First Impressions & Makeup: What's your Take?

[SarraSanborn]

I'm still shuddering through the first page of icky lipliner!!!

First impressions are necessary. I'd go for the made-up to look like your best you, but pretty darn natural. If you can for an interview always look around and figure out what people there look like because hey, that's what they hire. -- aka just substitute that black liner for brown, and no bright red lips unless you're going into a high-fashion or very fashionable job. 

 

[Its Only Nicole]

Yeah it sucks that this world of full of totally judgemental people.  But what can you do huh, but play by their rules?

 

[TacomaGirl]

I'm Mexican American and have an innate fear of chola eyebrows. I use wax and powder for my eyebrows and usually check to make sure that they're filled in enough. They're naturally thin,so I'm a little paranoid about giving off that vibe, especially if I'm wearing a dark lip. I live in Washington and see the chola look from time to time, most notably on my cousin who has proudly sported that look for a couple of decades. The clown sized eyebrows seriously kill me. I can't even begin to imagine the beauty that would be a senior citizen chola. 

 

[Katie-Gaslight]

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

I find myself feeling like I'm in a tug-o-war with makeup and first impressions, and I'm curious to hear everyone's opinion and/or experiences. Here's my personal xp/thoughts/rants/etc!

Personally, I love wearing dramatic eye makeup--In particular, smokey eyes w/ falsies. When I see another woman with dramatic makeup, I'm always intrigued to see her application and color choice. I look at things with a creative eye, and try as much as possible to not ever judge people based on their makeup choices.

However, a few years (ok many years ......wuhh wuhhhh LOL), I applied for a part-time job at the local credit union. I was in my late teens. I dressed appropriately for the interview (conservative business attire, hair back), had good references and job xp to show, great grades, was polite,..in general "covered the bases."--or so I thought.

Didn't get the job. A friend of mine knew the HR people, and was able to dig up some intell as to why they didn't hire me. To find out, the one HR person said I "looked to sexy."

This REALLY bothered me; looking back I'm thinking it was likely my makeup choice for that interview that  caused the interviewer to not want me as an employee. I didn't have any falsies on (heck I never wore them when I was that age). I did, however, wear liquid liner. The person they ended up hiring wore little to no makeup (if memory serves). So that's my story. Let's hear your thoughts!

i don't mean to attack you, but i don't think it was ONLY because you were "too sexy". maybe they just had better candidates. maybe someone blabbered to HR who wasn't even in charge of hiring new people. 

 

[vicka]

i think people absolutely do judge you based on how much make up you wear

if no make up, most people think you just don't care

if too much most people think you are not too bright, not socially fit, or just slutty.

you have to wear just the right amount in most situations.  

sucks or not such is life, and if you want to win you have to play by the rules.

i'm loving the nars 2 set for a great neutral day shadow (although i haven't bought it yet)

a lot depends on the culture too. around here we have the russian women (i'm one too). they wear CRAZY amount of make up all the time, even to hot yoga class (and don't get me started on the perfume).  so when i'm in my hood which i usually am since my business is here, i can get away with a little more.  when i go into manhattan its much lighter because actually people in manhattan are pretty conservative.

this is pretty typical for a night out for a russian woman:

a "daytime" look

 

[Dinitchka]

I think we are going to get judged no matter what. You either fret about it or shake it off. I'm more of the eff it and shake it off type.

I've only had issues with being called Mexican/Latina and my nail polish, which I used to wear only dark colours. I had a witch of a boss once and she wanted to know why I wore gothic nail polish and gothic clothing. Okay, so I used to wear A LOT of black clothing.

I think most people call me Mexican because I heavily pencil and fill in my brows. Then when I tell them I'm not, I'm asked if I'm Native. I guess that's what I get for living in Oklahoma. I LOVE the chola look but I don't think I could pull it off. LOL!

 

[divadoll]

When your First Impression consists of 95% appearance and 5% action in the first 10 seconds of meeting someone (that 5% is either a smile or a hello or handshake), it is hard not to overlook makeup.  It is after all, the first thing you see.  

Sometimes what you look like works for you and sometimes it works against you. It just depends on the 'eye of the beholder'.  

