Taking care of appearance

araic88

I'm a female in mid twenties and I have to admit, I rarely wear makeup other than for nights out.
I'm not one of those lucky girls who "doesn't need it" and still looks great, I think I do look better with a bit of makeup but never feel bothered to apply it.
I over heard a lady at work ask another lady did she wear makeup to work (bit rude I thought) and when the reply was no she said "oh I could never do that, you must be VERY self confident"
I wouldnt have described the other lady as self confident, it got me thinking what does the way you present yourself tell about your self esteem.
maybe nothing, if its just a personal preference, or maybe you can tell something about a person depending on whether they a. put very little effort into appearance b. always make sure to look well c . put huge effort in, not going out without makeup etc. for girls

thoughts?


sorry for the ramble! or if its in the wrong forum

judgefudge

I don't wear much makeup on a daily basis but I'll always make the effort to slap on a little concealer and mascara. In my experience most confident people wear a suitable amount of nice makeup. Those who wear none and those who wear too much are usually insecure or self conscious, in my experience.

I think if someone can't take 5 minutes in the morning and put a little effort into making themselves a little more presentable it doesn't really say much for the person. I'm not sayin everyone should spend hours in front of the mirror, but a little effort never hurts

LegacyUser

i'm actually going to take issue with what the previous poster said - just because a woman doesn't wear makeup to work does NOT mean she doesn't make an effort with her appearance - and making an effort with your appearance does NOT have to involve makeup!

i rarely wear makeup either, and would never have worn makeup when i was working. who am i to care what people think that says about me though, i have better things to occupy my time with. just because i wouldn't go to work with make up on doesn't mean i have low self esteem or am self conscious. that's quite a strange correlation to make i think.

Taltos

Maybe better here OP.
Can I remind posters who may have followed this thread that TLL Charter now applies.

Thanks
Taltos

Making an effort with your appearance doesn't have to involve makeup. Sometimes I wear it to work, sometimes I don't. I don't think either choice makes me insecure. I look better with some eyeliner sure but I look fine without

daenerysstormborn3

I don't wear make up to work and I only wear make up if I'm going somewhere. I have good skin, don't get spots and use a special moisturiser for redness caused by eczema so after that my skintone is fairly even.

I don't believe "making an effort" has to include putting on make up, nor am I "insecure" because I don't wear make up everyday. That is such a load of rubbish.

Any person can be "presentable" and groomed looking by simply ensuring their clothes and shoes are well maintained and cared for.

Bid08

I never wear make up to work and generally have my hair tied up but that does not mean I am self concious and does not mean I come to work like a mess. I am comfortable enough in my own skin not to have to do myself up coming to work

beachbabe

I am a nurse. I work 12 hr shifts and don't wear makeup to work. I get up early enough already without getting up earlier to put on make up. I would not have time to touch up makeup during the day. My uniform is clean and my hair is tidy. My patients don't seem to care if I " made an effort" to put on makeup or not.

Princess Peach

I do wear make up everyday because I'm very self conscious about myself. I have uneven skin tone, and look about 12 without any eyeliner. But that's just my perception of myself.

I don't think I've ever had a bad thought towards women who don't wear makeup everyday. Thinking of the girls I work with, I couldn't even tell you who does and who doesn't. For me putting an effort into your appearance means showing up for work clean and dressed! It's pretty bad if someone doesn't take the 5 minutes in the morning to at least do that much.

Remembering it now, I did have comments made to me when I was in college. I wore nice clothes and makeup everyday, again cause I feel more confident like that. This older girl in my course would usually wear the same outfit all week. She made a comment, obviously directed at me, why would people bother to wear makeup and different outfits everyday, who are they trying to impress.

I'll admit I have issues, but she must have had some too if she felt she needed to justify herself.

Roisy7

You know it's funny, I can see both sides of this. When I was in college I would wear it everyday, for me it was a pleasurable little task. However since I moved home I managed to pick up a site-specific eczema called blepharitis; basically my eyelids have been red and scaly. I think it's starting to settle down (here's hoping) and I am looking forward to wearing make-up again.

My confidence has been really low over the last few months, between the graduate blues but the blepharitis did not help. I felt quite inferior around women wearing make-up. People have said that I look tired and that my eyes were red.

