to put my make up on on the tube?!

[WineAndPizza]

I would rather have 5 minutes extra in bed than almost anything - if I could shower on the way to work I would do. I almost always leave the house make up free and put it all on while I'm on the way to work.

My friend stayed over the other night and travelled in with me - she was totally unimpressed with this and thought it was really weird. I do sometimes get some odd looks from commuters too. I don't see the problem. Anyone else?

Although I did see the error of my ways this morning when I bumped into my neighbour on the bus and had to chat away with him while trying to avoid looking at him. Difficult. So AIBU and a lazy slattern? Or is there no problem with this?

[Oblomov]

Not living in central London, I am only an occassional trin and tube user, nomrally when I am going for hospital appointment. I have driven to work, all my life. So I was surprised by how many ladies did this. I couldn't take my eyes off one day. She did the full monty, every possible make-up-application, whilst on the train to waterloo.
But its not really the done thing, is it ?
So you wear make up. right. so you ...... wouldn't want your work colleagues to see you without it ? why ? do you feel naked? less pretty? are you so pig ugly that make-up is a necessity to make you look normal. But you don't mind the people on the train, who you don't know, seeing you fresh-faced. Run that bit past me.
People regularly see me without a crap on. mostly I wear a small amount. I put on a bit for a night out with dh. My freind used to wake up pre 6 am and get fully made up , before getting back into bed. Her dh had NEVER seen her anything other than fully made up True !!

[Oblomov]

scrap. not crap. without a scrap of make-up on !!!!

[olderyetwider]

Tis one of the worst bits of commuting, people doing this. It is revolting.

[RamblingRosa]

YANBU, doesn't really bother me tbh. I see it pretty much every day on tube.

One thing I always think though is it's a bit unhygenic. I have always been prone to spots and had acne as a teenager so have got in the habit of only touching my face when my hands are really clean. I would have thought that touching escalator hand rails and stuff on the tube and then smearing foundation over my face would bring me out in loads of spots. but maybe that's me just being a bit weird

[TandB]

I hate this. I don't know why I hate it but I do! Even when it doesn't affect me directly (so no smelly perfume or flying powder) it makes me cringe.

I think it just seems so personal, watching someone doing something to change their appearance before starting their day. I always feel like I am standing in someone's bathroom watching them get ready.

[Oblomov]

What about the people on the train ? the before and after, that they see of you.
"oh she looks alot better now"
"god, I've just realised, thus, that she really was pig ugly before".

[WineAndPizza]

Yes I suppose I don't mind strangers seeing me without make up on - hopefully I am not so hideous without it that I'll turn them to stone. But I'd rather have some on for work as I feel more put together.

I take your point Rosa - I use brushes for almost everything though so not too much of an issue.

I find it kind of fascinating when I see other people do it because you are seeing their appearance change with each bit...try not to stare though! But maybe I am alone...

[OneHandFlapping]

I'm surprised you can do this and not end up looking like a clown. The light is terrible on the tube.

You are sure you don't look like a clown?

[WineAndPizza]

Ha ha - fairly sure! takes off red nose in shame

[AbsDuWolef]

YANBU and I am mystified as to how people can compare it to shaving your pits or getting dressed.

and seriously, on the scale of unsociable behaviour that occurs on the tube, this is nothing. (see recent - disgusting stuff you've encountered on public transport thread)

[auldspinster]

I don't understand people who apply mascara on the bus, i tried it once on an empty top deck and nearly took my eye out. I put a dab of mascara and eyeliner on at my desk when i arrive at work as i start at 7 and am usually the first in.

[WineAndPizza]

Oblomov, bit extreme perhaps? I don't think make up is the key to transforming someone from being 'pig-ugly' to reasonable looking - I think most people use it to enhance their looks a bit.

Abs I agree - having seen people vomiting, pissing, fighting and as mentioned cutting their nails on the bus/tube I think it is probably far down the list of what's unacceptable!

Of course if I could get dressed on the tube without attracting attention I'd give it a go

[headfairy]

You're lucky to get a seat to do your make up in (or do you strap dangle and put eyeliner on at the same time?)

[Cheria]

Doesn't bother me. Better than doing it while you're driving and stuck in traffic (that annoys me). And it is FAR better than people eating and drinking on the tube and then leaving their smelly fish and chips wrappers and takeaway curry packaging on the tube on a Friday night. Or drinking a can of coke and leaving it on the floor where it gets knocked over and ribbles its way around the carriage. THAT I hate.

Or groups of women on hen nights who drink from the bottle on the tube and get really raucous and annoying. Or men on stag nights who think it is funny to moon everyone.

That said, I have lived in London and Paris, and rarely saw anyone doing any of this in Paris. I don't know why it is all considered acceptable in London. You can always spot English tourists in Paris by the fact they are so openly drunk and loud. It's embarassing.

