Is it non-feminist to wear make-up?

[jinglesticks]

My dad told me off for wearing make-up claiming it was wrong on feminist grounds,and I can kind of see what he means, but I don't want to because I like wearing make-up. It does uphold the notion that women are meant to be pretty and decorated for men. Plus it's an inequality in that men don't feel they have to wear make-up and spend time making themselves look better in this way, whereas women do. Also the cosmetic industry promotes feelings of inadequacy in women, because we don't all have perfect skin etc. I can also see why someone like my dad who helped fight sexism in the sixties only to be faced with the ridiculous post-feminism of the spice-girls encouraging us to celebrate our femininity via the means of fake eyelashes and knee-high boots would be annoyed at me wearing make-up.

So what do you think? I like to think that I wear make-up in a quirky, colourful way, expressing individuality rather than trying to look like a model. Am I just kidding myself?

When I was 20 I was offered a job but the female boss remarked 'of course, you'll have to wear make up when you start work here'. I was gobsmacked at the idea and also because I was wearing make up. It just wasn't laid on with a trowel like hers was...

Anyone can wear make up, nothing wrong with it, if it's good enough for goths and emo's it's good enough for me.

lots of interesting ideas - thanks for the feedback. I argued with my dad, that the fact that a man who chose to wear make-up who be judged more than a woman who chose not to, shows that in some ways men are more restricted by gender streyoptypes than women. Don't think this is quite true though.

Actually, that reminds me of a university module on feminism I taught a few years back where most of the girls in the class decided they felt sorry for men because of the expectations society places on them e.g. not to cry, to be strong etc. Maybe I could argue that women are lucky in that they are ALLOWED to wear make up.

I take it you never wear make-up, dittany

I would like to live in a world like that too.

Then again, I would like to look less like a skinned rat in the morning without mascara.

If I had dark skin and defined features, I would wear no make-up

As it is I am an English dishrag rose, and I need a bit of help to look like I am not suffering from terminal myopia

I worry about the political implications of wearing makeup. But I also worry madly about my looks.

I do wear makeup, these days. I think on balance, it helps sort my head out a bit about how I look. (Also I am 47, which is older than both the very glamorous Hester and the very gorgeous Edam.)

I am quite bright, and quite politically acute, about most things, honestly.

a what ??

a wall-eyed Scottish person ?

ah yes, me too

I am a peely wally Manc, with mascara

It's a whooooole different language innit

[Flutters eyelashes glamorously at motherinferior]

Odd though. Back in the day ( love that line) I was a New Romantic...yes I know...which involved lots of eye-liner, bit of mascara etc ( baggy shirts and suede boots, as well yes - I was young!) - and our popularity with girls rose dramatically. so....'men prefer women in make up...women (young in this case) are attracted to men (young in this case) in make up'. Tricky innit.

i enjoy wearing make up and feel better if i wear a bit. don't care if i am not being a feminist.

remember in the 80s when some of the new romantic men wore eye make up etc

Oh yes, a young chap in eyeliner is very fetching indeed.

yes, Capt Jack is just catching up with us.

But doesnt it signify very different things in men and women - in fact the opposite things - in men it signifies a dangerous non conformist and is therefore attractive while in women it signifies conforming.