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Does your mother's makeup influence you?
Does your mother’s makeup influence you? (Or maternal figure, whether that’s a sister, aunt, grandmother, neighbor, etc.) Has her technique or style influenced you?
My mom didn’t wear makeup when I was growing up, and she doesn’t do so now. The only time she wears makeup is on very, very special occasions – maybe once or twice for the entire year! I think in some ways the fact that she didn’t use it, and I wasn’t exposed to until I was much older, made me feel compelled to make up for lost time, LOL! Now, it helps keep me grounded that wearing makeup is not a requirement for success or beauty.
Thanks to Nicole for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
My mom wore makeup when I was growing up but it almost had an opposite effect on me. It would take sooo long for her to get ready and we were late for everything as a result. She also used to bug me about wearing it when I was a teenager, so as a result I refused to wear much more than foundation and mascara for awhile.
When I finally got into it though I’m like you, I was a late bloomer and constantly feel like I’m playing catch-up to everyone else lol
My mother doesn’t wear makeup, and she never has, so my passion for makeup is all my doing.
I have a daughter, though, and I often wonder if she’ll end up being influenced by my style.
My mom used to wear makeup, then stopped for a long time, but her outlook on it was always “Makeup should look like you’re not wearing anything.” And *that’s* influenced me a great deal as I’ve started to look around and play with things and experiment. I’m still drawn to neutrals and subtle makeup and am only now starting to get into bolder looks. Even now when I wear blush I’m always worried it’s too bright, too obvious, etc.
My mom wears VERY minimal makeup. A little foundation, blush and a lip balm. On special occasions her lipstick color was Revlon’s Ginger Glaze (which was discontinued a LONG time ago – but I actually found several of them after searching for about year and bought them all for her – I think it was something like 25 lipsticks! LOL!)
So no, not much of an influence 😉 Though I DID try wearing her foundation before I had my own. I was 12 or 13 years old and far too shy to shop for makeup myself so I started sneaking into her foundation before school. Only trouble is she’s not nearly as pale as I am and very warm toned (I’m not). People kept asking me what that dark yellow stuff was all over my face. LOL. Sigh…
We finally had a talk about it and afterwards she took me to the drug store where she bought me my first liquid foundation and powder.
You know… for the amount of times she looks at me like I have a monkey sitting on my head and she just can’t understand a thing I say or do, she’s still pretty cool 😉
Yeah I idolize my mom so most of her makeups and clothes and her fashion sense I like and try to honestly imitate her 🙂 I guess that’s normal for a daughter.
Oh yeah! It seems the only color of lipstick my mother ever chose was brown. Brown red. Brown orange. Brown brown brown. I will not wear any resemblance of brown lipstick!
My mother don´t wear make up, just dark lipsticks. I don´t like dark lipsticks. But my sister and me, we both are make up junkies and my little doughter will be some one too, one day. She is just 10 and colect all what i don´t need anymore. A lot of stuff in her big basket.
Well, my mother has been gone for a very long time. She passed away young, but yes, her makeup and skincare influenced me both positively and also on what NOT to do!
Even though she was a model, she never learned the art of BLENDING. OMG! I remember the orange line of demarcation created with Cover Girl foundation that stopped at the jawline followed by the startlingly white neck and decolleté. She believed she needed to “add color” to her porcelain white complexion. Good Lord. And she was ALL about the blue eyeshadow and frosty peach lipstick. NEVER changed.
The positive things I learned were to remove makeup and moisturize well before bedtime, work those lashes like there’s no tomorrow, especially at the roots and always put a good face forward, although I believe she took the latter a bit too literally. She wouldn’t go anywhere without makeup, highly influenced (no doubt) by her modeling career. I was offered a space with Ford Models in my 20s and turned it down flat because I didn’t want to be like her — vain in every way imaginable.
As I grow older, I find I am more forgiving. She was a product of her era, the platinum blonde Marilyn look, and since she was beautiful, she felt the pressure to always be “on”.
I found early on that I had a natural talent for makeup application and find it funny when I listen to YT “gurus” who offer advice that always came naturally to me, often receiving requests from young women to do their makeup or their wedding day makeup.
