How much total time (in minutes) does it take for all the women in America to put on makeup each morning?

Totally depends on the woman, a fashion model would have to wear makeup, a woman farmer, or construction worker not so much.

Minus one. I only put on make-up if me or my kids are getting married.

My wife wears Chapstick, cherry flavor nothing else.

Unless there’s an event, I don’t even wear chapstick. Plus I work from home.

^Gotta have my chapstick with me at all times.
No make up though unless there’s a special event.

@chyna Why are your lips so chapped in summer though? Is it just a habit or do they need it?

It’s a habit. I have chapstick in every room of the house and in my car and purse.

I hate Chapstick – it’s too stiff and I have to tug it across my lips as opposed to sliding it across easily. I’ve used Almay Age Essentials Lip Treatment for years. It’s white (clear) with a pink core in the middle which is sunscreen spf 30.

When I wear make-up, which isn’t often, it takes me 20–25 minutes. I can think of several things men spend a lot of time on, again, like you said, depending on the man. Some spend a lot of time in front of the mirror doing their brows, moisturizing, putting on a scent, etc. Many spend a lot of time with 5-finger Sally.

Personally, I think this is a pretty aggressive use of your time @elbanditoroso. As a woman, I feel attacked, which, of course you’ll respond to and say “ohhh no, that’s not how I meant it!” Save your excuse – it’ll save some time.

Huh?

I don’t wear makeup at all, ever, so I guess whatever the average is, I have brought it down probably by a millionth or something.

@elbanditoroso You know.

I don’t know the average or the sum.

But I do know how much the total is if you multiple how long every women in the world takes to put on makeup. ;)

If you don’t include face lotion, I think your number of how many put on make-ip each day is too high. I would say 110,000,000 on any given day. Some of those women only put on lipstick, but most put on a little more than that and others a full face of make-up. I’d say average 7 minutes.

Foundation
Eyeliner
Blush
Eye shadow
Mascara
Lipliner
Lipstick

I gave one minute each. It takes less for some items and more for others, and some women are quicker and some slower.

I don’t put on make-up every day. Most days I do partial make-up, takes maybe 4 minutes. Other days more glam, about 6 minutes I think. Then less often it takes me 10 minutes for a very nice night out. If I’m going to a very formal party I would slow it down a little more, I would slow down everything.

I think hair takes much longer than make-up for most women.

It’s a lot of time. IMO makeup can make a big difference in how someone looks but our culture often takes it too far. We don’t celebrate how people really look and when I see someone in heavy makeup, I don’t find it attractive. It usually has the opposite effect. Ladies who know what they’re doing and apply makeup where you can’t really detect it do end up looking more attractive. That’s understandable. I just don’t get the obvious, heavy makeup thing. It must be used as some other status-signaling function

Kind of a sexist question. Why not include males who do this ritual?

Silly question, and waaaaay too general. When I had shingles in 2009 I used some cover up on my facial lesions, took maybe 5 seconds to apply.

More time than usual (chapstick takes a couple of seconds) less time probably than my 16 year old neighbor prepping for her prom.

@Forever_Free I was going to ask a similar male question depending on the response to the female-related question, depending on the response to this question.

It’s amazing to me how a person can get castigated for having the temerity to ask a question about women.

How naïve you are, @elbanditoroso, if you think such an oft criticized topic (the time women spend on make-up) can be reduced to “a question about women”.

No more than a few hours, accounting for the fact that people tend to get up at different times.

@elbanditoroso No castigation intended. Apologies if that was how is sounded. I just feel that there are enough products out there on the market to signify inclusivity and chiming in on all genders.

@Forever_Free I agree with you and @canidmajor. I think it is sexist and it’s why I hinted at that in my response. I wasn’t offended until I read: “Is this the most productive use of time?” To me, that sounds aggressive, sexist in context, and belittling.

It is quite paradoxical that men complain and mock women spending time to do makeup, when this is the expectation foisted upon them by male dominated society. Men expect women to be pretty for them, and then complain when they spend time on doing so.

Men generally don’t give a shit about makeup and often see it as something women do to compete with other women. That’s the blunt answer. Don’t shoot the messenger. The paradox is when women do makeup right, it can make a big difference in how they are perceived and most people won’t even gauge how much it does matter.

It’s not sexist. Some men use make-up, but very few do a full face of make-up. The comparison would be shaving in the morning for men.

While some may not consider it sexist, the question was asked if women are spending their time wisely.
I take my statement back about it being sexist. I feel it is misogynistic.

@Blackwater_Park I agree. I asked my husband if he’d like me to do myself up more even though I work at home and he said absolutely not.
Make-up does do a lot for some women, myself included, but I’m not out looking for e terior validation or a man, so why ruin my skin with all those chemicals. (I know not all are horrible but generally speaking most are not great.)

