Is makeup a form of catfishing?

[qwertykeyboards]

Okay hear me out. Before I start this thread I just want to say I’m NOT bashing women who wear makeup - I myself love makeup and wear it regularly. I’m just really interested in other peoples opinions.

Lately I’ve just been thinking about whether a full face of makeup could amount to cat fishing of some sort. I myself look completely different when I have a full face of makeup on. In fact when I wear makeup I am constantly catcalled and stared at by men. Whereas when I go out with absolutely nothing on that doesn’t happen as much. Sometimes I even think, “if only you saw me when I woke up this morning!” 😂

I was speaking about this with a couple of my friends who admitted that their boyfriends have yet to see them without makeup! That’s crazy to me! What if the person you’re with ends up totally not into your fresh face and the makeup kind of tricked them into thinking you look like something that in reality took a bunch of makeup and an hour at the mirror to achieve.

Just a thought.

YABU - don’t be so stupid!
YANBU - to an extent makeup can put out a false image

I think it's wise (and normal) to show a man your natural, clean face before you get in too deep with him, if you tend to wear very heavy makeup. I wouldn't make a big deal of it, but would expect it to happen as part of getting to know one another and how you each are in different situations. If you intentionally never let him see you without makeup, I suppose that's almost a bit of a lie, but it's no worse than always dressing in flattering clothes or always being on your very best behaviour/biting your tongue/pretending to find his conversation fascinating even if you're bored.

It's sad to think that there are women who feel they can't let their own husband see them without makeup. Better to find out if your boyfriend is shallow early on than to be putting on an act (or heavy makeup from dawn until dusk) for the rest of your life!

As opposed to looking plain and dull, not meeting up to men's and societal expectations, you mean?

CaesarsDream

Setting unrealistic standards of beauty (upkeep of fake lashes and practising contouring, etc) and sending a message to girls that they can look brighter prettier with makeup on is one of the most misogynist things I've read on MN to date.

Girls in make up making them look nice shocker.

Misognystic

Of course they can wear whatever makeup they want. But don't cry about it when the guy sees you the next morning and doesn't call for another date

Funny because I wear lots of makeup and love it. Never once had a guy walk away when seeing me without it, ever- quite the opposite actually- I have never been dumped in my life.

I guess youve had quite a lot of men dump you the morning after eh?!

@mintybobs

Oh dear, how did you possibly come to that conclusion?

I think I struck a nerve with my comment. Gosh darnit!

YANBU I get asked if I'm unwell if I see people I know without makeup on 😆

@emilyfrost

YANBU. Make up is very fake and I feel sorry for those who wear it; they’re not comfortable in their own skin and don’t like their natural look. It’s very sad.

Just as an alternative take on this - as I think you may be labouring under a misapprehension. I wear make up, but I also go out without makeup on. If I am running errands I tend to dress down - a pair of Jeggings and some trainers for example. I will scrape my hair back and have a bare face. I am super comfortable like this and wouldn’t think twice about heading out and about like it. On other occasions I have a shower, dry my hair nicely, put on nice clothes and apply makeup. I do this because it is fun, a change, and it is appropriate on some situations. In no way do I consider myself uncomfortable in my own skin, I just also feel comfortable in makeup. I like variety I suppose. I like how I look with and without makeup and just wear what I feel on any given day. I don’t think I need anyone feeling sorry for me, I must say!

But 'full face of makeup' is a look, no one with a full face of makeup looks like they have no makeup on if you see what I mean? I think I look better with some makeup on, but you can tell its makeup.

I think that if a man is stupid enough to believe that having pinker cheeks, colour on my lips & eyeliner on my eyes is “natural” & wouldn’t want to be with me without those things then he doesn’t deserve my time

@JesusIsAnyNameFree

Because you come across as bitter and jealous of women who dare to wear makeup lol
You seem to be really hoping that men will dump them- sadly I havent found this to be the case and neither have any of my friends who wear makeup- so sorry to disappoint you! I'd say the sore nerve here is yours seeing as I am not the one proclaiming women who dont do things exactly the same way as me get dumped! You might want to work on that bitterness- it aint a good look.

@mintybobs

Nope, you are imagining things and coming across as quite unhinged with this post.

Get off the computer and have a cup of tea and think about how you are behaving.
It's very poor form to accuse people of things they have not done and do not think. How would you feel if someone did that to you?

And also, why on earth would I be jealous of women who wear make up? That's a mental thing to say on it's own.

Oh, what I wouldn't do for an edit button. Its*

Some of the posts on here are completely disingenuous, scoffing at how make up doesn't change you that much.

Some woman genuinely do look completely unrecognisable when they make themselves up.

I have a friend who, as part of her routine, uses a kind of brown eyeshadow type stuff to fill in her hairline which is thinning...her actual hairline looks completely different. Add this to all manner of contouring and completely differently shaped eyebrows and her face is completely different when made up. I can well imagine that people she's only seen when she has her fully made up face on would easily walk past her in the street when she's bare faced.

Imo yes, I think it is a type of cat fishing.

No, saying it is is just another way men have decided to tear women down. Along with saying to 'take her swimming' on the first date.

Makeup enhances your looks, but unless you're using all kinds of tapes and prosthetics you still look similar underneath (just maybe with worse skin) and that's just life. It's not deceiving to wear a bit of paint and powder.

@DrSbaitso that's not actually true, you don't need to be good at Photoshop to edit your photos, there are apps which make it really easy. I know loads of people who use them.

In just glad I am a woman and I like men.
The thought of kissing someone with a face full of sticky, goop on! Yuck. I don’t get why guys would like that.
I do wear makeup but have always had a bit of an aversion to wearing lipstick for the same reason.
But generally I see makeup as just like dressing up. Like putting on a sparkly dress. We all know it’s not real surely?