Do you ever notice the makeup strangers are wearing? Do you ever guess to yourself what products they might be?
All the time! 1.) I try to compliment someone every day, and if I can, a stranger. 2.) I always get excited if someone is visibly wearing makeup! I never see it in “real life.”
Thanks to Sabriel for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
All the time….and MAC wearers have a distinct look.
They do hey, it’s interesting.
Yes! I think I spend far too much time looking at other people’s makeup. It’s interesting to me. Though probably creepy for them seeing me staring wordlessly at them with wide, unblinking eyes…not very subtle. I probably look like a deer.
Lol. I am also guilty of that!
Oh gosh!I behave in this way! But here in Milan there are very few people which like standing out wearing a particular make up.People usually look at me because of my colorful make up.(I always put my feelings into make up) Here people dress in the same way and even behave in the same way, especially at college!It annoys me…
Yes! I love it when I see people having fun with makeup. I’m always asking strangers what lipstick they’re wearing when I see one I like.
Oh, definitely! I always try to compliment them but most of the time I get shy and just smile at them. There needs to be a secret silent code among beauty enthusiasts that means “Hey, nice eyeshadow!” lol.
Yeah! Like a secret hand signal like the Vulcan “live long and prosper”!
All the time. I’m curious about the way they are working out e/s and blush.
All the time! And I tell them too 🙂
My thinking is, I take my time to look nice and do my makeup (not that anyone needs makeup) and so do others so it’s nice to tell them. When I see people out and about with wicked winged liner, or like last week a cashier at my local walgreens was sporting a really awesome green shadow – I let her know 🙂
I’ve had people compliment me on my nail polish (was wearing Ruby Pumps) and my lipgloss before – so it’s nice for us to encourage our fellow makeup lovers and spread some good love and positivity around 🙂
No I don’t except for the nail polishes.
i notice you ha ha ha lol!!!
I do, but now I think of it, most people don’t wear makeup that is too noticeable. I don’t often think, wow I wonder what lipcolour she’s wearing. Maybe next time I do I’ll ask 😀
yeah, i do, tho they rarely wear much 🙁 or they wear too much(i hate overlined eyebrows)
Yes, occasionally. I’m usually the one who gets the comments about bold makeup at work, but there’s a few other women at my job who do some amazing eye makeup occasionally. I felt compelled to compliment one our interns the other day, since I can’t help but be impressed by her dedication to wearing false lashes EVERY DAY. 😛
Oh yes! Sometimes I catch myself staring at someone at a cafe or a restaurant trying to figure out what’s the lipstick she’s wearing or how she did her contouring. I’m afraid it often seems very rude, lol! If I can, I’ll explain and say ‘Your makeup is stunning! I’d love to know what’s the lipstick/blush/etc. you’re wearing’ or something to that effect.
However, I compliment and comment on friends’ makeup more frequently, especially when they change their signature look. Recently I met an old friend for brunch and ever since I’ve known her (ten years or so, we met in our freshman year) she’s been a mascara + red lips kind of girl, which suits her perfectly, but this time she wore peachy lips with teal eyeliner. I loved it so much I think I told her about half a dozen times!
All the time! It makes my day when someone notices my makeup, so I make sure to compliment them if I really like it too. I have a nail polish weakness/obsession, so I tend to zero in on those A LOT.
Yeah! I love complimenting great makeup I see. You should come to Japan – people wear visible makeup all the time!
Yes and I’m way too often correcting their makup in my head. Like, “You should blend that more in” or “You should really NOT wear that color” or “MAYBE you should consider wearing your lipstick ON YOUR LIPS and not ABOVE your lips, because it doesn’t make them look fuller, it just makes you look like a clown”. I know I’m mean. But mostly peoples makeup is very poorly done. If I see someone with NICE makeup, I try to figure out what products that person used 😉
Yep, I totally notice!
I feel like a stalker but … I love looking at strangers’ makeup + clothes + shoes. I don’t often see people wearing funny makeup (except those who have very special tastes concerning colors matching …) but I like it when someone manages to look natural and sophisticated at the same time !
all the time, especially since i work closely with individuals, while wearing magnification! there are some very skilled women that come to my office with perfectly applied and flicked eyeliners, beautifully blended eyeshadows, and terrific skin finish. we always end up talking makeup. i must mention that i have one lady who comes in with very little if any makeup but has the most perfectly groomed brows which she doesn’t help with any pencil or pigment. i definitely complimented her when she first came in and by the end of her appointment i was obsessing! lol
i do and where i am, it’s usually tragic 🙁
Yes, Yes, YES! Especially lip colors. If I like the color someone is wearing, I’ll ask them what it is.
Guuuurl. You need to move to Jakarta or something. Most girls wear makeup, and visibly. Don’t get me started on the socialites. I work in Food&Beverage management, and though we pretty much stick to eyeliners most days, some do make an effort to put on fake lashes on weekends or events. Not me – I can’t put on lashes to save my life! I suppose what I’m trying to say is, I live in a very inspiring city ^^
I do! Sometimes you feel like the only one wearing actual color so it’s always fun when you see someone else doing the same.
