We Won't All Makeup, But Can We All Get Along?

Of the 100+ answers I've gifted upon the Loveawake dating site blog, no answer has gotten as much community quarreling, friction and emotional response as last week's makeup question. The simple question "do men actually notice if a woman has makeup on or not?" started a firestorm in the blogosphere, unparalleled since The Great Justin Beiber New Hair Cut Divide of... the same week.

Some women felt attacked, feeling that their use of makeup meant they were hiding their true selves, manipulating the dating playing field and/or being a straight out hoochie mama. Some guys chimed in to say they love their lady in makeup; they love their lady without makeup; they can't always tell the difference. Some women said they themselves love the natural look, but don't feel any disdain, judgment or threat by those who rock the cosmetic.

The one thing universally agreed upon was that the women with a face of caked on makeup bring themselves down and give a bad name to the entire cover up family.

I think what we also discovered is that while putting on makeup is a personal choice it is often applied for others - for work, for men, for societal norms, and the insecurity of being discovered as "flawed."

Who is more flawed, the person with a huge zit on their nose or a person who won't leave the house because of a huge zit on their nose?

That might be the bigger crux of the matter and what some people in the comment chain feel irritated by; the notion that women need to mask and doll up for the world. In this sense it's not makeup we are talking about, but war paint. Defending oneself against the slings and arrows of judgment.

My bottom line remains, if putting on eye shadow or lipstick makes YOU feel prettier, more appealing and gives you a pop in your mirror, then go for it. If it becomes a weapon of mass concealer then the issue is skin deeper and probably won't be solved in the aisles of Sephora or MAC.

In a Funny (Guy) turn of events, I singled out Kim Kardashian for being a 24/7-makeup hound in my initial post, only a few days later she made headlines for stepping out of her compound sans makeup.

In a week of revolutions in the Middle East and devastating earthquakes it's nice to know some journalists remain committed to bringing the public more important stories.

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