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Original poster

Anyone else given up make-up?

49 replies

lazylinguist · 13/09/2019 11:01

I wore foundation pretty much every single day for 30 years. Started as a teenager to hide adolescent skin, continued as an adult because I was pale, thought I had a poor complexion and had got used to thinking I needed to wear it.

I know plenty of women who don't wear it, and finally realised that if I don't think they look crap without it, why do I think I do? It took me a week, and now I look in the mirror at my own unmade-up face without thinking "Ugh!".

It's pretty liberating, but I feel kind of sad that it's taken me this long. I know some people enjoy choosing, wearing and putting on make-up, and that's great, but I didn't. I found it a chore and used it to make me look 'acceptable'.

Anyone else ditched it?

OP posts:
RezCowgirl · 13/09/2019 11:10

I've not given up makeup entirely but I've stopped using foundation. I think it's pretty pointless as it just dulls the skin and makes it really flat so you have to add contour, highlighter and bronzer just to look normal again. I stick to just the things that compliment like mascara and blush. Even then that isn't every day.

thecatsthecats · 13/09/2019 11:11

Sort of.

I went through an incredibly stressful period at work, where I didn't even have five minutes in the morning to do my usual mascara/eyeliner/tinted moisturiser.

I now do that for important meetings, and do 'proper' make up for occasions. Not so keen on the feeling on skin make up any more.

I find that my worst 'look' is tired and badly nourished, which always brings out spots and my dark circles are semi permanent.

sweetiepie1979 · 13/09/2019 11:12

No I dont do this.... it I think you are inspiring me..... I actually hate foundation..... so do you wear eye make up?

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DementorsKiss · 13/09/2019 11:12

I only wear mascara unless on a special night out when I might stretch to a bit of eye shadow & lipstick but I have good skin.

I really think that no matter the skin no foundation looks so so much better than the orange over done look.

YorkieTheRabbit · 13/09/2019 11:15

I’ve not worn any makeup at all for some time. Mascara and tinted lipgloss now counts as made up for me.
Like you, I wore foundation every day for years but the last time I did a full face of makeup I thought I looked odd, just not me.

I might look at an occasional tinted moisturiser in winter but if I don’t find a decent colour, (they always look orange or pink) then I’ll not bother. Smile

timshelthechoice · 13/09/2019 11:15

I haven't worn foundation in about 20 years. ALL face makeup breaks me out in huge cystic spots so I completely ditched it about 5 years ago and never looked back. I do use mascara and lippy but that's it. I prefer having clear skin.

Original poster
lazylinguist · 13/09/2019 11:19

So do you wear eye make up?

No. I rarely wore eye make-up though (partly because it tends to irritate my eyes and smudge). For me it was all about making my skin look ok - I wore foundation, concealer, powder and lipstick.

I quit foundation but at first 'allowed' myself to use a bit of concealer. But as I got used to my bare face, I stopped using that too. I slept really badly last night, but am wearing nothing but moisturiser (and clothes Grin) today. And... the mirror did not crack and people didn't stare at me in the street! Smile

In fact, I actually wonder if anyone I know (apart from dh, because I told him) would even notice that I'm not wearing make-up any more!

OP posts:
BeepBeeep · 13/09/2019 11:22

I never wore foundation or powder. I've rarely worn make up in the last 20 or so years, except for special occasions, then it's just a bit of mascara, eyeshadow and eyeliner, which is all I ever wore when I did wear it, which wasn't daily.
I can't stand lipstick and stuff like that.
Strangely, my daughter's are pretty much the same.

Original poster
lazylinguist · 13/09/2019 11:23

It's probably less noticeable on me, because I always aimed not to look 'made-up', but to just make my skin look natural and more even. For someone who normally wears lots of eye make-up, or bright lipstick, it would be a much more obvious change to go bare-faced. Not necessarily a change for the worse though!

OP posts:
Alabasterangel6 · 13/09/2019 11:25

Same!! started when I had a light tan from holiday early summer and I somehow felt that meant I could do without foundation. The tan disappeared fast, but I swapped my moisturiser for one with a very very small amount of self tan in. Just enough to even out my complexion.

On a normal day (school run, work from home or local office) I do nothing now.

Meetings I would put a sweep of Matt bronzer/blush (a pale one with no glittery bits) and mascara.

For anything else (night out, meal out whatever) is just add a thin sweep of upper lid liner and use a slightly more volume mascara.

I feel liberated. My mornings are my own and my skin feels better for breathing I am sure!

Frith2013 · 13/09/2019 11:26

I’ve never worn any make up.

RefuseTheLies · 13/09/2019 11:27

I’m 40 and I started wearing make up when I was 15. I stopped 4 years ago when my mum died not long after I’d had my daughter. Grieving plus newborn meant I gave zero fucks about make up.

I now can’t bear the feeling of anything other than moisturiser on my skin and get actively grumpy if I have to wear make up (nights out, special events etc).

