To do my make up on the train?

[northchesterforest]

Does it bother you when you see people doing this? If so, why?

I love watching women put their makeup on. I have so little idea how to do my own, and like to see how everyone does it so differently.

Put it on by all means, but accept my (hopefully discreet) staring.

Yes, I agree. I'd use the word inelegant. I'm not sure why though, it's an instinctive feeling. It is an intimate thing. During the last century when they had those trains where there were 8 people in the carriage, four people sitting opposite 4 people, a woman put on a full face of makeup and I remember the embarassed tension in the carriage.

If I tried putting make up on on a train then knowing my luck I'd end up taking my eye out with the mascara wand and putting a streak of lippy from my mouth to my eyebrows.

What, like this you mean?

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1325635564237793

Forced against your will? Are you sure about that?

You're perfectly free to move and/or get off the train.

I really don't mind if someone is doing it in front of me and would probably secretly try to see if I can learn any tips. Also like seeing the end transformation lol. But I'd feel too self conscious to do it myself, though.

I’m currently on the train on my way home from work. I’ll be back on the train at just after 6am, waking before 5am. My toddler will likely wake me up several times during my limited sleep window.

I don’t wear much make up - but the make up I do wear will definitely be being applied on the train tomorrow. People should not think so deeply into judging others. You don’t know anything about their lives or what they are juggling.

I actually think this is a patriarchy thing. Back years ago women were supposed to be mysterious, applying lippie before the husband wakes up, you should always look done etc. Seeing the practicalities behind the mystery would be very unlady like. However in society now, most or out of what I see, women now wear make up purely for themselves, so it doesn't matter who "sees" us applying it, because we don't always look "done" and that's fine too.

That had never occurred to me!

You've clearly never been on my London commute, jammed in (if lucky enough to get a seat, with strap-hangers blocking your exit).

No, I've been squashed in and constantly nudged by a couple of people in the past as they rub, brush and contour. Smelly too - and then one sprayed scent!

@Thedayb4youcame yes 😂

It wouldn’t bother me. Although I wouldn’t be able to do it myself, for me I don’t like people watching me do that.

it does baffle me though, the strong opinions and hate some women on here have about other women wearing make up.

I might touch it up, like powder my nose or reapply lipstick.
But I wouldn't start it from scratch on public transport.
I don't know, it just seems kinda lazy to me, as it should be prioritised at home.

People always jump to use the word 'hate' when someone simply expresses a preference or a dislike, or responds to a question.
It's the same on the 'dog friendly' threads - being called a 'hater' just because you don't love dogs everywhere.
There's a huge difference between dislike and hate.

It's a form of narcissism, having no care for how you affect those around you

I know the difference. There was a thread on here a few weeks back about how bad make up is. The attitudes were disgusting, did you see it?

Why so rude?

The OP asked for opinions.

She has them

It really isn’t. Narcissism is a serious mental disorder, trivialising it like this is so wrong.

Pretty entitled, expecting others to move

Who's trivialising it?

You are.

So that would include the many other posters who use it to describe, mils, dhs, exes - very common word on mumsnet, they're all trivialising?

Yes.

Not when they’re using it to describe a pattern of abusive behaviour that’s rather more serious than putting a bit of lippy on during a train journey.

But yes it’s an over and often incorrectly used word.

Yes they are..like people who enjoy cleaning say they are "a little but ocd".

It's also not at all narcissistic to like and take pride in how you look.

It's not something I would ever consider doing, just as I wouldn't eat in the street. That's more a question of my own upbringing.

But I also try not to be censorious about the behaviour of others. If the behaviour is sufficiently anti-social (and it's safe to do so) I would openly take issue with it rather than sitting there with a cat's bum face and looking daggers as so many British people do. If a person's cosmetic practices were encroaching on my comfort I'd move. I don't think in these circumstances it's reasonable to ask them to stop, and likely unproductive, as I doubt they would comply.

As with most things context matters. On a packed train, slapping on cosmetics in close proximity to others where products might easily spill onto their clothes is anti-social. The situation a PP described upthread, with a woman taking over an entire four-seater table as her personal dressing table, also anti-social. In a quiet train where neither of these things would matter I'd be getting on with my book and doubt I'd notice.

Two rare commodities are needed in situations like these: basic judgement and good old-fashioned common sense.