How do you feel about make-up?

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Each to their own preference but I don't expect anyone to look stunning, I'm saying that if someone is comfortable in their own natural skin, they are more attractive. I think Jennifer Lopez is an attractive woman but she isn't my type, I'm sure many men like glamorous women though.

I don't see anything wrong with someone using make up if it gives them a confidence boost or makes them feel better about themselves. I prefer women who have a tomboy or subtle fashion sense or wear little to no make up on a daily basis but that's just my personal preference. On a day to day basis, there's no need to wear excessive make up.

I find someone like her more attractive.


Over someone like her.

The-Raven, you have some great insights about this. reading people's opinions is a bit if a microcosm of society. since it seems pretty much impossible to please everyone, i admire people who opt out and make decisions entirely for their own happiness, whether that means going bare-faced, wearing light makeup, or applying it heavily.

I agree, it's unfair to compare a girl that is far younger to the likes of Jennifer Lopez, aging is a process that can't be stopped and genetics do play a big factor in skin condition. I'm not saying it is wrong for women to wear make up, I'm simply saying that they can end up relying on the make up instead of seeing a skin care professional. Make up simply masks skin problems instead of treating them directly and if you are applying make up that clogs the pores, a skin treatment or moisturizer might not work as effectively.

I never stated there is a requirement for women to have perfect skin naturally, If someone has poor skin and needs make up, a thin layer of foundation should be enough to cover it, I'm simply not attracted to women who wear make up in excessive amounts unless it is done in an artistic manner, I just don't see it being practical on a day to day basis. I agree that women are expected to have perfect skin and they are set to a higher standard than men, wrinkles on men can be perceived as rugged which can add to the sex appeal whereas they have the opposite effect on women.

they're both wearing makeup, just in a different style. the first picture is a woman with a "natural look" but just because the makeup is not visible to you doesn't mean that it isn't packed on - just that it is skilfully applied to trick your eyes.

I see what you're saying, I just don't think it's that cut and dried. Just one more personal anecdote, and then I'll quit (I promise!):

I'm much older than you, so my experiences are different. I never wore foundation, ever, when I was younger, and my skin was awful (my biological father had cystic acne and I take after that side of the family, I was only spared the worst because I'm a girl and girls have less testosterone). I agree with you, makeup just looks ridiculous when applied over poor quality skin.

They had *nothing* to treat bad skin when I was younger, other than oral tetracycline (yes, they actually gave you antibiotics) which didn't really work all that well. Bad skin, we know now, is largely a hormonal thing, which they also dared not regulate in young people. My sister takes after the perfect skin side of the family, and she can count the number of blemishes she had as a kid on one hand (and she wore very heavy makeup all through high school ). Now that we're in our 40's, though, she still has perfect blemish-free skin, but she has wrinkled more quickly than I have around the eyes and mouth (places where you don't put foundation). She's two years younger, but people think she's older than me. Genetics.

Most makeup application, especially if you live in a city with pollution and you expect to be outside for any portion of time, starts with a good moisturizer that's right for your skin type and has a good SPF. Foundation is only applied on top of that, so it's not getting into the pores as much as you might think. Diligent removal of makeup at night is also key, and maybe what you're thinking of is people who don't have that rigor. {If you left hummus on your face all day and night, you'd have a problem, too, but hummus doesn't stick as well. }

All in all, I salute your preference of the fresh-faced look, just know that not everyone is capable of it, and that not all skin issues are "treatable". I didn't have access to Accutane, for example, until I was in my 30's, and even then they make you take BCP because Accutane is toxic to fetuses (so they mess with your hormones when you're trying to treat a skin condition! Ridiculous!). There was no Pro-Activ, etc. Yet we were still held to the same stringent standards, lookswise, that people are today.

What I don't understand is why men are allowed to have whatever skin and women are expected to be flawless, no wrinkles, no discoloration.. And these 'no make-up' girls are actually 'wearing natural looks'. And what do men do? 'Provide'?

Ridiculous double-standarts. It's so well marketed! You can surely learn a thing or two from this beauty industry. It's absurd how much time, money and energy women have to put into this. But it's only so much she can do, I suppose.

I feel like its more of a hassle then its worth..even my brother likes to wear make up. To each their own I suppose.

I never go outside without makeup. It stems from some rather telling experiences as a teenager and also suffering from trichotillomania has made me hide my "natural" self from the world's eyes for years. When I don't pull out lashes and brows I can go almost natural but I still feel weird about it, like people can read my thoughts.

I wish I didn't care but I do. Not so much what others think but rather how repulsed I become from my own reflection. Trich will do that to you, it's hard to unlearn. For me, wearing makeup is equivalent to covering up the scars from my disorder.

But I do get enjoyment out of it some days. Most days it's more like taking my meds.

^ Agree with hyperlexian and with Wolfheart: Ellen Page is cute in that photo but don't think for a second that she wakes up in the morning looking like that. Makeup is often most effective when it's subtle rather than when it's not. Both of them will take time, effort, training and supplies.

My first girlfriend taught me both of these things by dint of my waking up next to her.

You know, I never get anyone telling me to put on some make-up anymore. I see a lot of people in here stating that women are expected to look flawless and I just don't experience that.

nobody's ever told me to wear makeup. oh no wait, i am mistaken. i used to be in a relationship with someone who would tell me to put on some lipstick or something when i was barefaced and would suggest that i didn't need so much makeup on when i wore it. that annoyed me and cured me of ever caring what people thought of my makeup (or lack thereof) anymore.

That wasn't so much what I was trying to convey. Given the amount of attention I get when I venture out into the world, I can only conclude the thought that women are held to impossible standards is likely largely self-inflicted.

maybe, maybe not. there's even pressure on this thread for women to wear makeup (or not) according to men's standards.

I haven't seen that. I've seen some men state their preferences. We all have those.

pretty much every time someone states a supposed opinion without phrases like "i think", "i feel" or "in my opinion", they are proposing it is a fact. if someone says, "women look like tramps in too much makeup", or, "women are more attractive if they have some colour", it's stated as non-negotiable. not everyone feels subject to social pressure but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

So that's where the line is separating pressure and personal preference?

Now I feel kind of bad for stating 'Make-up isn't very attractive'.