DU men - do you prefer women with or without makeup?

[skygazer]

(I can already imagine the copycats - sigh)

Seriously, though - I hardly ever wear it, some women won't leave the house without it, what do men think? Do you have a preference? Is it something you really notice or that is important to you? I'm curious.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. Without.

Although small doses can look really great, I like that a woman would have such self-esteem to go without it.

[MrCoffee]

2. au natural, s'il vous plait

[Phillycat]

3. This sounds terrible, but they aren't qualified to judge.

If a woman is skillful with makeup application, a man has no idea she's wearing makeup. My makeup is "nude" or "fresh" looking. People comment about how great my skin is and how lucky I am to not have to wear makeup. I use Bare Minerals, by the way, and I am lucky enough to have nice skin to begin with.

Anyway, I think any man would say they do not enjoy the garishly made-up look that some women sport. But a light, skillful application, most men would prefer, to cover up the under-eye circles and blemishes. It just makes the woman look younger and fresher, and I think most men see that but not the makeup.

[skygazer]

6. Point taken but very few women who are wearing it

Look like they're not. I'm finding it interesting that so far the men prefer without. Thanks for joining in, however. :hi:

[Phillycat]

29. They are saying they prefer "without" but my point is, they actually

like light makeup but they just don't know it.

[Shakespeare]

50. I think you're 100% correct. n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

59. Well, some men know the difference and mean without.

Some men don't like the notion that their women feel the need to wear makeup to feel good about how they look (and some men don't care, and some men don't notice the difference, and some men like the half way to stage makeup look.) The point being, categorically saying that men don't know that they prefer women wearing light makeup is not giving men any credit for knowing the difference. I've known men in all of the categories that I listed above.

[billyskank]

15. That's just disappointment waiting to happen

If you are artful enough to make yourself look better than you really do, one day your beloved will see beneath the mask, and it'll be a disappointment.

That is why I don't believe in this sort of thing.

[Phillycat]

49. Oh, I think that's nonsense.

The difference isn't so terribly much that it would be shocking when the makeup comes off! It's just a brightening, freshening, that helps to make a woman feel her best and makes her confident - which is attractive on anyone, I think. :shrug:

[billyskank]

53. Maybe

But it seems you are right about us not being qualified to judge. It sounds like it has nothing to do with us anyway.

[buddhamama]

54. good point

it doesn't have to be an either or thing, or at least it shouldn't, imo.

some women wear it, some don't.

i don't wear it but it doesn't make me somehow better than women who do.

wearing makeup wouldn't make me feel more confident makeup because i don't like it,
but if works for others Great!

confidence is sexy and attractive,
and that is the case regardless of makeup.

[some guy]

17. agreed

I read the thread title, and my first thought was "I don't know."

I can sometimes tell if a woman is NOT wearing makeup.
If it's garish, I can tell she's wearing makeup.

Often, it's hard to know, at least for me.

:shrug:

[Jean Louise Finch]

69. re: Bare Minerals

Totally unrelated to the OP, but I'm curious about your Bare Minerals experience! I've just ordered some of the spf 15 foundation and can't wait to try it out. I was using the Philosophy Supernatural stuff but it's way too expensive for regular use. I'm not lucky enough to have great skin and appreciate a little extra coverage when I'm out and about. Is Bare Minerals really as good as everyone says?

Jean Louise

[Phillycat]

78. So far I've been really happy.

It will NOT come off. That you can be assured of. You can't sweat it off or anything. And you really can't tell that you have makeup on. It's beautifully translucent.

As far as coverage, I don't know if you'll be happy with it. It really doesn't cover in that opaque way that liquid foundation does. If you have a blemish, it will pretty much cover it up, but you will still see a bit of a spot there. You can always add more, and definitely use a concealer brush with a point to spot-apply.

The reason I like it the most is that it's totally natural. My super-sensitive skin has never had a reaction to it, it does not clog my pores, and you really can sleep in it with no ill effects. I don't feel like I'm putting toxic chemicals on my skin, which I really like. And it lasts FOREVER, so in that way, it is a good bargain even if it seems expensive when you first buy it.