So for me I associate the ability to wear make-up with a feeling of self-confidence. But have people treated me differently? I have no idea. I'm sure people thought I was brave not to wear it for the last while.

So in conclusion, I don't know where I stand OP :P

Conor Bourke

beachbabe wrote: »

I am a nurse. I work 12 hr shifts and don't wear makeup to work. I get up early enough already without getting up earlier to put on make up. I would not have time to touch up makeup during the day. My uniform is clean and my hair is tidy. My patients don't seem to care if I " made an effort" to put on makeup or not.

Same here. Some of my colleagues wear make-up to work and fair play to them. I never have though, and never will. My skin is really oily so if I did wear it to work, by mid-day it'd have slid off and I'd look worse/less presentable than I do without make-up in the first place.

Twee.

Bid08 wrote: »

I never wear make up to work and generally have my hair tied up but that does not mean I am self concious and does not mean I come to work like a mess. I am comfortable enough in my own skin not to have to do myself up coming to work

I do myself up for work because I love make up and how I look in it, not because I'm uncomfortable in my own skin.


In relation to the thread title, I don't think make up really counts as looking after your appearance? More so the likes of having tidy hair, clean nails, clean clothes?

shoos

I wear make-up pretty much every day. If I miss a day, I don't really care too much but I am aware that I've no make-up on so I guess you could say I'm a little self-conscious. I have bright red cheeks naturally, so without concealer or foundation toning them down I feel a little bit insecure. But having said that, I love make-up and the whole application ritual. It's the only nice part of the morning I find!

I have a friend however that would wear night-out make-up day to day. It takes her about an hour every morning just working on her face, applying fake eyelashes - even if she's not going to be doing much/seeing anyone that day. She's an absolutely gorgeous girl and doesn't need it at all but she's terribly insecure. I'd hate to become that reliant on make-up, she basically uses it as a mask to hide herself away and it's such a shame cause she's so naturally pretty. On a night-out recently she thought she had left her fake eyelashes at home and was freaking out looking for them, she said if she couldn't find them she was just going to go home as there was no way she could go out without them. Fake eyelashes like!

leahyl

I love makeup and it definitely makes me feel better about myself and, I think, makes me look better too!:pac:

I wear it every day, I'd love to be one of the ones who doesn't wear any makeup and still look flawless but unfortunately that's not the case so on goes the slap :pac:

Seriously though, I think if you can put on a little bit of makeup then it certainly makes one look better (if you don't already have porcelain skin that is) but if you're comfortable without it then that's fine too. It's a confidence thing for me - it just makes me feel better and a little bit more confident - not that I have that much confidence anyway

xLexie

I wear makeup most days, but only because I look revolting without it. I enjoy taking care of personal appearance, I like dressing up and wearing nice clothes, and for me personally, I would look ridiculous dressed up with no makeup.

Conor Bourke

I don't think I look "revolting" without make-up but I certainly look pale and tired. I am quite a plain looking girl. As I said previously, I have oily skin and the resulting large pores and occasional breakouts. I just don't care though! At work my body, hair, face and teeth are always clean, I have a clean, freshly ironed uniform for every shift and I am neat and presentable.

On my days off I enjoy putting on a little make-up to perk myself up a bit and feel a little less... Plain!

Slightly OT but should give some of you a giggle: while at a wedding the other night I was chatting to a friend and confessed that I like to take my make-up off one half of my face at a time for humorous comparison (I'm easily amused). Turns out she does it too, I thought I was the only one! Anyone else do this?

meeeeh

I wear make up because I think I look better with it. It's a personal thing. No make up is better than too much or wrong make up anyway.

vitani

I wear a small bit of make up every day, mainly to even out my skin tone and add a bit of emphasis to my eyes. I've dry skin which needs to be heavily moisturised every day anyway, so putting on foundation takes just an extra 30 seconds. To me, it's the same as brushing my hair and styling it neatly - sure, I could just let it hang naturally (and frizzily) but it looks more presentable when it's either back in a bun, or straightened.

Tipsygypsy

I do wear make-up most days. My work uniform is a polo shirt, tracksuit bottoms and runners, so I do feel a bit frumpy if I don't put on a bit of foundation and mascara. Also my job is quite physical and I flush quickly so the foundation helps hide the rosy red cheeks :-) And yes, I do feel more comfortable in myself when I've made a bit of an effort. When not working I usually am in make-up and try to dress nicely. But my world wont come crashing down around me on days that I don't have time.

