Make-up...WHY?

[razer17]

It makes them look nicer if applied correctly.

/thread

Does it? Really?

I don't really see how putting on a false-face makes you better. That's putting it bluntly. A bit of eye-liner/mascara I can handle, but what puzzles me is when people use foundation and such. My friends called Make-up 'Face-lies', for obvious reasons. I just don't understand the concept.

it does make some girls look better. but only if it is subtle, just that many girls take it way over the top and look like clowns. orange clowns. its much the same as styling your hair or choosing clothes that make you look better. like girls wear clothes that accentuate their figure, or make them look slimmer. would you consider that a "false-body" if they wear clothes that make them look slimmer ( and i mean slimming colours)? because that's fairly similar idea.
that said my best girl friend doesn't wear make-up, but she is very pretty without it. some make-up is fine, but people go to extreme with it sometimes. and it does make them feel better, and you can't say it doesn't, unless you can collectively read the minds of all girls who wear make up. they feel it makes them look prettier, and therefore they think other people will see them as looking prettier.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

Easily taken care of my friend.
Example: 1 [http://www.girlshealth.gov/teenguide/images/beforeafter.jpg] 2 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK2ULykdFg4] 3 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8BJguv0Y90]

Yes I am fully aware there is probably a little photoshop added as well but well. A relative of mine is a "model" and trust me. Before and after make up is a huge freaking deal.

Most of these girls look good without make-up. That's the sad part, as a society our vision of beauty is distorted because of make-up and photoshop etc.

 

[sarahvait]

Personally, I've never liked make-up and never wore it growing up. Of course, my mom's ultimatum when it came to make-up was "You can have make-up, or you can have zit medication". I choose the medication.

I have a complete total of 4 make-up products; foundation (though it's really just tinted moisturizer), zit spot concealer, blush (I think it's blush, I don't actually use it on my cheeks), and light lipstick.

There's pretty much only one reason I ever put any of these on; when it's important to make a good first impression, a.k.a the job interview. When more than half of the job ads I see read "professional appearance" as a requirement, that pretty much means well-dressed and make-up. Not clown-face make-up, mind you(unless you're applying to be a stripper or a porn star). And sometimes, it really does make my face look better. I'm in my twenties and still suffer from acne on occasion, and have eczyme on the bridge of my nose, around my eyes, and spots on the top, bottom and sides of my mouth. It's been a lot better as of late, but some days it flares up and I have a lot of red places on my face. Foundation covers that and makes my skin look, you know, like normal skin as opposed to skin that looks like I've been rubbing a brillo pad on sections of it. The blush or whatever goes around my eyes (little bit goes a long way). I rarely bother with the lipstick; I try to use it since my sister paid for this things and I don't want the money to go to waste.

But yeah, unless it's for a job or some other important occasion (like a wedding or something where I need to dress up), I don't bother with make-up. Mostly a hassle.

 

[justnotcricket]

I'm afraid the most common reason is because it makes one feel better. That's actually a perfectly logical reason if you think about it. Just as those above have said, it's no different to wearing a particuar style of clothing (I mean, come on, lowriding has *never* been attractive, and yet people still intentionally wear their jeans around their knees like they've soiled themselves) or doing your hair a particular way. Yes, I realise you say that you let your hair do as it will, and if that's the way you're comfortable, then great. For some people, makeup is the way they feel comfortable.

I'll admit, I don't wear any makeup at all on a daily basis, and I hate foundation with a passion, but if I'm going out for a party I might wear a bit of lipstick and eyeshadow - it's more part of the outfit than anything else, and quite frankly, we dress up as much for ourselves as we do for any nearby males, if not more.

And let's be honest here, if you have the combination of a hideous zit and a special occasion at which there will be photos, then a little concealer on the affected area is a wonderful thing... =)

 

[damselgaming]

Luckily I have skin that seems to behave itself, but when I was friends with girls they used to put it on to cover up all their imperfections, which if it made them feel better then thats fine. I only really put anything on if I go out, but even then it's only a rock/metal bar so it's not really necessary. Though I agree that it does make people look fantastic when it's done properly. My sister got married recently and she has never looked nicer than that day, and she got everything done professionally.
My boyfriend liked a lot of models until he saw them without makeup- with the celebrity ones its usually one extreme to the other- really good or really bad. But his sister is a model/dancer and damn her, she looks gorgeous all the time.

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

OK

To prevent any further confusion, this is not about clothing or hair. Making yourself look slimmer by wearing clothes isn't being false, it's just not the same. Your face is probably the most beautiful thing you're gonna have, so why cover it in crap and make yourself look like you've come back from cyprus after an 80hr sunbathe. Putting on a 'false face' is different from wearing clothes or doing your hair. Your hair is changable by natural means, I.E combing and such. Clothes aren't natural to start with, so they don't count. You were born with your face, why change it?

THAT IS THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE.

 

[RufusMcLaser]

Whenever my long-suffering wife even thinks about putting makeup on before she leaves the house, I get annoyed. I like her just the way she is.
And I feel that way about women in general, not just her in specific. The human female is a beautiful creature on her own and I for one prefer her without cosmetics.

That said, I understand that there are certain specific instances, mostly limited to stage and screen, where it is actually necessary. Otherwise, ladies, you don't need it.

 

[megapenguinx]

I like wearing simple make up....but not like caked on. Make it seem like you don't even have it on.

 

[Major_Sam]

I hardly wear it. It does make you feel a little better if you don't have too much on but when you have too much, it feels like you have dirt all over your face.

 

[Labyrinth]

Honestly? It depends on the woman and the make-up.

