First Impressions & Makeup: What's your Take?

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Originally Posted by arcybarrios /img/forum/go_quote.gifIn regards to the cholas, I think this type of group predominates in California. In Texas they are not seen as much as they are in L.A. some of those girls can be SCARY! Guys too.
No idea what the girls in Cali do but that's the look up in my part of Washington state! LOL

Oh speaking of looks and first impressions.

Years ago on my local news was this very pretty news reporter. Very pretty but her makeup. I cringed at her eyebrows because she would draw them on with this dark brown liner. It was absolutely distracting. One day I saw her in person and told her, nicely, that her eyebrows were distracting because they were overdrawn and that she should switch to a wax and powder since it's softer and not harsh like the liner. A few days later when she was next on air she took my advice and switched. Much better and from my understanding, this was long before Facebook or that the station had a website, people responded better to her and eventually she got a job as a news anchor in a larger city. Least that's what the station manager later told me (about the response) since I did talk to him about her once asking how did she like her new job and if he had heard from her. Smallish town here.

Here's another local reporter. She's gorgeous but on the HD channel you can see she uses too much white shimmer powder on her inner eyes near the tear ducts and down her nose. It's really distracting. In this picture you don't see it since the picture is over exposed, she looks washed out here. But at least her eyebrows look natural not drawn on in the wrong color.



 
Personally my idea of what is appropriate for a job interview should really be what you would wear for a bridal makeup application. not overly done  but still beautiful...and definitely not shocking in anyway. i call the look i'm talking about "i'm a makeup artist who makes people look pretty, not scary" type look. for interviews i usually go pencil eyeliner in brown, and lighter but complementing beauty eyeshadow and face. usually just a glossed lip as well. I do this on purpose for myself because I am too aware of people perceive my makeup, and at a job interview I feel like I ought to be on equal ground with all interview potentials. Same thing goes with whenever I know I am meeting someone new, I have this really beef with being judged for makeup over who I am so I feel like I need to be super careful with important first impressions in many areas.

 
^^ I really do think people take you less seriously when you have on a lot of makeup or flashy clothes, etc.

 
Some of these stereotypes are true, but you'd be surprised. . .

-Most people think I'm Mexican and I hardly EVER wear extreme makeup. And hardly anyone can guess what I am. . . Unless they know already.

Originally Posted by zadidoll /img/forum/go_quote.gif

When I see a woman in her 20s to 30s with no makeup I think, "busy mom". When I see someone abusing white liner and they're Hispanic, I think Mexican gang banger. Older women with bright blue or pink I think stuck in the 1980s! LOL Most women I know tends to keep their makeup neutral.

Like I posted some place, I'm Hispanic and when I see other Hispanics wearing their makeup a certain way I can tell they're either Brazilian, Colombian, Mexican, American or some of Latin American nationality. Brazilian women tend to be wear more makeup but tastefully done while Mexican women and girls overkill with the white. Colombian and other Latin American women and girls are more neutral and soft. American Hispanics - depending on how influenced they are by their family and friends - tend to wear more neutral but do play it up. I've never met a Cubano (aka Cuban) but the women are alot like Brazilians and play up their makeup.



Ana Roza - Brazilian



Selena Gomez - American Tex-Mex with Italian.



Mexican Chola



Valerie Domínguez - Colombian



Gloria Estefan - Cuban


 
Most women in my country hardly wear makeup daily, apart from the eyes, but the shadows are neutral. Those who do wear something more extravagant, well they must be in the "business", or they just do too much, but most people just don't care, i live in a big city so i think goths get more frowns than i. I don't think i've ever been judged on my makeup for a job interview but considering i tone it down and wear a neutral face, i guess i am influenced too.

The law world in my opinion, especially lawyers, are just stuck up people. I never wear dramatic makeup at work, but if i want to wear colored eyeliner, i do.

By the way, i love Garcia from Criminal Minds too ! Her style rocks !

