Connie Fisher on Make-Up

I won't go out without putting my face on.

And I'm not the only one.

This is the daily routine for many women across Wales.

But it takes time and money.

The average woman spends two years of her life

putting on an estimated ?12,000-worth of cosmetics.

So why do we do it?

And who are we really doing it for?

I think girls will say that it's for themselves,

but I think it will always be for other people as well.

Well, I've got to wear it, it's like a mask to me, you know.

Because I feel naked without it then.

I'm 82, me, now. And I'm 88.

And you love make-up? Yes. Yes.

It seems to me men are judged on their intelligence

and competence, while women are judged on their looks.

I do care when people assume that I'm probably a little bit stupid

because I like lipstick.

For men, make-up is a mystery.

I don't see why girls do this. It's too much effort.

I'd rather look shocking.

But some experts believe it is only for the men that we wear it.

When girls go out on a night out and they wear lots of make-up

and they show a lot of flesh, they're saying,

"I've got eggs, I'm fertile."

I can't.... Sorry, I can't believe you're saying this!

Our face is our identity,

so is it wrong to use make-up to try to make the best of it?

Or by wearing it, are we distorting ourselves,

therefore creating a caricature, or a stereotype of women?

Ultimately, as I talk to you now,

am I covering up just an uneven complexion

or am I hiding insecurities behind a mask of make-up?

Believe it or not, I wasn't that interested in make-up

until I was well into my teens.

For a while there, I was even a bit of a tomboy.

But once I got into it, I loved it.

And I've barely had a day without it since.

But I can't help wondering, have the pressures on young women changed

even in the short time since I was a youngster?

Much as they are lovely...

These four young women are preparing for a typical night out.

You're not putting falsies on? No.

I'm too tired.

The conversation is all about make-up and how much to wear.

Without it, I look about 12.

Oh, yeah, yeah, I still get ID'd.

Yeah. It's like, we have to prove our age by wearing make-up.

Getting ready is a serious business.

The girls each spend between ?50 and ?100 a month on cosmetics.

On a night out, drinking with friends, putting your make-up on, it's the best.

It's quite sociable as well. We always get ready with the girls.

After about an hour, they're ready to hit the town.

Girls, you're all glammed up and looking gorgeous.

Grace, how long did it take you, honestly?

Probably about an hour. An hour? Yeah. We were being sociable.

You know, the chatting, the drinking. Yeah.

And what's the average time?

Yeah, it's normally about an hour every day for me.

An hour every day of make-up? Yeah.

Would you ever go out without make-up?

Never anywhere. Why? I just don't feel confident enough.

I was saying earlier, even swimming, I wear my entire face going.

Well, the girls look fabulous.

But the fashion certainly seems to have changed

since I was young. It used to be simple.

And now it seems to have become a bit of an art.

No longer do you need to be a Hollywood film star

to put false eyelashes on, everyone seems to be doing it.

But where has this commitment to cosmetics really come from?

Since the dawn of humankind, us women have been applying colour,

oils and creams to enhance our looks.

Celebrity culture and Hollywood have turned that fascination

into a multi-billion pound industry.

From simple powders and lippies, we've moved on to foundations,

primers, correctors, concealer and creams,

lip tint, lip balm, lip stain, lip liner,

lip plumper, lip booster and lip gloss.

Rouge, blusher, bronzer, highlighter,

eye shadows, eye creams,

eyeliner, eyebrow wax, pencils and pens,

mascara, volumising mascara, strengthening mascara,

smoky eye mascara, lengthening and conditioning mascara.

Oh, and lest we forget, good old falsies.

SHE SIGHS

Now more than a quarter of a million people are employed

in the beauty industry across the UK,

and we have more than our fair share of those jobs here in Wales.

This is Coleg y Cymoedd in Nantgarw, near Caerphilly,

where the salons are filled with women

training to become beauticians.

It's an excellent place to meet somebody who believes

a woman's interest in make-up is not just something

light and fanciful,

it's a biological necessity.

Evolutionary psychologist Dr Lance Workman.

Lance, what exactly is an evolutionary psychologist?

Well, if we look at traditional psychologists,

they're interested in what's going on in the mind and the brain

and what's going on here and now, very much.

But evolutionary psychologists, they're also interested in that,

but they look at another layer of explanation.

