Can a woman be successful without makeup?

[950483]

Really, makeup is just the western version of a burka. Currently I feel it is far less acceptable in society to go without makeup than it has been in the past, in spite of progress made in other areas.

How do you feel about it?, and if you decided to go without makeup do you think it would affect your work life in any way?

 

[AlteredEgo]

I wouldn't feel like myself. There is very little beyond my house that I want to do without makeup. I was raised in part by a woman who wouldn't put the trash on the curb without lipstick and a good coat. I wasn't allowed to wear it other than dance recitals and special occasions because my body made me look much older than I was. I could not wear dangly earrings either for the same reason. Now? I wear all the make up most days, and I could probably go a month without wearing the same earrings twice. I never turn up busted and generally won't go out or have people come over until I feel like I look my best. I would rather be late than go to work without makeup. Yes, I believe feeling like a foreigner to my own sense of self would be a huge distraction and my work would suffer.

 

[Tattooed Goddess]

Make up Artistry is my specialty. I love pairing together colors and new ideas each time I do my face. I know how I blend in without makeup. I'd rather have makeup on when I leave the house. I feel polished.

It's been talked about even at the corporate office how nice I look on the job compared to other employees. It's awesome to see how many other women notice you when you look your best. It's the women high up in the ranks that are talking about it.

I love giving makeup advice when asked and doing makeovers for my friends and family. Seeing someone brighten up when they see them self in the mirror just makes my heart flutter.

Everyone should deserve to feel their best. If makeup helps one achieve that then why not?

I've been thinking about creating makeup tutorials for my Facebook friends to enjoy.

 

[AlteredEgo]

I didn't realize there was a video which i have just now watched.

I recall showing up to work once without having put on make up. I had all my stuff with me though, and intended to do my accounting, give out assignments, and then go do my face. I knew if I forgot anything, I could use a sample from the Sephora next door. We were expecting the new CEO to drop in, and personally, there was no way I'd have allowed myself to be introduced to him barefaced. We were a luxury brand, and I viewed high-end cosmetics as part of the uniform.

My boss showed up early, and shit you not, she said, "You don't look like you are wearing expensive make up today. Do you know what today is?" She let me off the hook for my administrative duties and sent me to go primp. She would not have wanted to introduce me to the group of executives we expected without that polished look either.

I was still her champion, her inexperienced manager who made that store dominate the entire company for units per transaction by teaching my team to crush it on impulse items to the tune of $14K/month in impulse alone. I was still the new manager who turned around a nasty morale problem and increased retention by 80%. I was still the darling of the regular customer, and the queen of the international transaction, making our brand sell in markets where we didn't even have a presence. I was still the eagle eye who cut shrink by 10% by catching thieves and fixing malfunctioning security devices. However, she would not have wanted to show me off to the big bosses because I didn't look the part. I just looked ordinary. Additionally, I feel better with make up and pumps. I almost never wore pumps to that job because of the marble floors. I did wear them for part of that day. I didn't create a world wherein no one cares what a woman has to say unless she looks a certain way. I just live in it.

 

[Tattooed Goddess]

I fell in love with makeup when I'd sit down at my Mom's antique vanity and I'd wear her lipstick, put on her pearls and a fancy church hat. No one told me that I needed to do it to please someone. I wanted to grow up and do fun things like use my face as a canvas to express my artistic ability.

I battle some health issues that make me unusually pale with dark purple and blue veins under my eyes. My lips aren't a natural pink shade. They are almost bluish with chapstick on. Wearing makeup gives me a healthier appearance. Some days I go out with just foundation and my eyebrows on. Some days I go out with a full face on. But every time I don't wear makeup I get asked if I'm feeling ok because I look sickly.

Makeup gives me color and freedom of expression. I'm fond of bright, vibrant shades and I stay far away from neutrals. When you have pink hair you can pretty much wear whatever bold colors you want to.

 

[TexanStar]

I think it depends a lot on the job.

I think for the trades, sports, artists, labor, etc it's pretty irrelevant. I think in health care it's irrelevant as well (might even be frowned upon for surgeons and the like).

I think for positions of face-to-face sales and similar professions like realty it's probably important for women to wear makeup if they want to be successful.

Other jobs all I could say is case by case, workplace by workplace. In some offices I imagine it's very important to success, in others it's not important at all.

Also, I get a little irritated when they use people like Helen Mirren as an example. I personally consider Helen Mirren to be one of the most beautiful women in entertainment and she's an outlier in terms of how much of her physical attractiveness she's retained as she's gotten older. She's 71 now and she's still really hot.

