Ask a Guy: "Do Men Actually Notice If a Woman is Wearing Makeup?" (2024)

There are some questions about men that only a guy can answer. We asked the dudes at guyspeak.com (read more about them here), for their take on this dating conundrum:

Q: Do men actually notice if a woman has makeup on or not?

If you are one of those women who paint their face with an industrial size paint roller, then yes, hell yes, ALL men notice. Whether we like it or not is subjective, of course. If you're one of those women who apply a more subtle amount of makeup, then the answer to your query is more complicated. Sure, some guys realize you're wearing makeup, in fact they're not only attuned to it, they're cosmetically knowledgeable:* Babe, I love that purple smokey eye shadow look you do*, or, Babe, I've noticed that Select Moisture blend foundation really evens out your skin—you were right, MAC products are the bomb.

But for every guy like that there are men who only subconsciously register your makeup. They can't quite put their finger on why your look changes day to day—maybe they think your added pop is the result of a good night's sleep, getting out of jury duty or just enjoying their company. In other words, they notice but they don't notice.

The real issue, however, comes when women become makeup purists. When a woman is dolled up 24/7, every single moment of a relationship, inevitably there will come a day when the girl finally rolls up to her man's door makeup-less. It will FREAK A DUDE OUT. It's like seeing grandma without her teeth or Burt Reynolds without a toupee: It's positively jarring.

Now I'm not saying this means you should always be made up; quite the opposite, mix it up—this offers you and the guys a chance to notice and enjoy your natural beauty. I always feel bad for women that are so scared to have men see them without their face made up, that they never do. They're prisoners to the mask. And that's more revealing then anything.