Women who don’t wear makeup, what do you honestly think about women who do?

[ifigoup]

I wear makeup every day apart from rare days when I’m not going to be leaving the house at all. In my line of work, it’s more common for women not to wear makeup than to wear it, and I often wonder what those women who don’t wear it think of me. (I have almost zero interest in what men think about women’s choices of makeup, dress etc.)

When I see women not wearing makeup, I occasionally think, “Gosh, she looks a bit tired”, or “Her skin looks a bit sore”, but my overwhelming thought is either nothing whatsoever, or vague jealousy at women who can put their public “work” selves on without feeling the need to wear makeup.

I don’t wear super-heavy makeup, but you’d definitely know I was wearing it: I like a 50s style with winged eyeliner etc., and sometimes bright lipstick. It’s part of my “look”, and I feel a bit naked without it.

That said, I do realise it’s not unproblematic that I feel unfinished without it on. It bothers me that I know I objectively look better with it (because if I ever don’t wear my signature eyeliner, for example, people always ask if I’m feeling ill). It bothers me that men are allowed to look as shit and haggard as they like and nobody suggests they should pretty themselves up, yet women who look shit and haggard often become objects of pity.

If you’re a woman who never or rarely wears makeup, what do you think of women who always do? My assumption is that you either don’t care, or that you probably feel a bit sorry for us for having to put “war paint” on to face the world. Or maybe you feel like women who wear makeup are a bit superficial.

But am I wrong? Do you actually feel intimidated, or suspect makeup wearers are judging you for not wearing it? Or something else entirely?

(I know this sounds a bit like stuff a journo would ask, but I promise I’m not the Daily Mail and am just curious in my own right.)

Not much! Sometimes shave leg and underarm hair. I do get my hair dyed, but not very frequently and to cover up grey hair that I've had from quite a young age. That's it. And if it were socially acceptable I wouldn't bother with the leg shaving.

I don't care. When it's used naturally, I might think how nice and put together someone looks. But when it's a more obvious I might feel sorry for the person who feels they need to wear so much. I'm not intimidated in any way, but I might feel uncomfortable looking at them because, well, to me make up looks uncomfortable to wear. Mostly I'm relieved I don't need to spend so much money and I can just feel comfortable in my skin.

I wax face hair but that’s it, the odd bit of trimming with the ick scissors when it’s too too long but my dp has never said anything so I don’t bother

I don't do body grooming either, not in years anyway, but occasionally I'll get my eyebrows threaded as a treat because mine are bit wild and having a bit of shape actually does make me feel a bit prettier.

I dye my hair and shave bodily hair but a don't wear make up and haven't done so for many years.
One of my best friends (similar age, old!) always looks immaculately made up. Neither of us cares how the other looks.

I feel a bit sorry for heavily made up orange people. Other than that I don't care. I don't do hair removal (apart from pits in the summer) and I'm going grey happily.

I wear it occasionally when I do people tell me how lovely I look.

I then think, its false, as it is the make-up, I'm not that pretty. When I do wear it, feel better in myself, more confident. I wished I felt like that not wearing it.

So if anything, I envy people not giving a flying fuck and never wearing it.

If you normally wear make up, when wouldn't you wear it? I could imagine not going to the trouble if l wasn't feeling well or if I'd overslept. Those would definitely be occasions when a comment about looking ill or tired would be justified and not have much too do with the lack of make-up IYSWIM.

I don't wear make up - I hate the feel of it on my skin, can't even put lip balm on.

I don't give a shit what anybody else does and rarely notice make up on other women unless it is really OTT (eyebrows, fake tan usually)

I shave occasionally, I dye my hair every so often too.

I don’t care at all! I watched that make up competition programme on tv recently with my make up loving daughter, and was fascinated by their creations. I don’t look down on, or up to people because of what they choose to use.

I know i’d look far better with make up on. These are my reasons for not wearing it

1. I’ve got really dry skin, which looks crusty if I try to put on foundation
2. I’m very short sighted and can’t see what I’m doing
3. My eyes are sensitive, and water a lot if I wear make up
4. When I put it on, all I can think of is taking it off.

