Does makeup (or lack thereof) affect how you interact with others?
These days, no, not so much. I don’t hold back or adjust how I act or whether I’ll interact with others based on what makeup I’m wearing or what makeup I’m not wearing. When I was in school, I absolutely noticed a difference in treatment by the majority of professors and to a lesser degree, students, based on what I wore, so sometimes I specifically modified what I was wearing or whether I’d bother participating (wasn’t worth the irritation). More often than not, I just didn’t care, but it took my three years of undergrad to get there (to not care during grad school).
— Christine
I agree that it does make a difference to how others treat me. I think at clinic and at research conferences, we’re generally expected to do a light no make up makeup) look. Anything more or less gets side-eyed, especially with older patients. When I work weekends I do go colorful though, just to cheer myself up for having to work on a weekend!
Not really, but I’d rather not go to work without any concealer on. I always get the “are you coming down with something?” because of my (genetic) under eye circles.
Sadly, yes it does. If I am not wearing make up I am very timid, and try to hide. I am 6o years old….
I don’t think it does – I am me with or without and I’m basically pretty confident in who I am but I know that I feel better when I’m turned out well and that includes makeup. If I answer the door in my grubby cleaning clothes or pjs, it’s the same sort of thing – I don’t feel any “less” but still don’t feel it’s the best “me” I can present, even to the Canada Post guy!
It really doesn’t! I am treated exactly the same at work and in my personal life as when I didn’t wear makeup.
Yea! My question! I would say yes, in that without makeup I feel like I didn’t finish getting ready; it’s like walking around wearing sweat pants or having unbrushed teeth — in this respect I get a bit self-conscious.
It also affects the interactions I have with people in that I’m fairly strongly colored from rosacea, and while there was a time where I was used to it and didn’t wear makeup to cover it, I did notice that others found it distracting; almost every conversation would start with someone asking me where I got a tan (or burn), or whether I had just come from the gym. I used to almost envy people who could just walk up to someone else and start talking about the day or something without having to jump through the the mandatory “no I’m not back from vacation, no I didn’t just stop running, no I haven’t been crying, yes I just look like this” hoops before casually conversing with others.
I usually wear full face makeup now — often in unusual ways — and while I still sometimes get the stop-and-stare response, it now feels like I’m the one controlling their response, rather than being subject to it, so I’m more comfortable in general.
Alecto, that’s why I just cannot leave my place without at least BB cream on: rosacea (and dark undereye circles, a zit here and there, too). Because I’m not fair or light, most assume that I have a bad cold and have been honking my horn into a thousand kleenex! That, plus a spider telangiastia (¿sp?) on my chin make me very self-conscious about my terrible looking complexion.
Alecto, have you tried a treatment with antibiotics specifically for rosacea? The topical treatments (creams) may give results for mild forms, but some of the recent antibiotics available here in Canada have really good results for mild to severe forms. I say this because in my case they stopped the evolution of rosacea and eliminated 90% of the redness. I haven’t had any flare-up for almost a year and I can go out without makeup if I want to.
Not at all. My personality is fairly up front. Red lips do not intensify that! Greiges do not tone it down. Nor do either help, when I get angry and fail to be properly, quietly assertive. I hold back from what I really feel, far more than most people who know me, but not well, would ever believe. Make up does not give me confidence at all, certainly in the self control dept!
I think it does just a little bit. With makeup on, even when it’s just BB cream, brows, a little blush and lipgloss, I find that I become more confident, have more pep in my step, and carry myself as such. With full throttle face application, I have some extra ‘ttude if I really need to!
It doesn’t affect how I act.
As a *very* plus-sized woman, though, I see how many people cling to stereotypes that fat people are lazy, lack self-control, are inactive, are stupid, etc. I notice that overall I get ignored less and treated better by certain types of people if I dress cool (or dress up) and wear makeup. I love fashion and makeup, so that works out, but it’s a shame it happens at all. Fortunately, most people are pretty decent and society is realizing there are many causes of obesity besides laziness and eating everything in sight (and even if that is the cause, there are certainly worse things a person could do).
