0:00:02 > 0:00:05I won't go out without putting my face on.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07And I'm not the only one.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11This is the daily routine for many women across Wales.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17But it takes time and money.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20The average woman spends two years of her life
0:00:20 > 0:00:24putting on an estimated ?12,000-worth of cosmetics.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26So why do we do it?
0:00:26 > 0:00:30And who are we really doing it for?
0:00:30 > 0:00:32I think girls will say that it's for themselves,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35but I think it will always be for other people as well.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Well, I've got to wear it, it's like a mask to me, you know.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Because I feel naked without it then.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44I'm 82, me, now. And I'm 88.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47And you love make-up? Yes. Yes.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52It seems to me men are judged on their intelligence
0:00:52 > 0:00:55and competence, while women are judged on their looks.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59I do care when people assume that I'm probably a little bit stupid
0:00:59 > 0:01:02because I like lipstick.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05For men, make-up is a mystery.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I don't see why girls do this. It's too much effort.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11I'd rather look shocking.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15But some experts believe it is only for the men that we wear it.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18When girls go out on a night out and they wear lots of make-up
0:01:18 > 0:01:20and they show a lot of flesh, they're saying,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22"I've got eggs, I'm fertile."
0:01:22 > 0:01:24I can't.... Sorry, I can't believe you're saying this!
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Our face is our identity,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31so is it wrong to use make-up to try to make the best of it?
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Or by wearing it, are we distorting ourselves,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37therefore creating a caricature, or a stereotype of women?
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Ultimately, as I talk to you now,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42am I covering up just an uneven complexion
0:01:42 > 0:01:47or am I hiding insecurities behind a mask of make-up?
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Believe it or not, I wasn't that interested in make-up
0:01:59 > 0:02:01until I was well into my teens.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03For a while there, I was even a bit of a tomboy.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06But once I got into it, I loved it.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09And I've barely had a day without it since.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13But I can't help wondering, have the pressures on young women changed
0:02:13 > 0:02:16even in the short time since I was a youngster?
0:02:22 > 0:02:23Much as they are lovely...
0:02:24 > 0:02:28These four young women are preparing for a typical night out.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30You're not putting falsies on? No.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32I'm too tired.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36The conversation is all about make-up and how much to wear.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Without it, I look about 12.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Oh, yeah, yeah, I still get ID'd.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Yeah. It's like, we have to prove our age by wearing make-up.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Getting ready is a serious business.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50The girls each spend between ?50 and ?100 a month on cosmetics.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54On a night out, drinking with friends, putting your make-up on, it's the best.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It's quite sociable as well. We always get ready with the girls.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00After about an hour, they're ready to hit the town.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Girls, you're all glammed up and looking gorgeous.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Grace, how long did it take you, honestly?
0:03:10 > 0:03:15Probably about an hour. An hour? Yeah. We were being sociable.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19You know, the chatting, the drinking. Yeah.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21And what's the average time?
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Yeah, it's normally about an hour every day for me.
0:03:24 > 0:03:25An hour every day of make-up? Yeah.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Would you ever go out without make-up?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Never anywhere. Why? I just don't feel confident enough.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36I was saying earlier, even swimming, I wear my entire face going.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Well, the girls look fabulous.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43But the fashion certainly seems to have changed
0:03:43 > 0:03:46since I was young. It used to be simple.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49And now it seems to have become a bit of an art.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51No longer do you need to be a Hollywood film star
0:03:51 > 0:03:55to put false eyelashes on, everyone seems to be doing it.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58But where has this commitment to cosmetics really come from?