It's what happened in our evolutionary past to create

the repertoire of behaviours we have today

and what's going on in the mind now.

And this really helps when we come to look at things like

why do people wear make-up, for example.

Part of the reason I'm on this journey is because

I don't like the idea that I'm in some way

forced to wear make-up. Am I? No, you're not.

All the findings... Some feminist theorists, not all,

some have claimed that it's actually patriarchal society

that forces women to wear make-up.

But the evidence is actually quite the reverse.

If you look at highly patriarchal societies, women wear less make-up.

Men control things and they decide women shouldn't be wearing make-up,

which is interesting.

If you look at very equal societies, women choose to wear more make-up.

If you're in a country where lots of women are wearing lots of make-up,

you'll find that's a country where things,

there's a lot of equality there. It's a signal of it.

So women choose to do that.

No woman should ever be forced to wear make-up

and men certainly don't force women to wear make-up.

It's a sign of equality in my eyes.

So, why do women like myself wear make-up?

Well, women have to show sexiness to show that they're fertile.

And when girls go out on a night out and wear lots of make-up,

and they show a lot of flesh,

they're saying, "I've got eggs, I'm fertile."

I can't believe... Sorry, I can't believe you're saying this!

They don't know they're saying that,

it's not at a conscious level. Right.

But an evolutionary analysis of sexual selection tends to suggest

cross-culturally, that's what women actually do.

Lipstick is probably one of the most important things.

We know that when a woman is aroused, her lips go red.

Especially in young women. So wearing lipstick is successful.

They've studied... I'm really conscious now, stop looking at me!

Sorry! Sorry about that! I'm not wearing red lipstick any more.

Red is the number one colour.

It's the most popular and it's the most popular with men as well.

They've done studies in bars,

and if you put women without make-up, the women with lipstick

attract a lot more men to them than the women without.

Well, that was quite an amusing theory.

Lance hasn't quite convinced me that we are wearing make-up

to attract a mate, although a lot of it does add up.

Every choice I make in the morning is affecting what people

think of me, which I hadn't really considered before.

I thought I was making the choices.

But the idea that we're trying to attract a mate

doesn't make sense to me.

There's got to be more to it than this.

Evolutionary theory tells us that

this interest in make-up is instinctive.

And, yes, some young girls find a make-up box fascinating.

But others don't.

Student Jessie-Ann Lewis writes a make-up blog called

All Things Beautiful.

Where did her love of make-up come from?

I've always liked make-up.

I used to dance when I was younger,

so I used to wear stage make-up.

But I think it was probably when I was about teenage years,

experimenting with different styles and things,

that I really got into make-up.

Now I guess it's kind of second nature to me, really,

as it is for a lot of women in Wales.

I think it's kind of part of your daily routine.

You put it on without having any second thoughts about it, really.

And your first job was in a make-up store, wasn't it?

What did you learn about women's obsession, perhaps,

with their appearance?

I think for a lot of women, they used to come in the store

not just to look good, but to feel good as well.

So while they used to come in for their skincare essentials,

for make-up, it was more of a treat.

So it was kind of, if they've had a good week,

and thought, "I'll treat myself to a new lipstick."

I think it was... I was quite shocked

that it was more about feeling good rather than just looking good.

I do believe that sometimes,

when women care about putting loads of make-up on,

maybe spend half an hour in the morning

and they touch up through the day, they are considered sometimes

too superficial to be, perhaps, successful businesswomen.

What do you think? I think there is a lot of perceptions around

that people who wear make-up can sometimes be seen as an airhead,

or that sort of thing.

And quite superficial.

But I don't think that's true.

There's a lot, myself and a lot of my friends, we've done our degrees,

we're training to be teachers, working in journalism and things.

So I think it's a massive misconception, yeah.

When you walk through the make-up counters of any department store,

it is simply astounding to see the variety of products on offer.

So what about Swansea girls of all ages?

What's their relationship with make-up?

Do you think you would ever go out without make-up?

No. I look as if I'm something from Day Of The Dead.

I haven't got much colour anyway.

In the evenings, I use a lot of...oil.

I feel confident, but I feel more confident when I wear make-up.

Then I get a bit of bush, whatever you call it!

How long does it take you? Two... Well, three minutes at most?

I go like that.