Sometimes I purposely use makeup to manipulate slightly. I have two disabled kids, and doctors, insurance companies, school districts, and treatment staff can be brutal. I’m not above wearing a red power blouse and matching lipstick to show they don’t want to mess with me. And it works: People try less to push me around than if I wear more neutral makeup. It’s also hard to get some services: I’ve played up my tired look, dark eye circles, and pale skin with makeup to show how really at the end of my rope I was, and to get sympathy so they’d give my kids services and treatment.
Thanks for sharing this and you’re right on power play. I hadn’t thought about that, but in the past, I have also used clothes and makeup to fit into the “business woman in charge” stereotype in male-dominated industries in order to lessen any negative perceptions and come to the table as an equal (in their eyes at least, ’cause we know they could never be ours, just a joke!!! LOL!). And I think it sad that we feel we have to resort to such tactics, especially for medical treatment.
It is sad. As a mom, though, I do whatever worked to help my kids.
Oh, absolutely, although, I wish it didn’t… I can’t look people in the eye if I’ve decided to go bare faced on a day where I’ve got any breakouts. I’ve even apologized to my friends for my face before if my skin’s not looking great (it just slips out sometimes, I know it’s annoying). I also tend to avert my eyes when I’m walking down the street if I’m wearing something super bold that may attract stares, like blue lipstick. I always feel a lot more comfortable if I can pop on a pair of sunglasses to create a bit of a barrier.
I would say that in general it doesn’t. I am pretty much the same regardless of makeup on or not. As I have mentioned before on the blog, my brother likes to rib me about my makeup and I think at first that made me a little concerned about my makeup wearing in a small community where no one else wears makeup but I have gotten over that and have found that a lot of people here enjoy that I put on makeup and make the effort. Some days I may put on a full face of makeup to go to the dump and then another day I might go out completely bare skinned showing my hyperpigmentation for all to see. Over the past couple of years I have come to accept that at my age, I should be able to do what I want as long as I am not hurting anyone else in the process so I pretty much do what I want.
I would say yes, definitely, when I was an undergrad, but not so much anymore. It’s also because I grew up in a Middle Eastern country where women are generally scrutinised more and criticised for their clothing choices and now that I live in a Western country, I feel I can wear whatever I like and no one will stare at me, harass me or be rude to me.
Not really since I wear pretty simple makeup although I wish I was born like my cockatiels with their blush on cheeks already., ok. and let me add my hair made up like my birds also since it is wavy and I do have to calm it a bit in the mornings like just comb it through so it is more even spread out cause some waves don’t behave and wake up stiking up or something. You never know how a wavy/curly head is going to behave. Is always a challenge..
Good question, though I’ll assume the opposite question may be asked and that is the one I’ll go more into detail, as I think in my case at least, how others treat me is where makeup come more into play. As for me, absolutely not. I forget I have on makeup. If you asked anyone who knows me am I into makeup they’ll say, “Yes, but she never wears it or rarely.” So when I do I forget I have it on.
I would say no. I started getting into makeup relatively later than most of my peers (somewhere around 20) and didn’t really start wearing makeup regularly until now at 25. Even now I don’t wear makeup to work. Maybe there is a difference but I don’t think I wear enough makeup to notice a difference in how people treat me. Keep in mind I have far from perfect skin but it takes me so long to get ready in the morning even without makeup and I never really got used to wearing makeup daily so there’s that also.
I used to feel self conscious wearing makeup and I’d feel I stood out for doing it wrong. So I mostly didn’t bother, and felt like I didn’t fit in.
I’ve had a huge shift in self confidence this year, and I remember one day specifically where I just chucked on something, but with a necklace and some eyeliner, and I felt like I fit in with the people around me.
But then even with a full face, I do it differently to people around me, and I no longer care. (and when I wear crazy costume makeup I ignore the stares on the way to the parties etc)
So, yes and no? It’s more about me.