Make up as part of business casual

[poshpepper]

I am surprised at the amount of no make up ladies as well... I almost never leave my house without makeup.
I am pale, have blotchy skin and blonde eyelashes and brows... if I don''t put on some makeup I look like a 13 yr old with acne!

I really wish I could just get away with lip gloss and mascara but I cannot.
I think that makeup helps me feel better about myself and more confident and I would feel strange going to work without it on.

 

[TravelingGal]

The word used here that I agree with is polished. Note: I''m talking from a sales/big company perspective.

Some don''t need a lot of makeup to look this way. You have to look neat and polished - that means groomed brows, neat hair and probably something on the lips. Some women don''t have to wear a lot of eye makeup..they have thick lashes, etc. But a totally clean face devoid of makeup is usually not professional, IMHO. There are the rare few who can get away with it. My cousin is 39 and doesn''t look a day over 25. Clean, clear skin, all she has to do is her brows and she''s good to go. She does a natural colored lipstick/gloss though. You almost don''t realize she''s not wearing much makeup. But she''s still wearing a little bit of something.

 

[lilyfoot]

Date: 1/6/2010 3:56:12 PM
Author: HollyS
Um, hmmm, yeah. There''s a few too many people claiming they wear no makeup.

I''ve been a girl for a lo-o-n-n-g-g time, and I''ve worked every year of my life since the age of 16 (in an office/corporate environment), and I don''t see too many women at work without ''a face''. It is rare indeed.

Now, most don''t go in for the ''20-layers carefully applied'' approach. Or Mimi''s clown face. But almost everybody, as the ''Stars Without Makeup'' shots attest, needs help looking awake, let alone groomed. So most of us wouldn''t be caught dead outside the house, looking half dead, without a face.

I''ve got some pretty good skin for my age, but I ain''t showin'' up nekkid.

Sorry to disappoint! My face goes everywhere nekkid

No mascara, no lipgloss, nada!

 

[vespergirl]

My first job out of college was at Merrill Lynch, as a junior financial associate. We (both men and women) were given a handbook on appropriate attire and grooming (can you believe it - this was in 2000). Women''s guidelines called for tailored suits and pantyhose, expensive designer pumps and handbag (meant to show clients that we were successful), neatly groomed hair, little or no perfume, no more than one jewelry item on each appendage (each ear, wrist, one necklace, one ring on each hand) and tasteful, neutral makeup was expected - we were expected to wear some makeup, but not too much.

Since then I have worked in different environments, and I have to say that my preference is, in this order:
1. Tasteful, neutral makeup
2. No makeup
3. Heavy makeup is the worst

 

[chiquitapet]

I also belong to the make-up non-wearers. I put on lip balm/lip stick regularly though as I don''t like having dry lips. I`ve seen my mom wear make-up maybe once or twice (ever), so I never really had a make-up role model. For the first time, I bought myself mineral make-up just couple of months ago (age of 2 as I was breaking out a little after starting new skin cleansing routine. That has passed quickly though and I was back to no make-up again within 2 weeks) plus I couldn''t be bothered puting it on in the morning and off at night....(I know, I`m lazy...

).

 

[Gypsy]

Yeah, sorry PP, here too. I''m a pretty girly girl but going to work is a chore most days. My current workplace is casual and I see plenty of women looking natural.

 

[upgrade]

I can''t believe how many of you go makeup free! I really wish I could pull that look off, but I think once you''ve been a regular makeup wearer, there''s no going back!

My little sister never, ever used to wear makeup. I didn''t realize it until she was getting married but she had none (I mean NONE) and had no idea how to put it on. She has great skin and thick, dark lashes so she looked okay without it. I took her makeup shopping for her wedding and I put it on her so she could see how it would look for her wedding day (I was doing her wedding makeup too). When I turned her to the mirror she started screaming and jumping saying "OMG! Look how pretty I am!!"

She''s worn it every day since.

 

[kama_s]

I wouldn''t step out without make-up, especially not to work. I have hereditary under-eye circles, so if I don''t have concealer on I look tired and exhausted. It''s a must for me. I''m also anemic, so my skin has no pink at all and I need to have a touch of blush or bronzer. I also add in very very thin line of eyeliner and a touch of mascara. People think I have no make-up on, but I do and I definitely do not look polished without it.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Requsite? I don''t think so, but certainly can add value in that it can give one a more polished look. I didn''t start to wear foundation until my 40''s, only blush and lipstick to work. Now I rarely leave the house without makeup. I just don''t want to scare anyone!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Lilac]

I used to not wear any, but now I usually put some powder on my face to get rid of any shine and a little eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. I''ve gotten used to how I look with eyeliner, so now when I have nothing on I feel like I look really tired. So now before leaving the house, I put on enough to make me not look sleepy, but definitely nothing that takes more than 5 or 10 minutes in the morning.