I have been fortunate that I have mostly been in the positive no matter what I was trying to look like.  I was in a position where I had gone to a job interview to please a friend who was also going to same job interview and begrudgingly ended up getting the job.  I have been fortunate to have a look that people can always interpret in a good way to whatever way they want to interpret.   I have the look and the perceived personality that I'd fit in well where ever I was.  I've been described as someone having characteristics that I would never have considered having but if they are giving my more opportunities because of their impressions, I'd gladly accept.

 

[Doya G]

I think most judge with how you look (makeup wise) and how you dress up. My best friend landed a good engineering job before she used to cover her hair with Hijab.

by her joining date, she was a different person only because she had her hijab on. She heard lots of jokes and snarks about how she wont make it because she was only hired for her looks.

I used to reassure her more than once that its not true, she's a really smart and hard working girl.

and anyways, she looks as sexy with her hijab on as without. and hamdullilah, she's now being promoted and getting bonuses.

I know this is a slightly different, but I think we ourselves tend to think that appearances do matter, and we tend to judge ourselves and others.

 

[divadoll]

 
Do you think she would have been hired if she showed up at the interview in her hijab? 

Originally Posted by Doya G /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I think most judge with how you look (makeup wise) and how you dress up. My best friend landed a good engineering job before she used to cover her hair with Hijab.

by her joining date, she was a different person only because she had her hijab on. She heard lots of jokes and snarks about how she wont make it because she was only hired for her looks.

I used to reassure her more than once that its not true, she's a really smart and hard working girl.

and anyways, she looks as sexy with her hijab on as without. and hamdullilah, she's now being promoted and getting bonuses.

I know this is a slightly different, but I think we ourselves tend to think that appearances do matter, and we tend to judge ourselves and others.

 

[Hellocat4]

I do notice someone's makeup if it's applied pretty.  As far as style, I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to makeup, so again I'd be checking out application, color, etc.  

I have had a woman at my kids' school tell me she liked my eye makeup.  That totally made my day!  I was just getting into the habit of experimenting and doing my makeup daily, so it was nice to hear.  

I got another compliment from an unlikely source.  I had just received my UD 15th Anniversary palette, and was trying out lots of looks (on this day I think I was using junkshow).  Anyway, I was volunteering in my daughter's kindergarten classroom.  A little boy kept staring at my eyes.  Then he said, "You have really pretty eyes".  I know he was referring to my eye makeup though, because it was very vibrant that day.  It was Cute.

 

[eliza7]

I feel depressed when I see a woman with makeup like this.  It's like they want to be feared rather than liked or loved and that is really sad.  I rarely see anyone who takes it to this extreme though.
 

Mexican Chola

 

[eliza7]

I was thinking that teenager sounds too young to be working at a credit union, even with work experience!  I think the best job of all the jobs I had during my teenage years was probably cashier at JCPenney, lol. Still, it's definitely inappropriate for an HR person to ever describe a job candidate as "sexy."
 

Originally Posted by Katie-Gaslight /img/forum/go_quote.gif

i don't mean to attack you, but i don't think it was ONLY because you were "too sexy". maybe they just had better candidates. maybe someone blabbered to HR who wasn't even in charge of hiring new people. 

 

[Katie-Gaslight]

Originally Posted by eliza7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I was thinking that teenager sounds too young to be working at a credit union, even with work experience!  I think the best job of all the jobs I had during my teenage years was probably cashier at JCPenney, lol. Still, it's definitely inappropriate for an HR person to ever describe a job candidate as "sexy."

maybe the hr person was incompetent. dand id the hr person really say sexy? who knows what reasons they had. i never heard of an hr person (and i worked in hr) giving out the real reason to be honest.

google askamanager, she gives great advice and answers interesting questions on job searching an such. in fact, when i was unemployed last i one day read what probably as her ENTIRE blog, rewrote my entire resume, CL and attitute towards job hunting. i applied at my current job, got an interview 2 days later (the appointment) and got the offer literally 2 days after the interview. i couldn't believe it!

i've only had real jobs since i was 18, the one i have right now i like best. haha. actually my first job at 14 (under the table, of course) was typist for a small real estate guy! and i worked at a smoothie bar for 2 years, that was easy as hell. and i learned so many recipes! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  yum!

