How often do you wear make-up? Poll

[noblegiraffe]

Having a chat with a group of friends I was surprised at how many of them said they never wore make-up or only special occasions, and not to work. I assumed that not wearing make-up was quite rare, so I’m interested in a wider sample to see if my friends are odd! It’s hard to come up with every option so please pick the closest answer.

I’m interested in answers from women so if you’re male and want to see poll answers please click the male option!

I only wear it when its convenient to apply.

Im getting up at 5 am - too dark to be applying and unless when I finish work Im re-showering and doing my hair, I no longer bother

It’s just a part of my daily routine, like getting washed and dressed. I feel so much more confident and ready to face the world with my ‘face’ on!

As my (very unPC!) 90yo DM says.. ‘there’s no such thing as ugly women, just lazy women’ 🤣

As a teen ( way back in the 70's ) I wouldn't have even gone to the shop at the end of the road without a full face on

Then in my 20's I took a job where we were told, unless you could keep the face looking perfect all day, only using your lunch break for a wee touch up - dont bother. So I didnt bother and I stopped wearing make up other then socially

Then in my 30's I stopped bothering cos socialising then was rare, was usually with husband and kids and life was far too busy

I came back to make up last year and whilst Im enjoying the rituals , if I dont have time, I dont bother ( 60 now )

I can't see the poll on the app, but have replied

I do own it but never wear the stuff. Have no idea when I last applied it.

I've worn it once this year. I went to a special event with my DS and wanted to dress up. DS also wore makeup and looked better than me 😀

My minimum is eyeliner and lipstick.
Normal is foundation, blusher, mascara, eyeshadow as well.
Night out is just apply it all with more care!

Every day unless poorly or staying in.

I look and feel better with it. I don't wear a lot.

What do you do????

Only for a night out. CBA day to day.

I voted usually when leaving the house but that’s not accurate. I’m between that and the one that says not for work as I often do wear make up for work.
I do leave the house without make up on though!
So I always wear it if I’m going anywhere special such as a night out or meeting friends for coffee.
I usually wear some sort of make up for work, we have a dress code too so no casual clothes.
However if I’m going for a walk, or the gym then no I don’t wear any make up at all. Or if I’m getting up and going shopping or to my parents, then I don’t wear any make up at all.
So basically sometimes I wear it other times I don’t!

I'm surprised that you are surprised - particularly in your job.

I've never worn make up to work in all the jobs I've had over more than 4 decades.

I will wear a bit for a wedding or a really "out out" type of night out.

My impression is that the majority of women at my work wear some make up, at least. Maybe I need to study them more closely to check!

Thinking about the women I work with I’d say it’s roughly 50/50 but I always assumed a couple didn’t wear make up until I actually saw them without make up.
I wear more make up for work than I used to do. I also wear less in summer when I have a bit of a tan.

Most days, but differently depending upon what I'm doing.

I meet a group of women a couple of times a month for a hobby. I put some on then as everyone else seems to wear it , other than that , extremely rarely .

I used to wear it every day in work. I'm retired now so rarely bother. Only if I'm going out for a special occasion, and even then I might not wear any.

What made a huge difference was I got my brows microbladed and eyeliner tattooed so I don't really need make up.

Sorry, far too outing to say

I wonder if this is a bit self selecting. I was a bit surprised by that myself... but then, I work in the corporate world, clients in the City, lots of lawyers, bankers, consultants etc. So I suspect the vast bulk of women I work with wear make up regularly and so that made me, like you, think most women wear make up for work

But of course, people working in these jobs are not, in fact, the majority. There are loads of other women working in jobs that are less corporate and more likely to therefore wear no make up. Thinking about it, just with women I've interacted with over the last few days/weeks while they are working - the nurses who were looking after DD last time we were at the hospital weren't, I don't think, wearing make up. The staff at Sainsburys when I did my shopping might not have been wearing make up (I'm not sure but I definitely feel like many weren't). I feel like some of the teachers at school do, and some don't. At the vet yesterday, the receptionist was but I don't think the vet was. The young woman who served me coffee at the gym on the weekend was, I think, but the young women at reception, I THINK wasn't...

I think everyone, men and women, have days when they look flat, dull, lifeless. For me, I agre, those are often days I'm likely to wear make up, even if I'm just at home alone. And I've long felt that creating a culture where men can, if they want, put a bit more effort on this wouldn't be a bad thing. Frankly, DH could really do with a bit of a primer and a more advanced skin routine - but at least I've got him moisterising. So I'm on the right track!

We have a nephew who is young, and funky and edgy and him and many of his friends wear a bit of make up sometimes. I've been interested to see how this is evolving.

This is so subjective, though. What does 'better' or 'fresher' mean? If it's so important why aren't most men also wearing make up? Why doesn't matter if they look pale or tired?

Hmm, to be honest they mainly just look like themselves with makeup on. HOWEVER they do look better in pictures and maybe this drives it.

There's a flattening, broadening effect of photographs so maybe upping the contrast on your face is a good idea in this case. Maybe soon filters will get good enough that you can just add the makeup directly on the image and not bother (although I think makeup can be really fun and creative and a wonderful art form - I just don't think that's what my friends who feel they must put mascara on to go to Tesco or they will be carted off to the morgue are engaging in).

In normal life I'm not looking at pictures of people, or inspecting their face closely at all- I'm looking at the actual people - and so the whole countenance of the person is what I'm experiencing. Their physical body in space - their clothes, sure, but also their laughter, their expressions, their vibe is much much more what I notice or remember. I get that makeup is meant to enhance this - I just don't think it's that effective.

Obviously of course some people look utterly strange in makeup - sort of doll faces painted on - but I don't think that's what we're talking about here. I just mean reasonably ordinary looking women who swear blind that if they don't draw eyebrows on their face every day nobody will know they are alive, and at the same time that nobody can tell they are doing it. It's a really interesting headspace, that I'm NOT judging - I've got plenty of my own contradictory headspaces!! - but I am puzzled by.

Grew up in the 70s and 80s when everybody wore makeup, even the blokes among my friends - the whole New Romantic/Goth thing. Took me 20 minutes to do whole concealer, foundation, elaborate eye makeup, lipstick, set lipstick, powder etc.

When changed career in my late 20s I fathomed out that these people didn't know me, so it didn't matter whether I wore makeup or not. Very public facing job. Since then I haven't worn makeup daytime or to work. I wear concealer under eyes, mascara and sometimes lipstain to go 'out - out'.

Also, even the 'for mature skin' foundation is aging if you have any kind of wrinkles or creases on your face.

I’m late 50s and own no make up . I used to wear mascara & eyeliner when I was teens and early 20s but stopped doing that and haven’t used any since . I’ve also never had my hair coloured or highlighted .

I wear very light makeup more often than I don't. It takes 5 minutes....concealer, mascara, a bit of blush, tinted lip balm... sometimes eyeliner. I just feel better when I have it on.

I always wear makeup when I'm working in the office, or if I'm going out to meet friends etc. But I'm not wearing any today as I'm working from home and often at the weekend I'll just be going to the supermarket and the gym so I don't bother then either. I maybe wear it 4 days a week and don't bother for the other 3?

I would say for the women in my office, more wear makeup than don't but I've had to think about it so it's not something that really stands out. It's interesting to see the poll results and great that people should do whatever makes them feel best.