So here I am, right?

Would you ever, ever, ever step out of the house without make-up?

No, only for the gym.

I even wear make-up to the gym, so...!

My husband always says that we are deceivers. Oh, yes!

Because without make-up... We look like different people. Yeah.

Just in case you see, you know, your future husband or something.

You never know.

I see it as an art, really, I quite like trying different looks

and experimenting, you can look like a completely different person.

I agree with that. Applying make-up is an art.

It takes patience, skill and an awful lot of practice to perfect.

Don't believe me?

I asked some of the boys from the football team at Coleg y Cymoedd

to have a go with my make-up box.

That's... Pass.

Can't even get the wrappers off.

Too much.

It's like, you have to watch how not to poke yourself in the eye.

One eye for the rest of your life.

I'm an expert.

Do you keep your lips wide, or do you bring them in like that?

Ridiculous.

No, definitely not!

You look like a million dollars.

Rather look shocking.

It's actually quite fun.

Urgh!

Well, they tried, didn't they? But it is harder than it looks.

How does it come off?

It's clear to me that women

have more than one relationship with make-up.

To boost confidence, to cover up a spot or a blemish,

to make us feel ready to face a stressful situation,

like a job interview.

And, yes, sometimes to impress a partner. Why not?

But when it comes to making ourselves attractive,

is it a case of less is more?

Academics at Bangor University recently carried out a large study

to find out how much make-up men and women found to be attractive.

The results were surprising.

We wanted to find out what the optimum level of cosmetics was.

And to do that, what we did was, we asked some women volunteers,

we called them our models,

and we photographed them with and without their make-up.

We showed these to people and said,

just choose the one that you think looks most attractive.

Our first result was that men and women preferred some cosmetics use,

but our models were using way too much in the way of make-up.

So in fact, our observers preferred about half the level of make-up

that the models were actually using.

The biggest misunderstanding that we found was

women's expectations about what men liked.

Women assumed men really liked high levels of cosmetics.

But in fact, what people prefer is less make-up.

Inspired by Bangor's study, I set up an experiment of my own.

I used three photos of the same girl.

One without make-up, one with just a little,

and one very heavily made up.

The rugby boys of Coleg y Cymoedd came along to help me out.

Did they agree with the Bangor University study?

The one that's most attractive is on the right.

The one on the right. I think the one on the right.

Yes, the photo on the right was the one with just a little make-up.

It's like it's got a nice balance to it,

like, make-up and natural.

She looks more natural. She doesn't look fake.

She's got like a natural look to her. She looks genuine.

One of the really powerful effects in psychology

is the attractiveness halo.

So if we judge someone to be attractive

then we also infer that that person is not only attractive

but they're friendly, they're trustworthy, they're smart.

Which one looks most friendly? Yeah, I think it's the one on the right.

The one that's most likeable is the one on the right, because again,

she looks normal, genuine and down-to-earth.

Perceptions about the feminine ideal are deep-set.

A recent survey of British teenage girls

found that 87% of those questioned

felt that women were judged more on their appearance

than on their ability.

For me, it's all about this.

Page after page after page of perfect faces.

Airbrushed images of models and Hollywood stars.

A pressure to have the perfect skin, the perfect eyes, the perfect lips.

And everything magnified by selfies and social media.

Dr Yan Wu has researched the relationship between the media

and the beauty industry.

Does she agree with me about the pressure women are put under?

Advertisement today is very cleverly designed.

They often incorporate feminist ideals into selling.

So even, you are forced into buying,

but the advertisers give you the impression you make that choice.

You made yourself look better

and you are the one who achieved that look.

If audiences are exposed to the same message, repeated message,

again and again, their outlook will be shaped by that message.

What about in the workplace?

Are women more successful if they wear make-up?

I would like to ask another question.

Do we judge men on the way they look or on their ability?

We rarely see men wear heavy make-up,

especially in the workplace.

So why has the woman's face become like the extension of your suit?

You have to put on make-up to complete this formal look,

when men are not subject to such control.

I think in the workplace, women should be judged by their ability,

just like men.

So this singling women out itself, I think,

is a kind of sexist attitude.

If we apply a double...apply double standards to men and women,

we can never achieve real gender equality, can we?

