Has anyone just stopped wearing make up?

[LadyContrary]

It’s a complete non issue and I’m well aware of it but....
I’ve been wearing make up all my life (since I was maybe 13-14). My twenties and early 30s - full face on every day. I’m now nearer my 40s and possibly just having a midlife crisis
I stopped colouring my hair and have a lovely salt and pepper mix on my head now. I still cut and style my hair, obviously. I wear a lot less make up (for my standards) too: mascara, eyeliner, matting powder and concealer, possibly a bit of bronzer if I’m feeling wild.
I have a professional job, I try and look presentable for work (most days anyway ). Last couple of weekends I went without make up and actually felt great.
Here comes the big question: has anyone ditched make up completely and avoided all the stupid “oh you look tired” or “are you ill” comments? I don’t think I can cope with them.
Or is make up a part of tidy professional look?
I’m not really sure what I’m asking, excuse my ramblings.

I do wear make up to work but never on the weekends/holidays.
There is a kind of middle ground I think. So for example, I have my lashes tinted and brows shaped each month and try to make sure facial hair (pale skin, thick dark hair) is kept in check.
I find make up a big part of my professional ‘mask’ however.

Yep. I just carry moisturizers around and keep applying. My skin has never been so clear. My eyes are not as defined as with mascara but after a few days you get used to it. It is so empowering not to mention healthier.

@OneOfTheGrundys yes that’s exactly what I mean. It is part of my professional look, will people treat my differently just because I all of a sudden turn up bare faced?
And yes to the middle ground. I still look after myself, my skin, brows, facial hair etc.

In the last year or so I moved to have at least no make up at weekends which feels great and I have minimised what I wear to work.
I'm afraid of going bare completely as I have used it as some kind of crutch for so long and I need to look highly done up all the time.
I'm in a similar place to you OP mentally I think. Following with interest.

I stopped about 10 years ago with the exception of blusher and shaped eyebrows. There are features about me that stand out such as my hair (long and curly) and my dress sense (off piste-trendy IFSWIM!) that mean although I'm old I'm not entirely invisible and people don't make those comments about me. I do look tired on some days though.

As an experiment about a month ago I decided to 'warm up' my face so bought some expensive tinted moisturiser thingy and my skin propmptly and very spectatcularly broke out in the most teenage way imaginable so it went in the bin. I'd rather look tired .

Do your thing OP.

@Skyejuly empowering! Yes. That’s what I wanted to hear. In a way, I started questioning why I do these things. I always believed I put make up on because I love it, I love playing with different looks but now I really don’t any more. So have I been conditioned to believe I’m doing it for myself?
Did you have anyone commenting on the change of how you look?
@Alonelonelyloner crutch is a great way of describing it. Smart clothes and done up face are almost a professional standard, aren’t they?

I worked in a professional London team until last year and once I counted that I was the only woman out of at least fifteen who wore any makeup. They all looked great. I’d say maybe two of them had colouring like me that maybe looks marginally better with tinted moisturiser, brow pencil and tiny bit of mascara, but that didn’t mean they looked ‘awful’ without it, still lovely. All different ages, most very stylishly dressed, some just very clean neat and professional.

I had very bad skin at the time so unfortunately had to do more work with secret camouflage and foundation etc. I think then once you have that on (and, properly applied, it’s a godsend for bad skin) then it’s a bit mask like and you are in a vicious circle of needing a bit of bronzer and eye makeup to lift it.

oooh look at those typos! goes off to clean specs

@LadyContrary until last week I was feeling quite positive about making the shift and then at the weekend DP and I needed to go out for something (not a meal or anything) and I just put some make up on and he said, 'oh you look so pretty!' Almost surprised.

Now, we work together so he sees me with makeup all the time but is also used to seeing me without at the weekend, but of course this has thrown me for a loop. Is the difference that marked that I shouldn't leave makeup behind?