I do all the time and I am sure I have freaked out plenty of strangers. The pub I go to after work, we always get the same server. She has the most amazing natural lashes. No joke, everytime we go I ask her what mascara she is wearing.
I have not noticed bad make-up in a while but about a month ago I was at the fancy Wam-Lart (it’s in the next town over, in a high end housing area) and while walking in a lady was walking out and she had the worst foundation line and worst blush streaks. I am assuming she had lost her tan and didn’t change out her foundation colour. The blush though, I was dumbstruck. It was not blended at all.
Absolutely! I admire what people do with their makeup, especially when it’s either: (a) really subtle or natural yet enhancing, (b) skillfully done and precise, or (c) is bold, daring, and reflects the person’s total confidence. I sometimes pay them compliments on it, but not always, bc some people are apparently still pretty weirded out about receiving compliments from strangers. I, however, have received compliments on my makeup and am happy to share what products I wear. I’ve sometimes sought out a specific product/shade because I’ve seen it looking good on someone.
I’ve always noticed people’s makeup! I especially love when they are wearing something bold because it seems like most people go more natural around where I live. If I see something I like I always try to complement them.
I tend to notice nail polish and nail art a lot, and compliment people on that, but I’m not as good at noticing makeup. Or people just aren’t wearing it around me; I do live in the PNW and we’re uber-casual around here. But I usually notice nails. Mine get a fair number of compliments, too 🙂
I do… but unfortunately where I am it’s rarely positive… think foundation six shades off, 80’s pink crayon lips and Bert brows always, always drawn in… why I ask, why?? if youre going to draw them at least draw them decently lol!! On the other hand, if someone does have nice makeup I would definitely compliment them and I think they’d do the same for me 🙂
I work in retail so I see different people every day. One time this young woman came in with the most beautifully delicious shades of purple on her lids. She had big green eyes so the purple made them pop. I had to tell her how beautiful her eyes looked. There’s also the occasional gaudy woman or a dude in full makeup so I notice them but not in a positive way. But then I get customers who tell me they like my lip color or my eye shadow. It’s nice when people actually notice and say something positive. (Instead of arguing about the return policy or pricing :).
I love purple! Makes me wish I have green eyes! Dark brown eyes don’t pop as much against purple.
I always notice – in fact, I look for it. When I see it, and it’s well done, I *always* mention it…whether it’s an overall look, or just a feature or product.
People don’t wear makeup down in the city? How strange! I live up in wine country, and I see makeup everywhere I go. Whenever I see an interesting eyeshadow look, I wish I could ask the person how they did it so I can do the same, but I’m afraid it would weird them out 🙁 so I stick to the occasional generalized compliment.
I don’t live in the city if you’re referring to SF 🙂 I’ve never lived there!
Most definitely! When I see someone who put time and effort into their makeup I will compliment them on it because I love makeup so I constantly look at everyone’s face to see how they’ve done their face that day. I love giving positive feedback to my fellow makeup lovers out there :)!
yes, I do. When i see someone with nicely done makeup i always compliment them. It’s so nice to see people wearing makeup that actually suits them even though it’s kind of rare around here. I definitely notice when someone is wearing the wrong shade of foundation, fake looking eyebrows, eyeshadow fallout all over lashes (no mascara), etc.
Recently i saw someones’s wedding photos on facebook, i felt sorry for the bride. I think she had gone tanning, her body was a dark tan color but her face was oily looking with an ashy gray color from wearing a too light foundation. her blush did not go well with her complexion, plus it was a hot pink/rose color and it was applied almost up in her under eye area. it looked like she had no eye makeup on. her lipstick was a red color but you could tell it had bled in the edges and it was not a good red for her. I wonder it she did her makeup herself…i hope she didn’t pay for that.
I rarely see anyone with noteworthy makeup (the usual is black liner & mascara, and *maybe* lipstick), but when it does stand out, it’s usually not so good.
My daughter’s teacher is very pretty, but she wears foundation that is too heavy, the wrong shade, and she stops at the jawline, without blending.
Then there’s the psychologist that’s working with my daughter, who is absolutely *gorgeous*, and she dresses very well, but she wears so much eyeshadow, which she doesn’t *blend*, and her lipstick is applied so heavily, *outside* her natural lipline.
Obviously, I don’t say anything to these women, but I find my eyes drawn to these parts of their faces. As I said, both of them are absolutely beautiful, well-dressed women, but their makeup is just so bad.
Oh Yes!!! As I surrender myself to the makeup gods… I notice everything on everybody and yup I do freely pass out compliments!!! A few weeks ago I got a compliment on my “beat face” and I floated all the way to work. I even got a compliment on my lipstick application at work- I was told I had “contoured” my lips… Not bad for a makeup rookie… Sigh… I just love makeup!!!!