One of my managers would put on her makeup after she got to the office sometimes. Without makeup, she looked like Uncle Fester with blonde hair. I don't say that to be mean, I'm just saying the difference between her with makeup and without was stark. She had eyebrows, but her hair was so fair colored that you couldn't see them when she wasn't wearing makeup.

 

[TexanStar]

But every time I don't wear makeup I get asked if I'm feeling ok because I look sickly.

I think a lot of people aren't used to seeing women out of makeup.

I think it's pretty common that women get asked if they're sick or if they're feeling under the weather when they aren't made up. Like... it's not that you actually look sickly, but people mistake a normal un-made-up appearance for looking sickly, if that makes sense. They don't know what normal looks like because normal is almost always covered up.

 

[coopturn]

As a young physician fresh out of residency and fellowship, the first hospital I worked in had a female CEO who wore no makeup. She was one of the most impressive, knowledgeable, compassionate, inspiring executives I've ever met. She was idolized by the entire hospital staff as well as those in the community. She served as chair of our state's hospital association and later became chair of the largest association of healthcare executives in North America. I learned a lot from her and she inspired me to go on and get my master's in health administration. I wanted to be like her, though I think that was a goal I will likely never achieve. So yes, it is possible for a woman to be wildly successful without wearing makeup.

In the interest of full disclosure, this hospital CEO was a nun. She didn't wear a habit, but she did dress modestly. But that never really mattered and I don't think it would have whether she was a nun or not.

 

[AlteredEgo]

I fell in love with makeup when I'd sit down at my Mom's antique vanity and I'd wear her lipstick, put on her pearls and a fancy church hat. No one told me that I needed to do it to please someone. I wanted to grow up and do fun things like use my face as a canvas to express my artistic ability.

Similarly, no one told me to wear makeup. If anything, it was forbidden quite expressly. My mother rarely wore any though her mother always wore it. I fell in love with it smell first. Then, I found out it came from fancy department stores with revolving doors, with pretty ladies who offered to spray you with the contents of beautiful bottles like the ones on my grandmother's dresser. If we went to Macy's, I would get to ride the wooden escalators on the 7th Ave side, and if I was really good, and didn't touch anything, I'd get a fresh croissant for the ride home. My grandmother, mother, and aunt were so beautiful, and I loved watching them make themselves up before a special event. It seemed like magic, and it smelled so good. Eventually, because my interest in it was obvious, i was given a subscription to a fashion magazine and free reign to play around and figure it out for myself. I was not allowed to leave the house made up until after high school. Then all that was said to me about it came in the form of tips to improve. A cousin thought my blush was too subtle. My grandmother thought my lipstick was too dark. My aunt was impressed with how natural it looked, bit thought I should consider having my brows shaped. My mother thought if I stopped chemically straightening my hair, I could pull off bolder and darker lipsticks. My mother's bestie told me to wear a more natural lip if I was going to do a very bold, flashy eye. That sort of thing. But no one said to wear or not wear it.

 

[nailz]

I get more compliments when not wearing makeup and my hair just in a quick ponytail or braid.

Most people that are healthy, eat healthy, don't smoke, and get enough sleep probably don't need as much makeup as they think.

 

[Tattooed Goddess]

Some people also do a horrible job at makeup application and make themselves look worse.

 

[Beedie Tijii]

I think it depends a lot on the job.

I think for the trades, sports, artists, labor, etc it's pretty irrelevant. I think in health care it's irrelevant as well (might even be frowned upon for surgeons and the like).

I think for positions of face-to-face sales and similar professions like realty it's probably important for women to wear makeup if they want to be successful.

Other jobs all I could say is case by case, workplace by workplace. In some offices I imagine it's very important to success, in others it's not important at all.

I was gonna say something like this.

Depends on people's expectations of a woman in that role. In a majority of cases, that sucks, because physical appearance has nothing to do with professional competency. It could go both ways. I am speculating here, but I would imagine a female Au Pair/Nanny would probably find more work with less or no makeup on, since most of the time she would be hired by the wife/mother. Women in law enforcement and the military are possibly more obvious examples.

Makeup is absolutely nothing like the Burqa, which is a moving prison for women, and specifically designed to limit freedom and social mobility. Can't believe nobody has addressed this.

 

[JackDoff]

My wife has never worn a lot of make up - she often gets ready to go out as quick as I do (other than deliberating over which shoes to wear) I'll spend time trimming my beard or trimming the stray eyebrow or nasal hair.

I personally don't like to see a lot of make up on women - especially if applied wrong but I can appreciate that it makes them feel more feminine or confident. Each to their own, but I do laugh when I see the surprised eyebrow women duck facing for a selfie.

Back on point, I agree it depends on the role they have the same as wearing a suit and clean shaved depends on the role a man has. Wild bed hair and 2 days stubble wouldn't invoke confidence in a male doctor but a female doctor with no make up with well kempt hair wouldn't faze me. I think being smart or appropriately dressed is more important.