When a man loves you, he does not care if you have makeup on or lounge around the house in PJs. If anything, when you are more comfortable and relaxed, he will be too.

Well, while we’re on the subject of whether men care or not, let’s examine some of the facts. Millions of women work in offices, where their male bosses insist on them wearing make-up. Men comment frequently to women’s faces about make-up, too much, not enough, what they would prefer women do, based on what they like.

And really, @elbanditoroso, rethink your math. 150 million women are not putting on a full face (or any) make-up. Probably less than a third of that, likely not even that many. So we, as an inclusive gender thing, are not wasting the time you think we are. <eyeroll>

@canidmajor “Millions of women work in offices, where their male bosses insist on them wearing make-up” This is 2024, not 1984. I can tell you have been out of the workforce for quite some time.

I think many men don’t realize when most women are wearing makeup. I’ve heard men say “I don’t care if a woman wears makeup” or comments like that, but yet they will turn their heads if a glamorous looking woman walks by, who has eye makeup, lipstick, etc. on. I know for myself, I will have more men talking to me, looking at me and being nice to me when I wear makeup. When I don’t have makeup on, I think I tend to look bland. Just my personal opinion. Perhaps part of it is that I have more confidence with makeup on. I don’t wear what is sometimes referred to as a “full face.” I wear moisturizer which has sunscreen in it and I wear eye makeup, and sometimes lipstick. I don’t cover my face in foundation or put blush on.

I never wear makeup. (Shrug)

@Blackwater_Park nope, even in 2024 it’s still prevalent. My friends who worked from home as secretaries and administrative assistants and the like didn’t wear make-up. When they got back into the office it was “suggested” that they return to make-up use. If they demurred, it was “suggested” again, and maybe again until they complied. Just to avoid the hassle, most of them did. Good on you that you don’t have to deal with that, or even have to notice it.

@jca2 Yes!! I got a spray tan (no red dye) a few weeks ago for pictures and it was terrible. Men were checking me out more than usual to the point I mentioned it to my husband jokingly.
They may not all be like that but some definately prefer dolled up.

@Blackwater_Park My husband made me throw out all sweatpants, he hates them. But guess who wears his around the house?!

When I used to wear it for work it took a few minutes. Maybe 10.

When I worked at Boeing in the late 70s, I didn’t wear make up one day. No less than 3 men asked if I was sick!

If I need to be taken seriously I usually put make-up on. Women are often dismissed if they look “plain.”

If someone knows me having make-up on, if I skip wearing it, it is not unusual for that person to ask me if I’m ok or if I’m not feeling well.

My daughter spends a full hour and a half. Most done at the kitchen table, the rest in the rear view mirror.

My wife and daughter don’t wear any makeup unless they’re going out fancy to a wedding or some such.

They do use moisturizer at night and my daughter loves her lip balm.

@canidmajor I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you. That would be an instant lawsuit in today’s work environment. Any hint of sexism today, and the hammer goes down. The exception is in small, family-owned companies that have not gotten the message yet that they’re vulnerable if they let that slide. Even “administrative assistant” is old school and has been replaced by “Administrative coordinator” or “executive specialist.” “Secretary” is really old boomer lingo.

@KNOWITALL I’m sorry your husband is a bit of an asshole if I may be blunt.

^^^^ Most men are @Blackwater_Park. They just don’t realize it.

And I believe @Canidmajor 100%.

Are you a man by any chance @Blackwater_Park?

@Dutchess That is not true. Most men aren’t assholes. I’m sorry you’ve been treated to feel like they are.

Agreed @jonsblond

Most men don’t want to be told that most men are assholes.

^^ Maybe not, but @jonsblond and I are female and we don’t think most men are assholes.

Being a man, I was offended by the most men are assholes.
With that are most women just gold digging back stabbers?

@Forever_Free “They hated Jesus because he told them the truth.”

Fun piece of trivia:
When the data of Ashley Madison, the “dating site” for people who wanted to cheat on their spouses, it turned out that 95% of active users on the site were men, and most of the female accounts were bots.

@Dutchess_III I expect that coming from you. You have issues with men and have clearly been hurt by them. Saying “most men are assholes” is exactly the same as saying “most women are bitches” It’s largely untrue.

Saying “most ANYTHING is ANYTHING” is largely untrue. That is how stereotypes work.

It’s pretty pathetic, that EVERY thread that mentions gender, is automatically blown into some misogynistic mountain.
And ALWAYS, by the same jellies.
Jellies I have high regard for, until they start this crap.