Yes, I do and silently… I comment on it too. Sometimes I have to keep myself from walking up to someone and saying something like:
“You’d look so much better if you wore the right shade of foundation” or “Your eyes would really look great in warmer shades!”
Obviously, I don’t do that but sometimes I walk up to someone to tell them how great their makeup looks or how much I like the shade of lipstick or eyeshadow they are wearing. I like to give compliments to friends when I know they’ve really made an effort because they know I notice 😉
All the time! If I like it, I try to get a good look at it to see if the person is wearing an interesting combination that I’d like to recreate. If I find I dislike, I try to identify what I don’t like so that I can avoid doing the same thing with my own make up.
Ditto
Yes, all the time! Not always in a good way though and when I have noticed something positive, I don’t think I’ve ever complimented the person, unless its a friend. I probably should.
What I’ve also found is that I really notice when people aren’t wearing any make-up. Its always strikes me how few people actually bother with make-up, beyond the slick of mascara and the occasional kohl-rimmed eyes (which I notice in a negative way… hate that look). It often makes me wonder if I look way ‘overdone’ to those people.
Definitely! I’m a people watcher, so I definitely notice what others are wearing! My favorite is when I see someone actually wearing color here. I have been loving bold lips this whole year, so I get super excited when I see someone else rocking a bold lip look. If I like a look, I will compliment the person, and sometimes I will ask what they are wearing. And yes, sometimes I try to guess what people are wearing…I will see someone and think, “Oh! I like her lipstick! That kind of looks similar to MAC Candy Yum Yum… Oh!!! Is she wearing Candy Yum Yum?! Is it a dupe?! Oh, shit, where did she get that dupe of Candy Yum Yum?!” LOL!
And I notice bad makeup, too. I still remember a woman I saw while Christmas shopping many years ago. She was super fair and blonde, and she didn’t have on any other makeup aside from these super thin, black, sharpie marker brows that looked like upside down check marks. I though this woman HAS to be wearing this out on a dare. HAS TO BE. No way can she be serious.
To be honest, not very many women wear makeup here at all! Maybe the teens do, or young adults, but it really depends on the occupation the person has really. Most people I see from day to day are very natural. I don’t wear it everyday because I walk to work so it may not make it to work.
Absolutely – and I’m pretty sure people think I’m staring at them or looking at them funny when I’m just looking at their makeup. In my defense, I am a MUA.
Some of the comments made me remember this one time at a Mac store, I was just browsing stuff and I noticed one of the clients who was checking lipglosses and talking with an SA, at one point both were looking at me and I am sure the woman told the SA she wanted something similar to what I was wearing. That felt kindda nice =D
yep. I am a natural observer, so I notice pretty much everything. I try to compliment people when I like their makeup. Part of my job is to sell makeup , so I love it when people ask what am I wearing. I notice both good and bad makeup.
I do, it’s sorta like how an artist can decipher another artist’s painting. Sadly, most of the time it’s not a pleasant thing…Most high school girls or people who live in Hawaii doesn’t seem to know how to wear makeup…There has only been one girl I’ve complimented in my school. Tourists from China and Japan have great skin and makeup though. I also notice the makeup people wear on TV, even if it’s a skincare commercial xD
i admire people who look comfortable in their own skin regardless of whether or not they are in make but i love seeing colorful makeup especially on older women since most of the time their is a idea that its only for younger girls and i kinda love boys who feel like wearing makeup. expression is what i like to see
Yes, all the time! If I really like someone’s eyeshadow or lipstick, I compliment it and will probably ask what product it is. When I’m at the subway and see someone wearing not very flattering makeup, I imagine how I would do their makeup, just for fun.
I always look directly into people’s eyes when I talk to them so I have several times in recent months noticed incredibly long, beautiful lashes on people and have complimented them. In these situations, I totally get off topic (usually work or shopping) and ask about what mascara they use, their step by step technique with curler and mascara, etc., etc. Hilarious. Now when I watch Law & Order SVU, I totally notice the eye makeup on star Mariska Hargitay. Clearly I’m obsessed with eye lashes and mascara!
Otherwise I never notice makeup, although occasionally I’ll think to myself, “Oh, you need to put on some/any makeup,” although I would never say something like that to someone.
Notice? I’m much more twisted than that! I can tell the name of the MAC lipstick somebody’s wearing. Often ES colors too, but my brand ID powers are much broader there. Unless its on TV, that throws me.
YES!!!! all the time LOL, then I try to guess what brand or colors they are, I know Im crazy. Then I just aske them to confirm if Im right!!!
Omg Yes! I thought I was the only freak of nature that notices other peoples makeup. Just the other night I was watching Basketball Wives LA and the entire time I kept guessing what color mac lipstick they were wearing!
Yes, especially when women with light skintone wear the wrong foundation or too much fake tan or the wrong fake tan shade. I don’t understand how they get so wrong, considering it’s so much easier for women of light/lighter skin tones to find a match.