0:03:58 > 0:04:03Since the dawn of humankind, us women have been applying colour,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06oils and creams to enhance our looks.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Celebrity culture and Hollywood have turned that fascination
0:04:10 > 0:04:13into a multi-billion pound industry.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18From simple powders and lippies, we've moved on to foundations,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21primers, correctors, concealer and creams,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24lip tint, lip balm, lip stain, lip liner,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26lip plumper, lip booster and lip gloss.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Rouge, blusher, bronzer, highlighter,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30eye shadows, eye creams,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32eyeliner, eyebrow wax, pencils and pens,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35mascara, volumising mascara, strengthening mascara,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38smoky eye mascara, lengthening and conditioning mascara.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Oh, and lest we forget, good old falsies.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43SHE SIGHS
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Now more than a quarter of a million people are employed
0:04:47 > 0:04:49in the beauty industry across the UK,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53and we have more than our fair share of those jobs here in Wales.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56This is Coleg y Cymoedd in Nantgarw, near Caerphilly,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59where the salons are filled with women
0:04:59 > 0:05:01training to become beauticians.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04It's an excellent place to meet somebody who believes
0:05:04 > 0:05:07a woman's interest in make-up is not just something
0:05:07 > 0:05:09light and fanciful,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12it's a biological necessity.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Evolutionary psychologist Dr Lance Workman.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Lance, what exactly is an evolutionary psychologist?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Well, if we look at traditional psychologists,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25they're interested in what's going on in the mind and the brain
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and what's going on here and now, very much.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30But evolutionary psychologists, they're also interested in that,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32but they look at another layer of explanation.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36It's what happened in our evolutionary past to create
0:05:36 > 0:05:37the repertoire of behaviours we have today
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and what's going on in the mind now.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42And this really helps when we come to look at things like
0:05:42 > 0:05:43why do people wear make-up, for example.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Part of the reason I'm on this journey is because
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I don't like the idea that I'm in some way
0:05:48 > 0:05:51forced to wear make-up. Am I? No, you're not.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54All the findings... Some feminist theorists, not all,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57some have claimed that it's actually patriarchal society
0:05:57 > 0:05:58that forces women to wear make-up.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01But the evidence is actually quite the reverse.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04If you look at highly patriarchal societies, women wear less make-up.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Men control things and they decide women shouldn't be wearing make-up,
0:06:08 > 0:06:09which is interesting.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13If you look at very equal societies, women choose to wear more make-up.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16If you're in a country where lots of women are wearing lots of make-up,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18you'll find that's a country where things,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21there's a lot of equality there. It's a signal of it.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22So women choose to do that.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24No woman should ever be forced to wear make-up
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and men certainly don't force women to wear make-up.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28It's a sign of equality in my eyes.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31So, why do women like myself wear make-up?
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Well, women have to show sexiness to show that they're fertile.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38And when girls go out on a night out and wear lots of make-up,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40and they show a lot of flesh,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42they're saying, "I've got eggs, I'm fertile."
0:06:42 > 0:06:45I can't believe... Sorry, I can't believe you're saying this!
0:06:45 > 0:06:47They don't know they're saying that,
0:06:47 > 0:06:48it's not at a conscious level. Right.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52But an evolutionary analysis of sexual selection tends to suggest
0:06:52 > 0:06:55cross-culturally, that's what women actually do.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Lipstick is probably one of the most important things.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01We know that when a woman is aroused, her lips go red.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Especially in young women. So wearing lipstick is successful.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08They've studied... I'm really conscious now, stop looking at me!
0:07:08 > 0:07:13Sorry! Sorry about that! I'm not wearing red lipstick any more.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Red is the number one colour.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18It's the most popular and it's the most popular with men as well.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20They've done studies in bars,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22and if you put women without make-up, the women with lipstick
0:07:22 > 0:07:25attract a lot more men to them than the women without.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Well, that was quite an amusing theory.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Lance hasn't quite convinced me that we are wearing make-up
0:07:35 > 0:07:38to attract a mate, although a lot of it does add up.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Every choice I make in the morning is affecting what people
0:07:41 > 0:07:44think of me, which I hadn't really considered before.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46I thought I was making the choices.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51But the idea that we're trying to attract a mate
0:07:51 > 0:07:52doesn't make sense to me.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54There's got to be more to it than this.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Evolutionary theory tells us that
0:07:58 > 0:08:00this interest in make-up is instinctive.
0:08:00 > 0:08:06And, yes, some young girls find a make-up box fascinating.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07But others don't.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Student Jessie-Ann Lewis writes a make-up blog called
0:08:17 > 0:08:19All Things Beautiful.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Where did her love of make-up come from?
0:08:22 > 0:08:23I've always liked make-up.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24I used to dance when I was younger,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26so I used to wear stage make-up.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29But I think it was probably when I was about teenage years,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32experimenting with different styles and things,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34that I really got into make-up.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Now I guess it's kind of second nature to me, really,
0:08:37 > 0:08:38as it is for a lot of women in Wales.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I think it's kind of part of your daily routine.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45You put it on without having any second thoughts about it, really.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47And your first job was in a make-up store, wasn't it?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50What did you learn about women's obsession, perhaps,
0:08:50 > 0:08:51with their appearance?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54I think for a lot of women, they used to come in the store
0:08:54 > 0:08:57not just to look good, but to feel good as well.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00So while they used to come in for their skincare essentials,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02for make-up, it was more of a treat.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05So it was kind of, if they've had a good week,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and thought, "I'll treat myself to a new lipstick."
