Colleague has said I'm vain a few times

[Spottttty]

Well not said it, but heavily implied it. I could understand if I'm going around saying 'Look at me I'm soo beautiful' but obviously this isn't the case.

She's said this because I sometimes put make up on or use a mirror at work at lunch. So what? Like it's not affecting her in any way.
She's made comments about 3 times, I've just laughed but next time I'll say something maybe?

It might just be friendly ribbing as she's nice otherwise but not sure what her goal is. She's someone who doesn't wear a scrap of make up and that's up to her, I'm not someone who can do that and that's just me.

not even remotely the same

Why is it not the same?, its personal grooming that doesn't need to affect people nearby, they can look away

Oh dear OP.... the reason I think I like you, is that in the face of a lot of unreasonable judgement, you have retained an admirable sense of humour.
My twopenny worth is, for the way your post came across, is that this colleague is the offensive one.
She hasn't said a word to you, she's childishly mimicking your minimal check on your cosmetic application.
So how you can respond to her, I don't really know, without you also appearing childish.
It's not a canteen, it sounds more like a staff room where you can take a break from work, to eat drink read chat check mobile messages AND bloomin check your face... good grief, if your mascara had "run", is it more acceptable for you to be walking around with panda eyes?
No, I definitely think it's your colleague that's being rude.
Do your other colleagues see her mocking and mimicking you?
If yes, then it's even more upsetting for you, coz she is happy for everyone to potentially join in with the "oh isn't she vain" kinda reference.
For all she knows, you could have serious mental health challenges, and feel very insecure.
Her actions may well push such a person over the edge and cause you even more mental distress.
She probably wants to show off that she feels no need to apply make up, therefore mocks you.
She may not be trying to hurt you on purpose, but why do it to you when there's no excuse to do it?
I feel that because it was only a staff room kinda set up, and everyone else had stopped eating, then fine.
Got no idea how you handle any further derogatory actions from her.
If you're confident enough, when no others are around, just tell her that you don't appreciate her actions, and if she has a problem, please say now, so that the two of you can arrive at a reasonable way to go forward.
Good luck op...

No, why? Does applying mascara involve risking nail clippings flying all over the place?

Genuinely can’t believe the number of people clutching their pearls over the wild idea of someone reapplying makeup lightly in an informal break room 😆 get a life !

WTF? I'm in my 50s and travel for work extensively, i attend conferences and meetings with some really dry and blokey blokes. I want to touch up the lippy or use lip gloss cos my lips are dry from the AC? i get out the mirror and I do it, it's quick and discreet and hurts nobody.

OP - NBU

I've never seen anyone apply makeup in a space like that at work. I've worked in retail, offices, schools and libraries over the years. Toilets, yes, but never in a shared space like that. It's quite unusual, I do find people comment on things they find unusual or jarring.

You can cut your nails without it affecting anyone, plucking eyebrows ok?

Why is doing makeup in the canteen unacceptable… but it’s okay to do it in the TOILETS?

FFS, Mumsnet is the most batshit place on the internet.

OP, keep doing you. Ignore anyone that mimics you. There’s nowt as queer as folk -as we say in Yorkshire.

I completely agree, what ever I thought about someone doing it there is absolutely no way what so ever I would do what this person did to her.

It's playground bullying to me already

I don’t believe some of these posters are real. How do they get through life with such a massive stick up their arse?

I have a colleague who sometimes applies make up at work, no one thinks it's odd, performative or disgusting it's just no big deal

Agree. I barely wear makeup myself, but I find the responses on this thread quite surprising.
Some people finding it “revolting” and “offensive” - really? 😵‍💫

Not really as they do fling off everywhere, same with eyebrow plucking.

Shall we introduce murder into this? Murder in a canteen is not ok either.

Only jealous insecure women care about thee things.
Her jealously isn't your problem, my reply would be why are you so concerned

It’s a pretty self absorbed and vain thing to do in a canteen. You could easily take yourself to the loo and do it in peace if you don’t like her comments.

I mean, I’ve seen some absolutely outrageous things in public such as full on fist fights, mugging, someone taking a dump in a doorway, streakers/flashes (all men), couples basically dry humping each other and extreme PDA. So seeing a woman look into a mirror or apply some concealer … meh, wouldn’t bat a bloody eyelid. It’s evident a lot of posters on here have lived some incredibly sheltered lives. Quite sad.

What about the ladies who just want to have a piss or poo in peace and then wash their hands? But there’s someone applying makeup at the sink they need to use?

Why is putting makeup on in a communal area a problem?

I am not somewhere who wears much make up, and i do see other women touching up their make up in office (open plan), and noone thinks anything of it.

Why would that offend anyone? Also, pls note, and I know this is not the case here, sometimes it can be a confidence thing that women wear and check make up etc.. not vanity. Sometimes they just want to - who cares ,let them be !

Putting on makeup and grooming shouldn't really be done where people are eating, to be fair.

To be fair, in the royal court of Louis 14th of France getting invited to watch the king be woken and have his morning ablutions (washed, shaved and breakfasted) at The Getting Up Ceremony was considered the mark of heighest royal favour and was a sought after event of privelage for people of status.

funny how social conventions and attitudes are rather fluid, one might even say, arbitrary.

Why? What’s the risk?

You are within your rights to put your makeup on wherever you like. She is within her rights to react to that in a way that she thinks its appropriate. If you don't like it, do it somewhere else.

What could happen to someones food if someone is putting mascara on 2 feet away?

Murder is not part of personal grooming, unless you're some kind of weird psycho killer

Nice way of putting people are within their rights to be bullies and nasty shits.

OP please don’t listen to this absolute drivel.