Can a woman be successful without makeup?

[halcyondays]

I do not think I am ugly, I think I am attractive.

I think everyone in the world is beautiful to someone.

I think there's a big difference between being beautiful and being attractive.

 

[moparmike]

Attraction is purely in the eyes of the beholder.

 

[TinyPrincess]

Rarely uses makeup. I did when I was younger but not so much in recent years. Guess I've come to terms with my natural looks and skin colour.

And my personality is pretty straight forward as well, so makeup would just be "putting lipstick on the pig" anyways...

 

[AlteredEgo]

That's what I didn't like to see: the competition between ladies for the approval of their peers and the attentions of men based on cosmetic beauty. I have never lost the impression that women are amazingly beautiful without cosmetics. I wish more women could look a mirror without having done hair and make up and think damn I look beautiful!

I attended one of the most competitive high schools anywhere. Alumni include winners of Nobel prizes, Westinghouse scholarships, television actors, corporate execs and influential members of government. You liked to compete, or you transferred elsewhere to avoid suicide. I saw many kinds of competition for attention from the opposite sex including the employment of superficial devices like make up and fashion. It was the 90's. Even the boys used make up. The girls were much better at making their intentions known. (Thanks to Facebook, I'm now aware of guys who had crushes on me in high school. They had succeeded in getting me to notice their existence in a student body of thousands, but I really just thought they were nice fellas who were friends of friends and naturally ate lunch with me as an extension of that. ) Any competition in that arena is necessary. The truth is, in life one competes or perishes. In competition, it is only a fool who ignores advatages of any sort. The competitions are really just more ways developing personalities are forged.

Among my clique, guys got good at Magic the Gathering, a musical instrument, and handball and showed off to interest girls. They also made sure they had the right look, whatever that meant to the individual boy, and smelled good. The girls made sure they had the right look ( which in my case was very grunge-inspired) smelled nice, and could do whatever it was the target boy was good at.

I happened to be really good with a bass, but it is the hardest instrument to show off other than a piano. I sucked at handball, but since my target was the best, I hung around the handball court looking cute. I gave him presents, mostly home baked goods and classic rock vinyl my mother let me have for that purpose. I did know a girl who also liked him. He hadn't ever shown any interest in her, but I had always been more popular (more likeable- all she ever did was whine and complain), had better grades, a nicer figure arguably, much, much nicer skin, and easier parents for a potential boyfriend to win over. She was the one who kept putting us together at first. She knew he'd come to any event if I was the one inviting him. She couldn't woo him if he didn't turn up, and she took the risk that he'd never stop looking at me. She was allowed to wear make up and jewelry, which I wasn't, and she did, but it seemed to highlight her bad skin. She wasn't good at the things our clique valued, but she was rip-roaringly funny. Unfortunately she had a reputation for being unkind, and once it was clear he was never going to look past her (well earned) rep, I saw no reason not to turn on my full shine, and that's when I turned up at the handball courts, dressed more flatteringly than usual, and gave him gifts so there would be no doubt I was open to his interest. We kept it secret until she started dating someone else to avoid hurting her feelings.

A funnier story: One of my close friends and I spread a rumor that she was dating a particular guy from the swim team. Once the rumor spread beyond our grade, she approached him with the idea of making it real. I can't believe it worked, but it did.

Figuring out the courtship ritual is an important part of growing up. It isn't always pretty, but it is an important developmental stage. That is what you observed.

I always think my reflection is beautiful, but I also know how to bring about an even more beautiful look.

 

[moparmike]

Well said. (Slow clap)

 

[950483]

I attended one of the most competitive high schools anywhere. Alumni include winners of Nobel prizes, Westinghouse scholarships, television actors, corporate execs and influential members of government. You liked to compete, or you transferred elsewhere to avoid suicide. I saw many kinds of competition for attention from the opposite sex including the employment of superficial devices like make up and fashion. It was the 90's. Even the boys used make up. The girls were much better at making their intentions known. (Thanks to Facebook, I'm now aware of guys who had crushes on me in high school. They had succeeded in getting me to notice their existence in a student body of thousands, but I really just thought they were nice fellas who were friends of friends and naturally ate lunch with me as an extension of that. ) Any competition in that arena is necessary. The truth is, in life one competes or perishes. In competition, it is only a fool who ignores advatages of any sort. The competitions are really just more ways developing personalities are forged.

Among my clique, guys got good at Magic the Gathering, a musical instrument, and handball and showed off to interest girls. They also made sure they had the right look, whatever that meant to the individual boy, and smelled good. The girls made sure they had the right look ( which in my case was very grunge-inspired) smelled nice, and could do whatever it was the target boy was good at.

I happened to be really good with a bass, but it is the hardest instrument to show off other than a piano. I sucked at handball, but since my target was the best, I hung around the handball court looking cute. I gave him presents, mostly home baked goods and classic rock vinyl my mother let me have for that purpose. I did know a girl who also liked him. He hadn't ever shown any interest in her, but I had always been more popular (more likeable- all she ever did was whine and complain), had better grades, a nicer figure arguably, much, much nicer skin, and easier parents for a potential boyfriend to win over. She was the one who kept putting us together at first. She knew he'd come to any event if I was the one inviting him. She couldn't woo him if he didn't turn up, and she took the risk that he'd never stop looking at me. She was allowed to wear make up and jewelry, which I wasn't, and she did, but it seemed to highlight her bad skin. She wasn't good at the things our clique valued, but she was rip-roaringly funny. Unfortunately she had a reputation for being unkind, and once it was clear he was never going to look past her (well earned) rep, I saw no reason not to turn on my full shine, and that's when I turned up at the handball courts, dressed more flatteringly than usual, and gave him gifts so there would be no doubt I was open to his interest. We kept it secret until she started dating someone else to avoid hurting her feelings.