0:09:08 > 0:09:09I think it was... I was quite shocked
0:09:09 > 0:09:12that it was more about feeling good rather than just looking good.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I do believe that sometimes,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17when women care about putting loads of make-up on,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19maybe spend half an hour in the morning
0:09:19 > 0:09:21and they touch up through the day, they are considered sometimes
0:09:21 > 0:09:24too superficial to be, perhaps, successful businesswomen.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28What do you think? I think there is a lot of perceptions around
0:09:28 > 0:09:31that people who wear make-up can sometimes be seen as an airhead,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33or that sort of thing.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35And quite superficial.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37But I don't think that's true.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40There's a lot, myself and a lot of my friends, we've done our degrees,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44we're training to be teachers, working in journalism and things.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47So I think it's a massive misconception, yeah.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54When you walk through the make-up counters of any department store,
0:09:54 > 0:09:59it is simply astounding to see the variety of products on offer.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01So what about Swansea girls of all ages?
0:10:01 > 0:10:03What's their relationship with make-up?
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Do you think you would ever go out without make-up?
0:10:07 > 0:10:10No. I look as if I'm something from Day Of The Dead.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12I haven't got much colour anyway.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16In the evenings, I use a lot of...oil.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20I feel confident, but I feel more confident when I wear make-up.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Then I get a bit of bush, whatever you call it!
0:10:27 > 0:10:31How long does it take you? Two... Well, three minutes at most?
0:10:31 > 0:10:33I go like that.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35So here I am, right?
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Would you ever, ever, ever step out of the house without make-up?
0:10:39 > 0:10:41No, only for the gym.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45I even wear make-up to the gym, so...!
0:10:45 > 0:10:50My husband always says that we are deceivers. Oh, yes!
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Because without make-up... We look like different people. Yeah.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Just in case you see, you know, your future husband or something.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58You never know.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04I see it as an art, really, I quite like trying different looks
0:11:04 > 0:11:08and experimenting, you can look like a completely different person.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12I agree with that. Applying make-up is an art.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20It takes patience, skill and an awful lot of practice to perfect.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21Don't believe me?
0:11:21 > 0:11:24I asked some of the boys from the football team at Coleg y Cymoedd
0:11:24 > 0:11:27to have a go with my make-up box.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29That's... Pass.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30Can't even get the wrappers off.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Too much.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It's like, you have to watch how not to poke yourself in the eye.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40One eye for the rest of your life.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44I'm an expert.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Do you keep your lips wide, or do you bring them in like that?
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Ridiculous.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56No, definitely not!
0:12:01 > 0:12:03You look like a million dollars.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Rather look shocking.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08It's actually quite fun.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09Urgh!
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Well, they tried, didn't they? But it is harder than it looks.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14How does it come off?
0:12:18 > 0:12:19It's clear to me that women
0:12:19 > 0:12:22have more than one relationship with make-up.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25To boost confidence, to cover up a spot or a blemish,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28to make us feel ready to face a stressful situation,
0:12:28 > 0:12:29like a job interview.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34And, yes, sometimes to impress a partner. Why not?
0:12:34 > 0:12:36But when it comes to making ourselves attractive,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39is it a case of less is more?
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Academics at Bangor University recently carried out a large study
0:12:44 > 0:12:48to find out how much make-up men and women found to be attractive.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50The results were surprising.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53We wanted to find out what the optimum level of cosmetics was.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57And to do that, what we did was, we asked some women volunteers,
0:12:57 > 0:12:58we called them our models,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01and we photographed them with and without their make-up.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03We showed these to people and said,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05just choose the one that you think looks most attractive.
0:13:05 > 0:13:11Our first result was that men and women preferred some cosmetics use,
0:13:11 > 0:13:16but our models were using way too much in the way of make-up.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19So in fact, our observers preferred about half the level of make-up
0:13:19 > 0:13:21that the models were actually using.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27The biggest misunderstanding that we found was
0:13:27 > 0:13:29women's expectations about what men liked.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36Women assumed men really liked high levels of cosmetics.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40But in fact, what people prefer is less make-up.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48Inspired by Bangor's study, I set up an experiment of my own.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51I used three photos of the same girl.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54One without make-up, one with just a little,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56and one very heavily made up.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59The rugby boys of Coleg y Cymoedd came along to help me out.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Did they agree with the Bangor University study?
