Wearing makeup is not for everyone, but most women say they do it. In a 2024 poll, 74% of American women said they wear makeup either daily, a few times a week or month, or at least once a month.
Men often have strong opinions about women wearing makeup, and some, like this woman's coworker, aren't afraid to express it. Offended and angry, she doubled down and started wearing makeup every day. After reading her story, many netizens started debating why some people think commenting on others' appearance is so normalized.
A man thought it was appropriate to tell a coworker she looks better without makeup
Image credits: pvproductions / freepik (not the actual photo)
After hearing his rude remarks, the woman decided to annoy him and wear even more makeup every day
Image credits: mandriapix / freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: depquahv
She also shared some pics of what her makeup usually looks like
Image credits: depquahv
Image credits: depquahv
Women don't always wear makeup to impress men; it can be about self-expression as well
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
The reasons for wearing makeup differ from woman to woman. According to a 2023 YouGov poll, a majority (49%) of American women wear makeup for a confidence boost, and 45% say they wear makeup for special occasions.
For others, makeup helps enhance certain facial features (34%) or hide (30%) unwanted ones, like acne, birthmarks, etc. Some women also said they wear makeup to hide the signs of aging or to protect their skin from sun damage.
However, makeup can also be a form of self-expression, but only 26% of American women said it's the reason why they wear makeup. In fact, 13% said they do so because of societal expectations, and that's especially true for women younger than 45. On the other hand, self-expression is often the more common reason for younger women (34%) to wear makeup than for older women (16%).
The problem is that other people often assume women wear makeup for entirely different reasons. Both men (63%) and women (48%) think that women wear makeup because they want to trick others into thinking they're more attractive.
While that might be true to some extent, it's not that simple. Some women may use makeup to deal with their insecurities (whether they're related to their appearance or not), and they shouldn't be ashamed of that. For other women, like the OP, possibly, makeup can be a hobby or an art. If you've ever tried applying eyeshadow (a special shoutout to my fellow hooded eyelid girlies out there!), you know it's no easy task; it requires technique, skill, and talent.
When men say they prefer 'women without makeup', they don't really know what that really looks like
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
If you're a woman, you've probably had a man tell you "You would look better without makeup!" at least once in your life. While everyone has their preferences, there's often a disconnect when men comment on women wearing makeup.
Some women believe that the majority of men can't actually tell whether a woman is wearing makeup or not. There's even a whole genre of videos on TikTok, titled "What Men Think No Makeup Looks Like."
In 2022, Evie Magazine decided to put men's makeup-spotting skills to the test. They showed a group of men pictures of women with and without makeup. But here's the kicker: many of the makeup looks were so-called minimal, "no makeup" looks. And – surprise surprise– many of the men preferred the women with makeup on.
As Krystal Miller wrote in her piece for The Quinnipiac Chronicle, when men say they prefer women with no makeup, they don't really know what that is. "A lot of examples on the internet of celebrities wearing no makeup usually have some amount of makeup on," she observes. "This causes people to believe that's what skin really looks like without makeup, and makes women even more insecure because they are trying to live up to impossible standards."
People called out the man's lack of manners and suggested some clever comebacks
Other women also shared similar experiences with men's unsolicited comments on their appearance