BTW, I bought mine in a store, I didn't mail-order it, so you may not have the right shade of the foundation. Don't despair! You can go to a store that carries it and find the shade that will blend. It won't go to waste.

Any more questions, feel free to ask. I use only Bare Minerals now, including blush and eye shadow, so I definitely love it! :)

[Jean Louise Finch]

86. Hoorah!

Oh I am super excited for it to get to me. If the color isn't right I think there is a sephora close by to my parents place that I can go and try. I don't like lots of coverage, just enough to smooth things over. But like you, i feel like putting most stuff on my face is just making things worse. The philosophy one I've been using is ok, it just isn't quite what I'm looking for (and I really hate the applicator). I'm excited about the buffing I've read about.

the only other makeup I wear in a bit of eyeliner...I don't know if Bare Minerals makes that but I should have a look; though, I use stila smudge pots and love them.

[Shakespeare]

81. I've tried both. Bare Minerals is WAY WAY WAY better.

I started using it almost 4 years ago, and I'll never go back. Philosophy sent me a sample of their Supernatural about a year ago with some other stuff I ordered, and it doesn't come close to how good Bare Minerals is.

And mine lasts for eons, too. I buy the large foundation, and it'll last for around 9 months, sometimes longer. My best advice is to make sure you get the right shade--if what you've ordered isn't quite right, don't be afraid to send it back for an exchange. I have super-fair skin, and didn't know that they have two more shades lighter than the "light" they advertise on the infomercial. I use the very lightest one most of the time, and the next-lightest during summer.

I, too, have good skin, but love Bare Minerals for the natural SPF. I used to go to a lot of Oakland A's games when I lived in NorCal, and I never even had to use sunscreen on my face.

[Dorian Gray]

82. I use Bare Minerals

and it looks really natural. (A little bit of the powder foundation goes a long way. I have some redness in my face, and it really evens it out.) I also break out a lot less when wearing it. I use a little bit of the powder foundation, a quick swipe of the blush, some light eyeshadow to even out the color there (a nude-ish color), and mascara. (Just a light swipe.) If I'm dressing up, I'll put on some nude lip gloss instead of chapstick. My makeup looks very natural. Most wouldn't know that I was wearing any.

I definitely like the Bare Minerals! It's all natural and good for the skin, too!

[Maestro]

4. Without

I can't stand it when a woman looks more plastic than natural.

[ghostsofgiants]

5. I can go either eay.

Some wear it really well, others don't.

[ps1074]

7. without

eom

[LanternWaste]

8. More often than not-- with makeup

More often than not-- With makeup. I s'pose I've been conditioned into particular aspects of how we define "attractive".

But then-- I'm not really the most savvy person in the world when it come to what women go through every morning:

I'd always thought that the most attractive female in my office never wore the stuff. One morning about three weeks ago, she looks a little tired and I asked her if she had a bad night because I saw bags under her eyes I'd never seen before. She replied that she was running late that morning and didn't have time to put on all her make-up.

I think I hurt her feelings a little bit and felt like a real schlub for the rest of the week.

[Hugin]

9. Women wear makeup?

Make-up in moderation can be attractive.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. men often tell me that they prefer when women dont wear too much make up

right before asking me out...

its quite funny...because generally i wear a lot of make up

i think men dont often realize that well applied make up isnt the same as badly applied make up

[amitten]

24. Yeah, all those women men find so attractive NEVER have any

makeup on! :rofl:

Let's see...Jessica Alba, Pam Anderson, Angelina Jolie...

Nope, not a stitch of makeup on any of 'em!

[blondeatlast]

44. Word! Ain't it the truth?!

:rofl:

[Guava Jelly]

11. I don't care

Outer beauty is beauty
Naturally or enhanced with product.
It's the beauty thats inside that matters.

[buddhamama]

25. ...

good answer. :hug:

I can't recall the last time i wore makeup,
and when i do it is mascara only. :)

[Guava Jelly]

28. you sure don't require it.

