To those who wear zero makeup

[damnthatanxiety]

Did you ever wear makeup? Did you stop at some point or have you never worn it? Did you ever think about wearing it? Why don't you? Do you generally put much thought into your appearance or are you not at all interested?

Used to wear full goth get up in late teens. Occasionally wear some if going out, quite rare. Lucky to have good skin plus I can’t be arsed faffing around doing it in morning., would rather have an extra cup of tea!

Surprised at some of the defensiveness on here. Clearly women aren't obligated to wear it, there is an avalanche of posters on here alone who don't proving that, and walk down any high street and uou see a mix, some do some don't. 🤷‍♀️

I do, and I like it. I'm fine without it, I'm lucky with my skin at 51, to the extent I get asked what moisturiser I use, but I know how to use make up to enhance rather than mask, dewy radiant skin, fill in my brows (which are sparse from over plucking decades ago) fuller thicker lashes, plumper lips.

However my two closest friends are the opposite. One will wear lipstick and mascara and that's it. Nothing on her skin. The other is a little bb cream, and some lip gloss. And even then it's rare she does that. Both would look a bit odd with it, just their styles and how we are used to seeing them. You would see me both with and without.

I think we need to get past this thing about women being expected to wear it, it's clearly not the case.

I don't wear make up because no amount of make up would improve my stupid fat face I'd just look ridiculous.

Did you ever wear makeup?
Yes, throughout teens up to mid twenties but have never touched foundation.

Why don't you?
Prefer not to; I am blessed with good skin and I am pleased with my features as they are. I am able to use make up well and so sometimes use it for fun, but definitely don't think I need it.

Do you generally put much thought into your appearance or are you not at all interested?
Very leading question. You can care about your appearance without having to wear make up or use lots of products. I like to be well-presented; I also think disliking yourself and your features is an expensive and unnecessary habit.

I only started with make up at 32, before that i didnt see the point, i was fine with how i looked. Tbh, i still am, but i think make up helps me look more 'groomed', like i 'made an effort' for special occasions. I dont think it makes me look younger or prettier or anything and i go extremely light, just bb cream, natural shade eyeshadows, brow pomade and mascara. Boringly, i think general skincare/health like keeping hydrated, getting sleep and moisturising are the biggest help.

I wore it as a teen and in my 20’s. Now I rarely wear it and when I do it’s minimal. I’m so out off by the big heavy faces I see everywhere. And how misogynistic makeup actually is. Men look fine, like themselves, without it. Why can’t we look like clean and tidy selves? Honestly though from the non-wearing side, most women don’t get makeup right. And it looks odd. Especially beside their human looking partner in photos they just look orange and strange if it’s heavy. But even light make up shows up imperfections.

It all seems so pointless and such a waste of time, money and self esteem.

I used to wear makeup everyday but the older I get the less I give a shit about what people think of my appearance. I only dress and pretty up when I feel like it now instead of when other people expect it.

I only wear it when I'm going out somewhere. I work from home and my family know what I look like without it! I'm slightly phobic about heavy make up on other people - it makes me flinch and feel unable to look at them. Either that or I cant stop gawping.

I think we need to get past this thing about women being expected to wear it, it's clearly not the case.

It pretty much seems to be for the majority of teenage girls, certainly my daughter's friends. I hate it that they spend so much time and money on how they look and feel insecure going out without make up.

Wearing makeup is expected.

Never worn it. Don't understand it! Why hide? Genuinely baffles me the amount of money people spend on it.

I wear makeup sometimes but not everyday. I don't wear it everyday because I feel equally confident without it, but it's nice to wear it for work/special occasions & I enjoy applying it.

I do put in thought to how I look, but there are more important things.

I care very much about my appearance and adore clothes. Make up however just doesn't do it for me and, although I haven't given up on it completely, I find it quite tedious and in some ways I think I look more interesting, in a fierce kind of way, without it. The exception is lipstick, which I only started wearing a couple of years ago but I really like how it changes my face with minimum effort.

I do worry about the pressure on young women to wear it and I totally agree that men don't have their appearance judged in the same way. But I've seen how young men are themselves pressurised to work for a 'gym body', and I'm unconvinced by the 'men don't do I don't' argument as I don't regard male behaviour as some kind of gold standard that we should all strive towards.

I think the best reason for wearing make up if you enjoy it. If you do, I don't think it should matter how it looks - in fact I quite like seeing it slapped on with more gusto than skill.

Soz fat fingers - 'men don't do it so I don't' argument.

