Going 'no makeup'

[LadyBlaBlah]

I know it's trivial and as feminists must think only of FGM however I'm getting fed up with the time, cost, effort and most of all the reasons why I wear make up.

I've been wearing it blindly since about aged 14 so it will weirdly be a big change, and my small act of rebellion against the p.

Anyone else a no makeup person?

I don't find tanned skin attractive, real or fake.

So far as men, yes I think if discreet make up were applied by the type of beauticians who really know what they are doing the same applies.

"Everyone looks better with makeup"

Men? Would Brian Blessed look better with makeup, and what form would that makeup take?

It's all cultural. How women are supposed to look, what's feminine, how men are supposed to look, what's masculine. Different groups have different looks - goth men back in my day wore black nail varnish and makeup and that was considered perfectly acceptable in that group. Bob wearing pink lippy and false eyelashes to the office would raise a few eyebrows.

No-one on the thread has said that women, men, feminists, whoever, must or must not wear makeup. So where statements like that come from (as they always do on these threads) confuses me.

Of course some people do it because it pleases them and / or is artistic and / or they want to achieve a certain look and that's all well and good. But strangely, the people who choose to experiment in this way are all female and start at about age 12. The idea that there is nothing cultural / linked to male/female is preposterous isn't it. And the fact that so many women and girls feel not presentable if they aren't wearing any takes it out of fun experimenting and into something quite different.

As usual the point is that looking at things at a societal level is taken as some kind of dictat to individuals at a personal level, which no-one has even made anyway. So, weird.

Have never been a heavy make up wearer, but at some point since I had children, and coinciding with a much greater interest and alignment with feminism, I just stopped wearing it.

And as so many other pp have said - it's fine. Nothing happens!

Men? There was a thread in AIBU about Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs. He used to be a personable , chubby, slightly gingery bloke with bad skin. I don't watch The Voice but he is/was one of the judges and AIBU were swooning about him.

This surprised me ,having seen Kaiser Chiefs, but on googling him he quite clearly has changed his hair colour and either has tinted his eyelashes or has eyelash extensions.

Make up for men if done properly is a lot more subtle than Bob with lippy.

I don't wear make-up most f the time, because I just can't be arsed, tbh. I do think I look better with it, but my DP thinks I look better without, so obviously your statement is very subjective, Still.

I am actually laughing at the thought of Dp with make-up on though. I don't think it would improve him at all.

I've never worn daily make up.
Of the last few years I've hardly ever worn it when I go out.
It looks and feels like a mask to me.

I find it hard to understand that anybody would argue that in what way we alter how appearance is NOT societal - of course it is.

Lip plates, anyone?

whatlifestyle yy just made me realise my DH prefers me without makeup as well.

Actually there was a study in the papers a few years back wasn't there about makeup and men's reactions I can't remember what it was but the results were unexpected. I think without makeup the men classified the women on attractiveness and then with makeup the differential closed, so women who were less attractive gained and women who were more attractive lost. So the thing seemed to be if you were naturally pretty you shouldn't wear makeup, if appearing attractive to men is what you are primarily interested in. The whole thing is a disaster from a feminist perspective obv but there you go

stilllost the very fact that you talk about "makeup for men" shows that there are sex issues at work here. Most men in our society would not wear makeup even if they did think it made them look better, and most people would not expect them to, any many many would not want them to.

Incidentally, what should my 5yo and 7yo be wearing in terms of makeup? If we're still saying that everyone looks better? (I have emailed Brian with some blusher tips).

Actually Brian Blessed looks a treat with some makeup enhancing those eyebrows.

Love it

WHERE'S MY EYELINER??!!!

I very rarely bother with makeup. I enjoy putting it on, and am actually quite good at it. So as an abstract art form, I do appreciate it. But I'll be fucked if I can be bothered with it every day. It's not so much the putting it on, but the taking it all off again. So I only wear it on very special nights out and for job interviews. I do wear tinted moisturiser on a daily basis, and a touch of under-eye cream. But that's it.

Oddly enough, I'm starting a new job next week, and even though I know that none of the women there wear makeup, I feel a very odd compulsion to wear some at least on my first day. Perhaps as a mask, perhaps to make a good impression. I don't know. But I won't wear any. Cos it would be silly.

I do like a man with a bit of mascara and eyeliner though.

None here. I just sort of dwindled down to less and less. Then had a career change into a messy, sweaty job and quit altogether.

I wear it occaisionally. But much more than mascara and tinted lip moisturizer looks like i should put on a costume and wig to acheive the same level of fakyness.

Sera Ray Liotta in his prime ? Or Billie Joe Armstrong? Or Nicky Wire?

StillLost - Tim Minchin.

I've never worn much make up but struggle to go completely bare. I've really cut down how much I wear over the last few months, and have gone out quite a few times with none altogether, but I'm on maternity leave now and I don't know if I'll be able to go to work with none on.

With no make up at all, I feel like I'm not dressed. I am naturally, really pale, and when I don't have make up (and sometimes even with) even strangers ask me if I'm well! It isn't very confidence inspiring to be honest. I really want to overcome this but I am finding it hard.

I think it is a feminist issue because it's an issue only (on the whole) that women have to deal with. There is a strong marketing campaign telling us how we can improve every part of ourselves. Hide our bad spots, camoflauge our big thighs, even our skin tone and so on. It's relentless.

Course it's a feminist ishooo - cf Caitlin Moran, 'Is this taking up the men's time?'

No make up here most days, but that's normal for my particular culture. But I love putting a bit on for going out.

In general I think people look nicer without make up. The natural beauty is easier to see. I wear nothing but a small amount of foundation. I've tried to give it up but I look so much older and more tired without it! Most people think I don't wear make up though.

sera

I do like a man in black eyeliner

I wear makeup all the time, don't leave the house without it and quite often wear it when I've no intention of leaving the house

Dd (13) isn't fussed she told me the other day that she's not bothered because she is a "free spirit"

I wear minimal makeup (foundation, blusher, lipstick) at work, none for weekends or holidays, cba. I never use eye makeup.
I do sport most evenings, so wipe it off beforehand, to avoid streaming in beige sweat.

I last wore heels or skirt / dress in 1993 for my job interview. I've lived in sports gear or jeans ever since, because I refuse to wear stuff I find impractical and uncomfortable, just to be feminine.

So, yes I think the freedom to choose, without social pressure, is a feminist issue.

It's slightly different if you have a skin problem. I have mild rosacea and if it's being a bit lively and I have to go somewhere either social or professional where I will be meeting people I don't know, I would rather slap on a bit of foundation than feel like everyone is aware of my red blotchy face (particularly given that modern foundations are actually quite good at covering up blotches, much better than they were in my younger days when you just looked lumpy and orange...)

Also men are not entirely free of having to worry about their faces. For them it's facial hair rather than facial paint, but there are assumptions, expectations and fashions around whether a man shaves his face every day, has an uncontrolled flowing beard or a meticulously trimmed design on his face - and even a certain amount of status attached as to whether or not he can grow facial hair (some men don't grow much even if they don't shave for several days.)

(And one of the few reasons why I sometimes think I would like to be a man is beard envy. I would like a huge great beard that I could plait and put beads in.)

SolidGoldBrass

You are truly marvellous. Henceforth I shall always picture you with a long, Gandalf-style beard, plaited with bright colourful beads and possibly a tassle

Smeone said that makeup-wearing is noticed more by women than by men, and so it's "not the patriarchy" (paraphrasing).

That's not how it works.

A sexist an unfair socirty can include sexist and unbalanced aspects that are enforced by women as well as by men.