I (F35) haven’t worn every day makeup since my mid-20s. It started because I used to feel genuinely ugly going out without something on, and I hated the double standard women are held to. I wanted to learn to love myself without it, and once I got used to that I actually preferred myself makeup-less.
I have no issue with makeup in and of itself, and I believe everyone should decide whether they want to wear it with zero guilt either way. However, I’ve been in the arts for ages, where casual is the norm, and I’ve been thinking of applying for some corporate jobs and nonprofit leadership roles that may involve a change of wardrobe.
So how important is makeup for me as a mid30s woman trying to get into roles that involve more leadership/responsibility, especially corporate? I’d hate to think it would matter all that much, and that how I do my hair and wardrobe would matter more, but I know lots of things can affect how seriously a woman gets taken. Should I consider wearing it again?
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I’ve never worn makeup. I worked in a corporate-type place for a couple of years and left for unrelated reasons.
Depends on where you are in the world. In Japan, for example, it’s ‘polite’ to wear makeup (subtle of course) it’s a sign that you care to show effort that you’re put together (or something of that sort).
Post pandemic, far more women are coming to work bare faced. It’s not an issue unless you happened to be in a super toxic culture or have a shitty boss.
It really depends on your role, location, and culture of the company. I would look at the women in the position you hope to occupy in the location you’re in within your industry and just mimic them.
It’s normal for there to be no makeup at all in Silicon Valley even at the C suite level for startups. If anything, being too done up can make you seem unserious in those spaces.
Meanwhile, it’d be really weird for a marketing executive in NYC to not have carefully done makeup, hair, and clothes, etc.
A little makeup is better than full or no makeups.
The “corporate world” isn’t a monolith. Industries have different norms and even within that individual companies have their own cultures.
So the answer is “it depends”.
I only wear eyeliner but I only apply it once or twice a week. Sometimes I put on lipstick if I want to feel cute but that’s it
I worked for corporate for 14 years. I went through an ebb and flow of wearing makeup and not wearing makeup. Now I’m a nurse. I work out patient in a clinic. Still, going through the flow of wearing it or not. Right now, I wear it. But I’m wearing tinted sunscreen or a cc cream. Something light but gives me an even skin tone. Little blush and mascara and I’m good to go. I’ll never wear anything heavy again. Right now in my life, I want to feel good and look good. So for me personally, that means having my face look fresh. I’ll be 38 soon.
I am morally opposed to makeup and everything about it — the double standard for women, the predatory and misogynistic nature of the beauty industry (compounded by constantly changing trends), the unnecessary plastic use and waste, the unethical ingredient sourcing (like with mica and palm oil), the expense, the space it takes up in your home, the extra time it takes, the tedium of removing makeup at the end of the day, the widespread animal testing, etc., etc. And for what? So male colleagues might respect you a little more if you meet their expectations of femininity and are pretty enough that they want to fuck you? Hard pass.
Fortunately, with more women going barefaced, including Pamela Anderson at red carpet events, I think there’s less of an expectation. If employers are discriminating against female candidates because they don’t wear makeup, that probably isn’t an employer you’d want to work for anyway.
It’s quite important. You don’t have to wear loads (tinted moisturiser and a bit of mascara will often do be completely sufficient), but I’ve never met a woman in a corporate leadership role that doesn’t at least somewhat conform to the standard.
Equally, I’ve never met a man with an untamed beard in a similar position. Depending how corporate the setting, they won’t get very far without wearing at least a shirt and chinos, if not a full suit and tie. It is what it is.
Do whatever you want. I wear it because I like how I feel with make up on, but plenty of my colleagues and bosses never wear make up and it honestly makes no difference at all!
But I also live in a country that doesn’t care so much about that stuff.
I never learned to do makeup well. I stopped trying everyday sometime in my early 20s. I got away with it for a couple of decades! People always think i’m younger than I am which is nice, but it’s begun to turn sour. I’ve had doubt cast on my ID when i’m going to buy alcohol or nicotine quitting products for example. I’ve had strangers in public say it doesn’t matter that they bumped into me because i’m a teenage boy. (With boobs and long hair with gray in it). I’ve had people call me “sir” at local businesses. I’ve been asked where my mommy is. I’ve been asked if i’m old enough to drive.
i have been trying to learn eye makeup at the very least. My skin and eyes and hair are all very pale and I feel it looks so strange and jarring to even put on a tiny bit of brown, not even black, mascara and liner. I cannot get used to how it looks on me, it seems so stark.
But I look stoned and like a child without it.
When I wear makeup people treat me like an adult. I’m 44. I hate it. I wear it sometimes when I really really need to be sure they see me as an alert, awake adult. luckly i’m unemployed so it’s not often. I save the effort for important meetings like with my landlord, court dates, interviews, etc. I still don’t care enough to try daily.
