Some men prefer the natural look, some claim makeup is deception, and others all are for it. We’re looking at it from all angles to get an insight into the complicated minds of men. We took a look at a whole range of articles online so that we could make sense of the entire host of opinions, both negative and positive out there.

First up, we went back to the archives with an article from get the gloss published in 2015. The team spoke to 15 men to get their verdict when it comes to how much makeup they’d like a woman to wear. The consensus was that less is most definitely more, with the majority preferring the use of makeup to enhance natural features opposed to masking them. They also found that big no no’s for men seem to be caked-on foundation, visibly fake tan, brightly colored eyeshadows and badly drawn on eyebrows. 

Of course, a man’s idea of au’ natural might actually consist of a whole range of products. Us girls know that to achieve a ‘barely there’ makeup look, we might actually require a surprising amount of products to get that glow. The bulk of the articles we came across mirrored these results, with over 50 men across multiple articles favoring natural makeup.

In 2017, allure released an article detailing '12 beauty mistakes that turn men off'. It appears that not too much has changed over the years as again, bright colors and too much foundation made the list. But it seems the beauty standards expected by men have increased significantly with smoky-eye overload, sticky lip gloss, overdone eyelashes, and dry skin also on what appears to be a growing list of no's. Perhaps some of these are a little unrealistic thanks to airbrushing, filters, and men generally asking for too much?

Last year, the metro released an article slamming men that felt entitled to share their opinion when it came to the subject. As the years have gone on, it seems like the subject is not up for debate as women put their foot down and continue to do whatever works best with them. 

Although most men probably don’t understand precisely how makeup is applied, how much it costs, or how to achieve the perfect natural look, they seem happy enough to share their opinions when it comes to how much women should be wearing and why. Will you be changing the way you wear makeup for the benefit of men? We certainly won’t! If you’d prefer an extra 30 minutes in bed as opposed to applying a full face of makeup, go for it. If you want to wear a full face of makeup every day, we’re here for it too! You do you, girl!