Anyone else find the idea of make up a bit wierd

[Whirliwig72]

In the last few years I've pretty much stopped wearing make up, only putting on the occasional dab of blusher or mascara if I'm going out somewhere posh. I used to wear quite a lot but increasingly I feel really weird covering my face and skin with 'stuff'.

I was thinking about it last night and the more I thought about the wierder it seemed that women routinely put colours and shiny stuff on their faces but men for the most part do not. I'm not knocking anyone that wears it but am I alone in feeling this way?

meh each to their own

but woman have been doing it for centuries , plenty don't bother so you're not on your own

I'm old enough to remember when men did have a go at doing this. And also old enough to start thinking I might benefit from it...

Interestingly, this is one 80s trend that doesn't seem to have been revived.

Are you make or female fop?

Just to add that I think theatrical make up can be beautiful and fun its more the everyday camouflage / natural stuff I don't get. Id much rather see someone's real skin than powdery perfect layer.

Male.

I love men in makeup. But it has to be dramatic.

Tim Minchin's eye liner looks good. And I adore Matthew Bourne's male swans in their mask-like black eye makeup. Tim Curry was all right too in the Rocky Horror film. And Adam Ant - Stand and deliver indeed!

I think a lot of blokes nick their dp's under eye concealer.

I wear makeup. But one of my friends always used to say he thought it was weird the way women tried to erase their face (with foundation and concealer) and then paint it back on again. Put like that...

I dont wear make-up, but then again I hardly ever have. I think its one of those things that if you are used to wearing it would be wierd not to, but for me as I never wear it its wierd to. hope that makes sense.

Maybe it's also what you grow up with - my mum hardly ever wears it.

My mum wears it all the time so not sure if that's it. For me I never really knew what I was doing and never really learned properly so always felt a bit of a fool wearing it. Im better at it now, but most of the time I just have more important things to do with my time like lying in bed for a few more mins in a morning than spend a while putting make-up on.

The thought of not wearing make up doesn't do it for me, I don't wear loads but as a minimum I like foundation to even out my skin tone and mascara to open up my eyes.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that in my opinion I've yet to see or meet a woman that looks better completely barefaced, than with a touch of make up. But plenty of women don't bother with make up, entirely their choice, good on them.

And DH often borrows my concealer if he gets the occasional spot, or if he's looking particularly tired.

I do sometimes think about how odd it is, but then, if it's done subtly and properly it can be amazing. I mean, seriously - stuff that can make you look like you've had a full night's sleep and are about 5 years younger than you are, just by slapping it on? How AWESOME is that? I feel sorry for men that can't wear make up and have to go around looking like they should be carrying their face in a bucket.

I wear it because I look better with it on, than without. I have lots of broken veins all over my face. It gives me confidence. I'm 37 and didn't wear a scrap of make up until about three years ago. Full slap on every day now.

Indecently we have very few mirrors in our house only one in the bathroom so I hardly look at my face except when I'm cleaning my teeth. Its very calming not having my reflection leaping back at me all the time and I reckon in more confident about accepting my flaws for this reason.

I agree that people probably do look better with it on than off (unless they look ridiculous of course) as if they didnt then why would anybody wear it. I know I am probably in the minority as I just cant bring myself to put it on just to go about my everyday business.

Sorry just to clarify having read back -" I'm more confident than I would otherwise be about my appearance if i had loads of mirrors in my house". I sounded so unintentionally smug just then

Yes I agree that the idea of make up is a bit strange. But I know that I look 100 times healthier and brighter with it, so I quite literally never leave the house without it. Putting my face on is as much part of my morning routine as brushing my teeth (doesn't take much longer either).

MIL always wears it, if she doesn't people voice concern that she "looks ill". She's only in her early 40s and is generally quite attractive. But because no-one ever sees her without makeup they think she is unwell without it. I find this quite sad.

Otoh I wear very little day-to-day: maybe a bit of lip gloss, concealer or eye shadow if I look particularly run down or have a spot. Maybe I don't look as "magazine perfect" as she does, but I'm happy looking like I do, and my face is part of me.

If its an occasion for which dressing up/smartly is necessary then I will wear more, but not to the extent of erasing features and painting them back on again.

I find it weird too, even though at the same time it seems completely normal too as most women do it.

I agree women generally look better with make-up but why don't men wear it then? Do you think men would look better with mascara to "open up their eyes" and blusher to give them a healthy glow? Foundation and powder to even out their skin tone and stop shininess? And if not, why not?

MrsHoarder you've just made me feel really old - your MIL is in her early 40s?

Not as weird as ties.

Interesting Breeze - do women wear make up for men or for themselves or for other women? Increasingly I think it's for themselves and other women as most blokes I've met seem pretty non plussed about make up especially lipstick.

Agree sunshine- ties are odd in the extreme!

I would say I wear it for me. IMO I look better with it, so I feel more confident wearing it.