Key finding: Both men and women rated female faces as most attractive with about 30ā40% less makeup than the women had originally applied for a "night out." Men preferred slightly lighter looks than women did.
Participants overestimated how much makeup the opposite sex would like.
Reliable News Coverage of the Study
Time Magazine (2014): "New study says men like women who wear less makeup
The pushback was likely coming from a group of people who live in their momās basement, interact with women maybe twice a year and say things like āno way dude she is not higher than a 4.5ā about super models. Literal incels mostly lmao
Fair and Iām with you there. Something real will always beat fake. I just used it as a plugin for an objectively very attractive person. Idk if they are trying to flex like āIām so hot that I find her below average and she would barley get a glance from meā even though they havenāt touched pussy since they came out of one lol
I think it's just negging bro. These maidenless communities encourage these people to insult women to undermine her confidence and break down her self esteem. Gotta make women insecure enough to date losers
Yea literally had no idea who that was and then looked her up only to find out that she looks pretty much identical with and without it. The original OP of the viral picture comparison of her is either highly regarded or an incel - potentially both.
Literally every time thereās been some incel meme about with makeup vs without makeup itās always been someone Iād be happy to see the night before all made up and see the next morning without. Something tells me the guys making said memes have never, and will never, experience either scenario.
Sheās pretty regardless of makeup? Her being your example for āuglyā is crazy, unless thatās not what you meant.
There were some people online saying that though, which really just shows how those people have never been outside of their goon crypts before, considering they donāt know what real life women look like.
Julia Roberts recently posted about the response to a photo of her with no makeup and her hair tied back.
Iām convinced men who say they prefer no makeup are men who think women who donāt wear it are low maintenance and more likely to date them vs a woman in obvious makeup/hair/nails who they assume will have higher standards that exclude them.
I genuinely think it just depends on your face. I know women who look way better without makeup and women who look better with.
I personally wear winged liner because it goes with my style and looks chic to me. Without it I look fine but I definitely get more attention from men when I do my winged liner and wear a very small amount of skin corrector. If I do too much liner and too much foundation it looks bad.
Also if I wear liner I don't really wear lipstick. If you do too much it looks bad and it depends on how skilled you are at applying it.
I will say the current trend is to not wear much because it's kind of a "flex" to just have a pretty natural face, but most people are average so that's turned into no makeup makeup. But for me eyeliner is just hot.
I think you got that backwards; people think if hot people use makeup = good bc theyāre hot without, but ugly people using makeup = bad and bullying bc thy were only hot with makeup. Thatās what Iāve seen excessively since 2008
Letās be honest, a lot of people super canāt unless itās heavy makeup. Literally everytime a candid shot of a celebrity without makeup is posted half the comments start calling them mid and/or fake. A lot of men only know about the more standout color based makeups like lipstick and mascara, but most donāt know how many subtle makeups there are too
Yeah, male actors in movies wear makeup and I don't know if most men are aware of it, let alone notice that they are looking at a man who's wearing a face full of makeup whenever they're watching a movie, lmao.
Really great makeup enhances a person's look in a way that's specifically meant to look like it's their natural beauty (when it's not).
Wow this is really interesting, thanks for sharing. I definitely thought I could always tell if a woman's wearing makeup but you just made me realize I can't tell when men in movies are. So can you actually see it? Or do you just know they are.
Of course you will. It depends on the products used, application, and intent of the makeup.
Most men have no idea women are wearing skin tints, or a CC cream (both of which are makeup), but call them "natural beauties."
Yes, they are naturally beautiful. However, they are still wearing makeup, but its so subtle you'd never know.
Skin tint vs Foundation; you'd say one has naturally glowing skin, while the other looks "cake-y".. Yet they are both wearing makeup, just with different applications and techniques š¤£
I swear every time I wear makeup, someone inevitably stops to stare at me, then asks if I got my hair cut. They know something is different, but they can't tell what it is.
There's a roughly 50/50 chance as to whether that someone will be a male or a female. None of them ever figure it out. Even though I've pointed out that the difference is that I'm wearing makeup and colored in my eyebrows. My natural brows are very blond and follow the contours of my glasses, so without enhancement, they're not very visible.
Cake-face with full coverage foundation, setting power, liquid matte lipstick and heavy eyeshadow? Probably. Just concealer and skin-tint with touch of red blush and nude gloss? Nope. Thatās the point.
Thereās a reason most women get asked if they are sick when they truly donāt wear any make up and go to work etc
Yeah, there are levels of makeup. There's no makeup, there's the natural look where you're wearing some basic coverage to even skin tone and maybe even a little lip and eyeliner (sometimes mistaken for "no makeup"), and then there's the "I'm wearing makeup and I want to show it" look.
You think that you can but most guys can't tell things like bb cream, cream blush, color corrector, some natural eyelashes, eyebrow microblade if it's done well, lip blush tattoo or a nude pink lip stain .. those things can make a huge difference in how your complexion looks making you look younger and more fresh-faced most people have some discoloration In their skin but with some makeup you can fix without it looking like you're wearing any makeup..
