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Another Makeup Question

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sooooo, Lisa P's makeup in the workplace thread stirred up lots of thoughts and comments. VERY interesting:

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....ou-wear-it

This leads me to the next question:

Do you wear more or less makeup now than when you were younger?

I definitely wore more makeup as I got older! We weren't allowed to wear makeup with our school uniforms. I barely wore makeup at Varsity. I wore makeup when I went out. Full stop.

I entered the fashion industry in 1992 (I was 22) - began wearing light makeup DAILY. Haven't stopped. And won't. I'm addicted to mascara and light lippie I am almost 49.

Teens and youngsters today wear a LOT of makeup. LOTS of false eyelashes too. Because of Youtube and Instagram, I guess. That's very different to when I was that age. There is no right and wrong. Things are simply different now. It's all good and interesting.

Over to you.

Dressing

60 replies

Latest reply was from Gigi

Laura

(website)

Veteran

I wore almost no makeup for decades - I do however recall being addicted to a frosty blue eyeliner in college that I used to line my lower lashes! -- and now I've gotten to the point where Lisa's excellent question made me do a double-take: There are people who don't wear makeup to work?? Ha! I guess that shows my age, because as I've gotten older, my coloring has faded and become more delicate. I feel like I need the skin-tone-evening effects of foundation, and a little dab of color from blush and lipstick.

Much more than makeup, I now spend a lot of time and effort on skin care. I also did very little of that as a young person, although to my credit, I've worn sunscreen daily since I was 30.

Anonymous

More now. Or maybe just better at it and it's the same amount as ever. I really cannot remember what and how I wore makeup in my 20's and 30's, but I'm pretty sure no foundation makeup was involved. Didn't need it - oh to be young and poreless again Brows are recent thing too .

Anonymous

I've always worn full makeup when leaving the house-foundation, eye makeup, blush or bronzer, lippie-but I've changed. My foundation is now just mineral-since my skin is in good shape (and finally found the right color). I used to experiment with color more (purples, greens, teals), but now keep to bronzey shades. And I now have to define my brows, which I didn't before.

It's mainly my attitude to it that changed. It used to be about hiding my flaws, but now just to define my features since I'm low contrast.
Eta-I used to experiment much more with hair color too!

taylor

Veteran

I wear about the same amount. I have always worn make up. I discovered what cosmetics can do when I was in high school in 1970... young and fresh faced , but make up was just so fun , the whole artistic experience of application , I still enjoy today.

I probably wear more make up than most women my age , but my routine hasn’t changed much over the years. Most people don’t even realize I wear a light foundation...it works miracles on my pale sallow skin.

I love how cosmetics actually, make me look fresh and well rested. I feel better and more confident when my ~face~ is on.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I wear more now than I used to.l only wore makeup on special occasions when I was younger but it’s so much more a “thing”now that not wearing it feels ungroomed.l also find that as a blonde person Iam fading over the years and that I need some makeup to give my features definition now.lf I don’t wear makeup people keep asking me if I m feeling alright!However I keep it light and don’t go in for all the heavy brows and contouring that the youngsters are fond of.

nuancedream

Veteran

I have found that I now use more products with a lighter hand to obtain the "no makeup" look. Gone are the days of running out of the house with nothing more than a flick of mascara and a swipe of lip gloss! I have learned the importance of keeping my brows groomed/tinted. I now spend more far more time on skin care, which I did not do until I was in my mid-30's. I no longer leave the house without wearing sunscreen.

Kathie

Veteran

Pretty much the same, which is not much, and generally only when I'm traveling, or have external or evening meetings.

Anonymous

I think I wear more now, because I'm now doing my eyebrows. I haven't gone out of the house without makeup since I was about 16 or so. Mascara and eyeliner, always. Lipstick, always. It lifts my spirits!

Joy

Veteran

The makeup I wear is different. When younger I wore a real foundation for coverage. Now I wear just a tinted moisturizer with sun protection. Younger I played up my eyes with liner, mascara and shadow and used a nude lipstick because that was the style. Now it is the opposite. I use an eyebrow pencil ( never needed before) and ignore eyes as they get irritated but wear color on my lips over a protective layer.
The time spent is probably about the same.

Toban

Veteran

Less now, mostly because of rosacea that makes my skin sensitive to products, but more because I no longer wish to hide that my skin isn’t flawless. Some of that arises from an annoyance that men aren’t penalized to the same degree as women for not having impeccable style, skin, hair.

smittie

Veteran

I wear a bit more makeup now: blush and mascara. Before, I wouldn’t wear any makeup. Makeup has always felt a bit too much on me. Maybe because I am high-contrast.

JuniperGreen

Veteran

I really enjoy makeup, and find the hunt for products lots of fun. Sometimes I go without, but feel more myself when I'm wearing it. Amongst my friends and coworkers, there's a wide range of makeup wearers, non-wearers, and everything in between.

I'm wearing more makeup than I did when I was in my teens and 20s... but with two big differences: it's higher quality thanks to a bit more budgetary wiggle room, and I'm applying it more skillfully thanks to YouTube, the proliferation of tutorials, and online reviews.