I stopped wearing make up about 10 years ago after 30 years of wearing loads. I just couldn’t be bothered any more takes too much time For a few weeks people kept asking if I was ok 😂

I've found the opposite. As I've entered my 40s I'm wearing more make up, not lots but a pore minimiser, power and and blush. I have my brows shaped. The only other makeup I wear is mascara to open up my eyes, other wise I look ill. In my 20s and 30s, I didn't need anything more then mascara.

I have also just learnt it’s makeup. ONE word. Oh the shame.

@Alonelonelyloner oooh that’s tricky. My DP likes the done up look too. He would never openly admit it but I know it.
@user1498572889 oh god that’s what I’m dreading. I don’t think I could cope with that. @Wannabegreenfingers I used to do the full caked on look. Every.Single.Day. Looking back, I have no idea why. All my friends did it too. The thought of spending at least an hour in the morning to sort out my face is just utterly ridiculous

I never wear make up. So if I did now people would comment. It's the change. I have good skin though and don't need blusher to look healthy.

Do other women in your line of work wear make up? What's the norm?

After years of wearing foundation and powder due to acne my skin has finally cleared up and I've stopped wearing make up. It feels so much nicer to be bare faced now but I do have brows groomed and lashes tinted. If I'm tired I add body shop drops of sun to my moisturiser for a bit of glow.

People sometimes notice a difference but they soon get used to it!

The thought of spending at least an hour in the morning ...

An hour?

Good grief. Never in my life. (And I’m considerably older than you.) Eyeliner, mascara, eyebrows, lipstick. Ten minutes if it’s a grand occasion.

(There was a year, in the late eighties, when I decided to stop wearing makeup to work. My first job post-graduation, City, lots of big, important people. And I decided that my post-lunch touch-up meant missing out on conversations. No one said anything. It didn’t last long though. I got bored and missed trawling Selfridges.)

People aren't as interested (or as judgemental) as you think, honestly.

A full face of slap is really not the norm in most places these days. And with all the time you save in the mornings you can stay in bed and read another chapter of a lovely book.

I used to wear it religiously after Being called, on different occasions when I happened to have not had gone for makeup, ugly and laughed at by strangers (men). Now I just don't care. I wear some powder but that's it.

*had time

For work I might put some eyeliner and mascara on. But most days when working at home or not at work: No. Don't wear it. Might put some on for a night out. But I rarely go out at night so that's easy

I stopped wearing makeup to work about six months ago and the time and money I've saved is scary, and I didn't even wear that much.

The biggest changes I made to make sure I don't look unwell without it, is drinking shed loads of water, keeping my brows neat and not picking spots. If I feel like the eye bags are particularly bad then I'll use a tiny bit of concealer, but I'm amazed at how little I need compared to how much I used to put on.

As above posters said, it's the change people notice. You could either just go cold turkey and have some replies ready for when people comment or do it over time and gradually reduce the amount you use to slowly.

Either way, do what makes you happy and don't let other peoples comments make you feel like you should wear makeup.

I stopped 5 years ago and have never regretted it. I'd been thinking about it for a while and started to really pay attention to other women at work which made me realise that many didn't wear makeup and I'd never noticed either way, and actually I admired them for having the confidence.

I honestly don't think colleagues notice/care and clients have nothing to compare against. I have a good haircut and wear slightly more expensive clothes these days (no synthetics) and I think I look smart and professional.

My skin is so much better, I save 5 hours/month (and about £50!) and I dont need to worry about my mascara running etc. I get my eyebrows tinted and sometimes my lashes.

I think when you become accustomed to seeing your 'own' face in the mirror every day it just becomes normal.

@SurpriseSparDay an hour used to be pre DC. And also pre common sense, looking back at it . It’s 5 minutes these days!
@Flagg I agree, the caked on look is thankfully not the norm. I wouldn’t do it myself now either. What I wear now, takes me maybe 5 minutes to put on. But I think people can be judgemental, some of them anyway.

I don’t wear it day to day but I’m not in an office. I think I’d still need it there. And I wear it when I go out.