To think a woman can look professional and presentable at work without make-up?

[RevoltingPeasant]

I have been pondering this recently, as a new convert to the Style & Beauty forum.

I go through stages with make-up, where sometimes I can't be bothered for weeks and then I wear the whole shebang every day for ages. I don't think 'looking professional' depends on make-up: I would say neat slacks and blouse with understated jewelry and a generally 'on-task' manner counts as a professional appearance.

But I have noticed quite a lot of people who feel they have to wear make-up for work. Is this so in your workplace? Would you care if you were interviewing for a post and a female candidate was bare-faced? AIBU to think you can look totally professional without paint?

And what Annie said!!

It's interesting that shoesandwine thinks 8min and hinge thinks 10min is nothing at all. What really does professional mean to you? Does a chef looks less professional without make up? How about a nanny? Or an engineer? A hospital doctor? A decorator (we have a decorator locally advertsing that she's a female as a selling point)?

Lueji we have shorts and sandals with socks here too!

itsallyourownfault - please tell me that your last sentence was a wind-up?!

I'm with what Annie says. I just felt disturbing women will judge a doctor or a lecturer to be less professional just because she doesn't wear makeup.

What Annie said.

Every minute wasted on make-up is a minute I could be with my kids or sleeping!

YANBU.

I think for most jobs, you can look professional without having make-up on.

Although I suppose someone working on a make-up counter or suchlike would be expected (possibly required?) to wear makeup at work.

In fact your whole post was depressing itsallyourown!

NHS clinical staff.
As long as I'm there with a clean tunic, my hair tidy and my hands freshly washed , I don't think my patients would care if I wore make-up.

Though I did have a patient complain that I was wearing trousers not a dress. (This was on a home-visit so involved sitting on floors) And my trousers were proper 'clinic' trousers not ripped jeans.
But I think he had other issues ...

I wear make up to work unless my skin is flaring up.

Most days I wear:

Shimmery moisturiser
Eyeshadow
Mascara
Eyeliner
Lipstick
Cover-up (for the huge bags under my eyes)

If I'm having a flare up (on my eyes usually. Ouchy!)

I'll remove the eyeshadow but wear everything else.

Sometimes I swap the lipstick for tinted vaseline because my lips are dry and cracked.

I don't feel professional unless I'm wearing make up, my hair looks nice and I have smart clothes on. This is more about my lack of self-esteem though.

As it is, today I haven't dressed smartly and I've acted really quite unprofessionally (shouted at a supplier and told him to end the call before I really lost my temper). I've now cried my make up off and feel like shit.

Actually, I probably would have done the same if I was wearing a suit. Lol

I don't think I even spend 10 mins doing makeup for a big night out! And yes, I am actually very good at applying it, but 99.999999% of the time choose not to.

When i worked in sales i wore foundation blusher and did my eyes - the bright lights made me look like death otherwise plus it made me feel good.

When i worked with food i wore blusher if that, anything more would have melted off my face pkus i thought the women i worked with who wore make up always looked over made up for our job.

These days i wear a bit of blusher and sometimes mascara and lipstick yo avoid death face (the lipstick because it makes me feel fabulous) but i'm a sahm and can get away with it.

I think most women look better fresh faced i.e little or no make up although it depends on the type of job i suppose.

I always wear it. I think it makes me look more polished and also, being very fair I need a bit of something on my lashes so people know where to make eye contact

That said, if I was interviewing I wouldn't make overt judgements but I might unconsciously think someone was less healthy if they looked a bit washed out. I might try not to but I would judge someone who has burnt orange hard lines of blusher.

I judge people harshly who wear so much make up they leave orange finger marks on paperwork or who have talons fake nails so long they can't pick up a piece of paper.

YANBU

i very rarely wear make up (basically only when i'm dancing a performance)
let's just say, if i wore make-up during the day, i would look like a professional but of an entirely different kind!

purplestorm ofc if you work at a makeup counter or as a model, I'd think it's expected you have makeup. But generally, I'd find it disturbing if people judge my engineering professionalism by the existence of my makeup.

And I missed that gem from itsallyourownfault. So you think husband should trade you with a younger model when you get a bit wrinkly too? I doubt any amount war paint can make me as fresh as a 20 year old.

So YANBU to think 'a woman' can... But this woman and some others can't pull it off.

[shocked] at itsallyourownfault. Shall I go put a ribbon in my hair and go all 1950's?

How superficial and shallow are you?

YANBU.

YABU

For saying -

AIBU to think you can look totally professional without paint?

Why do people think it's ok to call it paint or a mask.

Some people have pigmentation, or as mentioned above rosacea, some wear it for confidence or some just simply enjoy wearing it.

I wear some make-up, now and again. When I take it off people strangely can still recognise me.

I personally don't care if someone wears make-up or doesn't.

Why not just concentrate on what you put on your own face instead of judging what others prefer to do??

Maybe itsallyourownfault actually thinks "it's all your own fault" when someone's DH trades them in for a younger model?

I think it is not necessary but is also linked to where a woman works. If a woman works on the beauty counter of Debenhams, she will almost certainly be expected to wear it. However, for many other occupations, it's not necessary. Our female vet does not wear it, and she is highly professional and I have nothing but respect for her. Similarly, have other female friends who are farmers, vicars, animal behaviourists, and a hospital doctor, none of whom wear makeup, but are also consummately professional. In fact, a heavily made up vicar would probably look inappropriate. I rarely wear make up myself during the day (am self employed) and only occasionally wear it in small quantities for evenings out/social occasions etc. Quite honestly, it's the last thing i think about when dealing professionally with people. I want my vet to be good at treating our dogs; beyond good hygiene, her appearance is irrelevant. For many years, I worked in waste management, mainly on landfill sites - again, I was valued as a colleague by my work, not by my mascara (or lack of it).

Blonde - why is it bad to call it paint? I just used that word as I'd already said 'make up' about 3000 times in my OP. It is paint. Face paint.

As I said, I use it. I'm not judging anyone (except itsall ). How did you get judginess from the OP?

I wouldn't consider going to work without makeup, but I work in a corporate environment. I think someone mentioned that academics rarely wear makeup, which I could imagine to be the case.

I don't understand not wearing makeup, but hey, different strokes.

I think that I look better with make-up and would not dream of going into work without it. My skin is very poor (blemished, old acne scars and red thread veins).

I have make-up free days (not at work) but then get asked if I'm OK because I look I'll.

I've just been thinking about the women I work with, those who are in managerial positions wear make-up, those who aren't, don't. Interesting that this topic has come up because recently along with a couple of female colleagues, we went to a presentation given by our local authority. We all commented on the fact that the 2 women giving the presentation did not wear any make-up and that they looked scruffy.

If they don't want to hire me because I'm not wearing makeup, I don't want to work there, so that'd be a lucky escape for both sides.

I just used that word as I'd already said 'make up' about 3000 times in my OP. It is paint. Face paint.

That's even more offensive to be honest.

When you say face paint I picture lots of children with butterflies, dinosaurs or spiderman painted on their faces.

Not a woman putting mascara on her eyelashes.