 

[ladygrey]

This has been such an interesting read! Personally, I've always tried to go as natural looking as possible when I'm going in for a job interview; for every job I've had, I've always tried to dress nicely and look polished. I've only had one job where my boss made comments to me about the way I looked. I worked for the dean of engineering in undergrad, and some of the women who worked in the office with me thought the way I dressed was totally inappropriate. Mind you, the things they found "extremely offensive" were my green Chuck Taylors and the leggings I wore under my skirt so my bum and thighs weren't at risk of hanging out. Needless to say, I found a different job where petty things about my appearance weren't major office issues. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[divadoll]

I'm not sure what I'd do if I was not allowed to wear chuck tailors to work /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  The only time that I'm obligated to wear business wear is when I go to another office and do training or outreach sessions.  Then I have to represent. 

Next week its business cloths for me for 3 days...I'll wear my regular clothes while travelling, I'll suck it up with the jackets, dress pants and skirts and dress for 3 days.  I still do believe that makeup/dress and demeanor is all part of people's first impressions.  I need to make sure that the 100+ people that I make contact with will have the first impressions that I am knowledgeable and worth listening to.  

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

This has been such an interesting read! Personally, I've always tried to go as natural looking as possible when I'm going in for a job interview; for every job I've had, I've always tried to dress nicely and look polished. I've only had one job where my boss made comments to me about the way I looked. I worked for the dean of engineering in undergrad, and some of the women who worked in the office with me thought the way I dressed was totally inappropriate. Mind you, the things they found "extremely offensive" were my green Chuck Taylors and the leggings I wore under my skirt so my bum and thighs weren't at risk of hanging out. Needless to say, I found a different job where petty things about my appearance weren't major office issues. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[mrspotter]

I guess the only thing I really notice/judge about other women and their makeup is when they are older and either 1.) wearing way too much makeup 2.) wearing the wrong sort of makeup and it doesn't help their faces and it just sinks deeper into their wrinkles

I don't really mind bright colors WHEN the time is appropriate, like late at night, at a bar, etc. If it's in the work place that leaves me a little :/

The fact that the company didn't hire you based on your looks is discrimination.

 

[americanclassic]

I second that. I'm sure you were well-qualified and everything, but I doubt makeup was the reason you didn't get the job; I'm sure you did great at the interview, but just think of how many other people you were competing with. imo when it comes to interviews, I feel like the only thing that should stand out is what you have to say--not your clothes, makeup, etc (unless you're selling your image). of course you want to look polished and everything, but you don't want to be referred to as "that chic in the short red skirt and neon makeup" or something. I don't have much experience with interviews so I don't know if that's how it really works, but that's just advice people told me.

how you dress and how you present yourself somewhat depends on context--there are some situations where things are more appropriate, and others where they stand out. my employer was telling me about how at her xmas dinners (she's around 60, mind you) one of her nephews' girlfriends always wore fishnets and short-short skirts and bright makeup--she was a sweet person, but because of how out-of-context her apparel was, that's what stood out in people's first impressions. but on the other hand, you could say props to her for being true to herself and not hiding anything--I guess it just depends on perspective.

Originally Posted by Katie-Gaslight /img/forum/go_quote.gif

i don't mean to attack you, but i don't think it was ONLY because you were "too sexy". maybe they just had better candidates. maybe someone blabbered to HR who wasn't even in charge of hiring new people. 

 

[Doya G]

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


Do you think she would have been hired if she showed up at the interview in her hijab? 

That's a good question. I would love to say yes, but I really can't say.

All I can say, is that years ago, Hijab was an issue for us. You'd still find companies that would hire based on your Hijab. Some prefer women with Hijab, and some dont.

I think it's because a lot feel uncomfortable around women with Hijab and what they "think" it represents. They would be unsure of how act or talk to one without feeling they have crossed some line.

I remember I was hired by an English based company, and it was my English Boss's first visit to an Arab country. He was very unsure on how to be with me at first , but found that I'm really flexible. we talk about movies, music,  I have make up on.. etc.. I dont have "rules" or anything of that sort. He did ask a lot about my culture and religion though. 

So my best friend, with or without hijab, is still as fashionable, as cool as ever.. and is really good at her job. So hopefully she was hired for that. and not based on her "Hijab".