Other than her eyelash wiggling trick, I avoid all of her makeup atrocities, but the passion is definitely there. I love beauty as an artistic outlet more than a cover. I am fine with walking out the door showered with moisturizer only. (Well, maybe a little lipgloss, but nothing else).
Good question that brings back lots of memories.
I was totally inspired by my mom to get into makeup. When I was younger she would compete in salsa dancing competitions so she always wore costumes and dramatic “smoky” makeup. I was actually introduced into using pigments before any other makeup as that’s what my mom had at home. She still does a mean dramatic eye to this day 🙂
My mom wore makeup in the 80’s & most of the 90’s (I wasn’t around in the 50’s & 60’s, and she gave it up in the 70’s)), and her makeup style was regrettably so bad that I have modeled my own product usage to be anything but how she did hers. Mom always wore Cover Girl liquid foundation smeared on with her fingers, then an orange Maybelline eyebrow pencil, followed by a very thick, uneven application of dark brown pencil liner, and sometimes a little shadow on the lid. No mascara because she had tiny-teensy lashes, and she hated lipstick because she had very thin lips which she pinched together from stress all day, and was always licking. Chapstick–she owned a million Chapsticks. Her brows, liner, and shadow were always smeared terribly after a few hours, and sometimes her foundation was sweating off. In her 60’s, maybe about 10 or 11 years ago, she went into a Sephora and discovered Urban Decay, and she felt like she was the hippest woman in California. I confess, I refused to buy anything from UD until a little over a year ago because it was just screaming “MOM!” at me. I’m lucky to have a daughter who wants to be like me and have the things I have, but woah… she sure didn’t get that from me and the way my mom’s makeup icks me out! I swear, I still cringe when I see a Chapstick (not all lip balms, just that brand), or if I see someone slapping liquid foundation all over with bare hands. Orange eyebrows also creep me out really bad. 🙁
I think to some extent I am the same way you are, I also never had a big makeup wearer in my life, my mom only had makeup for special occasions as well and not much at that. Just a few Clinique things.
I never thought of it that way but maybe I hoard makeup too to make up for lost time. I only started with it when I was 24 or so and I don’t think of makeup as the road to beauty or anything either, just something fun.
Similar to some of the other comments made, my mother wears no makeup and it takes a very special occasion for her to even put on a bit of lipstick and mascara. My love of cosmetics and fashion very much comes from my auntie (my mom’s much younger sister) who is only 7 years older than me and also my mom’s best friend during my formative years; Helen Crow. I still remember and love her name, can picture her perfectly in my mind’s eye and see her groovy hip style in the 60’s and 70’s. Armed with these two women in my life, it was a case of divine style intervention and I turned out diametrically opposed to my mom’s LLBean signature look. Not that there is anything wrong with that.. just not me.
My mother wore some makeup in the late 80s/early 90s or thereabouts. Before that time, and since that time, she hasn’t.
Her mother was a bit into skincare, though. Not so much into products (except for Ponds cold cream), but keeping her skin firm. According to my mum, she used to massage her face (mainly jaw line, I think?) every night before applying said cold cream.
So I suppose the beauty gene skipped a generation. 😉
I’ve been more influenced by other women I’ve known who did wear makeup, plus the internets.
Absolutely, actually.
My mom made me up for Halloween and for when I played dress-up (which was pretty much every day)… that was my introduction to makeup, I guess. So it’s no wonder that I put give my imagination supremacy over “flattering” or “pretty”.
Hello,
Same here, my mom did not wear much. On special occasions, she wore it and looked very glam. However, I had an aunt who lived with us for a bit. She was a career woman and bought all kinds of makeup, perfume,jewellery, fun furs. She let me play with all of it. Heaven! All this stuff is still heaven to me! For a really fun blast from the past, my mom used to use Maybelline dry mascars in the little red box!
Jo
My Mum only ever wears makeup a few times a year, and when she does it is lipstick only. Years ago, I do recall her powdering her face with Max Factor Creme Puff and applying lipstick when she went out somewhere, but that’s all. I never had anyone ‘teach’ me how to wear makeup. I don’t even have an older sister who could have taught me.