One very modern issue is the phenomenon of selfies,

people taking photographs of themselves to post online,

and the way women feel they have to make themselves up before doing it.

I can take pictures on Snapchat or selfies without me wearing make-up.

But I think... Whenever I put make-up, I prefer to take selfies.

Are you a selfie taker? I am. Yes, she is. Big time.

When you're snapping, would you ever do it without make-up? No. No.

Really? Never? I've done it once, but that's to, like, my friends.

I wouldn't put it on Facebook or nothing.

It's got to be perfect to go on Facebook. Yeah.

The selfie has become a culture, the self, so many young people,

they can't avoid taking a selfie.

And I have to say the beauty industry

tapped into this market again.

I noticed in some recent glossy magazine,

there's actually a line of a beauty product

tailored for girls who use the gym and take selfies at the same time.

So you can achieve that natural look in the gym

and your selfie will look great.

And what about the barefaced selfie, what did you make of all that?

Now we regard wearing make-up as the norm, while not wearing make-up

is something courageous, something brave, something exceptional.

So the natural look, without make-up,

becomes something so strange, so alien to our culture,

while the norm is wearing make-up.

So, aren't our faces good enough?

As a woman, I do feel that there's an expectation to wear make-up.

And whether I'm going to the supermarket for a pint of milk

or going out for the evening, I would be no more likely

to forget my make-up than forget my shoes.

But there are women who don't or won't wear make-up.

And I'm intrigued to find out why.

Connie! Hello, come on in. Hi! Hiya.

Myfanwy, facially, I feel overdressed, speaking to you now.

Why do you choose not to wear make-up?

Well, there's a number of reasons, Connie.

The first one is, I'm not very good at it.

And I also have a little bit of a thing about

having to present myself through a mask,

and I kind of think, well, this is who I am.

I think we all present ourselves in different ways.

It's about the way we talk, it's about how we choose...

the words we choose to use, the gestures, the way we dress.

And some people feel that make-up helps them present themselves.

But it's something I've never actually felt I needed to do,

and I suppose, for that reason, I've never felt pressured to do it.

And I've never started.

And you went on University Challenge, didn't you?

Yeah, that was quite an interesting thing,

because I was on University Challenge with three chaps.

And we all went into make-up

and the chaps came out looking identical to how they'd gone in,

with just a bit of something to take the shine down.

Bit of powder. Yeah, just to take the shine down.

I was completely transformed into someone unrecognisable.

So I went to the loo and I washed my face.

And then I got a tremendous row.

And they said, "You can't appear like this."

And I said, "Why not? Because this is how I am."

I felt that... What was quite noticeable to me

was that the three chaps

were not expected to change the way they looked

in order to appear on television.

But I was expected to transform myself in order to be acceptable.

And without putting on my tired and faded old feminist hat,

you know, I felt that was a bit odd.

Have you ever felt less feminine, in any way,

for not choosing to wear make-up? I don't think I have.

But then again,

it's worth saying that I suppose my ovaries have done that for me.

I have had six children. So nobody can accuse me of not being a woman.

I mean, I spent the '80s pregnant. So it's never been political,

you'll never wave a placard at me? Oh, gosh, no, definitely not.

Make-up should be about making you more yourself,

not just a mask to hide behind.

Well, that was very interesting.

Myfanwy clearly has a very different relationship

with make-up to the one I have.

She's very relaxed about not wearing it,

and it's got me thinking maybe I should be more relaxed about it too.

But if I did have a day, or do without make-up completely,

I don't know if I'd feel like myself.

I'm clearly not alone in thinking that.

While Myfanwy says she spends her money on books and red wine,

many of us are out buying cosmetics.

British women spend more than ?8 billion every year on make-up,

making the cosmetics industry a hugely powerful one.

Welsh writer Sali Hughes is the author of Pretty Honest,

a book about the beauty industry.

Through her columns in Cosmopolitan, Grazia and the Guardian,

Sali has become one of Britain's leading commentators

on the world of make-up.

It's a really complex issue.

I wear make-up every day and I'm wondering why I do it.

Is it presentation or is it pressure in some way?

I mean, it can be a million different things

and it can be a different thing on a different day.

Make-up helps you to decide who you want to be that day.

Do you want to be very glamorous, do you want to be more pared down?

It's a really powerful tool in that way.