You are quite attractive naturally.
Oh and you got the whole inner beauty thing going on also :7
:hug:

[jobycom]

12. Depends... would you prefer a man with a toupee or shiny?

A good makeup job can look very natural, and enhance natural beauty. But I never liked my wife to wear makeup when we were still together. Seemed like a mask, and I prefered looking at her without it. So I guess it depends on what the woman is to me--someone to look at, or someone I know. Even then, I've seen women whom makeup would not enhance, and women who can do wonderful things with makeup.

Now, about my comb-over...

[youthere]

88. Shiny can be sexy.

It's all in the attitude.

[petronius]

13. It depends on the person, and the situation

I think I pretty much always prefer some makeup (even if it's an amount I can't really see). When women really know how to use cosmetics, the results are pretty much always good. However, I rarely like the heavily made-up look, and some women just look better with less - perhaps due to facial structure?

Situationally, I find myself turned off by it in places where it's not necessary (like the tennis court) even if it technically looks good...

[billyskank]

14. Without

Without clothes too, preferably. ;)

[BarenakedLady]

16. Oh you...

How did I know exactly how you would answer this question? :rofl:

[billyskank]

21. Clearly I have become far too predictable

;)

[Gormy Cuss]

19. ~

Nature boy.
:rofl:

[eyepaddle]

18. Without

but if she is in the mood to wear some I certainly would complain to her. My SO wears a light amount of makeup and it can be very appealing--but when we are out paddling or she's cycling it's au natural.

Extreme sports and lotsa make-up don't generally go together. B-)

[HughBeaumont]

20. As long as it doesn't look like clowns or warpaint, it's fine with me.

[Rambis]

22. Without

My wife has never worn it. When she did for our wedding photos it was strange. Not that there is anything wrong with it.

[China_cat]

23. We've been married almost 33 years

my husband has NEVER seen me with makeup on. I think he likes it that way.

[Broken_Hero]

26. It doesn't matter to me

with/without...to me its all just the same, unless your talking Tammy Faye Baker style of makeup...

[BarenakedLady]

27. I'm glad to read this thread

Because I have no idea how to put makeup on anymore. If I put mascara on, I will enevitably forget I did and rub my eyes and then walk around cluelessly looking like a raccoon. Lipstick, I tend to eat off somehow. Plus it looks really funny on me I think.

[Jimbo S]

30. Without

Facial makeup, nail polish, all that stuff. Just me I guess.

My wife ALWAYS has on lipstick. I'm aware some women are like that. I found it odd when we were first together, but now to me it's "whatever floats her boat."

[Left Is Write]

38. I wear lipstick every day too. It brightens up my face.

I look washed out with no makeup on.

This is me with makeup:

[Jimbo S]

42. You look good

fresh and perky!

[Left Is Write]

89. Thank you. Most days I just feel like I look old.

[xchrom]

31. with makeup.

i like for people in general to make an effort regarding their appearance.

and i love a stylish put together woman -- a lot.

[BarenakedLady]

33. I make an effort to look presentable

it just doesn't involve makeup. :shrug:

[billyskank]

43. You don't need it

[BarenakedLady]

45. Thank you

:blush:

[billyskank]

46. You're welcome

:)

[skygazer]

62. That's an interesting way to put it

I am always clean and well groomed. I dress nicely. I feel I make a great deal of effort in my appearance but I don't wear makeup.

[NewJeffCT]

32. As little as possible

I tend to notice the amount of makeup a bit more nowadays than in the past...

[Bassic]

34. On my wife, it doesen't matter.

She always does a kick-ass job with her make-up, when she wears some, and there's never too much, so I don't really care one way or another. I love both her faces. :D

[kmla]

35. Depends. Some need it. some don't.

Not if it's applied like this. This is bad.



This, however, is good.



But so is this.



So, it depends.

[liontamer]

55. you do realize that the woman in the bottom pic is wearing makeup, right?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

56. the chick in your last pic is totally wearing make up

[Whoa_Nelly]

36. As a redhead, I have white blond eyebrows and lashes

and without some makeup help, these are pretty nonexistent against my skin color. I do go out sometimes without makeup, but since I do have long curly lashes, putting on mascara and some eyebrow makeup makes me feel like I'm looking my natural best.

