Many women have a very personal relationship with makeup and their makeup routines. But this is not without its share of controversy. While some people love makeup and regard it as an art form, other people look down on women who wear makeup every day.

Because of this dichotomy, women tend to get treated differently based on how they look. And this was demonstrated recently on Quora when a user asked the question: “How do you get treated when wearing makeup vs. when you’re not?”

Well, plenty of women had a lot to say about that. These 20 examples will show you exactly the standards that women face with their makeup choices. Perhaps you will be able to relate, or perhaps it will be illuminating for you.

1. “You look a bit intimidating. I was scared to approach you.”

This user says that wearing makeup will almost certainly guarantee that she gets approached unnecessarily by people. People will make all sorts of comments or stares that she doesn’t get when she is not wearing makeup.

2. “I look like a prepubescent teen with zero makeup”

This user totally notices a difference in the type of respect she gets, saying:

“When I am barefaced, I feel like guys show more respect and take me more seriously as opposed to when I have a full beat on…”

3. “Confidence attracts…”

This user says she is treated kindly regardless of how much makeup she is wearing. However, she feels much more confident in herself when she is completely done up with makeup and prefers herself to look that way! She says that she is more confident in makeup.

4. “Makeup makes me stand out, and sometimes it’s nice to just blend in and focus on the interior and not the exterior.”

“When people meet me and I’m bare-faced, I’m treated like just another person… Rarely do I receive compliments on my looks or get hit on. But when people meet me when I’m dolled up, it’s a night-and-day difference. As some of my best friends have told me, I come across as ‘intimidating’ and ‘mean.’ I’ve had people tell me that before they got to know me they thought I’d be stuck up”

5. “They all thought this 34-year-old woman was a high-schooler.”

While most of us want to look a little younger, may high school age is a bit extreme. But that’s what this user says she looks like without makeup — and people tell her so!

6. “If I don’t wear makeup, I have zero interest in getting noticed.”

Sometimes makeup tips can be bonding for some women. This user says that since she’s such an avid fan of Sephora, she often gets stopped and asked for tips! That can definitely make the attention you get much more fun.

7. “My husband and kids say I look funny when I wear makeup.”

For this user, makeup is part of the job.

“When I do it’s usually when I work promos or work as a bartender and looking attractive is part of the job. Generally in my daily setting people don’t treat me differently, but most of the time if I wear makeup I’m in a very different situation where my appearance is supposed to be part of the experience and attract attention.”

8. “At the end of the day, I think it’s a confidence thing.”

This user also works a job in customer service, and she says it impacts how much or how little people are friendly to her.

“For some people, makeup helps them feel confident so that shows on the outside and people respond to that. Whereas if you feel less confident and reserved without makeup people also respond to how that reflects on your outside.”

9. “I feel like I look the best when I have makeup on, but I’m at peace with myself all ways.”

“When I am wearing full/club makeup, complete with dark eyeshadow, eyeliner, and lipstick, I notice that people are very, very nice to me. Men approach me more—even with my husband by my side…

…when I am wearing my version of “no makeup” which is barely filling in my brows to make them visible, and a swipe of mascara, I feel like an average person. I am approached way less and garner next to no looks.”

10. “I have never been to work without makeup because once people are used to seeing you every day with it, it can be shocking.”

She also says that she used to think she looked drastically different with and without makeup. Since taking these photos, she’s realized that the difference is minimal and she’s happy with how she looks either way!

11. This user says there’s a difference between makeup and heavy makeup.

“So when I wear heavy makeup – heavy enough that people don’t think I’m a 16-year-old girl, and sometimes with revealing clothes, I can make a few heads turn on the street.

Other times when I don’t wear makeup, or when I wear everyday makeup (eyebrows, eyeliners, blush and lipsticks), usually no one really notices me. Maybe they think, “Hell, who is this child”. No phone number requests. No turning heads… Sometimes it’s annoying when I hit the bar and don’t want to have 5 kilograms of makeup stuffs on my face. The security keeps stopping me.”

12. “Sexual harassment happens everywhere: in Canada, in the U.S., in Peru, in Japan, in Thailand, in Italy, in the U.K., etc.”

This user has traveled to a lot of the world and learned this important lesson: different cultures may have different standards around makeup and clothing, but it doesn’t impact the amount that you will be leered at, unfortunately.

13. “What I CAN say for sure is that men and women alike are a bit nicer to me when I have just a little makeup on, than when I’m wearing none at all. “

This user started wearing makeup when she was feeling insecure, and although she has since toned down her look, she still notices a difference in how people treat her.

14. But this user disagrees.

And she says that maybe it is because with makeup, she might be perceived as intimidating.

She even put it to the test:

“I even tested this out on Tinder: if I had a no makeup selfie as my profile, I have more likes. If I had a selfie full of makeup, I would get very little likes.”

15. “And when I don’t have makeup on my friends ask me if I’m sick”

This user points out that if makeup is a big habit of yours, people might be surprised or worried when you go without it one day!

16. “It is hard to tell if someone has feelings for you or if they are just simply physically attracted to you. This makes dating very difficult.”

Makeup can add some challenges! This user notes that people are nicer and more genuine to her without the makeup.

17. “You shouldn’t depend on it we’re all beautiful!”

This user totally agrees that wearing makeup can impact how people perceive you — but so can going without makeup. For her, wearing makeup makes people act ruder to her, but going without it makes her seem too young. She says it should be a fun pasttime.

18. This user says she gets treated the same regardless.

While she doesn’t elaborate on exactly how she gets treated, it’s safe to say that while most women notice a difference, that can’t be said for all women.

19. “I’m only doing it to appease people around me, not to truly make myself feel confident and most importantly, beautiful.”

This user explains that while she loves doing extreme, artistic makeup, like in the first photo, that can earn just as much ridicule as going without makeup. She has learned that what gets the best response from other people is average, “natural looking” makeup, even though that’s not her favorite.

20. “As I’ve grown comfortable in my skin, I find that I prefer not wearing makeup.”

This user tends to not wear makeup, and has grown more and more okay doing so. But, she notes, this doesn’t mean that all makeup is bad. In fact she says:

“I believe makeup is a remarkable thing…My looks are part of who I am (and inherited). I can make the most of it”

Most women say they get treated different depending on how much makeup they wear.

But the treatment seems to differ. Some women say they are treated nicer when they wear makeup, some women are treated with judgement. Regardless of how anyone looks or styles themselves, we should all be able to live free from judgement!

To read more shocking responses, read here.

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Source: Quora, Science of People