0:14:03 > 0:14:05The one that's most attractive is on the right.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07The one on the right. I think the one on the right.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Yes, the photo on the right was the one with just a little make-up.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14It's like it's got a nice balance to it,
0:14:14 > 0:14:15like, make-up and natural.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18She looks more natural. She doesn't look fake.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21She's got like a natural look to her. She looks genuine.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25One of the really powerful effects in psychology
0:14:25 > 0:14:27is the attractiveness halo.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29So if we judge someone to be attractive
0:14:29 > 0:14:34then we also infer that that person is not only attractive
0:14:34 > 0:14:38but they're friendly, they're trustworthy, they're smart.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Which one looks most friendly? Yeah, I think it's the one on the right.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46The one that's most likeable is the one on the right, because again,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50she looks normal, genuine and down-to-earth.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Perceptions about the feminine ideal are deep-set.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57A recent survey of British teenage girls
0:14:57 > 0:14:59found that 87% of those questioned
0:14:59 > 0:15:02felt that women were judged more on their appearance
0:15:02 > 0:15:03than on their ability.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06For me, it's all about this.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11Page after page after page of perfect faces.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Airbrushed images of models and Hollywood stars.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17A pressure to have the perfect skin, the perfect eyes, the perfect lips.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22And everything magnified by selfies and social media.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Dr Yan Wu has researched the relationship between the media
0:15:29 > 0:15:30and the beauty industry.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Does she agree with me about the pressure women are put under?
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Advertisement today is very cleverly designed.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48They often incorporate feminist ideals into selling.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52So even, you are forced into buying,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56but the advertisers give you the impression you make that choice.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59You made yourself look better
0:15:59 > 0:16:02and you are the one who achieved that look.
0:16:02 > 0:16:08If audiences are exposed to the same message, repeated message,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12again and again, their outlook will be shaped by that message.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14What about in the workplace?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Are women more successful if they wear make-up?
0:16:17 > 0:16:20I would like to ask another question.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25Do we judge men on the way they look or on their ability?
0:16:25 > 0:16:28We rarely see men wear heavy make-up,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30especially in the workplace.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35So why has the woman's face become like the extension of your suit?
0:16:35 > 0:16:40You have to put on make-up to complete this formal look,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43when men are not subject to such control.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47I think in the workplace, women should be judged by their ability,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49just like men.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53So this singling women out itself, I think,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55is a kind of sexist attitude.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00If we apply a double...apply double standards to men and women,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04we can never achieve real gender equality, can we?
0:17:05 > 0:17:10One very modern issue is the phenomenon of selfies,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13people taking photographs of themselves to post online,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17and the way women feel they have to make themselves up before doing it.
0:17:17 > 0:17:23I can take pictures on Snapchat or selfies without me wearing make-up.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28But I think... Whenever I put make-up, I prefer to take selfies.
0:17:28 > 0:17:34Are you a selfie taker? I am. Yes, she is. Big time.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37When you're snapping, would you ever do it without make-up? No. No.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Really? Never? I've done it once, but that's to, like, my friends.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45I wouldn't put it on Facebook or nothing.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47It's got to be perfect to go on Facebook. Yeah.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54The selfie has become a culture, the self, so many young people,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56they can't avoid taking a selfie.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58And I have to say the beauty industry
0:17:58 > 0:18:00tapped into this market again.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I noticed in some recent glossy magazine,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07there's actually a line of a beauty product
0:18:07 > 0:18:12tailored for girls who use the gym and take selfies at the same time.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15So you can achieve that natural look in the gym
0:18:15 > 0:18:17and your selfie will look great.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21And what about the barefaced selfie, what did you make of all that?
0:18:21 > 0:18:26Now we regard wearing make-up as the norm, while not wearing make-up
0:18:26 > 0:18:30is something courageous, something brave, something exceptional.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33So the natural look, without make-up,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37becomes something so strange, so alien to our culture,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40while the norm is wearing make-up.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43So, aren't our faces good enough?
0:18:54 > 0:18:58As a woman, I do feel that there's an expectation to wear make-up.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01And whether I'm going to the supermarket for a pint of milk
0:19:01 > 0:19:04or going out for the evening, I would be no more likely
0:19:04 > 0:19:06to forget my make-up than forget my shoes.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09But there are women who don't or won't wear make-up.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11And I'm intrigued to find out why.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Connie! Hello, come on in. Hi! Hiya.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Myfanwy, facially, I feel overdressed, speaking to you now.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Why do you choose not to wear make-up?