[Shakespeare]

52. Excellent point. Darker haired women, I think, have an easier time going without.

I'm a natural blonde, and feel like I just fade away into nothingness without a little bit of makeup (and no, I don't spackle it on, either--use the super-light Bare Minerals stuff).

[azmouse]

37. Men may not always realize that makeup can be necessary.

I don't have eyebrows. I have to 'paint' them on but they look natural.

[Radical Activist]

39. Little or none

If a woman wears too much make up it gives me the impression that she is likely insecure and superficial. The worst are young women who go out to bars/clubs with waaaay too much makeup. Do they realize it makes them look trashy or is trashy what they were shooting for?

This thread reminds me of the American Dad episode where Haley's Dad keeps bugging her to wear makeup and when she finally does he shouts..."You're wearing makeup! Whore!!!"

[sg_]

40. maybe a little aslong as its not too noticable...

Im not fussed, just aslong as its not a load and they dont look like its been slapped onto their face with a trowel like cement.

Heard a saying a while back saying a smile is the best makeup anyone can wear :thumbsup:

[plcdude]

41. I think

that most men do not think much about makeup at all. Makeup is a female issue. My preference is that a woman be comfortable about wearing or not wearing makeup.

[hunter]

47. I seem to be missing the brain circuitry that makes makeup make sense.

Makeup just disturbs me in a "there's something on your skin" kind of way.

My wife doesn't wear makeup, but that's mostly because she has the kind of work where she sometimes has to jump out of bed and run right off without any time to fuss with her hair or makeup. She has a simple hairstyle and doesn't wear makeup so she always looks like herself.

I never dated anyone who worried much about makeup, it was always more they brushed the sand out of their hair after they shook the scorpions out of their boots.

[chaska]

48. Hmm, I'm very confused (see below)

http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/33f/bad/33fbad42-6162-4d85-a320-ee2a016b3a23

[Joey Liberal]

51. Without n/t

[Xipe Totec]

57. The answer, as always, is yes.

I do prefer women.


Always.

[Shakespeare]

60. Finally, someone with the correct answer!!

:7

Let her wear whatever the heck she wants on her face. If it makes her feel better about herself, then yay. It's not hurting anybody (unless you're Tammy Faye Bakker, that is).

[jmowreader]

58. Usually yes

It depends on the woman.

Janis Karpinski can't wear makeup--look at the pics of her escorting Rumsfeld through Abu Ghraib (no makeup) and her on television (full makeup). WAY better with no makeup.

Cindy Sheehan is the opposite...she doesn't usually wear any, but if you look at the video of her demolishing Norah O'Donnell, they put her in a real light makeup that looked nice.

But most women...yeah, I'd prefer they have something on. If nothing else, taking some time just for yourself, which wearing makeup forces you to do, is good for the spirit.

[Kali]

66. I like your last sentence.

Nice.

[wickerwoman]

72. Drinking tea and staring out the window

is taking some time just for yourself.

Getting up half an hour or in some cases an hour earlier so you can stare at yourself in the mirror while painting over the face you were born with to conform with someone else's standard of presentability isn't. And that's not even getting into the hours and hours involved in learning how to put make-up on and shopping and working to earn the money to buy outrageously priced beauty products.

It hasn't been my experience that women who wear a lot of make-up are especially soulfull or that their "spirits" are in better shape than women who don't. Quite the opposite in fact (no offense to the fabulous DU women who choose to wear make-up.) It seems to me that the more time women spend staring at themselves in the mirror, the less engaged they tend to be with the world around them. Britney Spears has probably spent about as much time "just for herself" putting on make-up as anyone else in the world. Does she strike you as particularly enlightened?

[jmowreader]

73. I don't know Britney Spears

But I do know about thirty women in my store whose moods are very clearly elevated on the days they choose to wear makeup.

Is the makeup elevating their moods, or did they choose to wear it because they were in a good mood that morning?

[wickerwoman]

74. I only wear make-up when I'm trying to impress someone

and I usually try to act more positive than usual in front of them as well.

It doesn't usually translate to a genuinely more positive outlook on life or a better mood. It's all a facade.

When I'm being myself, I don't wear make-up. And putting it on is more anxiety producing than otherwise.

