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

I agree about a pp who said that we need to move away from pale = unwell. I am as pale as they come with very dark hair and as I've aged I have decided to embrace the pale. I don't subscribe to the one size fits all beauty aesthetic that seems to have dominated popular culture for ever. I don't tan and have given up on the fake tan, even in the summer, and like to think that I am channelling a pre-raphaelite goddess (and am quite aware that this is more than slightly delusional on my part). I know that I will never be one of those beautifully tanned and glowy Scandinavians or Spanish women that I saw on the beach in Majorca and that's ok. I am definitely built for our English weather with a complexion to match (am loving the current "Frazzled English woman" aesthetic btw as that is one I can definitely identify with).

I am 41, i have never worn much make up but getting my eyebrows microbladed was the best thing i ever did, i wish id done them ages ago. They frame my face & make a huge difference. I get them redone every 12 months for £150

It’s always the way on here.. if a woman asks for advice about make-up, aesthetics etc, there’s always those that say ‘don’t give a shit what people think, no-one else cares what you look like so why would you’ or blame the patriarchy for making us feel like we have to look our best!

Jesus, some people need to get it into their heads, that a lot of women like the boost they get by paying attention to what they look like. Many don’t do it for anyone except themselves, and many are not obsessed with image. Why is this really so hard to understand 😡

and why aren’t there the same comments on the style and beauty thread when it comes to clothes or shampoos or bloody nail varnish or whatever 🙄🙄

Tattoo all the way. I look like Casper the Friendly Ghost otherwise, so have eyebrows, eyeliner and lips tattooed on. Makes a massive difference, I now look like I have a face. If I can be arsed, lash lift and tint on top.

I’m 60 and have worn makeup all my life from 20’s onward. I always thought I’d need a “something” doing as I got older and had planned on some treatments or a facial device like NuFace or Foreo. As I’m fair skinned and fair haired, I found that I was wearing more and more makeup just to look “alive” 😂 However, when I removed it at night I felt like I was disappearing and certainly, without mascara/brow pencil, I did!

Last summer, I decided to have my brows micro bladed. I was so pleased with the result that I then had subtle brown eyeliner done permanently on the top lid. Now, I don’t have to do mascara/eyeliner at all. The upside is, my lashes have suddenly thickened which showed me how much wear and tear was happening with daily application/gentle removal of mascara. I’m absolutely thrilled with it. It’s given me more confidence and…time!

Two weeks before Christmas I had lip tint done. I am so very pale that frankly, without lipstick, I have no mouth…look totally bloodless! Again, thrilled with the result. Maintenance is every two years or so. It’s not as expensive as a facelift and I feel like I have regained “features”.

I’ll try to post some photos.

So… photo 1 is me just prior. Patchy brows and a dollop of mascara.
Next one is mouth, prior. Pale/no definition.
Then “post” treatments. I’m wearing bronzer/blush. That’s it. No eye/brow pencil and no lippy. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I love it!

Dolly You look fantastic, fabulous skin!

I agree with a bit of facial fake tan for helping with the no make up look. Either tan luxe or St Tropez Purity spay water.
Rituals tinted lip balms are great too especially if used with a long wear lip pencil.
Benefit Bad Gal 24hour eye pencil in brown with smudger on the end to define your lash line
Chanel bronzing powder gel in a jar - so easy to use with a thick kabuki brush.
This is also very good for a no make up look, it just softens and blurs everything, they call it a primer but I use it alone...

www.beautypie.com/products/wonderfilter-velvet-finish-primer

Lumene Self-Tan drops are really good if you have fair skin. Not orange at all.

Facial tanning drops…?

I like this Superdrug own brand one. Smells lovely and for me, better than the Claris product!