 
Originally Posted by angels41105 /img/forum/go_quote.gif




Law is my dream career as well. I know how do look professional and still glam. Every time i interview with a firm though my mom has to remind me not to wear my usual eyeshadow
icon_rolleyes.gif
HA good for you!!!  I'll live my law career through you then.  :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
Wow it was so interesting hearing everyone's responses. It seems like whether you see makeup through an artistic lens (or NOT), the bottom line is--other people will. I guess it's a balance/restraint issue as well....kind of a "time and place" situation. Thanks for all the input!

 
This has been a funny thread to go through. I couldn't help but think of when I was working for a large medical corporation. At the time (1998), I was also "doing the Mary Kay thing" a bit. My boss would have to go down to the city (NYC) for business.  One time he came in the office after a trip to NYC and called me in his office, and asked me to shut the door.  Holy crap, I thought I was getting a pink slip for lunch.  So he says to me, "Listen... I need to ask you a question. You're in the makeup business. Is it normal for women to wear dark lip liner and light or white lipstick... or even no lipstick at all?  Because I see people doing this down in the city all the time and... personally?.... it doesn't work for me. Is there a reason for it?  Is it in style?"  I had to remember that I was in corporate assistant mode, and even though I wanted to burst out laughing at his seriously inquiring questions, I had to answer this professionally.... as not just a corporate rep but as a makeup professional as well.  

I told him, "I see it a lot. And to be honest? It makes me cringe. In MY opinion, it's not right. And if it IS in style?.... it's not my style and not how I teach customers to wear it."

He sat there deep in thought, I'm sure imagining the last girl he saw like this.  "I see. Thank you."

And that was that!  I will ALWAYS remember that day, as I advised a man, wondering if something in our world of makeup was right or wrong. He's lucky I just stopped when I did... I probably could have talked makeup to him till he fell asleep in his dinner.

But in the world of "first impressions", this man was thinking that some women he was meeting had weird lip liner on. It might not have affected how he thought of them on a professional level, but it was what he noticed first. 

I love my makeup, I wear it with pride, I believe I know how much is too much and not enough, and I think I do a hell of a job making myself look and feel the best me I can be. Honestly... isn't that what's important?  

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by SassyAuburn /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I love my makeup, I wear it with pride, I believe I know how much is too much and not enough, and I think I do a hell of a job making myself look and feel the best me I can be. Honestly... isn't that what's important?  
Loved your story and really liked this last bit!! Great way to resume things!

 
I had kind of a similar experience to this. There was once this woman propositioning me about buying from Mary Kay and she was going on about how much she loved their foundations. I asked her if she was wearing it and she said she was wearing it. The foundation didn't look like it had that much coverage (on her at least) and her makeup was so simple (I don't think she was wearing any). I think when you tell people you are a makeup artist or sell makeup people expect you to look a certain way and be made up because you're selling your service. I wouldn't go to MAC and ask the SA about makeup if her makeup looked like crap...or get hair advice from someone who calls theirself a "stylist" while their hair looks like a nest of crap.

Originally Posted by Its Only Nicole /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I really try to not judge people on their makeup or appearance.  When I first started my job where I'm at now, I didn't wear makeup for the first year.  I remember talking to girls on the line and one in particular.. I was talking about makeup.. I told her, if she ever wanted me to do hers, I would love to try... she just brushed me off.. saying.. only she does her makeup.  Whatever.. she just assumed that I knew basically nothing about it because I never wore it.. well now.. since I wear it quite often.. I have her and other girls asking me all the time for makeovers.

And Zadi I am Mexican... and the only white eyeliner you will see on me.. is NYX JEP in Milk as a base.. and in for highlight and inner corners.....and I actually don't tend to wear neutral.

I also Luuuuuuuuuuurve my bright pinks.. and blues, but I'm defnitely not stuck in the 80s. I just adore bright colors!