When I have a presentation or I know I''m meeting with people I don''t see on an everyday basis I do more (bronzer, eyeshadow, more eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss) to look more polished.

 

[katamari]

For me, makeup is absolutely part of my business casual look. I would never feel comfortable at work without it. In my profession, a lot of people act like being frumpy is their personal responsibility, so I don''t feel pressure to wear any, but I still choose to wear it.

 

[hlmr]

You could never scare anyone Sharon!!!!

I will be 43 in March, and I have just started wearing a light layer of foundation and a bit of eyeshadow. Before now I only wore mascara, and ocassionally a bit of eyeliner. I can't get into lipstick that isn't really close to the colour of my lips. I prefer lip balm.

I think whatever works for each individual is just fine.

 

[Octavia]

Date: 1/6/2010 8:24:43 PM
Author: lilyfoot

Date: 1/6/2010 3:56:12 PM

Author: HollyS

Um, hmmm, yeah. There''s a few too many people claiming they wear no makeup.

I''ve been a girl for a lo-o-n-n-g-g time, and I''ve worked every year of my life since the age of 16 (in an office/corporate environment), and I don''t see too many women at work without ''a face''. It is rare indeed.


Now, most don''t go in for the ''20-layers carefully applied'' approach. Or Mimi''s clown face. But almost everybody, as the ''Stars Without Makeup'' shots attest, needs help looking awake, let alone groomed. So most of us wouldn''t be caught dead outside the house, looking half dead, without a face.


I''ve got some pretty good skin for my age, but I ain''t showin'' up nekkid.

Sorry to disappoint! My face goes everywhere nekkid

No mascara, no lipgloss, nada!

Same here! On a daily basis, I wear SPF moisturizer and that''s it. If I have a blemish, I''ll cover it if it''s bad enough, but I''m lucky to have pretty good skin. Every once in awhile, I''ll add a swipe of mascara and/or lipgloss, but that doesn''t happen much. For really special occasions, I''ll wear foundation and eyeshadow...this happens less than once a month, probably half that often. I don''t intend on ever wearing a lot of makeup, even once I graduate and am back in the workforce, but if I have meetings or presentations I''ll probably do mascara and sheer lipgloss. More than that is too much work and completely unnecessary for me.

 

[miraclesrule]

I got sooooo busted in my 5th grade pictures when my Mom opened the package of school photos and my eyes were covered in baby blue eye shadow.

I apparently embarrassed my Mother''s parenting skills when she had to explain to the relatives when they inquired after receiving my photo.

However, my current maturity..err...um...laziness....means that if I get my mascara on by noon, I no longer have to endure the questions from fellow associates who wonder if I am sick. I guess mascara is miraculous for some of us. Some days, it just isn''t going to happen and I couldn''t care less who judges me for it. It''s one of the benefits of approaching 50.

There are some men in my office that could use some "polishing". That''s all I''m going to say about that.

I do envy those of you who look amazing without makeup...I didn''t get that gene.

 

[zhuzhu]

I would be fine going out without make up, but never without sunscreen!

 

[oddoneout]

I didn''t used to wear makeup but I do now because I''m very pale and I look less tired and less "death warmed over" with it on. Also I think it makes me look more professional. I agree that some women can get away with not wearing it (the lucky ones with say darker lashes).

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Natural blonde here who''s face, due to a younger age, turns into an oil slick very quickly. I wear natural makeup on my face to control the oil (Medi Matte from Sephora is expensive but amazing for this) and I had my eyebrows tattood on so that they show up through the blonde eyebrow hairs

 

[JSM]

This thread makes me so grateful that I work in a laboratory! My cells don''t care what I look like, and luckily neither does my boss.

I am a zero makeup wearer on a daily basis (save vaseline, the only thing I have found I can wear on my lips - allergic to lipstick and gloss)

I do wear makeup on the weekends, and I do think I look much better and more professional (ie NOT 17 years old) when I wear it. I''ll do a light layer of powder, blush, eyeliner, neutral shadow, and mascara.

