make up is misogynistic oppression

[sixtyandsomething]

I hate make up, because of the devastating damage it does to the lives of women and girls

Obviously I don't wear any, so it doesn't damage my life.

But I am a teacher, and see its devastating impact on the lives of literally thousands of girls

It is ridiculous to think it makes women look "beautiful". Women without make up are beautiful. Women with make up look like they have a load of chemical crap smeared on their face to cover up their natural features. Which is what they do.

Thinking this looks "better" than a face without make up is just misogynistic programming and conditioning.

Girls are literally taught and programmed and schooled and conditioned to believe they can't go out without their faces covered. I speak to girls who tell me they will kill themselves if they have to take it off. They are surrounded by media images of women smeared in the crap, and are conditioned to think this is what a normal female face looks like.

It is expensive, time consuming and bad for your skin, but worst of all it is oppressive.

Just look at this picture and compare the natural look of the men, who just have the minimum make up required for the lighting, and the massively overexaggerated, false, completely covered up look of the women, who apparently need to cover their lips with an unnatural colour, paint extra circles around their eyes, change their eyelashes and eyebrows, and cake all the skin on their face in gunk in order to be fit to be seen.

And if you look at this picture and think "what is she on about - those women just look normal" then PLEASE stop for a moment and ask yourself WHY you think gunk-smeared to the point that no natural skin can be seen is "normal" for a woman!

I am not expecting much agreement, as I think so many women are so tightly in the grip of the (mostly male run) cosmetics industry, that they can't even see how brainwashed they are

But please think twice before passing this oppression on to your daughters.

Wouldn't it be amazing if the next generation of female BBC news readers grow up in a society where they feel free to show their actual natural faces in public.

I think its sad to suggest that makeup has only negative impacts.
Also sad to suggest that wearing makeup makes it so that people wont "know" or appreciate their own natural beauty. Wearing bits of makeup over the years has made me love my face for all parts of it, made- up or not. Playing with makeup has helped me really get to know my face and has shown me how lovely and high my cheekbones are, what great skin I have at nearly 60 (chubby cheeks paying off in old age), that my lips are still pretty good with a really pronounced cupids bow. Granted I only use very little and have a pale complexion but I'm happy with our relationship.

I think what the problem may be is some very young girls who wear makeup as a mask. I think the issue is greater than makeup here though and it may be the role of a parent to try and build esteem and a love of ones self in children rather than blaming makeup?

What about people (yes, people because men can wear makeup too) who have scars and blemishes and want to disguise them? You could argue that we should all feel free to display our imperfections but some people have crushingly low confidence because of it and makeup helps them.

I don't wear much makeup, usually mascara and eye-liner and I don't wear it to 'cover up' but to enhance my ok'ish looks. 'The patriarchy' isn't forcing me to do it. I like it.

Wear makeup if you want to, don't wear makeup if you don't want to.

The first thing that they do in misogynistic regimes like the ayatollah run regime in Iran and Turkmenistan and Taliban run Afghanistan was ban makeup though

Didn’t you post this exact rant, complete with similar or the same pictures of tv presenters before? I’ve definitely read it before. Meh. Sometimes I wear makeup. Sometimes I don’t.

I adore make up, it allows you to look however you want to. I've never suffered from any skin issues as a result, neither does it cost me much time or money.

Of all the issues we need to fix in society, make up is not one of them.

Yes - my "friend" just wanted to make me feel shit - it's barely hidden this is again about women being made to feel bad for their choices.

Women who wear a lot of make up are usually the ones feeling they have the most to hide. Crowing at them from on high because you like your face "au naturale" isn't feminism.

Most men I know (I'm a man) don't actually like makeup anyway. The light touch-up, like a bit of eyeshadow, can be nice, but the rest is excessive.

I don't think most men have a clue about make-up. I've seen so many comments by men saying that they love how natural and un-made-up some woman looks in a photo online when she's obviously wearing loads of make-up. 'Natural look' make-up is often quite a lot of make-up!

I love wearing make up, I love trying out different products and techniques and for me it's enjoyable. I'm not doing it for anyone else buy me. I don't care if anyone thinks I'm beautiful with or without it, couldn't give two shits honestly.