As for other people, I certainly wouldn't make a judgement on their self-esteem or confidence based on their make-up (or lack of). I think its a bit mad that anyone would.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as the people are clean and taking care of their personal hygiene, and if they are comfortable with their own appearance, who am I to judge.

I also think that maybe people who do judge/pass comment might need to look inward to themselves and work out why they need to do that.

I wear make-up sometimes, and sometimes not. I have acne which I keep under control 80% of the time. When I think my skin's looking clear I don't wear anything on my skin, sort of to celebrate I suppose. To work, all I'd wear is BB cream, mascara, concealer and shape/darken my eyebrows a bit. Most of the time I'd wear less than that.

To be honest, sometimes when I feel a bit crap about how my face looks, I purposely go out to college or work without make up just because I think it's healthy for me, both for my skin and for my confidence.

Honey-ec

To me, wearing make-up is the same as brushing my hair and wearing a smart outfit to work - it's just part of looking put-together. I wear foundation, mascara, blush and lipgloss. I've never suffered from spots or anything, but I do look quite pale and washed-out without a little cosmetic help. It's not that I look bad without it, but I look better with it. I don't see the big deal.

I hate the way these threads always turn into a Them Vs Us argument.

pwurple

I don't / can't wear stuff to work, clean environment. But post-baby, I got very body aware... so now I get eyebrows shaped and tinted, and eyelashes tinted, and take a bit more care of my skin.

I'm a bit out of the loop, makeup wise, from being in this industry over a decade. I have foundation, bronzer and blush, and a mascara for going out. That's it. No lippy even. Must get round to it some day.

Lia_lia

I wear make-up most days, because I just look better with it. But saying that it's usually a very small bit. Almost always wear mascara because my eyelashes are so blonde...so it makes me look more awake. And a small bit of powder/foundation to even out my skin-tone. Saying that I've often gone to work/college with no make-up on. Especially if I am exercising afterwards.

Doesn't bother me what people do with their make-up, leave them at it.

I usually wear mascara, tinted moisturiser and tinted lip balm. I look more groomed with it on and most importantly, I look a bit older. I've no problem going anywhere without it and I enjoy doing the works when I'm going out somewhere. I enjoy the ritual too.

I think getting yourself into the sort of reliance where you're panicking because you've forgotten your false eyelashes is a sign of some deeper insecurity, in fact most of the girls I know who would wear what I consider heavy make up, would be the ones who would suffer more from self consciousness and so probably use it as a form of armour. If it works, great. If it means you're nervous going out for a pint of milk without your face on, its probably time to work on your self esteem.

Only in my opinion, and only in general terms of course. We're all different.

Das Kitty

I don't wear makeup at work. Very few people here do.

I like to wear makeup though when I'm on a night out.

I think it's really silly to make any assumption about a person based on how much make-up they wear.

Princess Peach

My psychologist last year gave me the task of not wearing makeup for a day. First person I met that day told me I looked exhausted!

Never again

Da Shins Kelly

I only wear make-up on nights out, and even then sometimes I don't bother. I never wear it to college or out and about during the day. I just like to let my skin breathe most of the time. I like the process of getting ready for a night out, and often make-up is part of that process that I enjoy, but I can and a lot of the time do go without it. I don't really like the feeling of foundation clogging up my pores, and the effort to go and take it all off afterwards makes me not want to bother with it at all.

Das Kitty

Princess Peach wrote: »

My psychologist last year gave me the task of not wearing makeup for a day. First person I met that day told me I looked exhausted!

Never again

Trick is to look exhausted all the time, then you get people telling you you look amazing when you put your makeup on. :P

fits

I don't wear make up to work either. I have acne prone skin and make up doesn't help. I also am very sensitive to products. Even sensitive mascaras aggravate my eyes. I feel like I look like crap at work but anytime I go to make up counters the ladies look like they've trowelled the stuff on which just puts me off (BT im looking at you).
Would be delighted with very subtle non acne causing solution to the uneven skin tone.

I do wear make up on outings but pay for it after.