Its probably best I steer well clear, but I did buy a moisturiser that promised to give me a subtle glow, I think Helen Mirren advertised it. When I opened the box it was bright salmon pink. I haven’t dared to wear it, and it cost a fortune 🙁.

I feel rather sorry for people who are so obsessed with appearance that they waste so much valuable time on make up etc that could be spent doing something far more interesting or important.
Personally I think women look far nicer and more natural without any make up. Just wash your skin and let it have some fresh air and sunlight.

I have never worn much make up just a bit of mascara now and then.
I can appreciate people who've applied make up naturally or to achieve a look like the OP.I also notice young people who have plastered a perfect painted face on,who are never seen without it and feel a bit sad.

I love the process of putting on makeup - I really enjoy it. Nothing nicer than getting ready for a night out and having a glass of wine and taking my time to put makeup on.

I even enjoy the quick 10 minutes makeup time before work. I accept I may be odd.

I don’t have any of those feelings about it the only time I’d give more than a millisecond of thought to it is if I found the makeup very badly applied or extremely heavy as I think you can’t help but notice that but I don’t spend time judging them and thinking about it though I just move on with whatever I was doing

@MrsCollinssettled every day for me. Unless I'm going to the gym or riding. I did my makeup at 7am the day after spinal surgery

I dont wear make up 95% of the time because i am too lazy to get up early enough to do it i like to wear make up for a night out or party for example but think i look acceptable without it. I dont often think about what other women do with regard to wearing make up . I have a friend who wears it if we meet for an early morning run , and to me that is a bit of a waste of time as she will presumably shower after and have to reapply but that could just be me being lazy!!

Mostly nothing but sometimes how the heck do they find the time/money/effort

I do think that if you always wear make up then people come to expect it and you look odd without it. So I prefer a default bare face and just wearing make up on special occasions.

I don't wear makeup. I don't think I really notice it on other people, it's not something I think about much. Lots of people do and lots don't, so it's not surprising either way. I guess I'm more likely to notice if someone I know switches from one to the other.

If I think about it I can't really understand the mindset of feeling you need to paint your face, I never have so it seems pretty alien to me. But then lots of things people do seem alien to me, I've pretty much resigned myself to the only other sane person being DH, and he's borderline at times. As long as they're nice friendly aliens.

Agree with the 99% don't notice / don't care crowd.

Just to add - I really really doubt you "objectively look better" when wearing make up. What is much more likely is that because you wear make up everyday you, and people who know you, are used to your face with make up. So when you don't wear it, you look noticeably different, and in the majority of humans that registers and we categorise it as a negative change.

I don’t wear make-up. I think women who do are better-organised than me.

After being laughed at and called ugly several times by strange adult men (in different situations), I wore makeup absolutely religiously until after I had my second child. Now I'm just too tired/don't care after my third and it's so much more freeing. I think the other mother's I see who do wear makeup must be much mo e better organised than me!

I don’t wear it. I was really shocked when everyone did those ‘no make up selfies’ a few years back just how many of my friends did wear make up and I’d never noticed. It’s not something I really think about, to be honest. I don’t judge people by what they look like and I don’t expect people to judge me either, which is why I don’t really care what I look like!

I don't really notice who wears make up and who doesn't unless it's really obvious like thick eyeliner or bright red lips. My skin hates make up and it doesn't suit me so when I notice that someone is wearing it I usually secretly feel a bit jealous that they can do it

Do women who wear it everyday judge us women who never do?

I don't care, generally.

But I do have a colleague, lovely person, in her 60s, really pretty, who wears thick eyeliner top and bottom. I struggle to understand how she can stand in front of a mirror and think 'that looks nice' rather than 'I look like a panda'.

Each to their own! I like seeing how different people do their make-up. I particularly like those that look like they’re not wearing any at all. Not keen on really heavy slap you sometimes see. I don’t envy the cost of make-up!