The feeling of makeup

[Erythronium]

Sort of an addition to the other current makeup threads. I wonder if anybody else has experienced this.

When I wore makeup, I didn't like the feel of it. I had liquid eyeliner that stung my eyes, mascara whose fibres used to get in my eyes and make them water, lipstick which sometimes felt horrible on my lips and was unpleasantly perfumed. Foundation was weird when it dried on my skin and powder used to be cakey and not very pleasant either. I already said on one of the other threads that I didn't like the feeling of nail varnish on my nails which is why I never painted them, nothing to do with any feminist analysis at the time.

Andrea Dworkin said that beauty practices were pain but I'd also add that they are uncomfortable. Not bad enough to stop you doing it, but enough to always make you aware that you are wearing makeup and really, that it's not very nice.

My mother and sister used to encourage me to let them paint me up in makeup and nail varnish when I was a young teen. I always hated the feel of it. My eyes would feel heavy and watery and my face felt, well like it had been painted. Nail varnish made my fingers feel heavy and like they couldn’t breathe. I’d get it all off pretty much as soon as it was finished, much to my mother and sister’s frustration. I’ve never used it since and had no desire to either. There’s nowt wrong with my face. If I look fine then I don’t need makeup and if I’m ugly then it’s not gonna help, so I don’t care. I don’t think I’m ugly btw, just kind of average.

What’s more I never saw my dad or male friends wear makeup so didn’t understand why I should. Not all of them were good looking but the world didn’t seem over bothered about them painting their faces to hide.

I think it's a very individual thing.
Personally for me, I have my favourite products that I wear most days and I can't feel that I'm wearing any. Any deviations feel "different" not unpleasant but different.
I hate the feel of lipstick though, I love the look but nope, hate the feel of it but I can coat my lips in a layer of Vaseline no problem.

Not all of them were good looking but the world didn’t seem over bothered about them painting their faces to hide

Make up for me isn't something I hide behind.

I can't feel it at all

Another one with autism and lots of sensory issues re clothes, shoes etc but make up has never bothered me. I can't feel it

I also have an issue with the plastics use (hairspray, nail varnish, scrub particles, colour, excessive packaging)
and the health aspect (fumes from sprays and nail varnish)

To me the worst was not being able to touch my face or rub my eyes (I wear contacts, so I do sometimes want to fidget with them just to let them lube themselves a bit.

I had to train myself not to touch myself. The few times I wore lipstick I had to also remind myself not to lick my lips/rub them against each other too much, and to be careful when eating - so I don't wear lipstick at all!

I can't feel light makeup - but if it's heavier mascara, or full on panstick levels of foundation then it's always there. And artifical eyelashes I can't stand - always in my view (mind you, I hate wearing glasses for the same reason).

I touch my face all the time,I'm a proper fidget,and my eyes too as I have hayfever /dry eyes so need to use eye drops throughout the day.

Good make up doesn't budge an inch!

I used to swim a lot as a teen, and make-up was too much faff, so I never got into the habit of it, especially eye make-up with the added joy of hayfever. I do use moisturiser and body lotion, and lip balm, but that's it. This thread makes me realise I don't think I have ever worn foundation - I have at least tried eye shadow, eye liner, lipstick at some point. I can't remember if I could feel them on, other than lipstick - could definitely feel that, and different to lip balm. But I suspect I tried cheap brands. I know quite a few women who use lipstick for moisturising their lips as much as colouring them.

I've worn a lot of nail varnish in the past, but stopped at some point in my 30s for no apparent reason - it just got longer and longer between times when I'd do it. The thought of gel nails turns my teeth, though, and I can't imagine they'd well survive chlorinated pool water and gardening and the other sorts of things I do.

I'm now 47, so I doubt I'll be changing my non-make-up habits any time soon.

I don't wear foundation but I occasionally wear other makeup (mascara, eye liner, concealer) which I am generally fine with. Less comfortable than not wearing it, but not annoying.

But I really can't stand nail varnish on my fingers! It makes them feel heavy and claustrophobic. Always makes me want to push at my cuticles.
Toes are fine though, I don't notice that at all.