As a result, now I’m much older, I can’t resist buying lots of pretty makeup, but I don’t actually wear much of it. Mum despairs at me buying so much. If only she knew the half of it! If I go to put lipstick on before leaving the house my parents ask why on earth I need to put it on, and I’m made to feel guilty for wanting to make myself look halfway decent.
Growing up, my grandmother was always hesitant to let me try makeup. She would always say I was too young. But I thought she was the most elegant woman in the world. I lacked a close bond with my mother. So through my grandmother, I got in to basics when I was in my late teens. She always told me that I was beautiful and to make sure I wasn’t putting so much on that I didn’t look like myself. That became coupled with my stepmother (who is a charming explosion of color), who started dating my father when I was about 24.
With that, I always seem to love the extravagant lip or the extravagant eye. They really taught me to balance how to look like myself and still have a little fun. All in all, I owe the most to my stepmother (well, she’s still just my mother to me). She took the white shirt and jeans girl and gave me some very bright lipstick.
Ooo! We have the same exact story 🙂 My mum didn’t wear make up either – I think she did so more before she had me but growing up all I saw her usually do was put on lipstick every day. She spent more time on skincare and making sure she was taking care of how she looked without make up, especially since she wanted to “prevent” aging (though to be honest, being Asian, we don’t age that quickly anyway haha).
I discovered make up on my own and learnt everything through my own research on blogs (like Temptalia!) and watching beauty gurus on YouTube JUST when they started getting more popular (there were few back then, now there’s a million people doing it).
So, no, my mother’s make up doesn’t influence me, but her attitude in caring for her skin makes me super obsessive about taking care of mine now. She used to always say it’s more important to look good without make up, so it does echo what you meant by keeping you grounded that wearing make up isn’t everything.
my mom was always a Dior makeup and Clinique/Lancome/Estee Lauder skincare person. I grew up using those brands because she’d get those bonus gifts and let me try it. I guess she did influence me quite a bit because I love buying Dior makeup and am fairly into skincare now too!
Only in the sense that I steal her make up frequently. 😛
My mother only wears light make up.
My mother wears makeup only for occasions like weddings…i was influenced by Christine and MAC !!but i can see my daughter will be far better than me ,at 4 shes already trying to blend shadows and can apply lipstick without a mirror! so i think shes been influenced by me 🙂
My mom wore minimal makeup and didn’t influence me.
YES!!! As much as I’d like to deny it ;-)))
I line my eyes exactly the way she always did, and still does!
I don’t remember my mom ever wearing makeup, other than occasionally wearing lipstick… Now that I think about it, none of my friends wear makeup other than on special occasions…
hardly. my mom and I have very different makeup philosophies.
I remember when I was very young, she would put blush on my sister and me for professional photos and the brush was SO scratchy–it was awful, I tell you. anyway, we went shopping with my aunt one time who bought me a lipstick thing and she threw a fit because I got all worked up about wearing blush but the lipstick was ok.
nowadays, I wear a full face of makeup and she is more minimal. she never wears foundation. she always wears nail polish, but I can’t paint my nails to save my life.
My mom wears makeup and isn’t afraid to wear somewhat bolder eye looks and darker lipstick. But for the most part my style is far more subtle than my mom’s.
Whereas she’d wear navy or emerald green eyeshadow across her whole eyelid and pair it with berry or mauve or plum liquid lipstick for a special event, I’m more likely to wear navy or green just in the crease or as an accent and most likely I’d pair it with sheer shimmery gloss instead of a bold lipstick. But my mom has a darker skin tone than me and has fuller lips too so I think it’s easier for her to pull off darker lip color than me.
Plus, I have never seen her in a red, pink, or coral (or nude, but I don’t like nude lips on myself either) lipstick and those are probably my favorite colors to wear on my lips. 😀
Absolutely! my mother influenced me from the time I was a child and would longingly stare at her while she used her usual makeup ( I wanted to use it too), lipstick and blush, but mostly lipstick. She never used eye makeup and I´m not good with it either. As young as 12 I got my first lipstick (drugstore back then) and have been in love with lipsticks since then. My makeup routine is only slightly more complicated than hers I use lip liner, lipstick, concelear, mascara and when I have time also blush. For her is just lipstick and if she dolls up blush…so I think I was obviously influenced by her…I just use different colors in my makeup because her skintone is very different from mine she is darker, but the concept remains the same 😀 , she was also influenced by my grandmother I believe who would always wear lipstick religiously, even just for being around the house, she was extremely elegant, with her old school style…she would have been 94 this year, this topic made me remember her 🙂 .
