To find make-up weird

I definitely disagree on foundation. In photos, yes it can, but in person under natural light it's so visible – as a pp said, it highlights any peach down, it so often looks like a mask has been applied, it shows up any lines or wrinkles, and can smudge or not be blended well at the edges, or be slightly the wrong colour or undertone, and if a person has acne it just looks unhealthy as their pores need to be able to breathe and be exposed to fresh air, not clogged up with gunk. It evens out the skin, yes, but at a cost.

I don't think the kohl improves their eyes though? It makes them more visible from a distance, yes, but at a normal social distance it's just distracting and draws the eye away from the pupil and iris. If anything, ringing one's eyes with kohl like that makes them look smaller, and overwhelms the person's eye.
On a purely subjective level, both people there would be more pleasant and engaging to look at without the eye make-up, and I also think objectively, their eyes themselves would stand out more during conversation.

I think it depends on what type of foundation you’re using and your application method tbf.

lots of foundations are now more like tinted moisturisers. Less is more. Obviously everyone will have their own way of doing their own makeup but heavy cakey foundation is most definitely out when it comes to makeup trends.

I disagree

more men would wear make up if people genuinely looked better with it.

i have never met anyone I thought looked better made up 🤷‍♀️I can appreciate make up, and that people look good with it, but better? No.

Thats true – but if it's transparent enough to let the skin come through properly, then it's not hiding the blemishes people want to hide so there's no point, and if it covers the blemishes it invariably flattens the face's colouring unnaturally, doesn't match the skin's undertone quite right, is often too dewy, and just doesn't look any better in person, imo. It looks like a product sitting on the skin, masking it, because it is. Which is fine – but not better.

I don't think it's the weirdest thing humans do tbh.
I very rarely wear makeup. I used to wear a lot. I'm just as happy with my appearance as I was then.

Your pores don’t breathe

I didn't think I'd have to qualify that with 'figuratively, not literally'. It's a turn of phrase!

What I meant (I thought, obviously) was that when one has clogged pores, it doesn't help to plaster the skin with paste, and it often just exacerbates the issue, creating a vicious cycle. It helps more to have the skin cleaned, uncovered, and exposed to fresh air (or I suppose treated with a medicated patch, perhaps) than to be covered in foundation. And it doesn't look any better, objectively speaking, having obvious inflamed pimple bumps being covered up by foundation. Just different.

Why do people get so judgey about people wearing makeup? I don’t care who does or doesn’t. Why do we paint houses? Have choices of car colours, different cuts of trousers, dresses etc? People like and suit different things. Nobody suits a judgemental attitude. I will continue to wear makeup because I don’t personally ally like having rosacea and scars, small eyes with and lashes and no eyebrows which disappear on my face and a round baby face. That’s my choice.

I'm sorry you don't like your face. That's actually really sad. If make up makes you feel better that's good, but it's a shame you think your face needs to be changed and hidden in the first place.

What I don't like is the way people keep saying women look awful without make up, or much better with it. It's so misogynistic. People just look different with or without make up, not better or worse! Besides, a woman's purpose isn't to look ornamental anyway. But thinking that someone looks 'better' with make up is generally just sexist socialisation.

I agree with all of that BUT I have just been catching up with MasterChef 2026 and Anna Haugh's skin is honestly beautiful. I know she's been 'glowed' but whatever it is, it works.

And it's ok to wear make up and it's ok not to. That's the point.

I do think on the stage and screen, harsh lights can wash a person out, and make up works great then to make them look themselves in spite of the lighting! But yes, as you say, either wearing make up or not is fine! Generally speaking, neither is objectively better looking than the other.

Vanity means excessive pride in your appearance, abilities or achievements. If you think yoir appearance is better when it’s fake, that is direct opposite of vanity.

i’ve never come across a man who i don’t think is infinitely more attractive with some guyliner. it’s just an aesthetic that i find appealing. I also think lots of tattoos and some piercings looks great. I think
long hair is beautiful on men. We all have preferences and those are mine. yours are different ans that is absolutely fine too.

Of course. My point is exactly that – that despite what people have said on this thread, wearing make-up doesn't make a person look objectively better. It's just a subjective (frequently socialised) preference.

I find makeup fascinating. How different products can be used to completely change how someone looks is very clever. I was a goth many years ago and used to spend hours on my makeup, painting the most elaborate eyes and lips. I had so much stuff I needed a toolbox to store it in. Nowadays I used very little but still enjoy the process of putting it on.

Each to their own.

It depends how good your natural skin is. My face is lots of different colours so I look better with foundation even if you can see the foundation. Also, it's not 'gunk'.

This!! I often what life would be loke without the beauty industry telling us what we need to look like(not disputing there are a lot of jobs)

This. I find this weird. I just dont really wear it any more, i cant be bothered. Men dont magically look better than women, they have eye bags etc just as much, we are just used to how they look without it and could get used to women too.

Having not worn it myself for years i now find some heavily made up women garish or clown like to look at.

I don’t mind make up as long as you don’t look like the make up is wearing you, but a touch here and there to hide the blemishes and make you look a bit more awake is a good thing. I can’t stand nail polish though. I hate the look and feel of it.

I might start walking round with a banana hanging out of my mouth, in that case 🍌😀 Possibly a couple of plums too 🤔

It might be weird but I love it even as I've got old.
I still love expermenting and trying out new looks,colours and textures.
To me its fun, like trying out new fashion trends. I wear it if im in the house alone all day so its not done gor other people.
I like looking at tik tok or Instagram for new techniques.
Im 61 and not ready to put the slap down yet!!

You think you look better, which is fine! But everyone's face has different colours, and some redness or dark circles etc are normal – perfectly even skin tone isn't the norm at all. And I don't think that covering your skin up under a layer of opaque paint looks 'better' than natural, blotchy skin does – it just looks different, and whether it's better or worse is all subjective.

But I don't think it's healthy that people feel their faces aren't good enough to show the world without being hidden and altered. It's not 'make up as expressive art' when used that way, it's 'my face isn't good enough to inflict on people'. That's really very sad.

"don't think that covering your skin up under a layer of opaque paint looks 'better' than natural, blotchy skin does – it just looks different, and whether it's better or worse is all subjective."

A particular place and time will have commonly-agreed preferences though.
If my photo with or without makeup was shown to 100 people, most would prefer with foundation so I look better (to most people) with it.