I may be different here, but from an early age, I have had difficulty appreciating makeup. This may be because I would get increasingly frustrated when I’d hear people complain about how they felt “ugly" or “incomplete” without it. To me, seeing people without makeup gave them an aura of confidence (even if they didn’t feel it) that I felt was far more attractive than any product.

So, I decided to do a little bit of research on makeup and how people see it. I surveyed both users and non-users of makeup to get their thoughts, and to try to gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives.

Volume II:
Non-Makeup Users

I have a love/hate relationship with this article, I admit. I realize why, which I suppose is the important part. When I began doing these surveys I had a biased and preconceived idea of what kind of results I would get. After the results for the surveys came in, I was thrown off kilter because they didn’t line up with my expectations. This forced me to reconcile with how narrow my perception of the situation is, which is made so strictly by my lack of experience with the subject.

One example of this is that I thought non-makeup users would be mostly heterosexual cis-males who had never worn makeup before. You know, people like me with experiences like my own. Thankfully, I was completely wrong, and the voices of the people who took this questionnaire helped me gain a better perspective on this.

First, I asked why these people choose not to wear makeup. The responses varied, but mostly fell around notions like “sensitive skin,” “not liking the feeling of makeup,” “wanting to show natural beauty,” and simply, “to save time.” I followed up by asking if any of the participants had ever tried wearing makeup before. Based on the results, they had all worn makeup before, but tended to only wear it for special occasions like interviews, sessions where they knew they would be photographed, or weddings.

Then, I asked a similar question to the one I asked makeup users in the initial survey: How much money do you think makeup users usually spend per year on makeup? Oddly enough, the responses were fairly opposite from the truth: Within each dollar amount range, the amount non-makeup users thought makeup users would spend on cosmetics wound up being significantly different than what makeup users actually spend.

I then followed up with perceptions of makeup users. When asked how often they noticed if someone else was actually wearing makeup, non-makeup users tended to notice when someone is wearing makeup most of the time, although the answers did span all over the board. This was enlightening for me because unless it is super obvious, I am normally heedless of such things.

I followed through by asking non-makeup users if they felt makeup improved the image of those who use it. Just over two-thirds of the responses indicated that it strictly depends on the individual user if makeup actually makes a difference in their appearance (mind you, they didn’t have the ability to add comments here, but I imagine it that quality of makeup and technique of application may be a factor). The remaining one-third of responses was evenly split; some said yes and some said no.

The final question on the survey allowed participants opportunity to add any comments they felt should be mentioned or discussed on the topic. Two types of answers stuck out to me that seemed to cover the whole gamut, the first being that one can be successful in life without wearing makeup and still lead a happy life. The second type of answer pointed out that makeup use is a complicated subject. As one responder stated, “It can be a very simple act of self-love or a desperate attempt to hide or avoid people seeing the real you. It depends on the personal history.”

Either way, whether you choose to use makeup or not, I hope that you are happy and healthy in all of your endeavors.

What has your experience been with makeup?
What perceptions do you have about using or not using makeup?
Share your comments at the bottom of the page.

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