Published on 12, July, 2020
I would have started a poll but I can't see how to do that.
My daughter has just asked why I don't wear any make up,
It's uncomfortable, makes my face itch, makes me look very odd and I can't do it myself and look like anything other than a clown but my husband says it's because I'm autistic, what do you think?
I wear minimal makeup for work, though I only do that as I feel I have to make the effort. Outside of work I don’t wear it at all unless it is a special occasion. I can make a single foundation last 9 months or more!
Like you, I don’t like the way it feels on my face, so when I do have it on I end up rubbing most of it off anyway. I stick with the same brands and apply it lightly to minimise this problem. I do my own makeup, but as it’s just light foundation, subtle eyeshadow and some lipgloss, it doesn’t take any skill.
Do you work in the beauty industry and that is why you feel the need to wear it for work? Do you work at one of those makeup counters?
I used to work for a subsidiary of a beauty brand and part of our "uniform" was to wear a minimum of 5 make up items. (Foundation, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, blusher and eyeshadow - as a minimum). They also insisted we wear their branded perfume. I never complied with this fully, but I made an effort.
I suppose so in a sense, though I’d hardly say I blend in as I wear a lot less makeup than all of my female colleagues. I would agree with the avoiding question though.
I just find it very difficult to be told I don’t look well. It makes me feel very awkward as I can’t lie and say I’m fine (because medically I am not), but then I don’t know how much to say without appearing I am whinging. Also, I am quite private and I don’t want everyone to know about my health problems, but I don’t want to be rude in telling them it’s none of their business. I can’t tell if people genuinely care, or they are just being nosey to spread gossip, so that’s very disconcerting for me. It therefore gets difficult for me to know what to say and it causes me anxiety, so in that sense it’s much easier to wear a little makeup and not have people question my health!
So... is it so you can pass through your day without drawing attention...blending in... avoiding question
Absolutely not - I wouldn’t be able to stand the smell of the perfume! I actually work in finance, but there is somewhat of an expectation to wear at least some makeup if you are working in a profession. Also, I tend to get comments that I ‘look ill’ if I don’t wear any makeup (probably because I am ill), but adding a little colour to my complexion wards off such comments and I then don’t have to explain to everyone why I look so ill.
There are some days I don’t wear any makeup in work at all however - I ultimately go with what I feel like over what other people think - but normally a very small amount (such that most people can’t tell I have it on, but that it stops the ‘ill’ comments) doesn’t bother me much.