To ask: if you don't wear make up regularly, what do you genuinely think when you see someone who does?

[Mingewithafringe]

Really interested to hear people's views on this as it's something the socially anxious person in me has always wondered.

I wear a lot of make up by most people's standards. It stems from my teens where I developed bad skin and was just desperate to cover it. It's a lot better now but I have scars and patches that I feel insecure about.
So as well as a concealer and powder foundation, I also fill in my eyebrows daily, wear liquid eyeliner on my top lid, kohl pencil on my waterline, mascara, bronzer and either matte lipstick or a tinted lip balm. Without the eye make up I look tired or ill (people have actually said that!)

This is most days unless I know for sure I won't be going out that day. I have applied it for so many years that it only takes me about 5/10 minutes to put it on in the morning, and the amount of money I spend on make up has just become one of those accepted expenses, although I don't actually spend a lot because aside from my foundation, the rest is usually affordable stuff like Maybelline, Bourjois etc

I go through phases where I just hate the fact that I feel like I have to wear it and so I try to wean myself off it e.g. By not wearing eyeliner or by going for a subtle/minamalistic look. But I just don't feel confident and end up reverting back!

I have always wondered what ladies who don't wear make up are thinking when they talk to me. If I walk in to a room, 99% of the time I am wearing the most make up out of any woman. So ironically, I wear make up so that people don't think "look at her scars", but now have developed this insecurity where I feel that when I talk to someone, all they are thinking is "jeez how much make up is she wearing, it's a toddler and baby group for crying out loud"!!

Am I being silly?

There is a huge difference in wearing a 'face full of slap' with thick poorly matched foundation, drawn on eyebrows, way too much blusher, fake eyelashes... .and wearing a full face of make up that looks lovely and natural.

The former, I think 'cheap'. The second I think 'oh, you look lovely'!

I don't judge anyone for wearing lot of makeup. Just maybe admire their talents and wish I had the time and energy they have every morning

If someone's make-up is amazing, I will be in awe and want them to teach me.

If someone has applied it really, really badly, I'd be a bit

Anything in between and I wouldn't even notice.

I wear a face full of make-up myself so wouldn't be judging anyone else. The only times I 'note' make-up is the HD brows, I have a colleague who has these and they are done in an odd way that are too close together, and that is noticeable. I also have a colleague that wore spidery false eyelashes that were really distracting, especially as she's pretty and looked nice before them. Beyond that, I like the made-up look.

I like looking at people with well applied make up, I never got the hang of it.

I just wear mascara and (neutral) lipstick, and even then I get "told off" by other dog walkers that I always look "glam" even at 8 in the morning

I wish I could apply a proper base, but it just sits in my wrinkles and highlights crêpy under-eye skin. So I just leave my skin alone.

Honestly OP I really wouldn't worry or overthink this. I wear a 'full face' of make up every day to work, or if I'm going out socially - I only don't bother if I'm just going to the yard or nipping to the supermarket or something - or of course staying at home.

On a daily basis I wear tinted moisturiser and a little foundation and concealer, plus eyeliner and mascara, and a touch of blusher.

If I'm making an effort (for a date or similar) then I'll add bronzer, maybe lipstick/lipgloss, highlighter and usually a little powder on my eyebrows.

It sounds a lot but it doesn't look as much as it sounds written down because it's not caked on or very dark in colour - and it only takes me about 5 minutes a day. It's just personal preference really - without make up I feel quite plain and although I don't have horrible skin I just feel more attractive and confident when I'm wearing it.

I don't think anyone else thinks anything of it or judges me for it - I wouldn't judge anyone for wearing make up - or not - I only really notice if someone looks very 'made up', or they are doing something different to normal, ie. wearing make up when they never usually do. If it's usual for you then I doubt anyone notices or even cares, let alone judges you for it.

Subtle make up I don't notice. Tangerine orange with stupid eyebrows I'd silently laugh and think "twat" to myself but not pass comment out loud.

I always wonder when I see a heavily-made up woman if she thinks I'm slobby/lazy because I don't go to that effort. I never judge her.

So OP don't worry, I would just be amazed that you can manage/be bothered to do that every morning. Go you!

That's so rude! Really annoys me when people make little digs and comments.

Rubywinterstorm That's so rude! Really annoys me when people make little digs and comments

Usually I don't notice but if I do I tend to think "so glad I don't have to dal with that every morning"

I wear very little- mascara and a tinted moisturizer is the most, but I am torn about it. I don't judge women who wear a lot, but it makes me sad that we live in a society where women are expected to modify their appearance to "pass".

I don't like very heavily made up. I think it looks awful. If it's not too thick, I wouldn't take any notice.