I'm naturally a red head, the typical milk-and-honey kind of complexion so I have really light eyelashes. When one has black hair due to dye, it doesn't fit quite so well, so mascara is my very close friend. That's all I use aside from occasional touches of eyeliner so I can better glower at the innocent, fearful public. Fear my gothy scowl.

Pancake make-up is, I believe, what you're referring to. That's the whole deal of foundation, blush, Cake-mix, eyeshadow, tar, mascara, eyeliner, lip liner, lipstick.. fuck that. It doesn't look good unless one is 50m away and squinting. When women do that I'm willing to put it down to ill confidence and indoctrination that we absolutely must have skin textured to look like it's airbrushed smooth. Oh god!

 

[sorry user name taken.]

It makes them look nicer if applied correctly.

/thread

Does it? Really?

I don't really see how putting on a false-face makes you better. That's putting it bluntly. A bit of eye-liner/mascara I can handle, but what puzzles me is when people use foundation and such. My friends called Make-up 'Face-lies', for obvious reasons. I just don't understand the concept.

indeed girls aloud (girl band) slap so much of it on...=/

not nice at all..

I think people are missing the point of what I'm trying to get at.

I'm not saying they CAN'T. Geez, i'm not a make-up nazi, but i just wonder...why?

A lot of you seem to be thinking I want to ban make-up or something. No, I just want to understand why girls wear it. Oh, and to the person who asked me "Do I do my hair."

No I don't, I wash it, that's it, from there, it does it's own thing. XD

most women/girls grow up thinking they have to put it on to highlight features on the face or its just a ''girly'' thing to do... since make up is used in fashion , music and even games (on the female characters).

i hardly where any because i dont need to slap it on as much as some women do to me less is better ...lol...actually looking at pictures it must sort of get addictive for women...

...

 

[sorry user name taken.]

OK

To prevent any further confusion, this is not about clothing or hair. Making yourself look slimmer by wearing clothes isn't being false, it's just not the same. Your face is probably the most beautiful thing you're gonna have, so why cover it in crap and make yourself look like you've come back from cyprus after an 80hr sunbathe. Putting on a 'false face' is different from wearing clothes or doing your hair. Your hair is changable by natural means, I.E combing and such. Clothes aren't natural to start with, so they don't count. You were born with your face, why change it?

THAT IS THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE.

...right we get your point but people are just explaining there sides to it ....

 

[SmilingKitsune]

most women/girls grow up thinking they have to put it on to highlight features on the face or its just a ''girly'' thing to do... since make up is used in fashion , music and even games (on the female characters).

i hardly where any because i dont need to slap it on as much as some women do to me less is better ...lol...actually looking at pictures it must sort of get addictive for women...

...

That picture's quite creepy, they look like dolls, creepy dolls.

As for me, I'm not that gone on makeup, used sparingly it can be nice but when it gets out of hand it just looks odd.

 

[coldwarkid]

See, you've hit a note with me here. I wear make-up (not a lot, I don't run about with a face like a traffic beacon, it's mostly on my eyes), and when I sit down and think about it, I see my wearing of make up as confidence thing. I don't think I'm particularly attractive, so by wearing eyeliner, I can draw attention away from my hideous jowls and multiple chins to my eyes, as I feel my eyes are quite attractive.

Also, it's seen as a sort of "rite of passage", if you will. From a young age, you see your peers wearing make-up, and upon reaching high school, you decide to copy the people you've been looking up to. It's a case of hiding your flaws: your spots, cheeks that are overly red and extenuating features that we feel others don't have, and we therefore can't have too.

Another thing! Neds (Wikipedia it) wear orange make-up to look more tanned. Now that's unnecessary. They look like tangerines.

I'd also just like to add, in the most neutral way I possibly can, that European women of the upper classes started wearing lead powder, if I remember correctly, to appear paler as that's what their husbands desired. I think it's just that same idea, only translated onto a modern society.

That's what I think, anyway.

 

[fletch_talon]

It makes them look nicer if applied correctly.

/thread

How did this go to the second page when the question was answered in the first reply?

If you have flawed skin (wrinkles/pimples/freckles) then it covers them up, because all three of those are qualities of skin which are deemed unattractive to most, with freckles being the only one I've heard described as cute or sexy.
It increases eyelash length and highlights areas like the eyes and lips, eye contact seems to be an important part of attraction and lips are good for all sorts of things so if you can consciously or sub-consciously draw attention to them then its doing its job.

Its not often that people would consider excessive amounts of the stuff attractive (though it sometimes does have a certain something) but makeup is there to cover flaws and make them look more attractive, its not supposed to be noticed because the whole point is to look natural, which it does when done right.

 

[CaptainREBell]

A guy may not notice when they do wear wear make-up, but chances are they'll notice when they DON'T.
When you think of make-up as a bad thing, you're most likely thinking of inch-thick-wrong-shade foundation, or bright coloured lipstick, or people who aren't sure of how to apply it.
Make-up is used for hiding your bad features (ie. cover up for that big red spot on your chin) and/or highlighting your good features (ie. green eyeshadow to compliment your blue eyes). Make-up therefore offers you a sense of control; that you can influence your appearance. This sense of control makes girls more confident, and therefore more attractive.
Most girls do go for neutral shades and only cover their eyes or skin, and that's why guys may not notice it.
Guys also happen to look very sexy in eyeliner too.
I wear make-up about once a week, or whenever I want to make an impression, and I never wear foundation. All my friends who spend 30 minutes putting on their make-up have boyfriends.
Any questions?

 

[PureChaos]

i know someone that wears so much make-up she has really bad skin so she puts on more make-up to cover it up.