Wow, lotta hate in this thread.

Me: 35yo manager in a male-dominated technical field. I wear lipstick and other makeup to work (foundation or tinted moisturizer, eyeshadow, mascara, groomed brows, etc). My lipsticks range from neutral or pink in the spring to mauve or purple-ish in the winter. I really the lipstick pretty frequently, but it does still fade off sometimes. Blotting with a tissue helps with the smearing problem.

That's my preference, not everyone has to do the same (in fact, I prefer it if we DON'T all look the same!).

I am not always a girly-girl. I hunt, fish, camp, and stuff like that. I don't wear makeup in those activities, lol.

For work, I'm usually in a suit and heels. Makeup fits with that, it feels more "matched" than a bare face with fancy clothes. Again, my opinion only.

Other times, it varies. I might brush on a bit of powder & mascara to wear with jeans on the weekend, or "get done up" for a date night with hubby. Or I might throw on old jeans, tie my hair in a ponytail, and spend the day digging in the garden. Makeup gives me another option for making my "look" as relaxed or as dressy as I want to fit a particular activity. I think it's fun, a way to express creativity in my appearance.

*his

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am very pale and I wear minimal makeup on my eyes- shadow, liner and mascara. Also blush. No powder or foundation.

I always forget to bother with lipstick, and when I do, DH tells me how disgusting lipstick feels when he kisses me goodbye in the morning, and I get out of the car with him wearing my gloss like a tranny. I prefer to get a real kiss goodbye from him so I don't wear it- better that than a 'fake kiss' so it doesn't rub off.

If I am going to a special event I will generally remember to put it on.

Yikes. His reaction is a bit insensitive. My DH prefers the natural look as well, but I wear lipstick and he is always complimentary.

I prefer honesty to faking it. No mistake, he'll compliment my appearance if I remember to wear gloss, but he just doesn't want it to end up on him. Not his face, anyway...

I agree, but the delivery is key. He's is a bit harsh.

Anonymous wrote:I think you can get away with it in D.C. where the majority of women are fairly unattractive. But in most other places women to need to look professional no matter how young and beautiful they are. Not wearing make-up in my office would be the same as having greasy hair pulled back in a pony tail or wrinkled clothing. Women are expected to look more pulled together here. When we lived in D.C. most of the professional women I saw every day looked like they had literally just rolled out of bed. And I honestly think many are trying to as hard as they can to look like men.

Well, bless your heart.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I rarely see young women wearing lipstick. Gloss, yes.

I wear concealer, eye liner and shadow, mascara, and a little blush. I don't wear anything on my lips. I like their natural color.

Is it because there are more opportunities for women to earn a living. No need to get all prettied up in hopes of catching a paycheck. Uhh, I mean a man.

I'm sure you think yourself very outré, but that is just an embarrassingly outdated view, like you just talked about "the Orientals" or something.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am very pale and I wear minimal makeup on my eyes- shadow, liner and mascara. Also blush. No powder or foundation.

I always forget to bother with lipstick, and when I do, DH tells me how disgusting lipstick feels when he kisses me goodbye in the morning, and I get out of the car with him wearing my gloss like a tranny. I prefer to get a real kiss goodbye from him so I don't wear it- better that than a 'fake kiss' so it doesn't rub off.

If I am going to a special event I will generally remember to put it on.

Yikes. His reaction is a bit insensitive. My DH prefers the natural look as well, but I wear lipstick and he is always complimentary.

I prefer honesty to faking it. No mistake, he'll compliment my appearance if I remember to wear gloss, but he just doesn't want it to end up on him. Not his face, anyway...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People, swipe on some mascara and powder before you go to work. It doesn't matter how beautiful you are and how perfect your skin is. Would you go to work with a run in your tights or greasy, matted hair?

Bare faced=unpolished.

+100

And unless you are below the age of 25--none of you can get away with it. You really can't.

I think you can get away with it in D.C. where the majority of women are fairly unattractive. But in most other places women to need to look professional no matter how young and beautiful they are. Not wearing make-up in my office would be the same as having greasy hair pulled back in a pony tail or wrinkled clothing. Women are expected to look more pulled together here. When we lived in D.C. most of the professional women I saw every day looked like they had literally just rolled out of bed. And I honestly think many are trying to as hard as they can to look like men.

+1. Used to work at a place like that. Same with the men. Pretty much no one dressed nicely unless they were management. The just rolled out of bed look was the in-look.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People, swipe on some mascara and powder before you go to work. It doesn't matter how beautiful you are and how perfect your skin is. Would you go to work with a run in your tights or greasy, matted hair?

Bare faced=unpolished.

+100

And unless you are below the age of 25--none of you can get away with it. You really can't.

I think you can get away with it in D.C. where the majority of women are fairly unattractive. But in most other places women to need to look professional no matter how young and beautiful they are. Not wearing make-up in my office would be the same as having greasy hair pulled back in a pony tail or wrinkled clothing. Women are expected to look more pulled together here. When we lived in D.C. most of the professional women I saw every day looked like they had literally just rolled out of bed. And I honestly think many are trying to as hard as they can to look like men.