Thank you for all the replies, this is so interesting. Especially the reports about how nail varnish feels on the nails, I find it smothering, it doesn't feel right at all. To be fair I also have problems with gloves when say I'm trying to balance on an icy path. For some reason gloves feel like they numb my senses and I can't balance properly so I have to take them off.

To the people saying it must be me doing makeup wrong, not the makeup itself:

"crap" makeup: I assume you mean cheap: nope - some of it was expensive, high end brands. Felt the same.

using too much of it: nope again

sensory issues: I don't think so. I wear glasses and they don't bother me on my face, all I notice is I can see them out of the corner of my eyes

I also don't think it's offensive or patronising to notice that at least some of us find the feel of makeup uncomfortable or unpleasant, even though we wear it/have worn it. Those are just facts.

I also hate how it makes me look, it doesn't look like me and my brain doesn't like it!

I have this when I shave my legs. I think they look like plucked chicken legs, not like mine! It slightly disturbs me. Also, stubble - yuck.

The whole baked foundation business is something I can’t understand, especially as it’s mainly young already beautiful girls wearing it (and drag queens of course!). Just absolutely slathering your poor skin in products and ‘baking’ it on - can’t be comfortable or good for skin!

I’ve recently developed an eye problem and stopped wearing eye make up every day - I realised that I was unable to rub my eye if it itched or wipe it if it watered due to not wanting to smudge my eyeliner - bonkers!! I may not look as pretty now but at least my eyes aren’t as problematic because I can deal with them if needed without having to find a mirror!

But ... but ... what is there to feel? I don't get that one, at all. How can it feel any different to not wearing nail varnish?

Certainly with gel polish I can feel it - there’s a tightness when the polish is curing (and the heat - almost a burning sensation too)but even afterwards it feels a bit numb and clumsy. I don’t go for nail extensions, just colour on my short nails, but the added thickness means they aren’t as useful, you’re always conscious of chipping them so you don’t DO as much, they are useless for picking at things etc!! They definitely feel physically different but it’s also the being conscious of the way they look v what they can do that is limiting.

I just looked up the baking method for foundation RWB. Now that's someone who is using too much powder!

I don't like the feeling of nail varnish drying either. I find it cold though. The smell of nail varnish remover is also very unpleasant - poisonous chemicals.

No i cant feel makup...with two exceptions

I dont wear lipstick very often so when i do it does feel funny

Some of the thicker mascara make my eyelashes feel heavy...i don’t notice it with most of them

Yeah I can feel it when its on, even when I just have a tiny bit on, its weird really. However, try as I might, I still cannot bring myself to go to parties and such without makeup on. Even though it feels awful and I think I shouldn't be pressured into wearing it, which I am not really but still am too!

Maybe I don;t feel it as such, but givne its such a rare occasion for me to wear any, its on my mind. So I feel it as I am thinking about it in the back of my head, or something Mascara I can definitely physically feel though.

But ... but ... what is there to feel? I don't get that one, at all. How can it feel any different to not wearing nail varnish?

The first time I ever used nail varnish was an an adult, I was surprised by that too! I didn't expect to be able to feel it at all. But I'm definitely conscious of it on my nails. It's as if they can't breathe, kinda! It's smothering, like Erythronium said. It's an unpleasant feeling.

I am usually hyper sensitive to smells and labels and clothes that feel wierd etc but I can honestly say that I have never felt make up (unless I have an allergic reaction to it). I wear full foundation, cover stick, powder, eye liner, shadow, mascara etc...I don't feel any difference (physically) with it on or off.

I stopped wearing makeup because it feels restrictive. I like being able to touch my face and rub my eyes. I also end up with spots. I spent my 20s with sore eyes, losing eyelashes and bad breakouts due to having to wear make up to feel like me but I stopped just before I turned 30.

I only 'feel' make up if I'm using a foundation that doesn't suit my skin, then it can feel heavy or oily. The only thing I've used that's made me conscious of it are false eyelashes. I've only worn them two or three times in my life and I felt like my eyelids were being pulled down. Nail varnish doesn't feel any different to not wearing it.