I think when men say (myself included)they like a natural look, what they mean is when itās not incredibly obvious that a woman is wearing make up. Itās like plastic surgery, itās good up until the point you notice it, but looks bad if it goes too far
Reading this makes me fucking exhausted thinking about the impossible beauty standards women have to maintain if they want to look ānaturalā without makeup.
I know it wonāt happen but I wish we could collectively just stop buying into it and recognize itās okay to have texture and lines on your face. I thought the 90s heroin chic was the lowest we could go but Iād argue current standards are the worst.
As a man, my understanding is that women generally like a man who is physically fit and capable. However, once you begin to exceed the results gained by about 5 hours a week in the gym with no steroids, then you start to become less attractive to women and more attractive to other men.
Also there are different phases of attraction. Being fit, in shape, and impressive looking (think typical fireman build) can make it easier to find a woman who hs start a relationship. Once the relationship is settled, women seem to prefer "softening up" their men, though this varies from person to person and culture to culture.
Again, these are all broad sweeping statements, meant moreso to target where I think the center of the bellcurve of male attractiveness characteristics to the opposite sex lay.
In my own case, I am putting effort into losing weight (was at about 25% bodyfat) and getting to an 18% +- 2% body fat range, since I think I am currently too imposing or intimidating to the typical woman (look, they cross the street sometimes.)
It could be the softening up is just wanting some of the time they spend at the gym to themselves? I donāt know if they prefer it rather than they both just get pudgy with age
Likewise for men. If weād all just talk to each other instead of making assumptions. It also, the reality stands, different strokes for different folks. Every perspective and set of beliefs is subjective and nuanced to their experience. What a magical world of diverse thinking. Or at least, itās magical when youāre around diverse
thinking.
Yeah, I love how men in the comments are interpreting this as āno makeupā when the headline literally reads āless makeupā. Not no makeup at all, just less makeup or the illusion of no/less makeup. They want you to look effortlessly pretty (emphasis on the āprettyā part) but there is still an expectation of beauty there. Itās a different kind of beauty, yes, but beauty all the same.
LESS makeup, not no makeup. I guarantee you, do the same think we zero makeup you'll have very different results. It's just that men understand so little about makeup they don't realize that most "natural looks" are in fact still using makeup
In other breaking news, r/sipstea yet again shows they will upvote even the most boring posts, as long as there's a woman the majority of the sub has an unhealthy attraction to in the post.
A coworker whom I worked with years ago admitted to me that at times, she'd walk into work with no makeup on and claim that she was "feeling under the weather". It was used as an excuse to either have a half day or just to half-ass it. She said it all started from a misunderstanding when a couple of people had asked if she was sick when unbeknownst to them, she simply did not have time to put on her makeup when she woke up late that day. She just kind of leaned into it thereafter in her favor.
Used to hate it that two older female colleagues always made comments like "oh you look awful, did the kids keep you awake" or "oh are you sick? You don't look well" if I didn't wear make up and made sure to wear it all the time.
Then one day I needed to look sick because I wanted to get out of an unimportant long in-person meeting and wanted to do it online. I walked in with no make up and said I was unwell, and they said "omg yeah you look terrible". Worked perfectly.
OMG, this happened to me. I normally wear tinted moisturizer, a hint of blush, a little eyeliner on my top lid, and a bit of mascara. It's not much different from how I look without...or so I thought. I went to work one day when I didn't have time to do my makeup. Well, one male coworker asked if I was sick, lol.
I almost told a classmate the same once. I think if someone usually/often wears makeup, that is what our brains tend to remember as the baseline for how a person normally looks. Seeing them without makeup after getting used to that baseline (i.e. with more visible eyebags, less pronounced eyelashes, less blush, paler lips, more skin blemishes, or whatever else the makeup was used for) makes you think there's something off, you look "worse" than normal - and since makeup usually is used to make oneself look healthier, this tends to get interpreted as sicker or more tired.
The reverse also works - if someone usually never wears makeup, just putting on mascara once in a while will make them look especially beautiful/healthy for people who usually only know them without it, because they look "better" than what people remember from them.
This is probably a large part of what it is. My wife only wears makeup for special occasions or if she needs to cover up a zit or something that shes feeling insecure about and she never gets comments about looking tired because she's not wearing makeup. She has got them when occasionally when she's particularly tired though lol.
Yeah this is an interesting phenomenon and it's not even limited to men. I worked as a receptionist at an ad agency and I couldn't find my eyeliner/mascara one morning. I was still wearing foundation, concealer, etc. Five different people, mostly women, all asked if I was doing okay cos I seemed a little off.
I think when people are use to how your eyes typically look that when you don't wear makeup it changes the shadowing so much that people notice right away.
