Speaking as a woman, I know the pressure we put on ourselves to look flawless. I have fallen prey to fashion faux paus with the best of intentions. Remember when white eyeliner was the best way to brighten your eyes? Yeah. Not so much…the pictures I have from that experience make me wonder, “What was I thinking?” Men also wonder that very same thing when it comes to some very popular beauty trends among women. Here, I have compiled a list of the eight worst offenders that freak men out. Keep your steez game tight and don’t get caught slipping with any of these style-killers.
- Fake tan. On the spring runways this season, the ubiquitous bronzed models were missing and in their place: fresh-faced, natural complexions free of fake tanner and bronzer. The message: you are beautiful the way you are.
- Super long nails. Spare us all the Halloween-inspired talons. Men much prefer simple, well-manicured nails to scary-length acrylics they’re (secretly) afraid will gouge their eyes out. Not a good look.
- Dark lip liner with light lipstick. If this is you, I have one word: STOP. This does not make men think of kissing you; it makes them back away in horror. Lip liner’s purpose is to provide an outline for your lip color and to prevent it from bleeding. Why not try a more flattering lip color for the season and leave the Cruella de Ville look at home?
- Goopy lip gloss. This is another kiss-killer. I can’t stress this enough, ladies: men have one bad experience with lip gloss and it haunts them for life. They hate it; they want your lips to be kissable, not coated in that “lip sh*t” as one co-worker described it.
- The Mimi Look. I know I’m stressing this but it’s so serious. Too much foundation, powder, blusher, bronzer, eye shadow, eye liner, lip liner, lipstick, or lip gloss is not a good look. Go for one product vs two: lip stain or balm over lipcolor/lip gloss. Transfer happens if you lean your head on his shoulder during a movie. He wants to remember YOU, not the beige smear your makeup left on his fave Ed Hardy tee.
- Fussy hair. Ladies with the hair extensions, teased up roots and high-maintenance hair in general: men like to run their fingers through our hair. Few things are less conducive to romance than getting your hand stuck in hairspray and extensions. It leaves guys wondering, “Am I gonna be able to get my hand out of here?”
- Anorexic Eyebrows. I’m a huge fan of well-kept eyebrows. A well-groomed brow gives an open look to your eyes. On the other hand, the too-thin, overly-tweezed, surprised look is comical and again, men wonder what we’ve done to ourselves to cause that terrible eyebrow trauma. Men might not notice much but they sure do notice when we do it wrong.
- Too much blush. This was the number one complaint men have of women’s makeup. “Zebra stripes on her face” is how one friend described it. “What’s the deal with that?” another male friend asked.
You might ask, “Is all this pressure women feel to look perfect worth it? Not necessarily. Men vastly prefer a natural look. The warmer seasons are here and it’s so much easier to maintain “light and pretty” versus “heavy and concealing” when the temperature tops 90 degrees. If you don’t remember anything else, always, always remember that a bright, cheerful smile is the best accessory in any season.