the products, plus the gurning for lipstick and mascara application. I'm also intrigued at the shamelessness of it.

I'm revolted because it just seems so grubby and dirty to me to put make up on when using public transport with your dirty hands. But I accept that those are my hygiene issues and clearly no one ever died from using dirty fingers to put make up on.

I regularly do my makeup at work as well. Especially when I want a slightly “fuller” face. But I just wear mascara and lipstick on some days (no important clients, court dates etc.) which I apply on the train quite frequently.

Well, it's possible if not probable that the person sitting next to OP would have sworn blind she wasn't elbowing or spraying anyone either.

Why would someone complain about a person opening a drink's can next to them unless they got sprayed with the contents? (In which case I would expect to see a thread on that!)

Ditto for the newspaper - although certainly on my commutes (all over the country), it's so rare these days to see people reading a physical newspaper, I imagine that's one of the reasons there aren't more threads started by people being jostled.

On the other hand, I've seen plenty of threads about the general crapness of the male sex, including the constant manspreading and casual taking up of space on public transport.

On this occasion however, it was about make-up application and someone by sprayed and elbowed by an inconsiderate passenger. I don't think it necessarily means the OP has internalised misogyny. I imagine she'd have been equally annoyed by a bloke applying make up and elbowing or spraying her.

I have a one hour commute. I regularly apply sunscreen on the train.
And I often apply mascara and lipstick on the train as well.

I am not jostling anyone, my makeup doesn’t emit strong scents or odours and I’m not spritzing anything or anybody. What’s the issue?

Ok so what are your thoughts about people who do their make up and DON'T use face sprays and puff powders into their air etc and don't leave marks on tables?

I put my makeup on using a handheld magnifying mirror. Have done for years.

Totally agree with you.
I used to do one actually at work when I lived in a hot country as I would look a sweaty mess by the time I arrived otherwise. But on the train is for reading a book, drinking a coffee or looking out the window.

I apply my mascara on the train, only because my eyes are really sensitive in the morning, especially in the summer or very cold weather. By the time I get off the train my eyes are ‘settled’. I could do it at work but as I’m on the train for 45 minutes I might as well use the time. I wouldn’t apply anything else, and would never spray anything. I keep my small bag on my lap or the table and lean away from the person next to me.

I used to do this back in the 1980s on my way to work on the tube. I went to the gym before work, then got on the tube and did my make up on the journey. Just eyeshadow and mascara and I didn't do any elbow jabbing or spray products anywhere.

I like watching people apply makeup so as long as they didn't elbow jab me I wouldn't be bothered.

In itself putting make up on on a train is a non issue, and not an unreasonable thing to do. We all know that many women have a lot of pressures on their time, and 10 mins can be extremely precious.

Many things much worse.

Taking up two seats or spraying you in the face is unreasonable though.

"Affronted". Nice try.

I suggest you actually READ my post, and many others on here.

Sorry if people's actual experience doesn't tally with your ideology.

Behaviour does impact others - but some people choose to be in denial about this because it suits their selfishness.

I was once discreetly doing make up
on a bus. I’d chosen a double seat miles away from anyone. A woman came and sat next to me. Fair enough. She squashed me a bit (I’m tiny she wasn’t) but fair enough. She then started tutting at me doing my make up. I ignored her. I then accidentally dropped something so I apologised and politely asked sorry can I just get that.
She snapped at me “oh for gods sake there is such a thing as getting up earlier to do your make up you know!!!”
I was so shocked.
I calmly replied.
”thanks for that advice. I’ve been up since 5.30. I’ve been for a run, I’ve got two children ready including a baby, I’ve dropped one a school one at nursery and I’m now on my way, slightly late, to my full time job. So I got up early but not quite early enough apparently. But yeah, I’ll bear that in mind for next time’
she adopted a face like a cats bum. When I got off (politely saying excuse me this is my stop) I told her ‘I hope you have a lovely day’
you never know why someone is applying make up on a train so mind your own business.

I occasionally apply make up on the train (which takes me about 3 minutes as I don't wear a lot) but when I do, I do feel quite embarrassed about it. I'm not sure why though. It's obvious when someone is wearing make up; but somehow seeing someone put it on feels jarring. Is it because it feel like a personal thing? Or is it because we don't want to acknowledge publicly that we are wearing make up at all? I realise that doesn't make much sense since it's obvious when people are wearing it.... anyway, I've often thought about why I feel uncomfortable about it when I do it. I don't care if others do it BTW.

It makes me uncomfortable to watch because their makeup brushes generally look filthy (squashed in a makeup bag with the rest of the makeup looking rarely washed) and if you're on the train you can't wash your hands and you face is already dirty from pollution etc, so you do your makeup with dirty hands on a dirty face... None of my business, but I'm a bit of a germophobe and it makes me uncomfortable!

If everyone complained about people opening cans of drink next to them and elbows bumping them when the person next to them opened a newspaper, I would agree with you. But they never do. We often get make up ones though and most of them don’t even involve setting spray or elbows.

Getting up 10 minutes earlier wouldn't have helped much then.