Like many women, on an average day – in other words, pretty much every day – I don’t bother wearing make-up. I turn up for work with my blemishes unconcealed, my cheekbones uncontoured and my eyelashes unlengthened. I do the school runs and the supermarket slogs with unglossy lips and without any light reflecting off my under-eye shadows. My eyes don’t “pop”. A bit of moisturiser and I’m good to go. Some days I go mad and use the one containing the “skin firming complex” that promises to “reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles”. But that’s usually it.
Photo by Zen, on Flickr
That’s not to say I’m without vanity; far from it. But for me, make-up is all about dressing up, glamour and escape from the workaday routine. I love its transformative power. I get a real kick out of the positive reaction and comments I get from people the first time they see me in full-on slap. If I wore it all the time, I would miss that element of surprise.
What fools we’ve been, we ladies who choose to venture bare-faced into the world. Because according to this, people have been judging us all along. As less competent, less trustworthy and (sob!) less likeable than our made-up sisters. A Harvard University study has found that people make more positive value judgements about women who are wearing even minimal make-up, compared to those wearing none. And they can make these judgements based on a glance lasting just 250 milliseconds.
Am I going to change the habits of a lifetime and start getting up earlier to wield the makeup brushes? Probably not. I fit squarely into the ‘Not A Morning Person’ bracket. I’m just left to ponder on the undreamed-of success and popularity I could have achieved in my life if only I’d worn mascara and lippie every day.
Thanks to @CanuckJacq for posting the link to the NY Times article on the Tweet machine
I could have written this myself… I am just like you, and my reaction to the study is the same as you… go sistah!
Sometimes I wonder about the other mothers who do wear makeup daily… I look at them and I just sort of wonder… why?
But I can agree with the idea that making-an-effort creates a good impression. Certainly as opposed to looking flaky and bleary, which I suppose must be my default look. Looking kempt is always good. Sigh.
If I wore mascara in the morning, I know I’d have it rubbed all over my face by 10am, so I guess I’ll just have to go on being incompetant and unlikeable.
In some jobs women are expected to wear makeup, and some of us wear it when not at work to show that we’re still coping, or to give us extra confidence. I really admire women who feel so comfortable in their skins that they don’t need make-up before facing the world.
In my case I think it might be something closer to hopelessness than comfort. But maybe not. I dunno.
I am too disorganised in every way to get to make-up before leaving the house. I am doing well to get out the door with my children all fully dressed. When I do manage it, which is rare, I feel nice and finished going to work. And lately I find myself watching Salli Hughes videos on the guardian website and taking notes because I don’t care about it much, but do really like it when I make more effort.
I wear it because I look better with it on, I like to feel groomed and it gives me confidence. I have to get three children up and out and I just get up earlier so I’ve got time! But I’d love to feel comfortable without it and I don’t judge women who don’t wear any.
Wow, this is mind-blowing. I have been wearing no makeup for my entire working life. I always thought that it helped me appear *more* competent and trustworthy. All the women who were already in engineering when I started and who were competent, wore no make up. It did seem that women who used a lot of make up usually were not working in this area. I am in what was a primarily male dominated field, I wonder if that has any bearing? I wonder if this study would have the same results if they only asked scientists, engineers and other geeks… Now that I am well into my 40s and am starting to age, I have thought of starting to wear a little natural looking make up so I don’t look so “tired” (old), but I always dismissed the idea with the thought that well, this is what a woman looks like when she’s 40+, get used to it. I guess I better start being over-competent to compensate or start wearing the makeup. I always thought the amount of makeup correlated directly to the level of insecurity of the person wearing it. IE; the more insecure you were, the more makeup you would wear. I guess I am the only one that thought that? This seems like a good way to sell more makeup though for sure.