Princess Peach

Das Kitty wrote: »

Trick is to look exhausted all the time, then you get people telling you you look amazing when you put your makeup on. :P

Well Saturday I had a day out with my parents so didn't wear makeup and had my hair tied up. Sunday I wore makeup, and my mam kept telling me all day how beautiful I looked.

My funny brain just confirmed how crap I looked Saturday :pac:

javagal

I do my eyebrows and wear mascara to work but don't bother with foundation. I wouldn't call myself very confident but I like my face. I worry more about my body

kylith

I can barely remember the last time I wore makeup. My skin is pretty even in tone and I rarely get spots. I don't see makeup as being necessary for looking 'groomed', being washed and clean covers that. most people I know can take it or leave it; there's only been one person I've met who has said that her makeup is essential, and that she would under no circumstances leave the house without it, which I thought was kind of sad.

SunnyDub1

I wear makeup nearly all the time.
Mainly because I feel more confident and better about myself when I have it on.
I wear different make up for different occasions - work, nights out etc.

A staff member not wearing makeup became a slight issue in my work place.
She worked at the main reception in the company.
She was a nice friendly girl and the job role suited her but unfortunately she put no effort into her appearance (make up and hair wise)
Without sounding to harsh she was extremely pale and always looked sick & tired, and looked like she hadn't slept in days. She always looks like this, so it wasn't a case of her having a bad day/week.
It was commented upon a few times by staff members/guests - asking if she was OK, she looked unwell etc etc.. Didn't seem to bother her.
Not sure if the management has or even can pick her up on it.

One day during lunch the girls where talking about make up and made a comment about her not wearing any, her response was that she just didn't bother and finds it a waste of time.

I've nothing against anyone that doesn't wear makeup for what ever reason but if your job role is meeting and greeting potential clients/staff members/guests each day and you haven't the most glowing fresh skin and are always looking pale & tired, there is no harm in wearing a little tinted moisturizer and some lippy to give a bit of color to your face. I think appearance plays a big part in a job role.

SunnyDub1

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

I've nothing against anyone that doesn't wear makeup for what ever reason but if your job role is meeting and greeting potential clients/staff members/guests each day and you haven't the most glowing fresh skin and are always looking pale & tired, there is no harm in wearing a little tinted moisturizer and some lippy to give a bit of color to your face. I think appearance plays a big part in a job role.

This is the problem with the perception of make up as the default, and no make up as sort of deviancy from norms.

A lot of men have jobs where they interact with members of the public and I don't think many of them are worried about looking not glowing or pale. Why this should occupy anyones thoughts is a puzzle to me.

No makeup does not equal a slovenly appearance.

You've said that girl is good at her job. That should be enough.

Dolbert

It would never occur to me that a woman not wearing makeup looked unprofessional tbh.

I wear it most days as I have pale blonde eyebrows and eyelashes, and look completely different without it, to the point where people do a double-take :P Wouldn't be bothered just for going to the shops etc.

rainbowtrout

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

I
I've nothing against anyone that doesn't wear makeup for what ever reason but if your job role is meeting and greeting potential clients/staff members/guests each day and you haven't the most glowing fresh skin and are always looking pale & tired, there is no harm in wearing a little tinted moisturizer and some lippy to give a bit of color to your face. I think appearance plays a big part in a job role.

Agree with Candie. Make up should not be considered the default. Perhaps this girl looks pale and tired. But maybe that could be sorted out with more sleep, a better diet etc.

I have very pale skin, I'm in milk bottle territory and I don't feel the need to wear make up. I've only ever worn it on about five occasions in my whole life and certainly not in the last 10 years. I don't feel conspicuous going out on a night without wearing it and wonder about the mindset of people who can't leave the house without wearing it.

Also in my experience men don't notice make up unless it's badly applied and don't really care about it either. Any comments I've had in relation to my lack of make up are always from women and are usually back handed compliments 'Ooooh, but you have such great skin, I could never go out without wearing make-up etc' If they think pale skin is so great why are they not displaying their own?

Legs.Eleven

Are we talking confidence about your physical appearance or general confidence?


I wear mascara everyday because my eyelashes are blonde at the tips and they look more open with it on. In the past few years, I've started to put a very thin layer of make up on my face when going out and a bit of eyeliner and even more recently, some bright red lipstick but I could take or leave all of it.