 

[sba771]

Another naked face here. I would only wear makeup for an event. I also didn't blow dry my hair, just pulled it back wet. (Shocking) I did work for a fashion pr company in NY and I was the only one who didn't wear makeup regularly. No one ever cared. I am just super lazy and admitedly have a little luck in the skin genes and I think makeup makes me look worse.

Although once I had a client who I had seen several times before see me at an event and do a double take and actually said, "wow, I had no idea." I didn't take offense to it and found it funny, yet it still didn't make me have any desire to get made up regularly.

 

[AdiS]

Date: 1/6/2010 7:23:20 PM
Author: TravelingGal
The word used here that I agree with is polished. Note: I''m talking from a sales/big company perspective.

Some don''t need a lot of makeup to look this way. You have to look neat and polished - that means groomed brows, neat hair and probably something on the lips. Some women don''t have to wear a lot of eye makeup..they have thick lashes, etc. But a totally clean face devoid of makeup is usually not professional, IMHO. There are the rare few who can get away with it. My cousin is 39 and doesn''t look a day over 25. Clean, clear skin, all she has to do is her brows and she''s good to go. She does a natural colored lipstick/gloss though. You almost don''t realize she''s not wearing much makeup. But she''s still wearing a little bit of something.

Ditto, T-Gal!

General manager of a big company over here. I have to admit, when I''m expecting someone for a meeting and she shows up at my office all dressed up in an elegant suit, with nice shoes and a hairdo, and then I notice that she''s wearing no makeup at all - well, my first (involuntary) thought is that she obviously didn''t care enough to put some lipgloss on her too dry lips or hide those dark circles under her eyes. Not professional at all IMO. It just completely ruins the impression she made with her otherwise neat and elegant appearance.

I have never - ever, not once, showed up at work without at least some mascara, blush (I''m mush too pale) and lipgloss. To me, it''s just a part of my business armour.

 

[DiamondsforDee]

I wear light, neutral make-up to work (law firm). All the women here wear some make-up on a daily basis; it was actually mentioned in our dress code.

I''m of the opinion that while a woman can look perfectly fine without make-up she certainly does not look polished or professional.

 

[LilyKat]

Depends how you look without make-up

I''m a hospital doctor and during the day, wear light makeup that takes me exactly 1.5 minutes to apply in the morning (blot powder to T zone, tiny bit of blush, tinted lip balm and mascara). When I''m on nights, I wear no makeup other than the tinted lip balm. A few female colleagues wear no make up at all; most do though.

I feel makeup helps me look more awake and polished, and less like I''ve just rolled out of bed. But it''s not expected by any means, and I don''t notice particularly when others don''t wear it. I agree the most important thing is looking clean and smart (which IMO includes covering up any obvious blemishes, making sure lips aren''t chapped by applying balm, etc).

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 1/7/2010 10:29:08 AM
Author: DiamondsforDee
I wear light, neutral make-up to work (law firm). All the women here wear some make-up on a daily basis; it was actually mentioned in our dress code.

I''m of the opinion that while a woman can look perfectly fine without make-up she certainly does not look polished or professional.

DiamondsforDee, I also work for a law firm. Like you, I wear light, neutral make-up EVERY day. Seriously, I have NEVER gone to work without make-up on, and I don''t think I could ever bring myself to do it . . . I would just be really, REALLY uncomfortable! But I''m wondering how it was mentioned in your dress code? Was it just pointed out that heavy, excessive make-up is not acceptable? They don''t require you to wear make-up, do they??? Admittedly, we''re a small law firm (only six attorneys and five staff members), and our dress code is probably on the more "casual" end of "business casual" (for example, khakis are fine), but I couldn''t imagine an employer requiring its female employees to wear make-up to work!

 

[partgypsy]

Everyday: wash my face, put on face moistersier, dab concealer on my"imperfections" and put on lip balm. Oh yeah, brush my hair.
Going out: same except I put a tinted lip balm on my lips.

I probably would look better if I did more grooming, but then it would be one additional thing I would need to add to my routine, will wait until absolutely necessary to do so.

 

[coda72]

I wish I could be like a lot of you here. I wear makeup all the time when I leave the house. I have absolutely terrible skin (undereye circles, blemishes, melasma, etc.) that I would terrify people if they saw me without makeup. I don''t like seeing me without makeup. As far as anyone else, if you have great skin, no need to wear makeup. But if you''re more on my end of the scale, you probably should wear makeup.