The idea of a woman feeling the need to "put her face on" before confronting the world may seem retro, but according to a new study, that impulse might not be so dated. Two-thirds of women surveyed said that heading to the office bare-faced caused them more stress than public speaking, going on a first date or enduring a job interview, reported The Daily Mail.
The survey, conducted by The Vitality Show, a UK-based wellness event for women, polled 3,000 British women about their make-up habits. The heartening news was that over 50 percent women said that they are more than happy to show their makeup-free faces to close friends, family members and significant others. But when it comes to the workplace or romantic encounters, makeup supposedly can make or break a woman’s confidence.
Seventy percent of those polled said that they wouldn’t want their colleagues or bosses to see them bare-faced. And 91 percent of women would rather cancel a first date altogether than go without makeup on. As psychologist Celia Bibby told The Daily Mail, “Many women feel that there is a stigma associated with not wearing makeup and that their employers may discriminate against them if they don’t turn up to work ‘dolled up.’” Even more surprisingly, 31 percent of women said that they wouldn’t even exercise at the gym without touching up their faces and over 16 percent put on makeup just to answer the door.
The idea that women feel dependent on their cosmetics isn’t a new one -- or something specific to our neighbors across the Atlantic. A survey conducted by Harris on behalf of the Renfrew Center Foundation in February found that 44 percent of American women feel unattractive when they don’t put makeup on. This may have something to do with the fact that over 25 percent of young women start wearing makeup at age 13 or younger -- roughly the point at which their self-esteem drops, too.
While The Vitality Show’s survey shows that women put a lot of stock into their workplace makeup regimens, an earlier study released last November indicated that one in three bosses think their employees wear too much makeup. The best course of action may be to apply the amount of makeup that makes you feel confident but doesn't make you look like you're wearing an entire MAC display.
Would you go to work without makeup on? Let us know in the comments!