I wouldn't call myself a confident person (probably average) but physically, I'd say I am.


Wearing make up or not doesn't equate to confidence. Some people just don't like wearing and some do. As others have said, personal hygiene is a different story...

Daisies

I always find this debate interesting but it's more relevant to me since I moved to Africa.

Before I left Ireland I wore make up most days, I would go out without it but I felt more "put together" with it on and I certainly would never have gone to work without it. I enjoyed the ritual of putting it on in the morning.

Here, however, things are very different. Due to the anti malarials I take, which are also an anitbiotic, my skin has cleared up hugely and I rarely wear make up. Sometimes not even on nights out. I think the fact that not many people wear make up here plays a HUGE role. It's not the norm and as such I don't feel any different not wearing it.

I do still like applying make up and I do look better with mascara as I have quite light eyelashes. Maybe I'll get them tinted when I go home and be extra lazy.

I do agree with the poster who said the thread title is misleading. Taking care of your appearance is more to do with clean clothes, clean nails and dressed appropriately.

ShadyLane

I wear makeup everyday to work. Nothing major: tinted moisturiser, concealer under eyes, mascara, blush and tinted lip balm. Takes no more than 5 minutes and makes a world of difference. Days off work I wouldn't think twice about leaving the house with no makeup, but I would turn it up a notch for nights out.

Since moving to this country, my skin is constantly very pale. I look exhausted without makeup thanks to naturally dark under eyes, despite having good skin otherwise.

At the end of a 24 or 36 hour shift, often with no sleep (I'm a doctor), I would rather people not see how wrecked I feel! That said - I don't tend to notice makeup on others unless it's badly applied or excessively caked on.

April O Neill

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

I only wear make-up on nights out, and even then sometimes I don't bother. I never wear it to college or out and about during the day. I just like to let my skin breathe most of the time. I like the process of getting ready for a night out, and often make-up is part of that process that I enjoy, but I can and a lot of the time do go without it. I don't really like the feeling of foundation clogging up my pores, and the effort to go and take it all off afterwards makes me not want to bother with it at all.

This. All of this.

I wear make-up so infrequently, I don't bother cleaning it off my face.

dearg lady

This is something I'm recently a bit more conscious of. I never wear make up to work, and my skin has recently become a bit blotchy, so I'm a bit self conscious, but I also don't have much confidence in my make up application skills, catch 22!
For nights out I've always worn eye make up, and very recently I've started wearing a small amount of foundation, but again, I don't really have confidence in putting it on.

XxMCRxBabyxX

I've always been more concerned with what clothes I'm wearing than make up. I can never really dress down but I can easily go without make-up. When I'm working I'll through a little bit of foundation and eyeliner on but that's pretty much it. During college I never bother with make-up or contacts.

It's not a confidence thing or anything, I'd be pretty self-conscious, more laziness tbh.

I'd never judge anyone for wearing make-up or not though

ash23

I wear makeup but don't really notice whether the girls here in work do or don't. Far more noticeable is how they look after themselves.

Most of the girls here look good, with or without makeup. However one or two make no effort with their hair, their clothes or their appearance. I think that in work it's important to look like you've made some effort. Makeup needn't be part and parcel of that, but rocking up to the desk looking (and sometimes smelling) like you just rolled out of bed, with tatty clothes.....it's just not so much confidence as total laziness in my opinion. I dress like a slob at home sometimes but I'd never go to work without some sort of personal grooming.

Makeup is part of my morning (although I only wear a little). If I went out knowing I look like crap (I include hair and clothes in that) then I wouldn't feel very good about myself.

Aye Bosun

I've really good skin and would never ever put any foundation or other crap on it, the only thing that I every put on my face is water, personally I think makeup ruins your skin. I'd wear eyeliner and mas when going out at the weekend, but the rest of time, my face is fresh as a daisy. And I can tell you for free, I'm in no way self conscience or suffering from low self esteem, quite the opposite actually!

How so Joe

I never wear makeup, the last time I did was, I think, my debs.
I don't think I look any the worse for it though. I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, I dress well if needs be and I look after my hair and nails - they're always neat and clean, although never particularly styled.