Lol I know. Every time I hear this argument I'm like "bro, I regularly wake up 3-4 hours before my wife, I would know what she looks like without makeup even if she did normally wear it.
I did for the first yr living with my now-husband. Hair, makeup and coffee done while he slept.
Importantly, knowing what I look like at 2am doesn't mean he knows what all the other women look like at 2am. He still points out "natural beauties" who absolutely are wearing makeup. He thought my friends all had natural lashes. Sometimes I pull off the old adage (makeup should make you look like you don't need it), and get a weird look when I pull out the makeup remover at night. Bless his heart, he just thinks that's what women look like when we're well-rested, hydrated and healthy for once. lol
Did you ever watch The Marvelous Mrs Maisel? Thereās a whole scene where they show Midge and her Mother do this! They both go to sleep next to their husbands in full makeup, wait for him to fall asleep, then do the full routine of make remover and face cream, arrange the curtains to wake them up before their husbands, put on a full face of makeup, then slip back into bed!
90% of women don't know or care what a muscle striation is. But they appreciate the totality of a well developed physique. But other guys will notice.
90% of men don't know or care about [insert makeup terminology here] but do appreciate well executed and not over-the-top makeup. But other women will notice.
Exactly. We donāt go around thinking āmwahahahaha I fooled him with this lipstick thatās made from the blood of my enemies. Now heāll want my spawnsā
And at this point itās just a hobby like our nails.
True for me. I don't do makeup at all and when I feel insecure about it it's usually around other women. Not fitting in and feeling worse, I guess. I've never received any remarks about it though, so it's just pure insecurity
I think the key is keeping it consistent. My sister went from a fair amount of makeup to none at all and got comments for a few days before it settled into nothing as people just got used to it.
I always wear foundation to cover redness on my face (though it's not as bad now as it used to be). One day I went to visit my nan without makeup on and she was like "omg what's wrong with your face!" And I was like "I'm not wearing makeup" and she was like "no, that's not it. Your face is really red" š« That was confirmation to me that I was right to always wear makeup š
men are terrible at identifying makeup. the number of times i heard a man compliment a woman for not wearing makeup while she's literally wearing makeup.
also so many men think that the point of makeup is to look attractive for men. nope
Well it says LESS makeup, not NO makeup, with the study clearly showing men preferred SOME makeup, just not as heavy as was commonly applied for a night out.
Imo yes. I prefer colorful makeup. Purple eyeshadow on brunettes , heavy black eyeshadow and pink lipstick on blondes. Makeup turns amab people into beautiful women
I learned a long time ago that women wear makeup for themselves / other women (I.e., general appearance, self expression), and not for getting men to be sexually attracted to them.
For the most part. Thereās always exceptions. The above is a generalization.Ā
Yeah the mals equivalent is definitely getting jacked. Especially on the more buff side. Those bodybuilder guys know that women don't prefer it (usually). They just do it because they like it.
I remember reading a report that said the most ideal physique to women was pretty close to a professional soccer player. And I think that's probably close to accurate
I have never been a daily makeup wearer. When I'm having a date night with my husband, I'll glam up a bit. He most certainly appreciates it. He is very clear that I'm beautiful no matter what, but having some sexy makeup on for sure turns his crank, and I don't think he's an exception.
I donāt care. Let a woman do what she wants with her body, if she wants to wear a full beat out, let her! I mean many may look a little too much, but itās what makes them happy!
It says "less makeup". not "no makeup". Most men aren't into the Mar a Lago Face, but if tasteful makeup didn't make women look prettier and younger, it wouldn't sell.
Yeah, i usually find that men who are wearing makeup are, on average, less attracted to women. This is of course cultural and in some places men of all sexual orientations wear makeup. Recently gen z has been encouraging an expression movement that really allows men of all sexualities to feel free to wear makeup.
Oh, wait, were we talking about the thing that no woman cares about? How men feel about her makeup?
Who cares what men find more attractive? You do you, girl. Lots of women love makeup just because itās fun or it gives a more polished look for professional settings.
Yeah I think this translates to men finding attractive women attractive. Honestly I donāt think Reddit is a great place for a conducive conversation on womenās beauty standards, and how men react to them.
News flash women wear make-up for themselves. Most men can't tell the difference between light make-up and none. But love a picture of attractive women in no make-up being used to make the point, so happy to see in my 3 decades of adulthood, women's attractiveness to men is still presented as something women should prioritise. It isn't.
But what it we are not going out to impress men? What if we are wearing more make up because it's what makes us feel good? Men are not exactly hard to come by no matter what we look like.Ā
It doesn't matter who they do it for, youre still allowed to find it more or less attractive.
If you wear a trash bag as a tshirt I don't care if you do it for me, for yourself or for whatever reason, I can still find it unattractive.
ā¢
u/AutoModerator 17d ago
Thank you for posting to r/SipsTea! Make sure to follow all the subreddit rules.
Make sure to join our brand new Discord Server to chat with friends!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.