I just like make up. No nefarious reason, never wore it as a teenager, rarely wore it in my 20s and 30s. Now in my 40s and I've discovered how much I enjoy doing it. Probably spend too much money on it, but I work had for that money so I'm entitled to spend however I want. I don't drink, don't smoke and don't buy loads of clothes, make up is my thing.

I don’t believe for one moment this is some feminism driven thing, but an envy over attractiveness , young women. Wearing make up or not.

Apart from anything else... those men are wearing make up too

I'm suspecting you'd have got more than 40% agreeing with you if you'd not been so nasty, judgemental and presumptive with your initial post. A potentially very good point was just completely drowned by your anger and vitriol.

Condemning the patriarchy and misogyny, fine. Slating Women with such a broad insulting brush as you have done, not ok.

Maybe consider the phrase "You'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar" when composing future posts.

Women wear a bit of make up if they like, they wear a lot if they like, millions of us wear none.

You write about this every few months OP and always use phrases like "cake all the skin on their face in gunk in order to be fit to be seen." There's often photos of and reference to newsreaders.

There's some kind of agenda/fervor about your fixation on this gives me the willies.

Your relentless banging away at something millions of women have 100% free choice about (and which women enjoy whichever decision they make) makes my stomach turn.

You sound full of hate, at your fellow women more so. I fucking love having a face full of make-up every day, I just love the look. It makes me happy. Most men don't like it, but guess what it's not for them. It's for ME. You trying to make the rest of us feel bad is not a good look for your feminist mission.

I can make a couple of people stop and think a bit

It's not your job to make women stop and think a bit.
Women already stop and think a bit without your interference.
It's patronising.
It assumes you know better.

That old Mumsnet trope “you’re jealous”. Yawn.

I think the pendulum will swing back towards no, or barely there make up soon. This massive eyebrows, robot nose and lips look won’t last much longer. Fashion always swings back.

I like make up. I like it look natural but with my best features enhanced. I wear it for myself and no one else. I look good without it but even better with it as most women do when it's done properly. I agree with the previous poster that said you sound full or hate towards women. If you don't like make up, don't wear it but don't try to make us who do feel like we're wrong.

Wearing makeup is just one of the many things we do to improve how we look surely.

You could question why we need to style/colour our hair or go to the hairdressers

What about having your nails done?

Or removing facial hair?

Wearing the latest fashions?

None of the above are absolutely necessary really. Out of curiosity do you do any of these OP?

Yep, on the see-through dress thread.

I love make-up and have worn it on and off throughout life (53). I have never felt external pressure to wear it and am happy going out without it but I enjoy the creative side particularly with eye makeup. My DD 19 is similar (happy going put without any makeup), she doesn't wear any foundation but loves eye makeup. She has beautiful eyes with long dark lashes and enjoys trying out different looks. She's very artistic and I believe it's just another form of expression.

I do think some of the heavy made up influencer trend isn't great, but I suspect it'll pass and most young girls who experiment with it will drop it as they get older. I think it's a weird thing to criticise other women/girls for and I don't think it's got anything to do with men and their opinions.

So women and girls who wear make up can’t think for themselves?

what a load of bullshit, sincerely hope you don’t teach my girls.

There is a thoughtful thread to be had about the pressure on girls and women to look good all the time and the harm done by social media.

This is not that thread.

I don't think she's jealous of young attractive women, and i think dismissing womens opinions as rooted in sexual jealousy is lazy and shows misogynist tendencies.
I believe she is sincere in her dislike of made up faces. Where she is going wrong is in failing to recognise that she is being driven by her own tastes and preferences for how she herself wants women to look. For me, the 'feminist driven' position would be to afford women's appearance no importance at all and to focus on the things about each other that matter.

If you are aware that you're wearing a bra it doesn't fit properly.

They don't look like victims of brainwashing and conditioning, they look like they are more confident and independent. They look like they can think for themselves..

I am a senior academic with multiple degrees including a PhD. I can most definitely think for myself.
I love make up and that's okay.