I don't think my self confidence is any lower than someone who wears makeup. In fact, I think it's a damn sight higher than someone who can't go out to the shops without first putting on a full face.

Looking after your appearance is much more than just make up though, as others have said.

username123

I wear quite a bit of eye make up going out - I tend to go gothic on the eyes, but other than that I occasionally wear eye liner and mascara in the day time, but mostly nothing.

Im wouldnt be all that interested in my appearance on a day to day basis. I keep my hair dyed, and I am clean and neat for work but I am totally unselfconscious in public and dont mind being caught in any condition (muddy from a run, dirty from fixing something in the car etc...).

Mostly I just couldnt be bothered on the make up thing, but also, I actually dont like the feeling of stuff on my skin (Ive nice skin). Ive never ever worn foundation and am still, at nearly 40, not really sure what its for!

I am so disinterested in my appearance that I have had people double take me on nights out, because I scrub up totally differently to my daytime work look. I suppose Im not that interested in fashion except when dressing up.

I also have issues with the fake tan thing, I just cant be bothered. Id like to, but its a lot of effort and hassle.

I do keep my nails lovely, they are my little vanity

beks101

For a long time makeup was strictly a functional thing for me, I suffered from bad skin for years and years and couldn't face the world without the foundation and concealer.

Now I find those makeup-free days blissful, it's like not wearing my contact lenses, it just gives relief and I feel as though my skin gets a chance to breathe.

I don't cake it on and don't understand how people can have the time to do that in the morning, it must take ages, I barely have time for breakfast! But I'd wear a light foundation, blusher, eye-liner, mascara and lip gloss every day, a routine that takes about 10 minutes and makes me feel confident, professional. I have a lot of meetings and meet a lot of people during the course of my day, makeup is just one of several things that makes me feel like I'm presenting my best side to the world.

For nights out I'd give it more time and have more fun with it, but either way I wouldn't think it has anything to do with my self-esteem.

Twee.

Alaskimo-cake wrote: »

I don't think I look "revolting" without make-up but I certainly look pale and tired. I am quite a plain looking girl. As I said previously, I have oily skin and the resulting large pores and occasional breakouts. I just don't care though! At work my body, hair, face and teeth are always clean, I have a clean, freshly ironed uniform for every shift and I am neat and presentable.

On my days off I enjoy putting on a little make-up to perk myself up a bit and feel a little less... Plain!

Slightly OT but should give some of you a giggle: while at a wedding the other night I was chatting to a friend and confessed that I like to take my make-up off one half of my face at a time for humorous comparison (I'm easily amused). Turns out she does it too, I thought I was the only one! Anyone else do this?

I keep meaning to take a pic for when I do this. So yes, I do it too I read the Reddit Make Up Addiction forum and there's always pics like that, so cool to look at.

Pomplamousse

I didn't wear my usual (light) make-up to work one day last week for the first time as I was wrecked and went for the extra 10 minutes in bed.
I could sense a few strange looks off the guy I work with and eventually at lunchtime he asked why my face was so red!!
I didn't even realise it was that bad but won't be doing that again any time soon:(

Morag

I don't wear make up day today, only on a night out.

ElleEm

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

I only wear make-up on nights out, and even then sometimes I don't bother. I never wear it to college or out and about during the day. I just like to let my skin breathe most of the time. I like the process of getting ready for a night out, and often make-up is part of that process that I enjoy, but I can and a lot of the time do go without it. I don't really like the feeling of foundation clogging up my pores, and the effort to go and take it all off afterwards makes me not want to bother with it at all.

I am like this. The idea of wearing a pasty powedery mask every day is horrible to me.

I do wear full make- up on a night out though, and love the smell of it. I know I look better with make up on, but I couldn't be bothered on a regular day. If I was going out to do something nice during the day, I would sometimes throw on a bit of eyeliner and mascara. I have quite sallow skin, and drink a lot of water so my skin is alright. I never understand those girls who say "oh, I get spots/ have bad skin so have to wear make up". I only really ever get spots after i wear make up so often wonder if it's the mask of foundation that causes the spots!

And in relation to the title of the OP, I would echo what the other posters say. Wearing make up does not mean that one takes more "care" of their appearance than one who does not. I shower and wear clean clothes every day, that to me is "taking care of my appearance"!