I do look worse without it but I can’t say that it bothers me particularly.

longtimelurkerfirsttimeposter · 13/09/2019 11:31

I used to wear makeup to work every day. Then towards the middle of my first pregnancy I just couldn't be bothered and preferred the extra time in bed!
I still prefer the extra time in bed and will only wear makeup on special occasions.
Same with straightening my hair. I just can't be bothered anymore whereas I used to do it every day.

Original poster
lazylinguist · 13/09/2019 11:35

I do look worse without it but I can’t say that it bothers me particularly.

I sort of feel like that, but at the same time I'm not at all objectively sure that my made-up self really looks better. It used to look better to me but I'm almost beginning to like the look of my natural skin. Shock The more I get used to seeing myself, the more normal and fine it looks. I didn't expect that to happen- I thought I'd grin and bear it for a bit, then fall off the wagon and go back to the foundation.

OP posts:
Spanielmadness · 13/09/2019 11:36

I stopped about maybe 8 years ago. When I was around 30. I’ve never been able to do eyeliner and shadow and my face would go very oily with foundation, so then I’d have to put more powder on.

I used to be terrified of anyone seeing me without makeup (used to hide from boyfriends under the bedclothes or behind a towel). All it does is make you think you look worse than you actually do without it.

Give it a few weeks and you’ll be fine. I never even think about it now.

Fozzleyplum · 13/09/2019 11:42

I stopped wearing foundation on holiday this year and have not gone back to it. I was using only a small amount of light textured foundation only on the centre of my face ( it has to be light and perfectly colour matched to get away with this). Now, I just use moisturiser with a drop of self tan, then put on blusher, eyeliner and mascara.

I hate to see the "edge" of foundation, so ditching it solves that! I also tend to wear hats when it's very sunny or in the winter, and foundation can rub off on the band.

Original poster
lazylinguist · 13/09/2019 11:42

I used to be terrified of anyone seeing me without makeup

Me too. I was less like that after I got married, because it's pretty hard to avoid your husband ever seeing you without make-up! But I wouldn't have gone out of the house unmade-up until very recently unless I was going out for a run.

OP posts:
Wexone · 13/09/2019 11:55

I don't ear as much as i used to but i discovered Charlotte tilbury flawless Filter. I mix it now with some CC cream not as heavy as foundation but gives you a nice glow and every one compliments me on my skin now, Its amazzing and have all my friends converted now
Haven't given up on make completley as i do love the different looks you can create and enjoy putting it one on my rare nights out. Each to their own do what ever makes you happy and feel comfortable

cinders15 · 13/09/2019 12:15

I haven't worn makeup for some years now apart from occasionally some mascara and lipstick/gloss
But I use moisturiser every day, and get my eyebrows tinted and shaped regularly, and dye my eyelashes

RavenLG · 13/09/2019 12:55

I'm currently trying this but still at the, oh god I look awful stage after weeks. I always have huge dark circles, spotty nose a chin. But then I'm suffering with massive MH issues atm and never leave the house so it might be if I got into some sunlight it might help lol.

I've found foundation doesn't sit well on my skin anymore, if I do have to use something it's a CC cream for super light coverage or a BB cream for a slightly more substatial coverage.

Honestly I think it's more not wearing eyeliner and mascara that's doing it for me, I've rocked the winged eyeliner look for so long I look weird without a wing lol!

Original poster
lazylinguist · 13/09/2019 13:02

Yy to getting some sunlight! Good for the spirits as well as the body. Hoping you feel better soon, RavenLG and I bet you look better than you think you do. Flowers

OP posts:
Oldraver · 13/09/2019 13:04

I've never really bothered with make up and certainly not foundation for every day, maybe just going out or special days.

I had to buy some new last year as the one I had was years old about 10, as I hadn't worn it in so long. I was going through some bad skin times and thought I needed something to just give me a uniform look.

I have to say though that I thought it made my skin look very dull, and it just didnt look like me.Think I'll stick with my broken veins and such

izzybobsmum · 13/09/2019 13:07

I recently read Lindy West's book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, and whilst it didn't actually give me the idea outright, it made me start thinking about why I was actually wearing make-up everyday. I realised I somehow felt obligated to wear it.

So I just stopped - went totally cold turkey. And I absolutely love not having to put it on. My skin feels cleaner and looks in better condition. I don't have to spend half an hour every night cleaning it all off. When I'm on my computer at work and I rub my eyes with tiredness, I don't have a load of make-up smudged around my face!

I do wear a bit sometimes - mainly mascara and a tinted lip gloss - but it's been so liberating that I really feel I will never go back to the way I was before. And not one person has commented on me not wearing it...

MINItrawler · 13/09/2019 13:09

Not 100% as I get my brows tinted when I get them threaded. But other than that yes.

Cheap make up looks awful. I couldn't afford the expensive stuff. So I just stopped and it was okay. Nobody cared.

teenagetantrums · 13/09/2019 13:14

I stopped when l left an office job and stayed at home with kids for a while. Now 15 years on I hardly ever wear make now. Maybe a couple of times a year for formal events everyone always comments now when l wear makeup that l look later bleu. But to go eat l can't be asses and my job now is not one where you can wear make up really. I'm happier with no makeup