Why Women Wear Makeup

Research shows there are two primary reasons why women wear makeup:

First reason Women who are anxious and insecure tend to use makeup to appear less noticeable. Second reason Women who want to be noticeably more attractive tend to use makeup to be more confident, sociable and assertive. Women believe that if they show their natural, untouched face, they won’t be able to accomplish either of those things, and they will be treated differently. It turns out there is some science to back up the fears driving them to wear makeup every day. Women have it drilled into them from a young age that to be successful in everything, from dating to job interviews to forming friendships with other popular girls, they need to be pretty, and the basis for that isn’t entirely cultural. It may not be fair, but according to the Association for Psychological Science, attractive people are treated more favorably in every area of life, from dating to jobs to criminal trials.

Before we continue, we want to note that this article doesn’t take into account the beautiful diversity of who uses makeup and why. The current research on this subject focuses on straight women is based on the assumption that only women wear it. This is not to say that these tips do not apply if you don’t fit within this specific group, but the currently available research for multi-groups is limited. Researchers have discovered two universal characteristics that contribute to the attractiveness of a woman’s face.

Women naturally tend to have darker lips and skin around the eyes. So, our brains subconsciously note that as a sign of femininity. The more color contrast between a woman’s eyes and lips and her skin tone, the more feminine, and thus evolutionary attractive, she is seen. Lipstick and eye shadow are makeup staples because they enhance those features. The Association for Psychological Science explains that we also like symmetrical faces, even when we can’t perceive the symmetry. You may not realize it, but the majority of faces are slightly asymmetrical–one side will be wider than another, eye shapes will have minor differences, one cheekbone may be a bit less pronounced, etc. And the fewer of these variations a face has, the more attractive it is perceived. Makeup evens skin tone and contouring, eyeliner and lip liner also can make those features appear more symmetrical.

Research Shows This is the Most Important Makeup Tip

If makeup isn’t your thing at all, or there are some mornings when you wake up and don’t feel like you have the time or energy to put your face on, follow this one tip if you are going somewhere where other people’s impression of you matters:

Research shows that foundation is the cosmetic that has the biggest impact on how women are perceived. This is especially important at work because research shows that women who wear makeup have higher earnings and promotion potential. Skin tone discolorations, tired eye bags and blemishes can make you look tired or sickly.

If you have acne scars or other blemishes, you probably already realize that foundation masks may, but not fully, cover them. This means that even with foundation your skin tone is not completely even and you won’t yield the full benefits of wearing makeup. To avoid this, prior to applying foundation, put on enough concealed to make your blemishes disappear.

Similarly, oily skin also can lessen the evenness of your skin. Remove the distracting shine by applying powder on top of your foundation. Keep a compact in your bag so you can reapply as needed throughout the day.