To find make-up weird

[elprup]

I kind of get foundation because it can cover spots, blotches and blemishes. But to “enhance” perfectly good eyes with black lines and smudges (eyeshadow) and to colour in your lips - I don’t know, isn’t it all a bit odd when you think about it? (Most) men don’t wear it so why do women? Just a thought! 🤣

I definitely disagree on foundation. In photos, yes it can, but in person under natural light it's so visible – as a pp said, it highlights any peach down, it so often looks like a mask has been applied, it shows up any lines or wrinkles, and can smudge or not be blended well at the edges, or be slightly the wrong colour or undertone, and if a person has acne it just looks unhealthy as their pores need to be able to breathe and be exposed to fresh air, not clogged up with gunk. It evens out the skin, yes, but at a cost.

I don't think the kohl improves their eyes though? It makes them more visible from a distance, yes, but at a normal social distance it's just distracting and draws the eye away from the pupil and iris. If anything, ringing one's eyes with kohl like that makes them look smaller, and overwhelms the person's eye.
On a purely subjective level, both people there would be more pleasant and engaging to look at without the eye make-up, and I also think objectively, their eyes themselves would stand out more during conversation.

I think it depends on what type of foundation you’re using and your application method tbf.

lots of foundations are now more like tinted moisturisers. Less is more. Obviously everyone will have their own way of doing their own makeup but heavy cakey foundation is most definitely out when it comes to makeup trends.

I disagree

more men would wear make up if people genuinely looked better with it.

i have never met anyone I thought looked better made up 🤷‍♀️I can appreciate make up, and that people look good with it, but better? No.

Thats true – but if it's transparent enough to let the skin come through properly, then it's not hiding the blemishes people want to hide so there's no point, and if it covers the blemishes it invariably flattens the face's colouring unnaturally, doesn't match the skin's undertone quite right, is often too dewy, and just doesn't look any better in person, imo. It looks like a product sitting on the skin, masking it, because it is. Which is fine – but not better.

I don't think it's the weirdest thing humans do tbh.
I very rarely wear makeup. I used to wear a lot. I'm just as happy with my appearance as I was then.

Your pores don’t breathe

I didn't think I'd have to qualify that with 'figuratively, not literally'. It's a turn of phrase!

What I meant (I thought, obviously) was that when one has clogged pores, it doesn't help to plaster the skin with paste, and it often just exacerbates the issue, creating a vicious cycle. It helps more to have the skin cleaned, uncovered, and exposed to fresh air (or I suppose treated with a medicated patch, perhaps) than to be covered in foundation. And it doesn't look any better, objectively speaking, having obvious inflamed pimple bumps being covered up by foundation. Just different.

Why do people get so judgey about people wearing makeup? I don’t care who does or doesn’t. Why do we paint houses? Have choices of car colours, different cuts of trousers, dresses etc? People like and suit different things. Nobody suits a judgemental attitude. I will continue to wear makeup because I don’t personally ally like having rosacea and scars, small eyes with and lashes and no eyebrows which disappear on my face and a round baby face. That’s my choice.

I'm sorry you don't like your face. That's actually really sad. If make up makes you feel better that's good, but it's a shame you think your face needs to be changed and hidden in the first place.

What I don't like is the way people keep saying women look awful without make up, or much better with it. It's so misogynistic. People just look different with or without make up, not better or worse! Besides, a woman's purpose isn't to look ornamental anyway. But thinking that someone looks 'better' with make up is generally just sexist socialisation.

I agree with all of that BUT I have just been catching up with MasterChef 2026 and Anna Haugh's skin is honestly beautiful. I know she's been 'glowed' but whatever it is, it works.

And it's ok to wear make up and it's ok not to. That's the point.

I do think on the stage and screen, harsh lights can wash a person out, and make up works great then to make them look themselves in spite of the lighting! But yes, as you say, either wearing make up or not is fine! Generally speaking, neither is objectively better looking than the other.