Definitely not! My mom use to wear only foundation and green eyeliner. She insisted that the eyeliner had to match your eye color and it could only be applied from the middle lower lash line to the outer corner.
I have a sister who is 5 years older. If anything she influenced me more by giving me her hand me downs in makeup when we were kids.
my mom has a lot of allergies. she can wear something for a week, and then suddenly become allergic. it’s just her curse. because of that she never really wore standout make up. she wore estee lauder and chanel when i was growing up so i would steal her GWP items all the time. She hasn’t had a steady make up routine in 10 years maybe, but i took over all her products she didnt use. I guess now that I’m older i wear more natural looks because she always looked so effortless when she did.
my mom doesnt wear make up either! i think she uses the erase paste by benefit on the daily basis and possibly some blush every now and then, but besides that only on festive days like an anniversary, wedding, or a very special night out dinner. but she is so gorgeous that make up doesnt do that much for her!!
My mother only wore a line of kohl on the lower lashline, foundation mixed with face cream for a sheer cover, and burgundy lips and that was for very special occasions, but she had loads of palettes and lipsticks and i loved just opening them all up and staring at the colours. and i loved the smell too!
My mom always has a ton of beauty creams. They do work!
She also taught me to stay out of the sun to not get wrinkles.
So I always wear sunblock.
She used to wear lots of eye makeup when i was a child, ,I hated garish makeup on her or females i thought it was like a mask, it actually scared me.
My mum and I are beauty junkies, which I’m so grateful for because otherwise I’d have nobody to buy and talk about make up with!
We are very different in colouring, so we can’t really take inspiration from one another, but when I was growing up she’d always have her faithful MAC Russian Red, and now, although I don’t use that exact shade, I don’t think I enjoy any makeup look more than a red lip 🙂
I also really like my mum’s attitude on makeup – she isn’t critical of it, she sees it as something women/men have absolute right to wear, and it is NOT for anyone to say they think it’s wrong, especially when a parter criticises his/her partner for wearing it.
My mom is like yours, doesn’t really do much makeup unless there is a special reason to. Even then it’s usually not much more than a light sweep of a Cover Girl eyeshadow. She does use foundation and mascara more regularly, though, which is what got me interested. From there I’ve branched out and learned on my own.
Oh totally. My mom used to wear this Chanel lipstick, Tornado (I’m about 100% certain they no longer make it, as every Christmas I try to find it for her again) whenever she was going out at night. It was a great berry red, and made whatever she was wearing look a little more special. I couldn’t wait to start wearing makeup, even though she made me wait until I was 16 before getting me anything more serious than some Bonne Bell Lip Smackers!
My mom almost never wears makeup, and when she does try, for “special occasions”, she has very little idea what she’s doing. I say this fondly, since due to my mom’s cluelessness, I was pretty clueless myself until earlier this year. Although I mostly realized that when I tried something and failed horribly, I needed to wash it off before showing my face to the world. She doesn’t quite have this self-awareness.
She doesn’t use any skin care products or wear foundation, and although I know she once owned a concealer in stick form, I never saw her use it. She may have thought it was a very nude lipstick. As a result, her skin is always very blotchy.
Her colour choices are a bit of a disaster, too, especially with lipstick, as she has very thin lips and tends to go very dark and/or outside the range of her natural colouring, which has the effect of accentuating their thinness and drawing attention to any application booboos.
My dad has actually been begging me lately to help her out and give her advice. He said this in front of her, actually. I think she was a bit insulted, so I’m not pushing it for now, but I am keeping on the lookout for more “mature” products in my sample boxes or in sale bins, to pass on to her.
My mother always wore some makeup. Actually for the longest time she was telling me to put on some makeup, wear some eyeshadow, wear some blush, and PLEASE put on some lipstick. But, after my separation from my ex husband I decided that I wanted to work on my makeup. I had been wearing makeup to work, but on the weekends, I just didn’t bother. So I learned to do my makeup better, found better foundations, etc. She’s THRILLED. Now, she’s learning from me. I bought her the Naked 2 palette and she LOVES it.
