I'm sick of wearing make up. How can I look "made up" without it?

[LoudSnoringDog]

I'm 44 this month and just loathe the process of having to put make up on to leave the house.
I'm naturally pale and freckled so do look a bit washed out.
Any tips to look a bit made up ( tinted moisturiser? )
I don't think I can leave the house without mascara though

@BeyondMyWits

My daughter is 21 and looks amazing, she moisturises her face, puts on false lashes and slicks on lipgloss and she's done, literally 5 minutes tops.

But she's 21. I did that without the eyelashes at 21. I couldn't get away with it now, though.

I use a spray fake tan for my face, put it on every other night. Definitely helps

I rate the Garnier BB cream, it’s like a moisturiser and colour in one. Gives a nice glow and a little bit of colour. Less than £10 for a tube that lasts an age. A quick eye brow pencil and mascara on top and I look better with minimal effort.

Invest in the best skin care you can afford +/- facials. Retinol all the way for me.

Regular eyebrow threading and tinting (monthly) and eyelash tinting (every 2-4 weeks)

Very minimal alcohol and caffeine.

I'm pale and freckly too and have only ever worn make up once in my life and that was on my wedding day so I didn't blend into my dress and end up looking like a pint of milk in the pictures. I'm not great looking by any means and hate my freckles but I look how I look and would prefer to be me than look like a different person outside the house. 🥴

Another vote for 'If you don't like wearing it, just don't wear it!'

I wear no makeup. None. Nothing at all, even for 'special' occasions. Stopped a few years ago when I was in the thick of the baby/toddler years and there was never enough time to put any on. Never looked back. This is my face, no it's not perfect, but why should I try to cover it up? Most men don't bother with make up, so why should we?

Embrace the natural look and revel in the fact that, at our age, nobody gives a fuck what we look like anyway so neither should we. :-)

I used to wear full but not heavy make up every day but during lockdown wfh so wore a lot less.

I now just wear mascara, concealer (dark circles) and brow powder most days.

You could brush on some Hoola bronzer to give you some colour.

Ditch it all :)

I haven’t worn make up for years. I honestly think I look way better without, and as I age makeup actually looks worse.

I think a lot of it is that thing where you become accustomed to how you look, and a big change from made up to not is a strange reflection in the mirror.

Like these teens who’s eyebrows, tans and lashes start subtle then get ridiculously extreme- the image they see needs more for their brains to register.

But as you get used to seeing yourself without you start to realise make up isn’t as great as you thought.

In my job I see many women with make up and after they remove it. And in 99.9% of cases, in my opinion they look way better without. Makeup can hide beautiful features as easily as it can “enhance”.

Agree with previous posters. I wear less makeup now as a 35 year old and honestly, it's my face! Men don't wear makeup, why waste time with it? I do mascara, brow gel and a slice of blush and that's it. I could never be bothered enough to apply so much that i look different.

@BeyondMyWits

My daughter is 21 and looks amazing, she moisturises her face, puts on false lashes and slicks on lipgloss and she's done, literally 5 minutes tops.

Yeah and she is 21. OP is 44.

I really don't care what men do or don't do to their faces. It's an aesthetic decision - I just don't like that made up look any more. If you do like it and you enjoy doing it then crack on.

I tint my lashes and brows myself about once a month. I put energy into skin care and just wear a bit of tinted moisturiser over my spf (I tried a load of expensive ones but now have a cheap as chips nivea one).

I do still use lipstick but also have a tinted burts bees lip balm.

Am 47 and look ok. It's my hair which lets me down as that never looks anything other than scruffy.

Yeah and she is 21. OP is 44

And?

Are you saying o/p can’t look amazing with minimal make up because she’s 44?

I’m 49 and don’t wear it during the day anymore (wfh). I have really oily skin so if I’m out for a drink or dinner I just use a swish of Bare Minerals powder, mascara, and lip balm.

I just look so bad without make up. Wearing just a little takes me from ghost to just about presentable. I wish I could get used to my natural face but it's just so depressing to look at!

I Micro-blade brows, Use good matt moisturiser, tiny sweep of bronzer and nice lip balm.
Still put mascara on which is too much of a faff, like the look of extensions but again faff to get done might try tinting them.

I'm very pale and also have freckles (although bot as noticeable as they were ehn I was younger. Or maybe it's just me that doesn't notice them) I rarely wear makeup anymore, I do however get nova lashes extentions. I know mn hate last extentions, but it makes me feel like my eyes aren't completely bare. My eyelashes are tiny straight stumps and no amount of curling makes them actually lift or curl.
The very best tinted moisturiser I've found is aveda. I tend to mix with some normal foundation if I do want a more made up look and then do a tiny amount of powder to stop it going to oily.
Having something on your lips helps I think. Just a lip balm or something to make them look soft and well moisturised. I just use vaseline.
Also considering getting microblading or eyebrow tattoos because they are basically non exist and too.

Get yourself an hourglass palette. Bronzer, blusher and a swipe of highlighter. Literally one minute if that and you're done. Oh and mascara or get your eyelashes tinted.

@PartyPlan I agree with you about the Garnier bb cream, it is excellent.

I really cannot judge whether I look better or worse wearing make up, I like to think I look better but perhaps I don't. I've never been a beauty and I don't photograph well. If I put make up on, do my best with my hair and clothes then I know I've tried to look my best.

The simplest answer is to not give a shit what anyone thinks.

If that's a step too far, I recommend investing in an excellent skin care regime so there's not much to correct. Personally I use a tinted serum and powder as makeup for everyday, more when I actually want to look different.

@Nomoreusernames1244

Yeah and she is 21. OP is 44

And?

Are you saying o/p can’t look amazing with minimal make up because she’s 44?

Laws of physics or biology. Unless your Jennifer Lopez, a 44yo just doesn't have the same skin properties of a 21yo. There's a reason why they use young people on makeup ads rather than 44yos. (Sorry op.)

I usually just do bronzer and blush, mascara and lip balm if I need to be fast! Peps me up a bit!

Is it just me wondering how you're saving yourself the faff of putting make-up on if you still end up using tanning drops/tinted moisturiser, facial oil, eyelash curlers/false lashes, tinted lip balm, getting eyebrow tints etc? Half the stuff people are recommending is actually make-up!