How Do Men Prefer Women's Makeup?

It was a harmless enough tweet: "Studies show that men like women who clothing less makeup."

Simply this post, sent to the 1.4 meg Twitter users following Google Facts — an unverified "Google facts parody" account which is unaffiliated with Google — was not well received by women on social media.

The backlash reignited debate over the merits of women'south makeup awarding: should they, shouldn't they, and does it really matter in the end either way?

And also: why are we even talking almost this?

Some men prefer women who wear less makeup — simply and so exercise some women

So permit's unpack the research. First, it's true studies have shown some men prefer women who wear less makeup — only and so do some women.

In a study published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2014, researchers Alex Jones at Bangor University and Robin Kramer at Aberdeen University showed 44 male and female students a option of images of women's faces, earlier and subsequently various amounts of makeup were practical.

Female participants idea the models looked better with slightly more makeup than male participants did. Interestingly, however, both male and female person participants thought the models looked all-time when they were wearing just 60 per cent of the makeup they had applied.

"Taken together, these results advise that women are likely wearing cosmetics to entreatment to the mistaken preferences of others," the researchers concluded. (Congenital into this assertion is that women do not habiliment cosmetics because they themselves like it.)

2nd, studies into what employers remember of employees wearing makeup take plant women who wear makeup are treated more than favourably and even earn more than than women who don't.

'The makeup taxation'

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton standing at a podium. — President Barack Obama said he had an unfair advantage over Hillary Clinton in 2008 because she had to ascent early to "become her hair done".( Facebook: Hillary Clinton )

Inquiry conducted by professors from Harvard and Boston Universities (and funded past cosmetics giant Proctor & Gamble) in 2011 found women who wore subtle amounts of makeup — as opposed to "gobs of Gaga-conspicuous makeup" — were perceived to be more than likeable, socially cooperative and attractive.

And a 2006 report published in the Periodical of Applied Social Psychology found participants awarded women wearing makeup with "a greater earning potential and with more prestigious jobs" than women who wore none.

It's a miracle Facebook staffer Libby Brittain dubbed "the makeup tax" in a Q&A session with presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton final yr.

"Every morning, equally my boyfriend zips out the door and I spend 30-plus minutes getting ready, I wonder about how the 'pilus-and-makeup tax' affects other women — especially ones I adore in high-pressure, public-facing jobs," Brittain wrote to Ms Clinton.

"As a young professional person woman, I'd genuinely love to hear about how you manage getting gear up each morning … while staying focused on the 'real' piece of work ahead of y'all that day."

Ms Clinton ended up dodging the question. "Amen, sister," she replied. "You're preaching to the choir. Information technology's a daily claiming. I do the best I can — and equally yous may have noticed, some days are improve than others!"

A "challenge" indeed. During a 2012 visit to Bangladesh and India, Ms Clinton, then secretary of state, was photographed ostensibly without makeup on, merely for Fox News to accuse her of "forgetting" her makeup and looking "tired and withdrawn".

Only Ms Clinton laughed information technology off, telling CNN: "Y'all know at some bespeak information technology's merely not something that deserves a lot of time and attention."

Even President Barack Obama has picked upwardly on this inequality, telling Politico recently he had an unfair advantage over Ms Clinton in the 2008 ballot because, "She had to wake up earlier than I did because she had to become her hair done."

Every bit did sometime Australian prime number minister Julia Gillard, who rose extra early on in the morning to suffer an hour of face-painting and hair-styling.

Perhaps women habiliment makeup because … they like information technology?

Perhaps women should care well-nigh the amount of makeup men prefer them to wear, or how well-groomed employers want them to be.

But the assumptions congenital into these studies are non then much offensive as they are risible — that women should be judged on how trivial or how much foundation and lipstick they wear, that they should be subjected to a level of scrutiny men are typically spared, suggests sexist social pressures are at piece of work.

Author and journalist Caitlin Moran in he trademark winged eyeliner. — Author and journalist Caitlin Moran says women can wearable makeup for whatever reason they like.( Twitter: Caitlin Moran )

Has it not occurred to anyone that women are capable of dressing themselves? That perhaps women wear pants or skirts or dreadlocks or winged eyeliner because they similar it?

Certainly, for many women, putting on makeup is less of a chore or a (perceived) professional hindrance than a hobby.

Bronzing and beautifying is a choice, non an obligation — it's a creative outlet or a boost of confidence not necessarily related to men, or feminism, equally they come across it.

As author and Caitlin Moran told Interview Magazine in 2014: "Basically, my belief is that if David Bowie can do information technology [wear makeup], I can practice it.

"You can wearable makeup for whatever f---ing reason yous want," Moran continued. "When you're wearing makeup, the idea isn't always to look like some kind of airbrushed beauty queen — if you want to, f---ing get for it — but you tin can look like something else instead."

In other words, you do you.

And every bit for whether or not men corroborate? Women's response to the offending Google Facts tweet says it all.

Posted 21 Mar 2016 Mon 21 Mar 2016 at 1:18am, updated 21 Mar 2016 Monday 21 Mar 2016 at four:53am