Definitions of "Make-up" - Are we talking about War Paint here? - or Cosmetics? What do we girls think about it? You cannot blame Cosmetic Companies for trying to make money but are men set to become their next victims? This is a subject which has never entered my head before, let alone taken up any of my Cognitive Thought Processes, so I am lost in the deep end of this debate. I can therefore speak only from my own experiences and preferences as a female, subjective though that they may be.

I am sorry to own up, put my hand up and say that any man in a room wearing makeup in a roomful of men would be the last one I would be interested in! It wouldn't matter how good it made him look from a distance - once I got close up and even suspected that he had some kind of foundation, cream, mascara (heaven forbid from a girl's point of view!) or eyeliner on, it would be instant turn-off time! I find men's masculine features, chiselled lines and rugged charm far more handsome then narcissistic self-decoration. Give me Crocodile Dundee in his torn old shorts any day - he's the man you need to save you from all those life-threatening hazards like parking tickets!

Seriously, it would be the knowledgeable man, the witty man who could make me laugh, joke with me and share exciting new ideas, research and debates who would gain my undying admiration and hold my interest the longest. People also say that women find men in uniforms attractive. I don't know if it is the uniforms themselves (although I must say that they look pretty darn good!) or the power behind the uniforms, that they represent. For example, an airline pilot has the lives of all those passengers and a million dollars worth of jet-propelled computer plane in his hands. It would be enough to make some women swoon I'm sure, without make-up. Doctors also, are said to have a hold over women for this reason.

Masculinity for many women then, is the over-riding feature in attraction. Through history, tribesmen have decorated themselves in a way which appears to celebrate their masculine achievements and prowess, not their feminine ones. For example, war paint is used to make them look scarier, not more attractive, in order to make them better warriors and therefore better protectors and providers. In this situation, a woman MIGHT find him more attractive but only because he is perceived to be more macho and more dominant by other men - he has done this to affect their perceptions not hers.

A man whose fitness levels are good, who looks after his body and his mind, is interested in new ideas, kind and funny needs no help from make-up - save your dollars and treat the kids instead - you only need the confidence to be yourself and smile!

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