Admittedly yes i do judge. I tend to think women who pile on make up are vain and looks obsessed. I don't think it looks good at all as an every day look. It gives me the impression they're probably bitchy and possibly bullies, as all the made up brigade at high school were.
The reason people look tired or ill and get such comments when they aren't wearing their make up is because of how much they typically wear, including bronzer etc so they look sickly pale with their natural skin tone. Add in the dark circles, uneven skin tone, spots and flaws that are normally hidden people look completely different.
I can't wear make up in public, even just a bit of foundation and mascara i feel like a clown.

Thank you so much for your contributions, it's really helped reassure me that I'm fabricating things in my head. Honestly it was starting to bother me. I like to think I'm a friendly person and am not shy to go up to people to start a conversation, so the few times I did that at the baby groups I went to, some of the ladies just didn't respond back in the same way, they seemed to only say the bare minimum and not engage in any conversation with me. I was paranoid that they saw me with my full face of make up and "done" hair and just assumed I wasn't their "type" of person or that they thought I was some narcissist who thought I was better than them, or the type that would crack on with their husbands! I've stopped going to some but seeing these responses wants me to try again and maybe I'll make some good friends this time.

I have taken loads of points on board and this week I'm going to to town and get a professional to look at my make up, I agree that it's probably looking dated and that I need something more age appropriate

Emerald - I don't contour daily but I have tried contouring for weddings and nights out - don't know if I'm any good at it, you don't really feel like you can ask anyone as largely they won't want to hurt your feelings!

ooh ooh pink- definitely agree that the Top and bottom eyeliner for workwear is too much, I have tried to cut it down, e.g. Just using bottom eye liner and cutting out the top liner vice Versa but after a few days I just feel... not like me . This thread has inspired me to try again though and to learn to love it.

There's a mum who always wears full make-up, short-ish skirts and heels at school pick up.
She only stands out because the rest of us wear comfy clothes, no make-up and trainers. It's a small village primary school and most of the mums are farmers wives or similar.
The only thought I've had is 'I hope she doesn't feel cold?' when it's wet and cold and she's got bare legs. I don't really chat to her other than to say 'hello' because her children aren't in the same class. Other than that, I can't imagine that anyone gives it much thought, certainly not in a negative way.

OP, I think most people don't really scrutinise others as much as you might think.

To those who do pile it on, how do you not feel fake? make up makes you look like a totally different person and everyone you meet isn't seeing the real you. Don't you panic when you take it off in front of a new partner for the first time, especially if it's not right at the beginning?

I wouldn't judge you negatively at all (I do wear moderate amounts of make-up every day). I don't think I'd really notice unless you looked like a mannequin. Some women enjoy make-up, some don't. Horses for courses.

I wear make up daily and don't answer the door without it. Pale face, purple under eye circles, no eye lashes.

I don't care what anyone thinks. In fact I'm the other side of the coin; most women don't appear to wear make up and I wonder why they don't bother when many would look so much fresher if they used some light foundation, a dab of blusher and a bit of lippy.

It depends on what nature has blessed you with! I look terrible with no make up, some women who have darker skin, loads of eye lashes and some colour in their faces look great with nothing.

I'm in the "special occasions only" camp because I'm lazy. I could probably do with wearing it every day due to pigment issues with my skin, but have reached an age where I don't really care - as long as I'm clean and my hair is combed then I'm ok to leave the house.

Having said that, I once had a colleague witter on at length at me when I went to a works do wearing make-up saying how much better I looked with it. But she is renowned for her tactlessness, so I managed to deploy a "did you mean to be so rude" response and roll my eyes later.

You're a Sandwich short of a picnic if you think like that...

I always think that women who wear make up every day must be incredibly organised and have lots of time to get it done in the mornings. As long as it looks nice, if it looks too much I wonder why they can't tell that it looks overdone. I'd love to see a photo of yours op. It sounds nice.

The only thing I just cannot stand is the over emphasised Scouse Brow look. I have a couple of young colleagues who plaster their faces very extensively, which looks OK but the clown like eyebrows look utterly ridiculous to me.

Almost, I think the amount of women who wear so much make-up that they look 'totally different' is very small. At least, I hardly ever see any. Most people just use it to enhance their natural features and add a bit of colour.

Depends on the context really.

Sometimes it is insecurity that drives it and that can be infuriating if it directly affects you. Occasionally it can almost seem like a dig at you for not taking enough pride in your own appearance - for example the person I had staying with me when I said "I'm just nipping to the postbox across the road, back in about 1 min". "Oh I'll come with you" they said, and then wanted an hour to do make-up because they can't step out of the house without it. And hair time, because you can't go out with it looking flat (even if you can guarantee seeing nobody you know). I had matted bed hair, scruffy puked on clothes (small baby), and a deathly pale eczematous face. But hey-ho, they needed me to know it's not right to step out without looking nice enough .

Anyone else and I mostly think they either look a) nice or b) I can't really tell what they look like because make-up changes people's face once you get past a certain amount (I base this on watching that BBC make-under POD program as a teen!).