Anonymous wrote:I rarely see young women wearing lipstick. Gloss, yes.

I wear concealer, eye liner and shadow, mascara, and a little blush. I don't wear anything on my lips. I like their natural color.

Is it because there are more opportunities for women to earn a living. No need to get all prettied up in hopes of catching a paycheck. Uhh, I mean a man.

Anonymous wrote:I try to put something on my lips but having it come off on my food or cups drives me insane. I'm almost 38 and I'd been trying to move more towards lipsticks, as my impression was that glosses were for younger women. What do I know though??

You can wear whatever you like, gloss, sheer lipstick, or full on greasy 1960s lipstick. The only gloss people should avoid after college graduation is the kind with large chunks of glitter.

I rarely see young women wearing lipstick. Gloss, yes.

I wear concealer, eye liner and shadow, mascara, and a little blush. I don't wear anything on my lips. I like their natural color.

I try to put something on my lips but having it come off on my food or cups drives me insane. I'm almost 38 and I'd been trying to move more towards lipsticks, as my impression was that glosses were for younger women. What do I know though??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People, swipe on some mascara and powder before you go to work. It doesn't matter how beautiful you are and how perfect your skin is. Would you go to work with a run in your tights or greasy, matted hair?

Bare faced=unpolished.

I'm not beautiful and I don't have perfect skin. But I am pretty comfortable in the skin I've got. I do wear light makeup when I have a big meeting or presentation, but with a light gloss, not lipstick. My particular lips have yet to meet a lipstick that doesn't feel dry and cakey.

Yesterday I saw woman wearing bright blush, lots of eye makeup and very bright and unflattering lipstick. She was probably a decade younger than me but she didn't look it. "Polished" is not the operative word here.

No one is thinking of a brightly made-up full face when they're talking about polish. There's plenty of space between bare-faced and a make-up counter refugee.

You might know that, but clearly not everyone does.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People, swipe on some mascara and powder before you go to work. It doesn't matter how beautiful you are and how perfect your skin is. Would you go to work with a run in your tights or greasy, matted hair?

Bare faced=unpolished.

+100

And unless you are below the age of 25--none of you can get away with it. You really can't.

Depends what you mean by "getting away with it." Let's see -- I am very highly regarded with the highest ratings come evaluation time, have good relationships with my boss and peers. I wear no makeup at all on a normal day, and I am 33. I wear mascara and lipstick only if I go to court, which is only a couple times a year; the rest of the time, just chapstick. No one cares. Or if they do, it hasn't impacted my work, and therefore I don't care. Will I wear makeup when I'm 45? Maybe. But I'm not there yet. Honestly, when I see someone my age wearing a ton of makeup, I am inclined to think they care more about their appearance than their job performance. Reverse makeup discrimination, I guess.

However, no, I would not go to work with a run in my stockings or with greasy hair. I also wouldn't wear the sort of cleavage- or shoulder-baring ensembles I have seen other women wear, because I would be uncomfortable. We each have our own standards, and if they work for you, great; but don't assume everyone else feels the same way.

Damn--you sound insecure!! I have a PhD in a hard science field that is the Dansko, birkentstock, no make-up crowd...and I always was true to myself and found it has hindered my performance. I am 44 now. If you do good work, you will be taken seriously even with pink, nude or red lips.

'not hindered'. I hate the crowd that thinks intellectual=ugly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People, swipe on some mascara and powder before you go to work. It doesn't matter how beautiful you are and how perfect your skin is. Would you go to work with a run in your tights or greasy, matted hair?

Bare faced=unpolished.

+100

And unless you are below the age of 25--none of you can get away with it. You really can't.

Depends what you mean by "getting away with it." Let's see -- I am very highly regarded with the highest ratings come evaluation time, have good relationships with my boss and peers. I wear no makeup at all on a normal day, and I am 33. I wear mascara and lipstick only if I go to court, which is only a couple times a year; the rest of the time, just chapstick. No one cares. Or if they do, it hasn't impacted my work, and therefore I don't care. Will I wear makeup when I'm 45? Maybe. But I'm not there yet. Honestly, when I see someone my age wearing a ton of makeup, I am inclined to think they care more about their appearance than their job performance. Reverse makeup discrimination, I guess.

However, no, I would not go to work with a run in my stockings or with greasy hair. I also wouldn't wear the sort of cleavage- or shoulder-baring ensembles I have seen other women wear, because I would be uncomfortable. We each have our own standards, and if they work for you, great; but don't assume everyone else feels the same way.

Damn--you sound insecure!! I have a PhD in a hard science field that is the Dansko, birkentstock, no make-up crowd...and I always was true to myself and found it has hindered my performance. I am 44 now. If you do good work, you will be taken seriously even with pink, nude or red lips.