For very many women, putting on their make-up is the only time

they spend on themselves all day,

and that sort of ritual can be a pleasure.

So we're using it as an expression, but what would you say to someone

who thinks it's frivolous, superficial vanity?

I don't... I mean, I don't really care that they think that.

But what I do care about is,

as somebody who writes a great deal about beauty,

I do care when people assume that I'm probably a little bit stupid

because I like lipstick.

This seems to me to be the most spectacularly thick way

of looking at the world and people generally.

You know, we're multi-faceted people, it's perfectly possible

to be engaged in politics and current affairs.

I have to be because of my job, I could not be more engaged

with those things, but I also like lipstick.

I cannot see why women are presumed to only be able

to focus on one thing, their appearance.

There are many, many things that you can think and do at the same time

because that is the human condition.

So many women who've gone through the worst times

because they've had cancer, or they've gone through

some dreadful bereavement, or other illness,

they have really relied on those daily rituals

of putting on their make-up, feeling their best, choosing an outfit.

It becomes a hugely important coping strategy

when everything feels chaotic and a mess.

And I completely understand that, and I think anybody

who knows anything about women will understand that.

Sali's point about needing to look good

even when we feel at our lowest speaks volumes to me.

It tells me that beauty isn't just a skin deep issue,

it can make us feel better on the inside too.

Shall we get started?

Let's get started.

What we're going to do today, we're going to follow a 12-step programme.

So we're going to start with your cleanse and make-up.

These three women have been treated for cancer.

They have had a huge amount on their minds,

but how they look is still important to them.

More important than ever, perhaps.

I could do with confidence-boosting.

After, you know, five stone I've put on, nearly, through treatment.

Oh, is this right?

They are at a make-up workshop organised by Look Good Feel Better.

The charity uses cosmetics to improve the self-confidence

and morale of women who are going through treatment for cancer.

Ladies, all three of you have been affected by cancer.

Sandra, what effect did that have on your identity?

I think the obvious thing is visually, is losing my hair.

Losing my eyebrows and eyelashes.

And that was because of chemo?

That was through chemotherapy, yeah.

And even though I was expecting it to happen, I thought

I was prepared for it, but I wasn't.

And when your hair is coming out by the handful,

I didn't want to go out.

By using the make-up, it sort of detracts, I think, from the hair.

So it... Even though I was feeling unwell, and I do feel unwell,

I don't have to look unwell.

For a woman, it can be really devastating to lose your hair.

And I think the fact that I could put the make-up on,

and it sort of detracted away

from the fact that I didn't have any hair,

it made so much of a difference.

Sarah's cancer is terminal

She's been given only a few years to live.

Inside, you're thinking, "Oh, gosh, just don't feel good."

But the make-up just looks... makes you look good.

Regardless of how you're feeling inside, really.

Like to look in the mirror? How do you feel? I love it. You love it.

Gorgeous, yeah. Good!

So, for me, today, it was great coming

and speaking to other people about it as well.

It makes you open up, I think.

Especially if you're not a person that opens up.

And the finished effect, sparkle. Yeah!

Talking to the three ladies tells me that for them,

it's not about attracting a mate.

It's not even about confidence.

It's about wearing it for themselves.

Using make-up as a tool to brighten their darkest days.

And it surprised me, actually, that something so seemingly superficial

can have such an empowering effect on women.

And I think that has moved me more than I knew lip gloss

and blusher ever could.

It's become clear to me that to so many of us,

make-up means a whole lot more than applying

a superficial layer of slap to our skin.

And that while our appearance may instantly say something about us,

ultimately, to wear or not to wear is our own choice to make.

So it seems the power of make-up is in our hands.

If we want to, we can use it to subtly highlight our beauty,

or, if we prefer, plaster over our insecurities.

It's a modern-day magic wand.

And, if used to best effect,

it can transform us, physically and emotionally.

And that, I think, is a very handy thing to have at our fingertips.

# Baby, you light up my world like nobody else

# The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed

# But when you smile at the ground It ain't hard to tell

# You don't know

# You don't know you're beautiful

# If only you saw what I can see

# You'd understand why I want you so desperately

# Right now, I'm looking at you and I can't believe

# You don't know

# You don't know you're beautiful

# You don't know you're beautiful

# That's what makes you beautiful. #