Actually I just feel better about myself with a bit of eye make-up on. I suppose it's an age thing too, now I'm very nearly 40 it's not so easy to just wake up, slap a bit of water on my face and go out, I mean on Sundays I do that, but I guess it's just like taking care of your figure, or choosing clothes you personally find really nice - it's a feel good factor.

I'm not thinking competition or man catching thoughts (heaven forbid) when I put my make up on or dress a bit funky - more, hey, this feels good to me!! If my husband sometimes notices of course that's nice - but in the same breath, he prefers my hair longer and 2 years ago I cut it all off really short, cos I felt like a change. Women should do what they feel good about doing - not try and impress a man!!

I love make-up, painting you face is one of the best things about being a woman, along with, tight dresses, high heels and stockings. It's just fun. one day you can be a wiggle-strutting you stuff precariously perched on ridiculous thin strappy shoes, the next you can be striding out in hiking gear no make-up exposing yourself to the elements.
I can get obsessed with my eyelashes,. I have blonde eyelashes/eyebrows so if I don't wear mascara I can have piggy eyes, When I apply mascara I get carried away with watching them grow, it's very therapeutic. However I have learned that you have to remain kissable, it's kind of yuck when your face comes off on someone. The only things I hate- hairspray, false nails and heavy perfume.

I agree with this totally, which is why the whole make-up phenomenon confuses me.

Almost all women I've talk to say they wear make up to feel good about themselves, and only for themselves. But a lot of the actions and rules with respect to make-up seem seem to contradict that.

What kind of action and rules?

Actually men don't seem to care how I present myself. Most of the comments come from girlfriends or kids-They call me Barbie

Examples I've heard:

Only when I leave the house,
Only at the guy if I want to pick up,
Before I had Kids,
I will not be seen without make-up
Less makeup for weekend, more for work,
Not when going shopping,
potential flight upgrades,
never during the day, only at night,
work and other->absolutely,

a few I've heard

I haven't used any make up for a really long while, except some gloss/light lipstick as i have dark skin (mixed of Italian and Asian) and didn't really foundation to not look pale, and I had really long wawy hair, usually kept in a bun or pony tail

But ... a few years back someone in my previous company gave me a great insight and advice: Always use just a bit of make up at work. It makes you look more polished, covers under-eyes bags and lines, and you will avoid looking "harried", tired or stressed out. At the beginning I thought nothing of it, but when I started to hear repeatedly "wow are you really XX years old? You look young for your age" (and in a professional enviroment this doesn't sound nearly as look as it seems), or also " oh you look tired", "did you just get out of bed?" ... and started noticing that other "older looking" people were treated differently ... I decided to change.

My new routine is the following:
Short nicely cropped hairdo. total of 10mints to wash and style every other day and always looks good.

Make Up: Work days - tinted moisturizer, under eye roll-on, a touch of "touche eclat" under the eyes to hide the bags, blush or bronzer, and natural lipstick - Total time required: 10mints.

Number of "oh you look tired" comments: nearly 0 ...

I think of it as my work attire, during the weekend I only wear a day cream with sun protection and when I go out at night very minimal make up, as my boyfriend prefers the natural look.

I wear some - a touch more to go out at night.

It's like the difference in what clothes I wear. Jeans and a t-shirt to Migros, nice clothes to go out at night.

So let's imagine Mrs Crusoe stranded on a paradise island with enough food, good shelter and a huge bag of a cosmetics salesman (who sunk with the ship) and the only missing thing is a fit, handsome, at-your-service Mr Crusoe.
Would Mrs Crusoe :
1) use makeup to feel better
2) use makeup for the rescue team that may include men or competitive women on board
3) burn the cosmetics bag for fun

Is it because you can't bend your elbows...

on another note...

This guy

Has that nickname too....

So what im trying to ask is... are you a girl???

Spot on Steph. I think the key at the end of the day is to be comfortable in your own skin, know what to enhance and which flaws to hide. I hide my eyebags with concealer because I dont want to scare the children and make them cry.

I used to have waist length hair and my husband, then fiance loved it. Chopped it all off one day because I was bored and he came home, yelped in surprise demanding to know what I did with it.

My answer? "cut it. It'll grow".

Whats he gonna do? Ditch me? Terribly sad if I have to maintain a certain image just because he "prefers it".

4) Keep it for the day I'll go back in civilisation so I don't have to buy new ones and save money!

You can leave off the cologne. Nothing smells better than the clean man smell. (Except maybe for a clean dog who naturally smells like fresh linen.) Not that I go around sniffing at the throats of guys, ahem.

Man reeking of cologne sends out the message: "Trying too hard."

I forgot some stuffs:

Luckily my work allows me not to have to try to make myself look more perky.
And don't get me started on the products! Ten different face creams, needing to be regularly applied, at either dawn or dusk. I'm sure they either all do the same thing or bugger all.
The advertising campaigns to sell this stuff are directed at the insecurities of vulnerable women. "Once you reach 40 your skin begins to change". "Aged skin needs more care". Like they care! They just want our money and if they could convince us that cow sh1t made us look 10 years younger we'd be slapping that on too.

You take it too easy....I forgot also a couple of babies on the island to keep you entertained and awake

So now I'm off to habitat for humanity. How about dungarees. with a nice big tool belt, hair in bunches, a tiny little tshirt, mascara and a touch of lipgloss?

Yesterday it was patriotic colours with professional, polished, flawless make-up, perfect skin, eyebrows, eyelashes and lipliner, no perfume, glossed hair.
Oh aother thing I hate, thick dark lipliner, over plucked ridiculously arched eyebrows, catwing eyeliner, creased eyemakeup caked foundation........

I swear that men have this incredible smell behind their ears. I have been told that it is probably lack of hygeine, but I am sure that babies have a similar type of smell. It is addictive.

I am all up for pretty girls!

But if they are annoying, can I drowned them?

The answer is Retin A, exfoliation, glycolic acid, facial peels, lasering, botox, fillers, oil of ulay/olaz. Boots also does the perfecting cream which may be good. otherwise may as well stick to cold cream.