My mom was a nurse during her working years. Makeup and perfume were a no go professionally. EXCEPT for lipstick. She rocks red lipstick for all of my life, and sometimes the lipsticks my sister and I didn’t like anymore. I would be embarrassed in my teens when she showed up to a casual family party wearing bright lipstick. When I finally found my own ‘signature’ red lipstick (Makeup For Ever Iconic Red #8) earlier this year I finally understood why. You look completely done up if it’s just red lipstick.
My mom doesn’t wear makeup unless it a special occasion. Cake liner/gel liner mascara blush and lipstick. That’s it! I’ve been trying to get you to try eyeshadow but she doesn’t want any of it. I just really need to get her to sit down and let me try it one her for a natural look. I think she till has 70-80 brigh eyeshadow on the brain the same way I had foundation that looks awful on my peers in high school that was a turn off.
So no and she thinks I crazy to be interested in it. lol (My Dad too.)
I didn’t get into till my 20’s as makeup was not something I could afford of my family for that matter. I basically had one shade one lipstick through high school. 😉
My mom had a great influence on my makeup and skincare habits. She is my DON’T on makeup when I was growing up. She was one of those people who ended up messing up her face trying the wrong/dangerous stuff on her face/skin for beauty. Because of her, I’m very careful of what I put on my face. She is like a warning to me growing up. Her face has chemical burns and scars from using the wrong products. You have to be careful of many products because they are fake or not regulated. My mom in her own pursuit of beauty was really gullible towards believing hypes about “miracle products” or “holy grails”…didn’t work out for her. Granted, the qualities of products are a lot better than they were twenty years ago but we also produced more dangerous toxins than twenty years ago also.
That’s so funny; the exact same thing happened to me! My mom will sometimes ask me to do her makeup for special occasions. She also likes to add a little blush for everyday wear after I got her into it a little 🙂 But of course, my mom is gorgeous just the way she is.
My mother never wore makeup when I was growing up, so it’s the opposite. Now she comes to me for advice, so I guess I influence her!
Same deal. My mother (even other close female relatives) never really wore much makeup. That’s probably why I’m usually rocking the “natural” look. Although my mom has supported my habits over the years, getting me large makeup sets on occasion and even being understanding of the fact that I prefer high end makeup.
All the women ion my mom’s side (in this case, my mom, her twin sister & my grandmom) all are makeup hounds. They never go a day without it (unless they’re home sick, but that is the only exception), and I usually don’t, so i guess I’m influenced in that way. But also, I’m an artist, and growing up seeing them transform themselves was always fascinating to me.
Or maybe I am influenced because my mom refuses to blend her eyeshadow and it drives me crazy, I’ve always been interested in making it better? Who knows. Make up is fun:)
Not at all, I have always been more vain he he he .. our fashion sense is very very different too…She does wear makeup but very little, just some cream blush and lipstick. As of lately I have been helping her for special occasions because she has a visual disability and it is very difficult for her, specially eyeshadows and liner.
Nope. Not one bit. My mom loves makeup and skincare, but we have such different tastes and coloring.
My mum is a simple women, she doesn’t like to wear too much accessesories and not a fashionable but when going out she would wear a makeup, a foundation and compact powder with a lipstick is a must on her handbags.She likes to using Japan products like Shiseido when I was a kid. Now I’m a married women, I’m just like her keep a compact powder and lipstick on my bag. I prefer to France product such as Chanel. I told her about makeup tutorial so she will know more about how to makeup like a pro because she loves makeup and being beautiful no matter how old she are.
My mother wore a full face of make-up most everyday.
I began performing at an early age, so it was required. My father really appreciated girly girls, so he liked us to dress, have our hair and face done. He would polish our shoes when he polished his uniform gear (police officer). It has totally influenced they way I carry myself. In a positive way. It doesn’t matter your size or income. As I tell my 10 year old daughter, you should take pride in your appearance and be presentable.
My mother always wore way too much blush, so I avoided blush for years because I didn’t want to look like a clown the way she did.
My mother wears make up to work every day. Not necessary full face make up, but she never leaves home without some lipstick and an eye pencil. She taught me from a young age that a woman must accent her good features.