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Well, there's a number of reasons, Connie.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37The first one is, I'm not very good at it.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40And I also have a little bit of a thing about
0:19:40 > 0:19:43having to present myself through a mask,
0:19:43 > 0:19:48and I kind of think, well, this is who I am.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51I think we all present ourselves in different ways.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54It's about the way we talk, it's about how we choose...
0:19:54 > 0:19:58the words we choose to use, the gestures, the way we dress.
0:19:58 > 0:20:04And some people feel that make-up helps them present themselves.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07But it's something I've never actually felt I needed to do,
0:20:07 > 0:20:12and I suppose, for that reason, I've never felt pressured to do it.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13And I've never started.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16And you went on University Challenge, didn't you?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Yeah, that was quite an interesting thing,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20because I was on University Challenge with three chaps.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22And we all went into make-up
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and the chaps came out looking identical to how they'd gone in,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27with just a bit of something to take the shine down.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Bit of powder. Yeah, just to take the shine down.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I was completely transformed into someone unrecognisable.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36So I went to the loo and I washed my face.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39And then I got a tremendous row.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43And they said, "You can't appear like this."
0:20:43 > 0:20:46And I said, "Why not? Because this is how I am."
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I felt that... What was quite noticeable to me
0:20:49 > 0:20:50was that the three chaps
0:20:50 > 0:20:54were not expected to change the way they looked
0:20:54 > 0:20:56in order to appear on television.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01But I was expected to transform myself in order to be acceptable.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05And without putting on my tired and faded old feminist hat,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07you know, I felt that was a bit odd.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Have you ever felt less feminine, in any way,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13for not choosing to wear make-up? I don't think I have.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14But then again,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17it's worth saying that I suppose my ovaries have done that for me.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22I have had six children. So nobody can accuse me of not being a woman.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I mean, I spent the '80s pregnant. So it's never been political,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28you'll never wave a placard at me? Oh, gosh, no, definitely not.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Make-up should be about making you more yourself,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33not just a mask to hide behind.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Well, that was very interesting.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Myfanwy clearly has a very different relationship
0:21:38 > 0:21:40with make-up to the one I have.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42She's very relaxed about not wearing it,
0:21:42 > 0:21:47and it's got me thinking maybe I should be more relaxed about it too.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51But if I did have a day, or do without make-up completely,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I don't know if I'd feel like myself.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I'm clearly not alone in thinking that.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01While Myfanwy says she spends her money on books and red wine,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04many of us are out buying cosmetics.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09British women spend more than ?8 billion every year on make-up,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13making the cosmetics industry a hugely powerful one.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Welsh writer Sali Hughes is the author of Pretty Honest,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19a book about the beauty industry.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Through her columns in Cosmopolitan, Grazia and the Guardian,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Sali has become one of Britain's leading commentators
0:22:26 > 0:22:27on the world of make-up.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29It's a really complex issue.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31I wear make-up every day and I'm wondering why I do it.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36Is it presentation or is it pressure in some way?
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I mean, it can be a million different things
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and it can be a different thing on a different day.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Make-up helps you to decide who you want to be that day.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Do you want to be very glamorous, do you want to be more pared down?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It's a really powerful tool in that way.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55For very many women, putting on their make-up is the only time
0:22:55 > 0:22:56they spend on themselves all day,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and that sort of ritual can be a pleasure.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02So we're using it as an expression, but what would you say to someone
0:23:02 > 0:23:05who thinks it's frivolous, superficial vanity?
0:23:05 > 0:23:09I don't... I mean, I don't really care that they think that.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12But what I do care about is,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14as somebody who writes a great deal about beauty,
0:23:14 > 0:23:19I do care when people assume that I'm probably a little bit stupid
0:23:19 > 0:23:21because I like lipstick.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25This seems to me to be the most spectacularly thick way
0:23:25 > 0:23:28of looking at the world and people generally.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30You know, we're multi-faceted people, it's perfectly possible
0:23:30 > 0:23:33to be engaged in politics and current affairs.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I have to be because of my job, I could not be more engaged
0:23:35 > 0:23:38with those things, but I also like lipstick.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42I cannot see why women are presumed to only be able
0:23:42 > 0:23:44to focus on one thing, their appearance.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48There are many, many things that you can think and do at the same time
0:23:48 > 0:23:50because that is the human condition.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54So many women who've gone through the worst times
0:23:54 > 0:23:57because they've had cancer, or they've gone through
0:23:57 > 0:23:59some dreadful bereavement, or other illness,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03they have really relied on those daily rituals
0:24:03 > 0:24:07of putting on their make-up, feeling their best, choosing an outfit.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10It becomes a hugely important coping strategy
0:24:10 > 0:24:13when everything feels chaotic and a mess.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15And I completely understand that, and I think anybody
0:24:15 > 0:24:18who knows anything about women will understand that.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Sali's point about needing to look good
0:24:22 > 0:24:25even when we feel at our lowest speaks volumes to me.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28It tells me that beauty isn't just a skin deep issue,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32it can make us feel better on the inside too.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Shall we get started?