[Left Is Write]

91. Anyone who is spending 30-60 minutes just on makeup is probably wearing too much.

[Lautremont]

61. Without.

[skygazer]

63. Thanks for everybody's replies

I just want to say I have nothing against the wearing of makeup - I didn't mean to make it sound like I thought women who wore it were silly or anything. As I said, I rarely wear it but that's my choice and anyone else's choice is fine with me. I was just wondering what, if anything, men thought on the subject.

I like the fact that so many men felt that, regardless of their opinion, whatever made the woman feel good was just fine. I also like the fact that so many said "without." :)

Probably get a whole different response over at Freeperville.

[SPKrazy]

64. Very Little

a little eye makeup maybe

that's about it

maybe none at all

[Robeson]

65. It's up to the woman, not me. Of course, if they apply THIS much...

...then I might feel a need to offer a preference...

[jmowreader]

80. I'm more worried about the hubcaps in her ears

than anything on her face. Those things would HURT!

And there's a new queen of makeup out there...



Jan Crouch makes Tammy Faye look fresh-faced by comparison.

[KitchenWitch]

84. Jan Crouch looks like Miss Piggy!

:rofl:

[chknltl]

67. Oh sure..."Makeup"...thats the first thing I check out.

Except for those lasses who follow the Tammy Fae Baker school of cosmetics, I rarely notice.
I agree with earlier, (and wiser), posters in this thread: We men are generally underquallified to make such calls.

[Robeson]

70. "Oh sure.........thats the first thing I check out"......

...you, too, huh?!!...:rofl: ;-)

[donheld]

68. I prefer makeup without women

I prefer my men without makeup.

[swag]

71. I don't care at all.

[jpgray]

77. Yep

[gr8dane_daddy]

75. I dig natural beauty but a little bit of makeup doesn't hurt...

as long it isn't applied via a trough like tammy faye...

I think freckles can be very sexy.

[NewWaveChick1981]

76. Female chiming in here...

:hi: In my experience, there are a lot of guys that don't realize women are wearing makeup when it looks natural.

I'll be the first person to tell you I enjoy wearing makeup and try to wear it as naturally as I can. I have an uneven skin tone on my face, so makeup helps even out the ruddiness. My eyes would not show up nearly as well without a little enhancement. And I also love playing up my lips. In pictures, one of my favorite lipsticks shows up a little harsh, but in person, it's very natural looking. So, I don't go overboard on makeup, but I do wear it and enjoy it. :)

[Ha Ha Ha Oh Wow]

79. either or. okay well. prefer no but its not a big issue nt

nt

[HEyHEY]

83. Depends....

If she's at the mall or something I like natural. But, let's face it, when she's all dolled up in a nice outfit and going out to dinner or something some light make-up looks divine.

[crim son]

85. Maybe men are trying to flatter

but I get the comment about natural beauty, how lucky I am not needing makeup etc. all the time and have since I was a young woman. But I've always worn makeup if I'm socializing. And I have never in my life had anybody tell me what a disappointment I am once the makeup comes off, although my STBE husband does have one such story which he often repeats to our daughter. The whole point of wearing everyday makeup is to look like you are naturally beautiful. If you don't, you are putting it on badly.

[Generic Brad]

87. Without

Make up just looks silly to me. If I wore it regularly, you would say the same thing about me.

[Rabrrrrrr]

90. Only if they need it, and only if tactfully done

Whore makeup doesn't impress me.

Oh, the stories I could tell after living in Harlem...

And, sadly, after living in the midwest as well - nothing worse than Jesus Crispy makeup, especially if the woman is a big-hair woman, you know goddamned well that she will have no idea how to properly apply makeup. She won't be going for the whore-look like they did in Harlem, but she will be going for a totally artless look. Well, not intentionally, but sadly, she will be of a subculture that just simply has no taste in art all - ugly, awful, vapid makeup, Thomas Kinkade, and contemporary Christian music that they listen to while driving their Amway products around to their equally big-haired friends.

[eppur_se_muova]

92. Personally? Without. BUT...if you makeup, remember "all things in moderation".

The only really UNattractive option is immoderation.

on edit: That goes about ten times over for perfume (or cologne, for men).