I used to wear it, way back, but I wasn't keen on how it felt on my face and I was allergic to most of it so had very narrow choices.

I do take care of my appearance. I wear well looked after, good quality clothes, mostly natural fibres, and use curly girl method on my hair so it might not be sleek but it is well cut and styled in a way that I enjoy. I just don't see the need to paint myself.

I've never worn it not even as a teen.
My mum buys it for me every birthday and Christmas because I should wear it .
I am a pretty woman, I don't need it. In fact I'm better looking without it than a lot of women are with it on.

I wear makeup every day. After giving birth I did my makeup and wouldn't leave the house without it.
I'm 40 next and have worn it every day since I was 15.
I work full time and have small children but get up early to apply makeup - foundation, concealer, eye shadow, mascara, lip liner, lipstick. Only thing I've changed since I got older is I wear less eyeliner.
My mum wears makeup (not loads) and my gran always wore makeup, even when she went in to a care home.
My daughters are too young for makeup but do ask if they can wear it and love to try it on.

I wear it occasionally for special occasions, but that's it. I do think spending hours putting it on and taking it off is utterly ridiculous, and of course I've saved myself a fortune. So many woman who wear loads of make-up look pretty ridiculous.

OP, I suspect if you went without more you'd develop more confidence in your looks.

I last wore makeup on 23rd June 1990... for my wedding Washed it off before the reception and haven't worn it since except very occasionally some mascara.
I never liked it, didn't like the feel of it and I remember when I first met Dh he said he liked the way my face didn't end up on the pillow in the morning (his ex had been very into makeup)

52 now and my face is ..well my ageing face!

Both my daughters went through a few years of never leaving without a full face on but now neither of them bother (tbf one's a doctor one's a nurse and it's not high on their priority list!) I sometimes wished I learned how, but it's too late now!

I use less makeup each year it seems but a bit of light mascara opens up the eyes, light blusher makes me look alive and a little lipstick doesn't hurt either

I used to never leave the house without makeup as I felt too insecure and wouldn't let people see me without it.

I now never ever wear it and feel much more confident. Took a while though. I tend to focus on my skin care instead nowadays and not hide behind the makeup.

Did you ever wear makeup?
Yes, teens into 30's. I think I started to not bother so much when I gave up work, but continued to put on mascara as I have very light hair.

Why don't you?
Personally I think as you get older, it looks nicer to not have too much make-up. My DM put me off by wearing a thick coat of dark brown foundation all her life, still does at 92. It come off on all her clothes and furnishings, and sticks in her lines..... yuk. I do put on a very minimal amount if we go out, but just tinted moisturiser, and mascara, sometimes lipstick. I am blessed with good, clear skin.

Do you generally put much thought into your appearance or are you not at all interested?
Of course. I have my hair cut and coloured, although now more towards white than blonde, although most people haven't noticed, which is interesting. I am very blonde though. I like clean, plain, well cut clothes, expensive but not necessarily "in fashion". I always have lovely shoes and boots and coats.

I have found it very liberating to not put make up on. In fact, my DD's also don't put much on, if at all, either. Perhaps they take my lead, but DD1 says probably half of her office don't either, and that in a very high powered London consultancy. Which I think is great. You can do what you want to do, without being judged any more.

Men look fine, like themselves, without it. Why can’t we look like clean and tidy selves? Honestly though from the non-wearing side, most women don’t get makeup right. And it looks odd. Especially beside their human looking partner in photos they just look orange and strange if it’s heavy

What a horrible statement, firstly as witnessed by this thread and millions of woman you see out and about it clearly is fine to not wear it. And to say women who do look inhuman and odd is really mysogynistic stuff.

Why do some women feel the need to do this. Why not say I don't, but everyone has the right to choose. Why the need to attack other women's appearance in this manner?

I have always enjoyed makeup but I have certainly adapted what and how I wear it over the years. When I was in my 20s I wore more dramatic makeup - it was the 90s. It worked then and on a young skin. In my 30s and 40s I wore more going out and less but still full face most of the time but would happily forgo it for the school run etc. Now in my 50s, I wear mascara, brows, lip balm all the time. Some sort of tinted face cream or just under eye concealer. But very very light coverage as it looks fresher and just better at my age. As skin ages, it seems to look better with less. I do love makeup though so sometimes if I am not going to the gym, I will put on lots - just for me, just for fun!

my young teen daughter has zero interest. To be fair, she has the MOST incredible tawny skin and dark features so makeup would, if anything, detract from her beauty.