"Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick,” Gwyneth Paltrow is said to have quipped -- and we're sure many women can relate. For most of us, adding that pop of color to our lips or that extra shading to our cheeks is enough to arm us with enough confidence to get through the work day.
But is that a problem? In an interview with Into The Gloss, Robbie Myers delves into the viscous cycle that is wearing makeup to work. The Elle editor in chief says that while makeup may give you confidence, it's best to avoid wearing makeup at your job for as long as possible:
Here’s the problem with makeup at work, and I tell this to people in my office: if you start wearing makeup when you’re young, you’re going to be wedded to it. You get used to seeing your face that way and then you feel naked without it.
And that feeling of vulnerability isn't as misguided as it sounds. In a 2011 study conducted by Harvard University, researchers found that women wearing more makeup were judged to be more competent and likable. So is that reason enough to hit the bathroom for regular makeup touch-ups throughout your work day?
Not quite, says Myers. In fact, she's seemed to notice an opposite trend in the fashion industry:
It’s interesting -- the fashion business takes women who wear no makeup very seriously, which I think is kind of great. If you look at what you’d call the more "senior" members of the fashion class, they don’t wear a ton of makeup. So... do you have to wear makeup to be taken more seriously? No. It’s just a matter of what your look is and how you feel about it.
Some major, barefaced fashion players that come to mind include Sally Singer, Kelly Cutrone, Tonne Goodman... a pretty powerful bunch, if we say so ourselves. But what do you think? Do you see makeup at work as a non-negotiable or would you consider giving up cosmetics?
Who needs makeup, right?
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