 

[185248]

You can't make up features. You can highlight them yes. It affects confidence if overly applied. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up to the individual.

There comes a point in life though makeup will not "do it". It becomes a decision whether to apply it thicker, or go without. Like hair colours. At some point convenience outweighs time, patience and being at peace with what nature has in stall.

How much makeup becomes too much? I adore a little bit of makeup to highlight features, but when it gets to the stage of major renovation, no.

 

[Mercurygirl]

I was undoubtedly more discriminating in my teens when it came to matters of makeup and appearance but once I became a professional and part of the workforce the only thing that matters to me now is can this person do their job?

I wear a bit of makeup because it makes me feel good about my appearance. That's the key really, whatever a woman wants personally for herself, what makes her happy, she should do.

I've had co-workers who wore little to no makeup and at the end of the day I thought they were more beautiful than the most attractive makeup wearing female in the office. Why? Because that woman did an exemplary job.

Hell, there's one woman in my office who's a no makeup 61-year-old tracksuit wearing absolute fashion disaster and I think she's gorgeous because she makes my job easier with her vast knowledge and efficiency everyday. I'd take her in a heartbeat over the off the cover of Vogue lazy bitch who is constantly making more work for me through her incompetence.

Fuck you Amanda 'can't stand her' S.!

:::hugs non makeup wearing Marie and her 1970's tracksuit:::

 

[deleted1048037]

As a guy answering this question, I will say this, if you'd asked this question 20 or 30 years ago, I would have said you could be successful. However, these days, it is becoming more and more obvious that being superficial is the winner. You have to look a certain way or your treated like an outcast. Human beings are becoming more and more critical of others in everything because we live in a superficial world, where everything has to be perfect and I think people, to a certain extend, expect others to be "perfect". I'm not saying all people feel that way, but...my point is proven when every 10 seconds there is a makeup advert, clothes advert etc, on tv. It kinda gives you an insight into the general thinking of society.

 

[Tattooed Goddess]

I don't feel superficial or feel any societal pressure to wear makeup. I'm a part of a makeup forum and we aren't afraid to not wear makeup. I've met some of the most talented artists through that group. We take pride in being strong minded independent women and love to break all of the traditional makeup rules.

I will leave the house with black lipstick on and give zero fucks what society thinks of it. I'm going to do me and you do you.

I believe anyone can be successful if they do the right things to achieve success. But in certain fields of work how much farther could that same individual go if they wore makeup applied properly? We may never know.

Even babies have a preference for pretty faces. It's ingrained in our genetics to notice symmetry and beauty.

 

[MickeyLee]

make-up is drag for me, something i throw on for drama and get my peacock on
is not something i wear day to day
most days i am freshly scrubbed all natural type person
as fancy as i get is chapstick, cuz nobody wants to kiss crusty

when i do wear make-up i put instagram girls to shames cuz i was learned to beat my face for the gods by knowledgeable folks.
we're talking fly to heaven on these wings level of awesome *after several tries, like i said i am not doing this every day*

has my job been hampered by my personal statement o beauty? no
when i worked the private sector... i was encouraged to play up my alt-style so i often donned a few layers of eyeliner with smudged edges
mostly for the pseudo punk/goth/emo thang
or i just played up the butch-fag aesthetic of no make-up and maximum attitude
neither look really changed how i did my job... more how people reacted to me

men found me more approachable with make-up, i guess even freaknicked i fit their idea of a female better in make-up
and that familiarity made them less awkward around me. in full butch mode most men spoke to me only enough to complete a transaction.
women were comfortable with me both in and out of drag, they quite liked having a woman no matter what level of made-up, to talk to about their questions and purchases. in boy drag they commented on my physical appearance more often than when i wore make up. straight girls love butch boys, i'm telling ya

if i worked in the straight world i would feel more pressured to wear make-up, specific like in a corporate setting, i think i would fell not completely dressed without it. mostly because the women i seen in the straight world are wearing make up, if not fully faced, then the least wise enhanced by make-up.

 

[MickeyLee]

eta: i do not like the pro-face paint lady
they could have picked a better Representative for the make-up side

 

[Tattooed Goddess]

I used to be able to sneak in to the guy dorms to see my boyfriend because I was thin, had a shaved head and didn't wear makeup. They thought I was a twink..

Most times I'd wear makeup with a shaved head and I'd still get called sir. Makeup did not change the fact that I looked very androgynous.

MickeyLee, I'd label myself bi and while thinking traditionally pretty women are pretty there's a special place in my heart for the gender bending butch chick.

I especially like women who are cute with a boy haircut. Pixies make my eyes get big.