Do you wear makeup every day no matter what you are doing and where you are going?
Do you vary your look depending on where you are going and how you want to be perceived?
It’s easy to be lazy and think “I’ll not bother today. I’m not going anywhere special”
But if you care what people think of you then a new study* shows that it is well worth making the effort not only to wear makeup everyday but also to vary the type of makeup for the situation you are going to find yourself in.
The study involved showing images of 25 North American women ages 20–50, self-identified as Hispanic, Caucasian, or African American wearing various levels of makeup ranging from none to dramatic
- no makeup at all
- natural looking makeup (minimal makeup used)
- professional makeup (a moderate amount of makeup)
- glamorous makeup ( a very made up look)
First of all the participants were shown each picture for a very brief time (2.5 seconds) as if they were catching glimpses of the women in a crowded room and a second group were allowed to look at the pictures as long as they wanted to make an assessment.
In a nutshell, the no makeup look was least appealing to both groups. The study shows that wearing makeup makes women appear more attractive, competent, likable and trustworthy – a clear signal that you should wear makeup if you care about how you look to others. No judgement from me about whether you should care – that’s up to you! Some days I don’t and some days I do LOL but remember this may affect more than you think, including how much you get paid!
“The strong motivational influence of facial beauty has been shown in studies of labor markets suggesting that there is a ”beauty premium” and “plainness penalty” such that attractive individuals are more likely to be hired, promoted, and to earn higher salaries than unattractive individuals. Social psychologists have identified a “halo” effect of beauty leading to a range of positive inferences including that the beautiful are more socially skilled, confident and successful.”
As for the type of makeup, there was a distinction between the groups, who were shown images for a brief time and those who were allowed to look at the images for an unlimited period. The participants in the unlimited study rated the images with the glamorous makeup as equally likable and more attractive and competent but they saw them as less trustworthy than the other makeup looks.
So what does all this mean?
Well, it’s common sense really about varying how much makeup you should wear for each occasion.
Save Dramatic Looks For Crowded Places
If you have limited time to make an impression, then a glamor look will help. Great for parties, crowded sports events and other places full of people. Also use this when you know you are going to get one chance to make a quick impression, for example, in images on job applications, websites and dating sites.
Use A Professional Look at Work
Use a professional look on important days at work and when you’re giving a presentation or having your photograph taken. In these types of situation people will be looking at you longer than 2.5 seconds! A glamorous look won’t help you at a face to face job interview. You will seem less trustworthy than if you wear more professional makeup.
A Natural Look for Everyday
It’s important that you feel comfortable with the amount of makeup you are wearing. If a professional look feels like “too much makeup” then at least wear some makeup to create a natural look that you feel comfortable wearing every day at home or at work. Just be ready to step up your game a little when you want to look more competent and professional or to avoid sinking into the background in a crowded place.
You can always experiment with different looks on different occasions to see how people react to you. Just don’t go too experimental for important job interviews or events until you are happy with the reaction!
*Original study: Cosmetics as a Feature of the Extended Human Phenotype: Modulation of the Perception of Biologically Important Facial Signals
