to wish that the women of Britain would agree to a beauty amnesty?

[MizK]

Just for a week or so? Please?

This may be half term exhaustion kicking in, but I just want a break from depilation, make up, self tanner, putting decent outfits together, worrying about cellulite etc.

Now I know, in theory, I don't HAVE to do these things, but I feel that on the whole, women present themselves well and I would feel like a scruff if I stopped.

But if we all just agreed to lay off the grooming for a bit, I'd appreciate the chance to go au naturel and relax.

(This thread may be inspired by the fact I am about to spend a Friday night giving myself a pedicure thanks to the appearance of the sun and the desire to wear sandals tomorrow. I so can't be arsed.)

And for whom are you keeping up appearances?

A beauty amnesty will never happen. Too much money/business involved now.

Change if you want to, but don't complain/blame others if you don't. They will do what they like.

If you don't want to feel pressure don't buy magazines at all and maybe rethink your friends and spend more time with those who place less importance on grooming/appearance.

Clean teeth, always, wash mostly, shower sometimes, bath occasionally, shave pits once a fortnight, colour hair every couple of months, last waxed two years and three weeks ago, died my eyelashes at the same time, mascara when going out but only if pre menstrual. No bother, NOBODY cares. Stop thinking they do, read a book, save some money.

Oh and Ive yet to see a fake tan that didnt look like a fake tan, who you trying to impress - Dale Winton?

I am starting the amnesty! (actually I started it years ago.) Not painted my nails in over a year, only wax/shave in summer (in winter I can almost plait my leg hair & only find time to properly style my hair about once a fortnight, most days it just goes where it wants when I come out of the shower. That said, I look surprisingly neat for a zero maintenance girl who literally doesn't have time to look in the mirror most mornings. Also, I don't iron anything. Ever. The trick is not caring what people think of you. If they are your friends they won't case how you look. If they aren't your friends, frankly, fuck them!

coaldust good point, suppose its not something I've thought about much! Probably a whole heap of reasons why people get looks-focussed, but I do have lots of other things that I think about too. Suppose I do read lots of magazines like Grazia etc that are filled with pretty, shiny people that make me feel inadequate!

Maybe I am competitive? Aargh I feel like a bad person now, but surely I'm not so unusual. Many of us aren't naturally much to look at and feel prettier with beauty products? In an ideal world I would be a genius, rich and athletic as well as pretty but only one of these is accessible via the Boots counter!

Also along with rethinking your friends, I dont know what job/career you have but maybe rethink that too. In my experience I have felt very differently about my appearance in different jobs/careers.

I feel very sorry for those who are pressured to look a certain way (both overtly and subtly pressured) by their jobs.

Not arsed about cellulite or stretch marks. I've had three big babies, in my world they're normal and i'm fine with that. Nobody sees it except me and occasionally DH anyway so why bother worrying? Not like i'm an underwear model.

I pluck my eyebrows once in a blue moon, shave everytime I have a bath, use body butter but never exfoliate or whatever else. Never use fake tan, I don't wish to be a satsuma. I wear make up but I don't cake it on, it's mainly to cover dark circles and occasional spot anyway, oh and mascara really brings out my eyes apparently . I always have painted nails but I keep them short and paint them myself, never had a manicure nor would I want one tbh. Never seen the point in witches nails. I bleach my own hair and mostly its tied up for practical reasons. My DH cuts my toenails, he's such a lucky man!

I'm not image obsessed. I check quickly in the mirror and go. World doesn't revolve around you and normal people won't even notice you tbh, we're all insignificant strangers. They'll be more interested in whatever they're doing than they will be in your appearance. So remember that.

Au natural is my normal look.
I shower, shave legs when they need doing, wear minimal make up etc. just don't feel the pressure to overdo it. I feel sorry for the younger generation as the pressure to be groomed to the nth degree is so much greater now than when I was young.

I'm sure you're not a bad person MizK!

Most women's magazines are bollocks, IMO. When I see pics of women in adverts and magazines, I never seem to remember about airbrushing. I take the images on face value and it can make me feel shite. So I don't read women's mags and ignore advertising of all sorts, as far as possible.