The no makeup look of light foundation or tinted moisturiser, defined brows, neutral eyeshadow, mascara and a touch of blush would be what I would start with.
If you feel like that is too much or too little, you can adjust accordingly.
I’ve only worn mascara so I don’t look like a naked mole rat (invisible ginger eyelashes) for the last six years after always wearing a full face. I’ve not noticed a difference in how seriously I’m taken or how likely I am to get a job.
YMMV depending on where you are in the world though, I doubt my slightly scruffy take on “business casual” would fly in New York and I’d be seen as downright slovenly in Tokyo.
I take good care of my skin and foundation ruined it for a short time in my 20’s. Now I just make sure my eyebrows are shaped and filled in and wear lipstick. It’s not a lot of make up but I have coworkers in varying positions that wear a little or a lot of make up and I don’t see a trend in positions with more or less make up. I think it’s a personal preference and as long as everyone looks neat and kept, there’s no judgement.
There have been some studies that show that people who take steps to match the conventionally attractive gender norms, will do better over their whole career.
If you don’t care about promotions, feel free to skip it. If you fully hate it, feel free to skip it.
If it was me, I’d do a little minimum effort look, like tinted moisturizer, lip gloss, and an eyeshadow stick in a neutral color. If you can’t stand those textures, try powder, lip stain, and powder shadow.
You literally just need enough makeup that it shows that you are wearing makeup, for the career bump. It’s not actually being prettier, it’s showing the effort. It doesn’t have to be skillful or fashionable, just effort. So the makeup should not be invisible. It should take literally 2 minutes, like brushing your teeth.
I do wear a full face most days, but I like makeup. I like the act of putting it on, and I like the effect it creates. I don’t work in corporate, I have a fintech company.
I work in corporate, and of course not wearing makeup is not mandatory, but at the same time, people that make an effort in their appearance tend to go further in the corporate world and be taken more seriously. And with makeup is a fine line, too much makeup can be worse than not wearing anything.
And this goes to both men and women, unless there is some nepotism involved, you will rarely see a men with crumpled clothes and a not trimmed beard on top.
I do believe that exists a double standard, but it is what it is.
I personally use minimal makeup, have my hair always done and so my nails, my clothes are always clean and appropriate. And I do this: first for myself because I take pride on everything I do, including the way I look, and second because I think my work is great but I know that just being good at your job doesn’t guarantee a seat on the table. Appearance is part of the equation, soft skills are part of the equation…
I don’t think it matters that much, so long that you don’t do a really unnatural or severe makeup look.
Human subconsciously like pretty things and feel closer to it. It’s not like people judge you for not wearing makeup. People have tendencies to gravitate towards pretty people pretty things without even notice it. So maybe you can try to do makeup for a while and feel the difference?
I never wear makeup and never have. I think most important is to not be obvious in either direction.
I have also worked in the arts mostly, and in non-profits for most of my career. Both of those environments seem to be pretty no-makeup forward in my opinion. I do not know about the corporate world, but I would just assume that the ones that wear makeup are more inclined towards being less put off by a little light handed makeup that mostly matches your complexion already.
I don’t wear makeup to work anymore. I did right when I started my career after college in 2016 but that was short lived.
I have a manager who does a full face of makeup for our fully remote company every day and I wouldn’t usually notice/care/judge but she brings it up sometimes. For example, when she can’t wear makeup for some reason she apologizes to me and it makes me super uncomfortable. I don’t think she realizes it but she’s kinda perpetuating the problem that causes her to be so insecure in the first place.
I work casually in a masc-heavy field and I don’t wear make-up. I don’t really think it plays a part in how I do my job. A lot of women I work with wear make-up and they look amazing, but I don’t, and I see no difference
Caveat that I’m in higher ed, but the most makeup I wear is generally lipstick and even that is rare.
I focus on skincare. I make sure my clothing, hair, and nails are polished. I’m continuing to decline higher positions, so it isn’t hurting me in this field at least.
We vastly underestimate the importance of appearances in everyday life. The halo effect is one of the most replicated findings in the social sciences. Much of the effects are subconscious.
Should it matter: No. Does it matter: Yes.
We ought to be honest about these conversations instead of failing prey to social desirability bias.
This is really nuanced depending on the market you’re in.
I’m in corporate, but in STEM. Almost none of the women I work with wear makeup. I do wear light makeup at work (light coverage foundation, mascara, blush, and lip tint), but don’t wear makeup other than at work. I dress in business casual, compared to my colleagues who dress very casually.
When I was in corporate in a consulting, client facing role, the expectation was makeup, heels, and business professional attire.
Nonprofits are probably going to be more business casual, traditional corporate and client facing roles more business professional.
My advice is to go to interviews erring on the side of caution. Dress closer to business professional, wear light makeup, and style your hair. Assess how the interviewers are dressed to gauge the culture and dress following their lead on your first day.
Good luck!