A funnier story: One of my close friends and I spread a rumor that she was dating a particular guy from the swim team. Once the rumor spread beyond our grade, she approached him with the idea of making it real. I can't believe it worked, but it did.

Figuring out the courtship ritual is an important part of growing up. It isn't always pretty, but it is an important developmental stage. That is what you observed.

I always think my reflection is beautiful, but I also know how to bring about an even more beautiful look.

When I think of some of the awful makeup that happened at school, on both myself and others! We didn't have all of the youtube tutorials in the olden days. These days there is no excuse whatsoever for some of the ridiculous eyebrows I've seen.

 

[Sangana]

No make up is best

 

[moparmike]

When I think of some of the awful makeup that happened at school, on both myself and others! We didn't have all of the youtube tutorials in the olden days. These days there is no excuse whatsoever for some of the ridiculous eyebrows I've seen.

Just remembering the opening scenes of "Just Go With It". You made.me LOL.

 

[TexanStar]

No make up is best

 

[moparmike]

Where's her brows, bro? Lol

 

[TexanStar]

Where's her brows, bro? Lol

Some women tweeze their eyebrows and replace with eyebrow pencil, some women just naturally have very fair / thin eyebrows that are hard to see without pencil.

Mostly I posted the pic because it makes me laugh, but also cuz I think the notion that all people look better without makeup is just as silly as saying that all people look better without haircuts or all people look better without clothes.

 

[AlteredEgo]

Where's her brows, bro? Lol

Hers are wherever mine went. Mine fell out, along with any hair I used to have on my arms and legs. My thyroid evicted them.

 

[950483]

Where's her brows, bro? Lol

I tweezed mine into a thin and elegant arched shape in the 90's, and now they just stay like that. You can buy eyebrow fibres in a tube to kind of rebuild your brows, (Benefit brow gel), I haven't tried it yet though.

 

[moparmike]

I promise, I was intending only a bit of humor, not to impugn anyone or belittle, ladies. Perhaps I was inconsiderate through ignorance. I apologize.

 

[AlteredEgo]

I promise, I was intending only a bit of humor, not to impugn anyone or belittle, ladies. Perhaps I was inconsiderate through ignorance. I apologize.

I wasn't offended. How can you know unless someone tells you?

I tweezed mine into a thin and elegant arched shape in the 90's, and now they just stay like that. You can buy eyebrow fibres in a tube to kind of rebuild your brows, (Benefit brow gel), I haven't tried it yet though.

My grandmother tweezed hers into high arches as was the fashion in the '40's. By the time I was concerned about the shape of mine, she hadn't plucked hers in decades. She said the hair just never came back one day, to her surprise and delight. She instructed me to let mine grow back in from whatever horrible thing I had done to them, and let a pro do it. They grew back before a wedding I was to attend, and my aunt took me to get them waxed.

 

[halcyondays]

The truth is, in life one competes or perishes.

I hope you mean that rhetorically!

Figuring out the courtship ritual is an important part of growing up. It isn't always pretty, but it is an important developmental stage. That is what you observed.

Indeed. I remember the competition well. But even then I was of the opinion that guys would have been girl crazy no matter how the ladies adorned themselves. I know I was.

 

[TexanStar]

Indeed. I remember the competition well. But even then I was of the opinion that guys would have been girl crazy no matter how the ladies adorned themselves. I know I was.

Honestly, high school is a mess and teenagers just need to survive that shit (literally). I don't think that forgoing makeup would somehow turn it into an environment that you don't have to worry about them getting through it w/o killing themselves.

 

[lil peachie]

My grandmother tweezed hers into high arches as was the fashion in the '40's. By the time I was concerned about the shape of mine, she hadn't plucked hers in decades. She said the hair just never came back one day, to her surprise and delight..

My mom did the same thing, she pencils her eye brows on everyday. That kept me from over plucking.

High school & through my 20's I did a full face. Since I hit 30, it's mascara, little brow pencil & somedays a little eye liner. Of course if I'm going out I'll do a full face. Losing foundation & powder did wonderful things for my skin.

I've just gotten to a point where I'm comfort in my skin. And I don't need makeup to feel pretty.

 

[AlteredEgo]

Losing foundation & powder did wonderful things for my skin.

I have mostly dry combination skin. I moisturize extremely thoroughly before applying makeup, and after cleansing my face at the end of the day. I pay attention to my skin, washing and moisturizing my face twice a day, exfoliating once daily, and never, ever exposing it to hot water nor going to bed without a clean, moisturized face. These are the rules my grandmother gave me (I added daily exfoliation). Maybe "good" skin is genetic, but I really think it has to do with care routines too. On the other hand, I probably spend an hour a day on just taking care of my face (including the application and removal of makeup), hair, and teeth. A different person might find something more productive to do with that time.

When I actually had eyebrows, I tended to shave them into shape and add powder to fill them out. Now, with no eyebrows, I use an extremely fine pencil and draw many little fine lines and it looks like eyebrows with filler even though it is all pencil. lol

For me, most days, a full face is concealer, highlighter, fiber mascara, at least one blush, bronzer powder and translucent pressed powder, 2 eyeliners, 2 lipsticks and one lip gloss. On a fancy day, or when I need the calming effect of the whole routine, add foundation, contour, and at least 3 shades of eye shadow, maybe 4. Also add half an hour.

 

[lil peachie]

Geez that's a long routine. I apply mascara once I get to work, if I add in liner & brows it takes me 3-4 mins

I exfoliated daily, & oil cleanse at night. When I wore foundation I'd breakout occasionally, plus have dry patches. Now I can't remember the last time I had a pimple, & no more dry patches.