Do you wear makeup to work?
Last month, InHerSight surveyed women on our platform about their makeup habits: whether they wear it or don’t, how often, and how makeup affects their opportunities and how they’re perceived at work. In terms of makeup usage itself, most of the results were mixed, which we sort of expected:
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28% wear makeup daily
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14% wear makeup a few times a week
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18% occasionally wear makeup
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19% rarely wear makeup
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22% never wear makeup
Looking at our own friends and family members—heck, even at our own team—makeup usage varies significantly based on preference, job title, working location, lifestyle, and more. If you’re like me, makeup routines even vary by the day. Some days I don a skin tint (I’m obsessed with this one), eyeshadow, and mascara, and others, I simply show up as I am—no filter.
This flexibility, to wear or not to wear, feels so natural these days, but it wasn’t always this way. In fact, the major “wow” factor of our makeup survey was this finding: 75 percent of women say they don’t feel there is an expectation to wear makeup in their workplace. Maybe I’m just speaking from my experience, but in 2013, when I landed my first office job, this wasn’t the case. Throughout my career, I’ve understood there to be an unsaid—or sometimes said—expectation about women’s makeup, nails, and hair.
Then came the pandemic, remote work, “clean girl” makeup trends, the skin care revolution, and many, many other waves of change that I would hypothesize have affected our views of women’s appearance. Naturally, we asked women about that, too. Here’s what anonymous survey respondents had to say about the changing attitudes toward makeup in the past five years:
“I used to put on a full face of makeup when working. Now I just use it to cover imperfections and enhance my natural beauty. I feel it helps me feel confident in meetings and presentations.”
“Once COVID hit and I started working from home, I stopped caring about wearing makeup when outside the home. Upon returning to working in person, I found I didn't care about wearing makeup (unless I wanted to cover some blemishes).”
“I find that on days I wear makeup, I am more respected.”
“There is an expectation of the ‘no make up, make up’ look. When you don't wear any makeup at all, it is immediately assumed (often to your face) that you are deathly ill and therefore unable to effectively do your job.”
“Younger employees (as a trend) are wearing makeup less. However, I think slightly older employees are stuck in our routine.”
“I worked in a male-dominated industry where when you work makeup someone would comment that you're wearing makeup and if you didn't you looked 'tired' or something else.”
“I believe it’s more accepted to not wear makeup than it ever has been. I believe makeup was a way to see someone as put together but that it is no longer that way.”
“I think that avant-garde makeup is becoming more common in the workplace.”
“Since the pandemic, I feel that the attitude of makeup in the workplace has become more lax. Women's rights and discriminatory behavior have also become a continuous discussion in our society, which I believe has positively impacted the requirements on makeup in the workforce in the last five years.”
“I think it has become more common for women not to wear makeup. I think as a whole the workplace has become a very casual environment to the point where very minimal effort is put into one's appearance.”
“In my opinion, rules regarding appearance have become much more inclusive of all different styles. A person can look polished and professional with or without makeup unless the markup is inappropriate for the workplace in some way.”
“It depends on the industry, but I feel that most women I know or work with have reduced the amount of makeup they wear and the frequency that they wear makeup to work.”
“In my experience, attitudes toward makeup in the workplace have become more inclusive and accepting of personal choice. There is a growing recognition that professionalism is not tied to wearing makeup, and employees are increasingly encouraged to present themselves in ways that feel authentic to them. This shift reflects a broader trend toward valuing diversity and individuality in the workplace.”
“It's not necessary to wear, but I noticed other women looked down on me when I didn't wear it.”
“Attitudes have changed about nails. I used to wear all types of nail colors and designs and people's reactions to it always surprised me. They reacted as if it was too much or edgy for the workplace, or something so bold of a statement. Now it's everywhere.”
“I used to wear makeup to work everyday before the pandemic, but I got out of the habit during COVID lockdowns. When I came back to the office, I realized that no one noticed whether I wore it or not. My mornings are busy enough as it is, so I didn't see the point anymore.”
These are just a few of the insightful responses women shared, and I’d love to hear yours. In your experience, what ways, if any, have attitudes toward makeup in the workplace changed in the past five years?
P.S. - To be sure we’re on the same page, women are qualified and “professional” regardless of whether they wear makeup to work. It shouldn’t matter. But sometimes it does—and historically it has. (This article on dress codes at work adds needed context to this topic.) So, we’re collecting data and insights to gauge whether society is changing. Thanks for adding your voice to our conversation!