In case it’s not somehow glaringly obvious, repeatedly acting this way only undermines and devalues your positions on subjects that ARE sexist.
How am I supposed to understand anything, if EVERYTHING is treated like this?

Are you scoring points for women’s rights, by doing this?
Or are you galvanizing negative opinions about women being too emotional or overreacting?

I recently mentioned that women hurt their own interests, by presenting themselves as sexual objects.
Of course, right away, a familiar jelly said that I support rape with that opinion.

This question (originally) asks a simple question. Is the time women spend on vanity, a productive use of you time?

It’s tempting to opine that women would have contributed FAR more to advances in science, medicine, and technology, if they weren’t so concerned about their appearance.
However. The jellies here, indicate that perhaps they don’t have more to offer, because they can’t even have a conversation.

“All men are assholes.”

Wow. That is some very deep, and thoughtful insight.

As that has not been Moded, I guess I have a license to say something equally absurd. Or demand it be removed.

However. As always, I prefer for people’s ignorance to stay, forever as a symbol of their true colors.

And so, I LOVE that on the same thread men are under attack, it was a female, who acted as they claimed men do.

And yes, many of these same jellies take pleasure in constantly inferring that one of their own is a prostitute.
I pity you ladies.
Now.
Start a lurve party with each other, by joining forces against your “oppressors,” like you ALWAYS do.
Just don’t waste your time trying to be taken seriously seriously.
Because you DO ACT, as if you are inferior, when you could be making actual points that uphold your position.

For the ladies here, who did not exhibit childlike, or sexist behavior, I commend you.
You are actually helping all of us.

I wear a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen and some eyeliner. Two minutes.

I’m pleasantly surprised at how many of the jellies here don’t wear makeup or only wear it for special occasions.
My mom, who was born in the 30’s would not have gone out of the house without makeup. It wasn’t even that noticeable to me, but she had to have foundation, mascara and lipstick or she wasn’t dressed.
This was up to a little before she died at age 80.

@chyna When I was working, I always wore makeup to work. When I say “makeup” I don’t mean foundation. I never wore foundation. People always tell me I have great skin so I never felt a need to wear it. I wouldn’t always wear lipstick, just because I often forgot to put it on, but it’s always with me.

Now that I’m not working, 50/50 will I put makeup on. Sometimes I am running around and I feel nobody cares. If I’m going out with friends or to visit someone, I’ll wear it. I feel it enhances my looks, so I will wear it then, but for running shopping or to run errands, then maybe/maybe no.

In the city I grew up in, mostly everyone wore makeup. When I got a job and was put in a department in what I would refer to as “upstate” most women did not wear makeup. I called it “the upstate look.” haha

Foundation protected women’s faces from the sun back before spf. The idea that make-up was bad for skin is not true regarding protection from the sun, but maybe regarding other properties in make-up.

That’s why even way back years ago women would say you could tell age by a woman’s neck, our necks were not protected.

Smoking also caused wrinkles, so that was an additional factor back then.

@JLeslie – I use a moisturizer that has SPF in it, and I put it all over my face and neck, to the top of my chest. I have friends whose decolletage (top of chest area) is full of spots and is what is referred to as “crepey” meaning it’s wrinkley like crepe paper. I don’t have that, and I credit the sunscreen. That’s one thing I do, even if I don’t wear makeup, I put the moisturizer with sunscreen on. When I was 30, I went to a dermatologist and asked “what can I do to reduce the signs of aging?” and he recommended a moisturizer with sunscreen, just an over the counter brand, all over the face.

@jca2 I used to love to get my décolletage area tan, and unfortunately I burned the area more than a few times too. The damage shows. I regret it. I don’t have a lot of spots I have wrinkles. My neck also shows a lot of age. In my 20’s I started using spf fairly religiously on my face, but not my neck and chest unfortunately. I didn’t start doing that until my late 30’s.

My mom used to put spf 4 on us when we were little kids and I didn’t always use it when she wasn’t around. I had some really bad burns, but not blistered. I remember my dad having scorching sunburns a few times. I remember seeing him in a lot of pain.

I think spf was introduced in the 1970’s?

People older than us didn’t really have good sun protection when they were young, except staying out of the sun, clothing, hats.

@JLeslie Also, wearing sunglasses is important to try to prevent cataracts.

When I was little, I think what was sold for the sun was called “suntan lotion.” I don’t know how well it prevented burns. I think somewhat, but maybe it didn’t shield against the bad rays.

My mom used to tell me all of the time to wear my sunglasses to protect my eyes, and I didn’t listen much when I was younger. I have very slight cataracts, but I can’t tell, I see very well.

My mom too @Chyna. She always said “You never know who you’re going to meet.”
And she was beautiful Man!