Makeup can do more than just change your appearance—it can also alter others' perceptions of you, for better or for worse. According to new research from the University of Stirling in Scotland, although both men and women perceive women who wear makeup as being of a higher status, men associate makeup with prestigious, positive qualities, while women view other women wearing makeup as being dominant and a potential threat.
The research showed that men and women both rated the faces with cosmetics as being more attractive, but only women rated made-up faces as being more dominant, while only men rated made-up faces as being higher in prestige.
A follow-up study investigated the root cause behind these differences in perception, and found that female-on-female jealousy seemed to be the main cause of the differences in perception. Women rating women with makeup said they would be more jealous of them and thought they would be more attractive to men than their non-makeup wearing counterparts.
Cosmetic products are good for more than just giving you a pretty face. It can be particularly useful for women to understand how wearing makeup alters others' perceptions of them in situations where they are trying to gain others' trust and admiration. At a job interview, knowing whether the hiring committee will consist of men or women might influence a female candidate's decision about wearing makeup. Whether the interviewers will view her as attractive, dominant and prestigious can affect the interviewers' actions and perhaps the outcome of the interview itself.