Just how bad is it to apply make-up at your desk? And what about cyclists getting changed and draping their kit all over the place?

[ChickenVindaloo]

Following on from the thread about eating breakfast at work, can we discuss applying make-up at your desk?

I have a complicated skin-care routine and like to have time for my various creams to sink in before applying make-up. I also find that I get sweaty on my commute (I'm unfit) or my make-up can be ruined by rain.

I get to work via a combination of very busy buses/car/walking. (On different days).

Does it matter if the office is open-plan or more private? Is it wrong to apply perfume? Most of my colleagues are other women, if that matters. Does it depend if it's full on contouring vs a bit of lipgloss?

Also, some folk cycle and change at work. The office then looks like a teenager's bedroom with clothes draped everywhere.

Many thanks for your thoughts!

I find make up applying much less bothersome than eating in an office. But I think a lot of people hate the idea of women doing make up in a public space (sexism IMO!) even though it's harmless, so I think it's a better idea to go to the bathroom to avoid judgment.

MaddHugger surprisingly not, it was just some good old-fashioned 'fuck your rules' on the secretary's part. That and a little bit of not "believing in" allergies other than maybe to peanuts, shellfish and grass pollen. I've never seen anyone as angry as our senior partner was when she found out. She was a lovely woman who always smiled and acted maternal towards younger colleagues and she was raging!

The icing on the cake was when the office manager got a call a week later confirming secretary's dates of employment, wage, and reason for leaving. I'm in the US and in the state I was in at the time, anyone fired for cause was categorically ineligible for unemployment. That shady woman said she'd been laid off for lack of business! The office manager told the unemployment office what was what and we never heard anything from her again. I half expected to get a call asking for a reference.

I've had students applying make up
(to themselves and each other) in lectures I've been giving (and doing their hair). Obviously I was not impressed.

If people really had to, I would rather they did make-up at work than on the Tube. I can't stand that. There isn't enough space on a packed Tube in the morning, and I'm sick of being covered in other people's foundation, bronzer, etc, as they flick their make-up brushes and sprinkle make-up all over the person next to them. Once I had someone's open make-up bag turned upside in my lap when the Tube stopped, which did not make my black dress look...very black any longer.

People should not put on make up in an office, no matter how private it is, nor apply make up while on public transport. It is crass to do so. We don't want to share your morning routine. Bleurgh

Cyclists are sweaty oiks with even more sweaty, revolting lycra and they should not use an office for draping their kit. That is disgusting.

Get ready at home or change in a loo

Interesting one! Wouldn't apply full face of makeup at desk, I will sometimes put a bit of moisturiser on later in the day if skin is feeling a bit dry or apply a lip product. Definitely go to the toilet to do a full face though, I think it's a bit unprofessional to do at desk, plus my colleagues probably don't want to see me putting on mascara! I've often done makeup on the train if a long commute and early start but only if the seat next to me is free so not rifling around in bags and annoying the person next to me. Sit next to two noisy eaters in the office and hate it, though I have come to terms with the fact that I am very sensitive to mouth noise and it's my issue not them so I seeth silently!

I would say that both are deeply unprofessional. At the VERY most, I would apply handcream at a desk in a public space (i.e. an office), but to apply makeup is ridiculous, as is leaving cycling gear draped everywhere. It's your place of work, not your bedroom.

Why would you want to draw attention to ANYTHING other than the high standard of your work?

Milady what?! Kids these days (shaking fist)

Your skincare routine is not that complicated. Mine is the same. I shower, apply creams etc then dry my hair and get dressed. By that time, the creams have sunk in enough for me to be able to apply my make-up before I leave the house.

Applying make up - Doesn't bother me.

Cyclists leaving sweaty clothes hanging about - Disgusting.

PoppyBird

How is it 'crass' to apply makeup on public transport? I personally think it's a good use of time (eg a 30 minute commute) - and judging by the number of people I see doing it on my commute in south London I'm not alone. If I have time I apply it before I leave the house.

I agree with office - but toilets are fine.

Cyclists should not drape their clothes in the office either. However I have worked in 2 architects firms both with toilets and showers and the cyclists changed and showered there and didn't drape clothes anywhere.

I also worked with a locum solicitor though who cycled in and for some inexplicable reason when he changed out of his clothes draped his underpants over the radiator - that was grim and even more strange as he was very upper class!

There was a woman at my office who out her makeup on in the toilets every day. What was the point? If you've left your house and seen god knows how many people unmadeup, why bother at all?

