Comments on: Going Rouge: Makeup and the Heroine (and Hero) http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/ What's hip, what's now, what's tomorrow in the romance genre world. Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:26:04 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Terry Odell http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34596 Terry Odell Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:35:45 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34596 LOL! Sounds like my daughter. She hung around her fiance's lab/office at FSU all summer before they were married, and his major professor came to the wedding and thought he was in the wrong place. Even the hotel event planner didn't recognize her when she showed up to get dressed in full hair and makeup. LOL! Sounds like my daughter. She hung around her fiance’s lab/office at FSU all summer before they were married, and his major professor came to the wedding and thought he was in the wrong place. Even the hotel event planner didn’t recognize her when she showed up to get dressed in full hair and makeup.

]]> By: Sam http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34595 Sam Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:34:04 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34595 About the only kind of make-up I wear anymore is lip gloss and I only buy it to collect all the different containers you can get it in. Hey, I decided I need to collect something besides books! I think that if I ever did wear a lot of make-up my husband wouldn't recognize me. I put some on for our wedding and it was gone by the time my maid of honor started down the aisle. Yes, I did put powder on so it wouldn't "slide off". Didn't work. I think some of us just don't wear it very well. About the only kind of make-up I wear anymore is lip gloss and I only buy it to collect all the different containers you can get it in. Hey, I decided I need to collect something besides books!
I think that if I ever did wear a lot of make-up my husband wouldn’t recognize me. I put some on for our wedding and it was gone by the time my maid of honor started down the aisle. Yes, I did put powder on so it wouldn’t “slide off”. Didn’t work. I think some of us just don’t wear it very well.

]]> By: Angie http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34587 Angie Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:08:48 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34587 I'd like to see a world where some people (of whichever gender) wear makeup, and some don't. Where, of the ones who do, some where a lot, some where a little, and some only wear it on certain occasions. You know, like real people. I don't wear makeup. I tried it for a while, got a makeover and came home with a sack of stuff, and wore it to work for like six months. Ick. It was uncomfortable and expensive, and took too long to put on every morning, to say nothing of touch-ups. I finally trashed it and never looked back. I wore no makeup at my wedding -- informing people of this, whenever they try to nag (and yeah, gentle hinting is still nagging) about how I really should do something with my face, usually shuts them up. The wedding is sort of a high-water benchmark of female grooming, and going natural to my wedding gives me a free pass to ignore it ever after. :) I know I'm unusual in the modern, industrialized world, but I'm not unique and it'd be nice to see a few women in romances who are like me. Even better would be to see women in romances who are like me, <i>and</i> who aren't used to show that you have to get a makeover and slather yourself in makeup 3/4 of the way through the story in order to get a good man. And yes, a lot of guys, especially the younger ones, are <i>hot</i> in eye liner. :) I'd like to see that too in contemporary romances. Angie I’d like to see a world where some people (of whichever gender) wear makeup, and some don’t. Where, of the ones who do, some where a lot, some where a little, and some only wear it on certain occasions. You know, like real people.

I don’t wear makeup. I tried it for a while, got a makeover and came home with a sack of stuff, and wore it to work for like six months. Ick. It was uncomfortable and expensive, and took too long to put on every morning, to say nothing of touch-ups. I finally trashed it and never looked back. I wore no makeup at my wedding — informing people of this, whenever they try to nag (and yeah, gentle hinting is still nagging) about how I really should do something with my face, usually shuts them up. The wedding is sort of a high-water benchmark of female grooming, and going natural to my wedding gives me a free pass to ignore it ever after. :)

I know I’m unusual in the modern, industrialized world, but I’m not unique and it’d be nice to see a few women in romances who are like me. Even better would be to see women in romances who are like me, and who aren’t used to show that you have to get a makeover and slather yourself in makeup 3/4 of the way through the story in order to get a good man.

And yes, a lot of guys, especially the younger ones, are hot in eye liner. :) I’d like to see that too in contemporary romances.

Angie

]]> By: Jessica http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34581 Jessica Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:39:13 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34581 Thank you for adding Madam CJ Walker. I regret not listing her in the post. Thank you for adding Madam CJ Walker. I regret not listing her in the post.

]]> By: Jessica http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34580 Jessica Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:36:55 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34580 It's all about the social meaning, historical context, and personal intention motivating the act, isn't it? It’s all about the social meaning, historical context, and personal intention motivating the act, isn’t it?

]]> By: Jessica http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34579 Jessica Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:35:14 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34579 You people are hammering me on the historical. LOL. Is it time to note, in my defense, that the post focuses on contemporaries? You people are hammering me on the historical. LOL. Is it time to note, in my defense, that the post focuses on contemporaries?

]]> By: Jessica http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34578 Jessica Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:32:24 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34578 oh, I knew was going to call me on the powder! oh, I knew was going to call me on the powder!

]]> By: Jessica http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34577 Jessica Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:31:30 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34577 Good point about the importance of setting! Good point about the importance of setting!

]]> By: Jessica http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34576 Jessica Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:30:24 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34576 oh, the possibilities of his and her waxing... oh, the possibilities of his and her waxing…

]]> By: heidenkind http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2009/11/18/going-rouge-makeup-and-the-heroine-and-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-34575 heidenkind Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:37:12 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/?p=3180#comment-34575 I remember once on Ally McBeal, one of the female characters said, "If women are so liberated, why do I have to put on mascara before leaving the house?" I think she had a great point--if you feel obligated to make yourself more sexually attractive in any situation, then you're definitely not liberated from the idea that women are first and foremost sexual objects for men. But I think that's more of an individual issue than one endemic to cosmetics--plenty of women use make-up, as you said, to feel more confident, and necessarily because they HAVE to. I think the romance novel examples you pointed out support the latter attitude. I remember once on Ally McBeal, one of the female characters said, “If women are so liberated, why do I have to put on mascara before leaving the house?” I think she had a great point–if you feel obligated to make yourself more sexually attractive in any situation, then you’re definitely not liberated from the idea that women are first and foremost sexual objects for men. But I think that’s more of an individual issue than one endemic to cosmetics–plenty of women use make-up, as you said, to feel more confident, and necessarily because they HAVE to. I think the romance novel examples you pointed out support the latter attitude.

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