Five reasons we’re not ready to start wearing make-up again

While the reopening of restaurants, pubs and workplaces has given us many reasons to be cheerful, there’s one aspect of post-lockdown life we’re less enthused about: putting on make-up again.

Not that anyone has to wear make-up, of course, but we’ve really gotten used to slobbing around in sweatpants and forgoing foundation.

Now that lockdown restrictions are easing, we know that soon we’ll want to reach for our favourite palettes and lippies again, but there are some downsides to getting glammed up.

Here are five reasons we’re not quite ready to return to our daily make-up routines…

1. Putting it on takes time

Whether you prefer natural-looking make-up or like to go all-out with everything from foundation to false eyelashes, putting on your face in the morning takes time – time that could otherwise be spent snoozing.

Being able to cross one more thing off your morning ‘to do’ list has been a delight. Besides, having to concentrate on blending foundation properly when you’re still feeling bleary-eyed and your coffee hasn’t kicked in yet is often a challenge.

2. Removing it takes time too

It’s not just the application that feels like a chore – taking your make-up off at the end of the day can be a real drag, especially when you’re exhausted and would rather just collapse into bed.

But you know that going to sleep with your make-up on is the ultimate skin sin, so you wouldn’t dream of letting your head hit the pillow without a thorough cleanse.

3. It can be annoying to wear

Wouldn’t it be great if you could pop your make-up on then forget about it for the rest of the day? Unfortunately, you can’t, because there are a multitude of annoying little things you have to watch out for, like smudged lipstick, panda eyes, or mascara making your eyes water at inopportune moments.

Plus, with wearing face coverings on public transport and in shops, we’re going to have to deal with what happens when make-up and masks collide. So that’ll be fun.

4. Make-up is expensive

With fewer opportunities for socialising, many of us have stopped buying new make-up, and it’s made us realise just how expensive all that kit can be – one Chanel lipstick can cost more than a night at the pub.

Plus, after about four months of neglect, you’re probably going to need replacements for some products, because clumpy mascara is never a good look…

5. It can be bad for your skin

If you decided to give your skin a breather during lockdown and discovered that it fares much better without make-up, you’re not alone.

It’s ironic that something designed to make us look better can actually make our skin look worse in the long-term, with spots a common side effect of daily foundation wearing, but hey, at least you can use more make-up to cover them up, right…

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto