The reasons we women choose to wear makeup are many and varied.
As a young woman, makeup helped to disguise my problem skin; in fact I rarely left the house – and certainly never went to work – without my full ‘warpaint’. In vain the husbear assured me I was beautiful just the way I was, and that I didn’t need it; I just couldn’t see it.
Wearing makeup helped me feel more confident, mature and professional.
Somewhere along the way though, the husbear’s wise words began to sink in; that, combined with leaving the paid workforce for a time to look after our babies, meant I became much less reliant on makeup as my ‘armour’.
Fast forward a couple of decades, and most of the time I’m still makeup-free. I wear lipstick when I go out or have client meetings, saving the ‘whole hog’ for special occasions.
Even then, I prefer the ‘less is more’ approach: tinted moisturiser, brow pencil, mascara and blush are my usual additions for special occasions. With Miss 24’s wedding fast approaching, I’m thinking of getting lash extensions – instead of mascara – as I love the effect but just can’t stand the time it takes for regular upkeep, though I know some women get them done every two weeks without fail!
10 Disadvantages of Wearing Makeup
I came to realise that there were plenty of disadvantages to wearing makeup such as:
- If you don’t get it right – for example, if you don’t have the correct shade of foundation for your skin, or are less than skilful at applying eyeshadow or contouring – you’ll look more like Coco the Clown which is not a good look. It doesn’t actually make you look better; in fact, it looks worse.
- It can be expensive if you are constantly needing to restock your mascara, bronzer, blush, primer, illuminator, etc. It may not even be because you’ve used it all up; rather, bacteria can grow in them so in the case of mascara for example, experts recommend throwing it out after only 3 months.
- Medical professionals conveniently blaming your eye makeup for eye redness and irritation (even when you’ve gone without for months) … isn’t that right Miss 24?!
- Wearing makeup can clog pores and cause more of the blemishes and problems that you’re trying to disguise, unless it is a good quality makeup that has been formulated to care for your skin.
- You’ve heard of the saying, “What goes up, must come down”? In the case of makeup it’s what goes on, must come off. Cleansing your face of makeup at the end of a long day is the last thing you feel like when you just want to hit the sack! And if you don’t … you’ll pay the price with panda bear eyes the next morning.
- I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but here in Brisbane it’s hot, sticky and humid for about 9 months of the year, which means makeup just melts off.
- While we don’t have to worry that we are slowly killing ourselves by painting our complexions with lead (like they did in Elizabethan times), there are still plenty of cosmetic products that may contain harmful ingredients (especially cheap ones bought online from foreign countries, without the stringent regulations usually required here in Australia), that may cause allergic reactions and other problems.
- You have to get up earlier to put on your makeup; personally, I’d rather have that extra 10 minutes for sleep! And when you add that up over the course of a year, it’s a big chunk of time.
- As we get older, makeup tends to settle in any lines or wrinkles, which is ageing.
- And, we no sooner find a lipstick or foundation we love and it is discontinued! Dontcha just hate that?!!!
As for me?
Despite the disadvantages of wearing makeup, I’m not giving up on it anytime soon even if it is getting a bit more of a challenge to apply neatly, unless I put my specs on.
I still love me a bit of lippy – and there are some times when wearing full makeup helps me feel properly dressed and polished. It helps a special occasion feel even more special!
Do you wear much makeup on a daily basis – or do the disadvantages outweigh the benefits, in your opinion?!
Hi Janet,
I used to wear alot of makeup when i was younger. As I’ve gotten older and retired i don’t wear any around the house only when i go out. And than usually eyebrows, mascara, eye shadow and lipstick. Less is much better.
Couldn’t agree Lana! It just feels unnatural to wear a lot of makeup these days.
Agreed! Never wore much makeup as a younger person and have tried to embrace it a bit more as an adult. I was told once, by a friend when I was nursing my second child, that I looked ‘tired’. I was a bit taken aback by the comment, but when I looked in the mirror, she was right. From then on I’ve always put on a bit of eyeliner to give my eyes a slight boost. And I’ll add lipstick if it’s a special occasion. That’s about it!
Cathy, I am envious of your eyeliner skills – I’m hopeless at it!!!!