I remember messing with my mom’s makeup when I was younger. She mainly had clinique and estee lauder. She still uses both. She didn’t wear too much, but almost always worse lipstick.
My mum’s make up is practically inexistent! She wears only mascara and a liner that she draws in a terrible way -.- She is lazy at wearing make up however she buys good products of high quality and expensive brands like Chanel and Dior. She is addicted to shoes instead of being addicted to make up -.-‘ so she doesn’t understand why I spend money in eyeshadows…She thinks they are always the same colour! I’ve bought her a Benefit creamy eyeshadow so she can wears it using fingers and surprisingly, she’s wearing it everyday!
My mother wore cakey powder foundation and when her face got oily she would cake on more powder. She also ONLY lined her bottom lash line because she has hooded eyes and she didn’t feel it was worth it to do anything with her top lash line. She also has struggled with acne her whole life which probably is why her makeup was so cakey. When I started wearing makeup (because I was struggling with acne too) I also went to powder foundation. I swam so I think my face over produced oil which drove me to powder makeup.
When I got into college and my face calmed down a bit I started getting into makeup. It’s amazing how much MORE there is outside of a drugstore! I started watching makeup tutorials and really researching products. I then brought my new knowledge home and completely updated my mom’s look. While she doesn’t completely understand my love for makeup, I don’t think she minds because she gets a lot of new products from me.
I don’t think my mum’s influenced me a lot. While she wears some make-up, it’s always the same stuff: blue eyeliner (actually used more as a badly-applied eyeshadow), mascara, pressed powder and bright pink lipstick. Personally, I find it horrible (and therefore would never wear it myself, maybe that’s the only way she’s influenced me), but there’s no way of convincing her to try something different. She also has no use for foundation, blush, nail polish and other stuff, so I have really explored the make-up world on my own. It’s unfortunate that she is also not that interested in make-up at all (I think even the items she wears she does more out of a sense of duty rather than because she enjoys it), so she also does not understand my fascination with it and often criticises me when I buy new stuff. Honestly, there were times I wished she was more into it – I would have avoided quite a few mistakes I made when I started wearing make-up, if I could have asked her for advice.
It did about going towards HE brands, but not the amount she wears. I definitely wear a lot more :s
I was an 80’s kid with an 80’s young mom and that time she didn’t like the bright 80’s makeup trend. She always said bright pinks and bright colorful eyeshadows are “scary” and “garish” even though I thought they are pretty (as a kid). Growing up I kinda stayed away from bright colors and gravitated more on goth and neutrals. Now I don’t. I love colors like MAC Candy Yum Yum, Moxie, Show Orchid and Violetta etc. I love MAC Humid, Creme de Violete and Stars n Rockets. The only thing is I don’t wear them together. lol. I take one bright eyeshadow or lipstick and everything else is neutral or brown. I guess that’s a balance between my mom’s influence of dislike of too many bright colors and my own love for colors.
The only products my mum wears is lipstick and nailpolish. She rarely used my powder or concealer to cover some redness. So her makeup doesn’t influence me. I got and get my knowledge from magazines and books by Cindy Crawford and Kevin Aucoin and knowadays youtubers and bloggers.
PS: I’m flattered to see my question appearing on your blog.
I love this question. My mother had severe cystic acne growing up and as a result has pock scarring on her skin. It’s her biggest insecurity, so she always wears foundation (mineral), whether she’s going to the beach or work. She took me to the dermatologist when I was just 12, to make sure I’d never have to go through what she did and I will always be grateful to her for that 🙂 She also always bought me foundation, because my skin is definitely blemish prone. Other than foundation, she basically only wears mascara and a browny pink lip, but she has great cheekbones I envy; someday I will get highlighter on her!
Not so much, she wears pretty neutral shadows and sometimes I do her makeup 🙂
My style is pretty bold and colorful ^^
My mother never wore much when I was a kid (though she must have once as she still has a large stash of gross twenty year old Clinique products in really 80s colours…). She was in the Army and even had to wear a dress uniform to most of the formal events I remember her going to, so fun colours were out of the question. She and I also have very different features and coloring (she’s much tanner, redder and has much worse acne than me, but her features are much less heavy and her face is smaller and more feminine). I wish she’d have been able to teach me a bit more about how to wear makeup, but now that I’m learning she’s also getting more into it.