But OP YANBU coz putting your makeup on is the least offensive of all the weird things people do in the tube.

[WineAndPizza]

I come in from quite far up the line so I usually get a seat - don't do it if I don't as it would be unfair to go flying into someone brandising my mascara wand. If so I nip into the toilets at work before I go to my desk.

Cheria - hurray, thanks! Would probably not attempt the same in Paris, would be spurned by the glamourous crowd.

[Cheria]

Ha ha I never wear makeup (sensitive skin and so never learned to put it on even now I know there are some decent kind to skin products etc old habits die hard).

I used to get real evils from the glamourous crowd in Paris. Especially as I sometimes used to leave the house with wet hair

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

I used to do this all the time when I lived in London, I had a job that was free-lance and was often called to work at very odd hours and sometimes needed to be there quickly.

I loved the novelty of being able to do some of my getting ready on the hop.

I also love people watching and would find someone putting a full face of slap on a good way to pass a journey.

So YANBU at all in my book.

I really don't understand the horror felt by some posters, I get that you wouldn't want to get powder or scent on you, but why is just the visual so disturbing?

It's like when women get freaked out by other women with hairy pits, what on earth has it got to do with you.

[scuzy]

doesnt bother me. can you do it if you dont get a seat? are we talking like a liquid foundation powder eye shadow mascara lip liner lipstick? or just some powder lippy and mascara?

i dont mind you doing it as long as you dont mind me staring at you doing it

[TastyMuffins]

Years ago I used to this all the time, full face. It was usually when I started work early and had to get the first tube rather than if I had an afternoon shift. I also used to do my hair as I got on the train with straight from the shower long wet hair, I'd have it in a french plait, french pleat or bun by the time I got off. I used to be able to walk to work but when I moved further away and had a fairly long commute it not only filled the time on the journey, saved time in the mornings and meant I arrived at my position promptly and looking smart.

I actually hate seeing someone else do it though - never thought about it when I was doing it myself.

[carabos]

Did this once on the tube in from Heathrow, having just flown 14 hrs overnight from HK and was told off in no uncertain terms by an old biddy! I had no idea it was considered common or rude . I hate the wet hair thing much more - it totally creeps me out.

[Proudnscary]

I don't object to cosmetics application but I will NOT tolerate the eating of yoghurts or bananas in the morning.

[SisterCarrie]

Always did makeup on the bus - eyeliner, mascara and bronzer - did the eye stuff when we were stationary (stops/lights/jams) and wouldn't do bronzer if sitting next to someone other than DP in case it went on them.

Think the tube is a bit different as you're sitting facing the other passengers, where on a bus, unless you're in the back, you're not looking anyone else straight on.

I used to see a woman who got on at Whitechapel and went all the way to Earl's Court transform herself every day - absolute lashings of eyeliner and mascara (am talking up to 10 applications of mascara) and heaps of lipliner and frosted lippy. Utterly riveting to watch her become a sort of Cleopatra-like being in the space of half an hour or so.

[Impatientwino]

flying powder on my black trousers narks me a teeny bit but I couldn't give a flying hoot generally, it's only make up, more important things to worry about in life!

I get annoyed with people doing less hygienic things though - girl in the seat next to me yesterday filed her nails (yuck) for half an hour with it flying everywhere and despite my (albeit a little cowardly) glare at her she carried on regardless!

Oh and noisy earphone people get an imaginary poke in the eye too.....

[krispykremeaddict]

YANBU, but I'm biased as I do it. Eeek. I never knew it was bad form until I read someone beefing about it in the Metro. I can do everything bar eyeliner.

The only downside was that once I boarded to realise my make up bag was on the dining table so ended up going to Boots to buy some bits.

In a world where you're at risk of getting wanked on on the Tube, I think a bit of blusher is fair enough.

[Penthesileia]

I don't know why it bothers me so much, but yes, it does, so IMO YABU. But I feel this way (admittedly on a sliding scale) about many things that people feel perfectly comfortable doing on the tube, e.g. eating, brushing their hair, listening to excessively noisy music, talking really loudly, etc.

It's something about the forced physical proximity of the tube (or any public transport/office/etc. setting). It just seems so, well, rude to expect other people to tolerate your grooming/eating/unnecessary noisiness. I also cannot bear self-important people - very often, though not exclusively, men with briefcases (bitter commuting experience) - talking loudly and at great length on their mobile phones when on the train. I understand that they are terribly important and have lots of very important work to do, but it is such a bore for all the other passengers in the carriage.

Obviously, in the grand scale of things, it's not that important. But life is a series of encounters with other people - frequently strangers - and it just seems more polite to try to impinge as little as possible on others are you move about the world, and it is aggravating when you don't receive the same consideration from others.