You can be athletic if you want to! Take up running/cycling/swimming and do some weights. :)

Put down the magazines. Just have a month where you do nothing. No magazines and baseline cleanliness only as a goal. I promise nothing bad will happen. But you might just see exactly that and take the weight off your shoulders.

I don't get what the prize is? Do you know?

In the nicest possible way, stop being so vain. I know how easy it is to get on the treadmill. But you are more than your looks. Why do you think you aren't?

I'm confused as to why someone (sorry, can't remember who) thinks they look 'dog rough' without make up (horrible phrase, by the way, sounds like something someone who hated and despised you would say, bot an assessment you should make yourself) and why MizK thinks beauty products make you look prettier. I think, from observation of others, that they generally make you look like yourself but with make up on. I wear it (very) occasionally as a sort of accessory which shows I have made an effort. I don't think it makes me look prettier. I really can't understand why people feel the need to wear it everyday, especially when they say they wear 'just the minimum' and that is more than I wear on a special occasion (I never wear foundation, for example). I'm not judging, I just genuinely don't get it.

I definitely look much prettier with makeup on.

I feel the need to wear it every day because I like to look the best I can and wearing makeup makes me look the best I can.

I look tired without it and my skin isn't great so I just feel and look rough without it.

Plus, I enjoy it.

I'm disappointed, OP. I thought we were going to stop thinking that prettier = better.

I confess to feeling like MizK quite often too... i do live in an area where all the younger women are very groomed and i'm single which puts more pressure on to look good.

Suppose I do read lots of magazines like Grazia etc that are filled with pretty, shiny people that make me feel inadequate!

read something else life is far too short to be reading and getting all sad mouthed about a beauty fashion magazine, they are shallow and pointless,

Disclaimer OP i am not in anyway saying you are shallow and pointless

If you enjoy it Samu that's fine though, isn't it? I can understand that. THe Op is suggesting she finds it wearing. It's not OK that she feels pressure to do something she finds a drag because of perceived pressure from others.

It's not OK that she feels pressure to do something she finds a drag because of perceived pressure from others.

No it isn't ok at all, I have a much younger sister and she is surrounded by these magazines and worries and frets about her looks all the time TBH i find it quite tiring as that is all she goes on about, her hair isn't right her face is spotty ( it isn't) and she wont even go to the shop without make up , I feel sorry for her as she just stresses so much about her looks and what other people think about her

argymargy I don't think it makes somebody better than others if they look pretty.

I do feel much happier if I like what I see in the mirror though. For me that requires levels of effort that I find boring at times.

I hope I don't seem like I value looks over all, cause that's not really the case.

Had some really interesting responses to the thread, I suppose I was expecting people to whinge along with me because they too get fed up of the whole shebang at times, but actually its made me examine why I do all these things.

Not sure if I will change (currently under a heat lamp with hair done up in foils) but who knows? Will certainly have a think about why I feel the way I do!

No worries, MizK - i agree there have been some interesting replies. Society does value beauty and associates it with goodness, which is why witches etc are always ugly (even if they disguise themselves with beauty). Sorry but this is one of my hobbyhorses, along with intelligent = better.

I shave my legs, under arms and every few weeks get my eye brows waxed. Other than that I don't bother with anything else.

I love being brown but cannot be bothered with fake tan. Make up for me is a waste of time, I feel much better without.

Agree Argy. Prettiness, along with slimness, are valued in our society in a way that is out of proportion. That sort of 'kudos' is elitist because it is only available to those who a) have the good fortune to be naturally aesthetically pleasing or b) those who are prepared to spend time, effort and money 'improving' what nature has given them. There is nothing commendable in looking attractive, IMO. If people want to do it and enjoy it, then fine, but I hate to think that people feel they have to. We hear this a lot, e.g. 'I can't leave the house without make-up on'. Can't?? I want to shake them and say 'you absolutely CAN!'

But I am as guilty of it, to some degree, as the women who I perceive as 'high maintenance'. For example, I have it in my head, that I 'can't' go bare-legged if my legs are hairy. I really want to change that feeling and there's only one way to do that :)

Mizk, I'm glad the thread has given you some food for thought, in a positive way. :)

17 men in Europe are said to control the whole of the fashion industry.
So someone is getting very rich. Try a good charity shop