Yes and no. Both of us are usually pretty subtle with our makeup. I think I vary the colors that I use a bit more than my mom. She tends to wear the same makeup look just about every day. We also have completely different coloring, so most colors that work for me don’t work for her and vice versa.
My mom didn’t wear makeup on a daily basis. When she did, it was always a natural look. A Shiseido makeup artist showed her how to apply makeup. She only had the basics, but she only used higher end makeup. I wasn’t in to makeup until my late teens. When she took me shopping, it was always the same high end makeup as hers. My dad worked in a mill, and we never had a lot of extra money. It always stuck with me how important makeup was for her, that she would save for a while to buy what she wanted. It made it extra special when we bought makeup together. I’m VERY into makeup now. I now have quite the makeup collection. It’s a way to remember my mom and the fun we always has shopping for makeup together. I find myself always going to the brands that were her favorite. My mom DEFINATELY had a strong impact on how I wear and buy makeup. 🙂
That’s such a sweet story!
What a nice story! =D
No. When I was young, grade school and Jr. High, my mom wore red lipstick only when she went out with my father. She didn’t wear any additional make up and I don’t recall her wearing any afterwards. When she lost here eyebrows to chemo, I tried to teach her how to do eyebrow pencils but she wasn’t up to it. My mom was born in a small OH town in 1922. She died in 2009.
Nope. My mom wears minimal makeup because she feels like she needs to correct “flaws” before being seen in public. 🙁 She knows in her mind this isn’t right – everyone’s entitled to go out looking the way they do naturally, and besides, she looks good without makeup. But this is how a lot of women have been taught to think of themselves, sadly.
I on the other hand only wear makeup because I find it so fun! Whenever I have a day where it doesn’t sound like fun, I just don’t wear it and I still go wherever I want. My approach to makeup is more about playing with color and shapes, so I don’t go for the subtle, natural look my mother favors. I want to create a look that everyone knows is makeup, not me – I want to make a statement with makeup rather than try to meet somebody’s expectations about my looks.
Hope this doesn’t sound too political/ranty. I really should make a video about this because I feel passionately that makeup should be about the wearer having fun, not other people’s expectations or rules.
I know what you mean about not wanting to be yourself with the help of make up.. I like to do that but I’m much better at a natural look, so I need to work on that.
I completely agree. I mentioned in my post my mother wears foundation everywhere, and she feels insecure w/o it due to her skin. I always understood that, but I still believe less in “cover up” and more in enhancement and self expression…my mom doesn’t exactly get that but someday I hope to show her how naturally beautiful she is. 🙂
My mother is color-blind (it’s rare in women, but it happens) so she wasn’t into a lot of color cosmetics – I remember her always having mascara and liquid liner and lipstick. She didn’t wear foundation until fairly recently, and even now just a tinted moisturizer; she doesn’t like the feel of it on her face, and she never needed the coverage because skincare was a big priority to her. She drilled into me from a very early age that I should wash my face and use moisturizer EVERY day; I’m absolutely lost without my cleanser. (She got me started using Lancome when I was in the sixth grade. I almost lost my mind when Clarifiance was finally discontinued.) We did get the big purchase with purchase traincases from Estee Lauder and Lancome many times when I was young, though, and my first go-to lipstick color was Lancome Luxe from a GWP of my mom’s.
A family friend used to have a vanity table fully stocked with beauty supplies of every kind. When I was around 11 I became fascinated by this table with a mirror and still have one to this day because of her influence. Also I had a friend in High School who was very heavy.. I mean very. She did her make up so well, it was her wall against other people commenting on her weight. She was always well dressed and truly enjoyed doing her hair and make up. She taught me how to use eye liner and how to be bold with it and still make it look good.
It seems that everyone in my family (myself and my mom excluded) only wore lipstick as their only makeup option which is understandable but here is the issue. They all wear black liner as their lip liner OR they wear a liner that’s too dark. Yep! Gold lipstick with black liner, Red lipstick with black liner, or Vaseline with black liner. They still wear this even today and I am clueless why this is such a big hit in their opinion. I laugh about it because some of the ladies in my family are stuck in some kind of makeup time period but what that period is? I really don’t know. LOL
Early ’80s, as far as I can recall. I remember seeing that look *alot* back then, around the time I really started to take an active interest in makeup. It seems the darker liner was around in the ’60s, but I don’t think it took off the way it did in the ’80s.
