It can be hard to get this makeup thing just right. If you go out without any, you look like you can’t be bothered. If you wear too much makeup though, it’s very aging and you look tacky, and overdone.
Guys are pretty adamant that they hate girls in too much make up. Though what they really mean is that they hate girls who wear makeup that is too obvious. You can wear quite a lot and most guys won’t have a clue, they just think you’re a natural beauty LOL
Whole surveys have been done on this men and makeup issue. For example, skin care company St Ives conducted a survey of two thousand men to find out their views and they concluded that over 1 in 5 men think that their other half wears too much makeup and 1 in 10 preferred no makeup at all.
But this survey was on guys with partners – you can bet that most of them were initially attracted to their partner or wife while she was wearing some makeup to enhance her features. They just didn’t know and now they love her warts and all.
 You Are Wearing Too Much Makeup If….1. You spend more than ten minutes applying a daytime look or fifteen for a big night out. 2. The makeup detracts from your natural beauty rather than enhances it 3. Your friends/date get a shock when the lights go on and they see the “real you” 4. You look like you are wearing ANY foundation, concealer, bronzer or blush. These should be completely natural and not visible to the naked eye 5. Your glitter look rivals the decorations at the party 6. It comes off on his shirt, on your glass, AND on your hands when you touch your face 7. You look airbrushed perfect and you’re not actually made of plastic |
To me, makeup is about being the prettiest version of yourself and it’s a fun way to express yourself. Whatever guys think, there’s no way I would want to live without it.
On the other hand, I also don’t like makeup that is overdone or caked on.
It’s always best to err on the side of too little rather than too much when applying make up, as you can always add a little more if you really need it but it’s hard to reduce the amount of makeup once you’ve applied too much without starting over.
How to Avoid Wearing Too Much Makeup
Foundation
Learn how to apply foundation and concealer with a light touch so that you only use the level of coverage you need in a color that perfectly matches your skin. Never go out with your neck and face a different color!
Also apply foundation makeup only on the areas you need it to even out your skin tone. Most people don’t need to apply an all over “mask”.
Even if you have problem skin, choose the lightest foundation you can and add a little concealer on particular problem areas.
In most cases, all over thick foundation will emphasize you have a problem because you look like you’re covering something up and it looks particularly obvious if you don’t get the color exactly right.
A sheer foundation allows your natural color to come through and almost always looks better.
Blush
It appears that one of the biggest hates of the guys in the survey (see below) is obvious blush and I have to agree with them in this case. Always choose a blush color that is close to the color your cheeks would be if you’d been out in the fresh air on a windy day and avoid applying too much. Again, use the lightest touch and build up a tiny bit at a time for a natural bloom to your cheeks rather than a painted doll look.
Mascara
When it comes to mascara, most of us look better with it than without it. Well defined lashes are the perfect frame for your eyes. You can get away with wearing less if you curl your lashes before you apply your mascara. What you do not want are clumps, which give the game away entirely and make you look like you are wearing too much mascara. You can prevent clumps by using an eyelash comb after applying. Choose a mascara in natural colors – black or dark brown for brunettes and dark or mid brown for blonds and red heads.
| Avoid the top 10 turn-offs (according to the St Ives Survey) if you want to keep the guys happy 1. Getting lipstick on your teeth 2. Applying too much blusher 3. Caking on foundation 4. Heavy black ringed panda eyes 5. Clumps in your mascara 6. Bright lipstick 7. Foundation stopping in an obvious line at the jaw 8. Bright blue eyeshadow 9. False penciled-in eyebrows 10. Heavy eyeliner flicks Amy Winehouse style |
Eyeliner
Liquid eyeliner is probably the least natural makeup around your eyes so wear that only if you are happy to have a made-up look and use a smudged pencil if you want something more subtle.
That is not to say that you should never wear liquid eyeliner, just that you should know you are going for a particular look if you do.
In any case, the thinner the line the more natural it seems.
Totally surrounding your eyes in a thick black line would be seen as too much makeup by most people, though it may still be right for your face, style and personality.
Lipstick
As for lipstick, you can either go for a natural look or an obvious one. You might say there’s no point in a natural look as it doesn’t enhance anything but even lining your lips in a natural lip pencil and filling them in with the same natural color gives your mouth definition and a prettier look without looking overly made up.
If you choose bright lipstick instead, you’ve definitely gone “glam” rather than natural and I think that is fine especially for evenings when a more made up look is appropriate. If you don’t want to look overdone, emphasize your eye makeup with something like a smoky eye look and do natural lips. Alternatively emphasize your lips with brighter lipstick and make up your eyes with a more natural look.
Celebrities With Too Much Makeup
If you think you have problems getting the amount of makeup right, then you’re in good company. Even the celebrities who have the benefit of fashion advisors and makeup artists at their fingertips go well over the top at times.
This video is full of pics of Hollywood stars that got it wrong, chosen by a girl on You Tube. It just shows that we don’t all agree. There are three or four in there that I think are pretty rather than overdone. What do you think?
If you want more examples, here’s a site where the celebrities are ALL over the top. Angela Lansbury, what were you thinking?
