Bare-faced confidence comes with age, new statistics reveal. Forget mascara, lippie and foundation: 46-plus women are anything but concealers.
Half of women let their partners see them with no makeup all the time, research by Fragrance Direct has revealed, and women aged 46-plus are most likely to let a partner see them without cosmetics after spending just one day together.
The bare-faced approach is by far the most popular. Across all the combined age groups, 50 per cent of women go makeup-free around their partners all the time. This surpasses the small number who answered that they never let their partner see them makeup-free (two per cent) and those who answered 'only when I'm ill' (two per cent). Slightly more said they only bare all straight after a shower (four per cent), or just before bed (seven per cent), and more women still (35 per cent) said their partner sees them without makeup 'around the house'. However, the clear favourite indicates that regularly going makeup-free is the preferred choice during a relationship.
The poll found that it is most common to reveal a makeup-free face to a partner within the first month (with 46 per cent of respondents waiting this long). However, women aged over 46 are the quickest to go without cosmetics in front of their partner, with the highest proportion of women who said their partners see them product-free the next day after starting a relationship being in the 46-plus age bracket.
Anne, a 41 year-old personal trainer and weight management coach discusses the possible reasons for the apparent increase in confidence that allows more women aged 46-plus to go makeup-free: "I feel that as you get older, people see you in a different light, or are looking for different things - it's as though they are looking for the 'real' you."
Anne goes on to talk about the role of makeup within a relationship: "There are probably less games to play as you get older, so not wearing makeup at all isn't really a big deal. When you are younger you have the feeling that you need to continuously impress."
Fiona, part of the E-Commerce Team at Fragrance Direct, said: "It's great that people can feel comfortable enough to let their partner see them without makeup, but using cosmetics is not just about covering up. Makeup can play up your best features, offer you a new way to try out the season's colours and give you that sense of occasion."
Anne agrees, saying that makeup has its place on special occasions: "I don't think it ever stops being important to do the full works when you're going out: it should be about clothes and makeup, as opposed to just clothes as it is on a normal day."
With regards to the high number of women aged 46-plus who are happy to go without makeup, Fragrance Direct commented: "It's worth bearing in mind that skincare plays an even more important role than cosmetics in ensuring your face looks its best, so perhaps women within this age bracket prefer to rely on a good beauty regime for the confidence to let their natural beauty shine, letting cosmetics take a back-seat until that special occasion arises."
What are your opinions on bare faced beauty? Can you ditch the makeup for a day? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