I eat breakfast, wash, get dressed, apply makeup, brush hair at home. The minute I have to do it in public is the minute I realise I'm spending too much time on this stuff, but I know it's more important to others

I wouldn't judge, but I do find it amusing how much stuff people need to do outside of their house now.

That's your daily morning skin care? Your poor skin! That's far too stripping. What are you doing in the night that you need to cleanse and acid tone?
Buy a moisturiser/primer/bb cream/foundation with suncream, and save yourself some time for starters.

I don't personally see public make up application as the heinous crime that others do, but your morning routine is horribly inefficient and unnecessary, and the time could be better spent doing other things. Can you use some of it to improve your fitness? Even just getting off the bus a few stops earlier and walking the extra?

"I have never met or heard of anyone with a purfume allergy which is triggered by perfume being sprayed near them"

My mum used to have to avoid going through the beauty departments of department stores because the sales staff used to spray perfume randomly and it set off her asthma. You need to have a little more understanding.

I don't have any strong feelings about people applying make-up at their desks providing they weren't doing it during working hours. I don't understand why you can't do it all at home. Just how long do you need for moisturiser to sink in before putting make-up on?

How is it 'crass' to apply makeup on public transport?

It's not. It's either misogyny or snobbery when people whinge about it.

My DM's best friend has to have the fashion magazines she subscribes to sent to her without the perfume sample pages in them due to her perfume allergy. She can't buy them in the store even if someone takes the scented pages out for her; it's still enough to kick off an asthma attack. She has a hell of a time (especially once Christmas shopping season starts when shops/buses/the subway are really crowded) getting through a day running errands without having to use her rescue inhaler due to someone spraying or having bathed in scent.

I work away from home Monday-Thursday. The Monday morning train is at 5:30am and I don't get to my destination til 6:30ish. I always do my makeup on the train (just a bit of foundation and eyeliner). I'm always sat on my own, I don't make a mess, and I honestly don't care who sees/judges. I find it bizarre that people get worked up over it.

The perfume thing would bother me - I don't have asthma, but I do get prone to wheezing with strong chemical scents. I have to be careful with cleaning products and my husband had to start using roll on instead of spray deodorants. I find it antisocial in a work environment to have it sprayed in the air. A dab is fine.

Poppybird
So no explanation just random, meaningless words because you can't actually explain why it's a problem to put makeup on in front of people?
Pride and standards etc aren't really relevant here. It's makeup. Why would someone care if strangers thought makeup won't make them more 'attractive'. They don't wear it for strangers.
I can't bring myself to care what other women do that literally has zero impact on me. It must be incredibly stressful living day to day life if such tiny things distress you.

My skincare regime is exactly the same as yours OP. I just organise my morning routine to have time for it all to sink in. Usually I'll apply skincare, then do my hair / get dressed, then apply makeup last so any skincare has time to sink in. I would never apply anything more than lipstick in the office, unless I was in the toilets.

Skin routine is fine, you need to cleanse after being asleep and as long as you're not using the acid twice a day every day
BB cream or foundation with SPF isn't applied thickly enough to get the stated SPF so it's right to use a separate one

Sciurus: it wasn't even a one off.

I've taken to telling that they if they're unable to politely ignore me in ways that don't disturb everyone else, they should really not bother coming to lectures. Some of my colleagues get really annoyed at them playing with their phones or falling asleep but so long as they're quiet and still it's just them that's missing out so I don't care.

Sadly the students I teach seem to think it's perfectly ok to chat to your friends throughout lectures, to start doing makeovers in the back row, and to keep getting up from the middle of a row, going out and coming back in again. It's like teaching bottom set year 9 rather than adults who've chosen to come to university and take this class.

I do it in the toilets - change from cycling gear into work clothes, cycling gear folded in my saddle bag under my desk apart from jacket which is hung on the hooks in the cloakroom.

Deodorant applied, hair brushed and lipstick on in the toilet. My office is large and my own, shared with my assistant when she is at work, but I wouldn't want to be doing any of it if someone walked in so I use the loo!

PoppyBird judge away.

I know my standards are the same as someone not applying makeup on a train. when I do apply makeup I ensure I am quick, discreet (if I can be) and do not impinge on anyone's personal space or spill products.

You could easily equate this to eating on a train/bus etc - that those people are slovenly for exposing others to the smells etc of them eating - in fact you probably hold similar views there.