Comments on: Tirade about makeup

By: Trina

Trina — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:48:52 +0000

I briefly tried makeup but do not see the point. I personally think it is a waste of time. All the men I have personally dealt with that are straight , are always looking at other women anyway. i think straight women cater too much as it is and i think this is why men treat them like doormats. I live for myself and the people I can help along the way. I wish I could re-wire Men and Women differently because it seems to me it is a never ending viscous circle of B.S.. Like a Merry -Go- Round of the ridiculous roles. Make-up is another chore i refuse to do. Like marriage to me is a thankless chore I have watched others do in total dismay.

By: lj

lj — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:26:38 +0000

Queer women have a brain like straight males.
Gay men have a brain like straight women

That and gender stereotype and individuality explains that…

Masculine (jaw/nose/skin/etc) looking women probably want to look as good as feminine looking women. Most men are attracted to feminine features. Masculine featured women have higher testosterone and sleep around more as well. Its all biological…trying to get the best mate imo. And sometimes feminine women do it to dress up and have fun. Which is cool.

I would expect my wife to wear makeup on the wedding day and at other peoples weddings. Thats it.

Makeup makes ppl treat you based on how you look rather than who you are. Same with dressing like a slut. Especially women judging women based on whether they wear it or not.

Feminists are ok. Feminazis are evil.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:02:20 +0000

I am a married, heterosexual woman who works outside of the home and very rarely wears makeup. I wear makeup for those social engagements for which I feel I *must* do so and for those work related situations in which I want to impress someone; otherwise, it’s not part of my routine. There are a few reasons for my lack of makeup:
1.) I went to a women’s college. In the absence of men, I realized that I had only worn makeup because I had wanted to attract men. That became less important to me as time passed — not only because I secured a mate and did not want to appear attractive to the opposite sex, but also because men paid attention to me whether I wore makeup or not.
2.) I just plain don’t like makeup. It takes a long time for me to put on. I’m color blind and I am incredibly near-sighted, so I have to get so close to the mirror that I have been known to accidentally smudge my face up against it. Maybe this is a fun process for women who can see, but for me, it’s just kind of an annoying waste of time.
3.) Make-up is expensive! Forget the investment of time; it takes some serious dough to wear cosmetics on a daily basis. I choose to spend my moolah on things that I actually enjoy.

All of that said, Jess is right; a stigma is applied to women who don’t wear makeup. People make assumptions. They assume any number of things from sexual orientation to mental health status to laziness. Generally, these assumptions are negative. Sometimes, they’re even true. When I do wear makeup, I do it because the social pressure to do so in those circumstances outweighs my personal dislike of makeup. Ultimately, we’re all free to choose whether or not to wear makeup, but other people are free to make assumptions based on that choice. Sometimes, I find it in my best interest to wake up early and slap some expensive gunk onto my face. Other times, I feel uncomfortable in a given situation and wish that I had worn some makeup. At its core, I don’t think the question of whether or not to wear makeup is a solely feminist one; I think it’s a personal and daily decision that depends on a woman’s goals and priorities.

By: russ

russ — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:45:18 +0000

i dislike it when a woman wears makeup or alot just to look pretty.do they think there not look pretty without it..a little is ok but i like a woman for who she is in the inside and physically.and make up only lasts one day but its her face under all it that will last for the rest of her life.i would rather to get into bed with a woman that is what i see her as,and not a clown.natural woman are best.be yourself,not someone you see on tv please!!!!

By: Jess

Jess — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:23:02 +0000

The thing about makeup is that for a woman, it makes things a lot easier. And while I don’t wear makeup often, I understand and don’t judge the women who do. I was told I couldn’t get the job at an interview, and while I was walking out, the man who was conducting the interview told me that I might have “impressed him” more by wearing makeup. You’re called a lesbian if you don’t wear makeup. People think you don’t care about your appearance, that you’re lazy. Girls are taught from childhood that you’re not pretty unless you wear makeup. Getting your parents to let you wear makeup is seen as a rite of passage, one of those things you Must Do in order to be a grown-up.

And, honestly, maybe some or many women who wear makeup just don’t want to deal with what happens when they take it off. And as frustrating as it gets, I can’t really blame them. I have strong convictions and random skin allergies to back me up. Why should women who don’t have these things give up their advantage, especially if they really need that job?

By: DK

DK — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:42:42 +0000

All these comments seem strange to me – I’m a woman, I wear makeup only very rarely and yet no one has ever commented on it in my hearing or thought I was a lesbian because of it. Perhaps this is because I’m not from the US.
However, I think using makeup – occasionally – is fun; like dressing up in a costume. As long as I don’t have to do it regularly, it’s something I can enjoy. I’ve never felt obligated or pressured to use it.

By: ubuntucat

ubuntucat — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:53:23 +0000

Thanks for weighing in, Beth. I’m glad you found my post encouraging. I think your comment definitely caught the main point of my entry. I’m not really about poo-pooing people who do wear makeup, but I do think people should have their natural beauty appreciated.

By: Beth

Beth — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:06:54 +0000

I don’t wear makeup. I started experimenting with it when I was in my early teens, but I just never really took to it. I didn’t incorporate it into my morning routine; I wasn’t interested in buying it at the mall. It just wasn’t “me.” The only time I ever really wore makeup was to school dances. Once I graduated high school, I didn’t wear makeup again until my wedding… and then I haven’t worn it since. It’s largely not a conscious decision on my part not to wear makeup; it just isn’t something I think about very often.

Occasionally, a person and/or society gets to me, and I start to feel really inadequate. Then I *do* have to make a conscious decision about makeup. So far, every time I’ve given thought to the matter, I’ve chosen not to wear makeup on a daily basis.

What bothers me is that there seems to be this prevailing belief that unless a woman “accentuates her best features” with makeup and/or provocative clothing, that she doesn’t care how she looks. I *do* care about how I look; I want people to think I’m pretty; I just don’t think that I should have to wear makeup in order to accomplish that.

I appreciate your blog entry; it was a source of encouragement for me.

By: Restructure!

Restructure! — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:21:58 +0000

I generally don’t like makeup, but I wear makeup for work. When I was a student, I almost never wore makeup except for special occasions.

I wear makeup for work because it has some SPF protection, and I prefer my makeup to oily facial creams with SPF. I use i.d. bare Minerals makeup, but when I had the ‘regular’ kind of foundation, I used to hate it so much, even the feel of it on my face.

I guess there isn’t really a need to wear makeup at work, as I have a techie job and people dress casually.

By: ubuntucat

ubuntucat — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:24:20 +0000

Thanks for your comment, honestpoet. Obviously, there are many reasons to be on the lighter side of things and also various definitions of “skinny.” I’m talking about a very particular context (and, yes, these women in question are usually already skinny to begin with… at least by my standards).