My mom didn’t wear any makeup besides a nice bright red on her lips..
As she got older (mid 50’s) she did begin wearing foundation, eye shadows, blush and lipcolor.
I was not allowed to use makeup during my early teen years, so many of us would go to school early and try using it there! BAD BAD memories of what we must have looked like!
I grew up in the 70’s and was into everything “natural” so wore no makeup.
It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I began to use makeup, and jumped right in, bold colors and all!
I still prefer a more natural look, but am not scared of color!
I’ve always been way more interested in makeup than my mom. She is only now starting to wear makeup more regularly, and she often asks for my input. It’s fun to be able to share what I’ve learned.
It’s not so much her makeup that influences me, it’s her “I wear makeup religiously” attitude. I’ve only seen her two, MAYBE three times wearing no makeup whatsoever. My step-dad has seen her once, possibly two times. When she was in labor with me, she refused to go to the hospital until she finished touching up her makeup. Every night, she’ll wash off her makeup, take a shower, put it all back on, go to bed, and touch it up in the morning. I started wearing full-face makeup last year at 15 1/2, and now I won’t go anywhere without it. Her colors and application doesn’t influence me; she wears concealer, foundation, black eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, and occasionally blush or eyeshadow. She’s warm toned and I’m cool toned, so whatever doesn’t work for me, I give to her. =P
And she’s always wanted me to wear makeup, but I just didn’t care enough to. I had this attitude which was basically “I’m gonna look ugly no matter what, and makeup can only do so much, so what’s the point?” I only started wearing it after a complaint from my step-dad that I “always looked like crap, no matter what.”
I’m sort of horrified that your stepfather had the gall to say something like that to you.
I am so sorry your step-dad said that to you.
We are all special and beautiful in our own way.
Don’t let what he said bother you. Enjoy your beauty and have fun with make up!
Hnn, not really, actually. By the time I hit my makeup stage, my mom had long left hers. My introduction to cosmetics actually recreated a resurgence of interest in my mother since she had my stash to raid. 😀 I wear significantly more than she ever did, but then again, my skin is far less sensitive than hers is. That limited a lot of what she could do.
I’m in the same boat as u, my mum never wore makeup until i was 16 n started buying drugstore makeup n she used mine. I’m a makeup junkie now and she’s began to buy her own makeup since i moved out and with my husband now.I’m pregnant and really wish it’s a girl, makeup shopping and teaching would be so much fun.
My mom never wears make up. In the 29 years that I live, I’ve seen her wear mascara (and only mascara, no other make up!) maybe 5 times or so. I on the other hand, love make up. I’m obsessed with beauty products and have a huge collection. My mom did influence me however. I always go for the natural look. I do wear everything, but I make it look like I wear not that much. Most people are surprised when they find out how much make up I really am wearing. I think I have way more in common with my grandmother on this subject. She’s a sucker for beautiful high end make up and always looks like a true lady. So whenever my grandmother has her birthday, I always give her something nice like a Chanel lipstick. Since no one else in my family really understands the joy that luxurious make up can bring haha. She’s my role model and I really want to look as gracious as she does when I’m at her age. 🙂
Yes! My mother has always been a natural beautiful woman. My go to look is what was her everyday face when I was little with some modern flair. It’s a classic. We look alike so it’s time tested and mother approved!
My mom doesn’t work much makeup because her skin is so flawless! She focuses more on skincare rather than putting on foundation, powder etc…she barely puts on mascara. I would say she has influenced me to focus more on skincare and SPF! She swears by using good quality skincare everyday and using SPF. I also am influenced by her lip colors. She is always rocking dark berry lips and it looks great on her. So now, I am trying out darker colors. She loves the Clinique blackberry lipstick which I hated but actually like it now.
Like many said in the comments, my mom wears minimal makeup, just mascara and pink lipstick. My older sisters also use just a few things. None of the adults I grew up with seemed to care much about makeup, so I wonder where my obsession comes from….!