 
For me all of this makeup/work intersection is hard. I'm always telling my mom how i want to volunteer in the makeup room for our church productions (which are actually very elaborate schows). And how I's be really good at it. And a friend of mine who is lebanese is always saying I'd do well there, doing their bridal makeup and such. If you don't know what some of their brides look like i highly suggest going to youtube. Def will inspire.

But alas,I settle on a career of law. simply becuase I feel it will give me more of an income. I'm split brain, wired for both art and argumentation. I have also toyed with the idea of starting my own line. That would be a major undertaking but I have ideas for crazy colors, and whacky combinations of things.

 
Originally Posted by KaytieBaybie /img/forum/go_quote.gif


I had kind of a similar experience to this. There was once this woman propositioning me about buying from Mary Kay and she was going on about how much she loved their foundations. I asked her if she was wearing it and she said she was wearing it. The foundation didn't look like it had that much coverage (on her at least) and her makeup was so simple (I don't think she was wearing any). I think when you tell people you are a makeup artist or sell makeup people expect you to look a certain way and be made up because you're selling your service. I wouldn't go to MAC and ask the SA about makeup if her makeup looked like crap...or get hair advice from someone who calls theirself a "stylist" while their hair looks like a nest of crap.

This makes me think of the people selling diet pills (around town, not tv) and they are not slim or fit at all. 

 
Originally Posted by KaytieBaybie /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 I think when you tell people you are a makeup artist or sell makeup people expect you to look a certain way and be made up because you're selling your service. I wouldn't go to MAC and ask the SA about makeup if her makeup looked like crap...or get hair advice from someone who calls theirself a "stylist" while their hair looks like a nest of crap.
Agreed. I was always given the visual "You wouldn't go to a dentist with bad teeth, would you?"

If I am feeling good about how I did my makeup, how I'm dressed, the ATTITUDE I'm carrying with me that day, I never hesitate to tell people I'm a professional blogger in the makeup & fashion industry. If I'm flying out the door at 7am because my kids missed the bus and I had to pump gas and someone I hadn't seen in forever asked me what I was doing with myself now?  "Oh, I'm a proud mom of two awesome teens" serves the purpose.

Good point, KaytieBaybie. VERY good point.

 
You know when I was about 12 I went to see a nutritionist and she was probably around 300 lbs. 

 
If I remember right, my middle school and high school gym teachers smoked like chimneys and were about 70 lbs. overweight.........

 
LOL, our HS gym teacher's name was Mrs Heman (he-men) and she looked like a muscular guy.  She was ex marine or something she scared the crap outta me!

 
bwhahah you crack me up! I had a tennis coach names Mrs. Herman. lolz...

Originally Posted by Bonnie Krupa /img/forum/go_quote.gif

LOL, our HS gym teacher's name was Mrs Heman (he-men) and she looked like a muscular guy.  She was ex marine or something she scared the crap outta me!


 
what about the physical trainers who are way above the average weight but have clients to put them in shape?!?!?!

 
Originally Posted by angels41105 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

For me all of this makeup/work intersection is hard. I'm always telling my mom how i want to volunteer in the makeup room for our church productions (which are actually very elaborate schows). And how I's be really good at it. And a friend of mine who is lebanese is always saying I'd do well there, doing their bridal makeup and such. If you don't know what some of their brides look like i highly suggest going to youtube. Def will inspire.

But alas,I settle on a career of law. simply becuase I feel it will give me more of an income. I'm split brain, wired for both art and argumentation. I have also toyed with the idea of starting my own line. That would be a major undertaking but I have ideas for crazy colors, and whacky combinations of things.
I've really realized that having that balance is huge!  My husband and I just opened a skateboard store, and though I know everything about retail, I am not that into skateboarding myself.  Thank goodness I can still have my freelance career on the side or I would go nuts.  I say DEFINITELY volunteer for the productions, and Lebanese bridal makeup is beautiful and so fun!  If you can carve out a few Saturdays for that it will make your creative soul happy.  I would also love to start a line, but I would only do it if I had unlimited time and money.  :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
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