So maybe the change is that my look skews more polished, rather than "done-up."

nemosmom

Veteran

Hmmm... I wear makeup *differently* now. When I was younger I wore full coverage foundation and powder, loads of heavy, dark eye makeup, bronzer, and a matte lip. Now, I prefer a natural, dewy face with a light eyeliner, a light application of mascara, MLBB lip, and brow powder. Maybe I've gotten lazy as I've gotten older??

So, quantity-wise, it’s about the same, but the products, application, and color palette are completely different.

Bonnie

Veteran

I wear less now because of a reaction to mascara. My eyebrows are pale so I use more pencil as I get older. I've tried but never wore foundation regularly but lipstick is a must these days.

RobinF

Veteran

I really wore none at all as a teen and in college. Since then I have always been a light wearer and I guess that hasn't changed.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I wear exactly the same amount. I started wearing makeup around age 16 or 17 and the type of products I have favoured and my routine have barely changed since.

The only difference is that as a younger woman I sometimes pencilled around my lower lids as well as my top lid, and sometimes wore eye shadow, whereas I rarely do that now, and as a younger woman I didn't use a brow pencil or brow gel, because my brows were a bit darker. All in all, it evens out.

Compared to many women who wear makeup, I look as if I don't wear any. Compared to women who *don't* wear any makeup, I look as if I wear a bit (which is true). It's not a "completely natural" look but definitely not a "made up" look either. It's just me.

Mainelady

Veteran

As I get older, I wear less. My skin tone is uneven and perhaps I would benefit from foundation. I prefer to use skin care products to improve the health and overall look of my skin. It’s far from perfect, but as I age I am more comfortable letting people see the real me.

Carla

I’m 44 and wear the lightest make-up ever, only started about a year or two back. Don’t wear it on weekends. I never wore a scrap of make up in my youth and still today I don’t really like the hassle of it all. But I feel more polished these days with just a little mascara and coverage.

Jane

Veteran

More now and I am more adventurous now than I have been previously. I like to see what is new and I enjoy freshening up my look with new and different colours. I love the variety that stores offer and the relaxation of the 'rules' that seemed to be around years ago.

kkards

Veteran

Angie, like you, i really didn't start to wear makeup until i entered the workplace...also fashion. i used to wear eye makeup, but found over time that it irritated by eyes (no matter what brand i tried), so i stopped. but otherwise the routine is pretty much the same--foundation, blush and lipstick.

Helena

Veteran

Pretty much exactly what Suz said - about the same amount and similar overall look, but some of the emphasis has changed with the change in my age, current styles, etc. One thing hasn't changed - it's a rare day that I go with no makeup at all! That's been consistent since Grade 7

ChristelJ

Veteran

More now, but still not much. I used mainly concealer until my 40s, and then added tinted sunscreen and mascara and occasional lipstick. Still doing the same at 60. I am pretty sure I would look better with more, because I've become quite colorless, but being low-maintenance is my thing, so it usually wins out.

Katerina

Veteran

I wear about the same amount as I have since I started wearing make up regularly. I think I was about 16 or 17 years old. My technique, however, has hopefully improved since then
The products are more modern and high tech now, of course, but the basics are the same. Foundation, eyeshadow, eye pencil, mascara, blusher and lipstick. A couple of years ago, I added brow shadow or brow gel, as my brows are not as dark and even as they used to be. Occasional highlighter, concealer and lip pencil when I am more thorough.

deb

Veteran

I wear about the same, tinted moisturizer, blush, mascara, and sometimes eye shadow. The only change I have made is switching from powder blush and shadow to cream blush and stick shadow.

Kyle

Veteran

Have never worn heavy makeup, but have simplified even more as I’ve gotten older. So, less.

rachylou

Veteran

More and more often when I was younger. I’ve probably always enjoyed the buying more than the wearing. And never every day. I don’t like people to think I’m sick if I don’t wear any, and my tribe is not on the whole fond of makeup.

Diana

Veteran

Less in general, given that I wear almost no makeup nowadays (only some mascara or lip gloss once in a while) whereas in highschool/college I used to pretty regularly wear bright lipstick and eye shadow. I've never used foundation or blush though and don't plan to start any time soon even though my skin is nowhere near as nice as it used to be when I was younger!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

WOW. The answers run the gamut. More, less, the same, or the same but applied differently. I like it

On my never have worn list:

bronzer
eye shadow (ONCE in the '80s for my end of school dance and it looked hideous)
lip liner
foundation
eye brow gel

Anonymous

I have worn makeup since I was 14. I probably wear about the same amount (I am 62). I have always had great skin, so I wear minimal foundation. I do use an under eye concealer, I use a brow pencil since I was a plucker in my youth (the horror!) - they did grow mostly back, I just fill in bare spots.

I never wear makeup when I work out - which is about 3 days a week. Other days, when I usually go out, I use foundation, concealer (always a good moisturizer and then sunscreen first) cream blush, eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, sometimes eyeshadow (I use cream shadows only now), and mascara only if I am going somewhere special (luckily I have long eyelashes). Rarely lipstick, but I do like tinted lip balms.

PS - Revlon makes great cream eyeshadows that last all day and it is super easy to apply (I usually apply just a little for some contrast) and much cheaper than Bobbi Brown

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