0:24:34 > 0:24:35Let's get started.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39What we're going to do today, we're going to follow a 12-step programme.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42So we're going to start with your cleanse and make-up.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47These three women have been treated for cancer.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48They have had a huge amount on their minds,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51but how they look is still important to them.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53More important than ever, perhaps.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56I could do with confidence-boosting.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00After, you know, five stone I've put on, nearly, through treatment.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Oh, is this right?
0:25:03 > 0:25:07They are at a make-up workshop organised by Look Good Feel Better.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11The charity uses cosmetics to improve the self-confidence
0:25:11 > 0:25:14and morale of women who are going through treatment for cancer.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Ladies, all three of you have been affected by cancer.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Sandra, what effect did that have on your identity?
0:25:21 > 0:25:27I think the obvious thing is visually, is losing my hair.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Losing my eyebrows and eyelashes.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33And that was because of chemo?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35That was through chemotherapy, yeah.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39And even though I was expecting it to happen, I thought
0:25:39 > 0:25:40I was prepared for it, but I wasn't.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43And when your hair is coming out by the handful,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45I didn't want to go out.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51By using the make-up, it sort of detracts, I think, from the hair.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56So it... Even though I was feeling unwell, and I do feel unwell,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I don't have to look unwell.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02For a woman, it can be really devastating to lose your hair.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06And I think the fact that I could put the make-up on,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08and it sort of detracted away
0:26:08 > 0:26:10from the fact that I didn't have any hair,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12it made so much of a difference.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Sarah's cancer is terminal
0:26:15 > 0:26:18She's been given only a few years to live.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Inside, you're thinking, "Oh, gosh, just don't feel good."
0:26:22 > 0:26:26But the make-up just looks... makes you look good.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Regardless of how you're feeling inside, really.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34Like to look in the mirror? How do you feel? I love it. You love it.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35Gorgeous, yeah. Good!
0:26:35 > 0:26:38So, for me, today, it was great coming
0:26:38 > 0:26:41and speaking to other people about it as well.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44It makes you open up, I think.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Especially if you're not a person that opens up.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51And the finished effect, sparkle. Yeah!
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Talking to the three ladies tells me that for them,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58it's not about attracting a mate.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00It's not even about confidence.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It's about wearing it for themselves.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Using make-up as a tool to brighten their darkest days.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11And it surprised me, actually, that something so seemingly superficial
0:27:11 > 0:27:14can have such an empowering effect on women.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19And I think that has moved me more than I knew lip gloss
0:27:19 > 0:27:21and blusher ever could.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It's become clear to me that to so many of us,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30make-up means a whole lot more than applying
0:27:30 > 0:27:33a superficial layer of slap to our skin.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37And that while our appearance may instantly say something about us,
0:27:37 > 0:27:42ultimately, to wear or not to wear is our own choice to make.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51So it seems the power of make-up is in our hands.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54If we want to, we can use it to subtly highlight our beauty,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58or, if we prefer, plaster over our insecurities.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01It's a modern-day magic wand.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03And, if used to best effect,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07it can transform us, physically and emotionally.
0:28:07 > 0:28:13And that, I think, is a very handy thing to have at our fingertips.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17# Baby, you light up my world like nobody else
0:28:17 > 0:28:21# The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed
0:28:21 > 0:28:25# But when you smile at the ground It ain't hard to tell
0:28:25 > 0:28:28# You don't know
0:28:28 > 0:28:31# You don't know you're beautiful
0:28:31 > 0:28:33# If only you saw what I can see
0:28:33 > 0:28:37# You'd understand why I want you so desperately
0:28:37 > 0:28:40# Right now, I'm looking at you and I can't believe
0:28:40 > 0:28:43# You don't know
0:28:43 > 0:28:46# You don't know you're beautiful
0:28:47 > 0:28:49# You don't know you're beautiful
0:28:51 > 0:28:53# That's what makes you beautiful. #