Women Constantly Making Themselves Look Good: Why?

hush said:
To me, that's just a part of one's personal hygiene. Like, it doesn't even have to have anything to do with others, that's just being well, clean. Sometimes it seems like there's so much stigma around wearing makeup and such, and that being "shallow," that some people avoid associating themselves with makeup. Honestly, there are so many reasons why a person, male or female, might play with their appearance, that it's impossible to generalize or assume the reasons why. For instance, the aforementioned and common generalization that wearing makeup is shallow or superficial, is incredibly lacking. One could perhaps apply it on an individual level, but not at all to the general act of wearing makeup.

Personally, I do not care whether or not someone wears makeup, in the same way that I don't care if someone has tattoos, or if they wear their hair a certain way, or dress a certain way. I get confused when others do, like it's any of their business at all what someone does with their body. I sometimes think of the human body like a canvas, and makeup just another medium used on that canvas. You can keep it "natural," or you can do otherwise, it's all still an expression of self.

Anyway, despite my makeup advocacy or whatever, I personally don't really wear makeup, but a good deal of that is due to laziness, not being great at it, running my hands over my face in frustration so often it'd ruin the makeup anyway, etc.
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I think this just goes with the theme that women are 'damned if they do' and ' damned if they don't'. If we don't wear makeup we are seen as less attractive and therefore risk losing out to those women who do wear (natural looking) makeup...but there is also this idea that we are vain if we wear makeup.

I think natural looking makeup helps women be accepted more and listened to more because it helps them look in a way that is more accepted in our society.
 
I don't think anything is wrong with wearing makeup. The issue is when you are judged by it so much that when you don't wear it, you're seen as less of a person and inadequate. Whether or not you wear it, should be a choice, not an obligation.

When it becomes just an expectation or requirement to be seen as beautiful, then yeah, it's not good. If a woman is only thought to be beautiful if she wears makeup and dresses up, then that's does more harm to her self esteem, not less. So the reason we are wearing it, is just as important.

If I wear it, I want to feel comfortable in it. If I know someone is only showing interest because I'm wearing it, it's not worth it. When it comes off, are you still going to be around? If not, bye.

A woman who doesn't wear cosmetics is no less nor does she care about herself less because she chooses, for whatever reason, not to enhance her appearance in this way.
 
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Whenever I'm feeling down and unproductive, one of the first things I do is something for my appearance or hygiene. Even something small, like threading my eyebrows or painting my toenails. I'm not going anywhere, I'm not meeting anybody. It's just kind of a 'yay, I took care of me' thing. I also have quite a few selfies on my phone documenting my make-up experiments that have never and will never see the day. They're cute make-up looks, but they're just for me; something I did for fun.

I do wear make-up outside of the house too although it's generally more minimal and in line with the standards of my workplace.
 
Playne-Jayne now
I wear skin cream no make up. I was an 80's girl...could give Lita Ford a lesson in hair back then and inhaled my fair share of AquaNet but the amount of black gold & puple eye liner and Chinese red lipstick...Ooph
For fun we did a FaceSwap (pic attached laugh with me lol) and yep...other than the hair I still look funky in color...lolView attachment 28970
 
Sandie33 said:
Playne-Jayne now
I wear skin cream no make up. I was an 80's girl...could give Lita Ford a lesson in hair back then and inhaled my fair share of AquaNet but the amount of black gold & puple eye liner and Chinese red lipstick...Ooph
For fun we did a FaceSwap (pic attached laugh with me lol) and yep...other than the hair I still look funky in color...lolView attachment 28970
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Nailed it
 
This topic is so complicated and the roots of it run very deep. Everyone commenting is discussing a layer, myself included. People have augmented their looks via make-up, tattoos, paint and/or ornaments at least as early as 3370 - 3100 BC, so there is no clear beginning to the discussion.

Beauty is 'worth'.

Maybe you disagree, but more beautiful people, objects and places are more desirable. Beautiful people have advantages and they are more successful. (http://www.businessinsider.com/attractive-people-are-more-successful-2012-9)
I wish this weren't true. I really, really do. It is terrible to be judged on something you have little control over. Make-up, surgical augmentation, hygiene, clothing, haircuts and fitness are all aspects of our appearances that we can control.

We have choices about how we choose to look, but the "scale of probable successes" in both social and work settings slides up and down when we make choices. Something as simple as hair color, or a well-shaped brow can affect how you are treated. And if we do wear make-up, it requires maintenance. Of course women are beautiful both with and without make-up. Current beauty standards are not based in reality at all though, so there is more pressure to wear it.

Aside from all this heavy stuff, make-up is fun.

Until my mid-30's, I didn't wear make-up. Now I wear a bit. Women who wear make-up all have one product they would prefer never to leave home without. Mine is mascara.



PS: I should add that I find almost all human beings beautiful/handsome, or interesting to look at. The beauty standard is society based.
 
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Asa said:
This topic is so complicated and the roots of it run very deep. Everyone commenting is discussing a layer, myself included. People have augmented their looks via make-up, tattoos, paint and/or ornaments at least as early as 3370 - 3100 BC, so there is no clear beginning to the discussion.

Beauty is 'worth'.

Maybe you disagree, but more beautiful people, objects and places are more desirable. Beautiful people have advantages and they are more successful. (http://www.businessinsider.com/attractive-people-are-more-successful-2012-9)
I wish this weren't true. I really, really do. It is terrible to be judged on something you have little control over. Make-up, surgical augmentation, hygiene, clothing, haircuts and fitness are all aspects of our appearances that we can control.

We have choices about how we choose to look, but the "scale of probable successes" in both social and work settings slides up and down when we make choices. Something as simple as hair color, or a well-shaped brow can affect how you are treated. And if we do wear make-up, it requires maintenance. Of course women are beautiful both with and without make-up. Current beauty standards are not based in reality at all though, so there is more pressure to wear it.

Aside from all this heavy stuff, make-up is fun.

Until my mid-30's, I didn't wear make-up. Now I wear a bit. Women who wear make-up all have one product they would prefer never to leave home without. Mine is mascara.



PS: I should add that I find almost all human beings beautiful/handsome, or interesting to look at. The beauty standard is society based.
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Asa said:
PS: I should add that I find almost all human beings beautiful/handsome, or interesting to look at. The beauty standard is society based.
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I agree!! If only there were a way to teach others to SEE a human and understand uniqueness. What a completely different societal world it would be.
 
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