Reddit Users Think This Is Why Men Don’t Notice Women’s Makeup

There is a stereotype that men cannot — or do not — notice the makeup that women use. This is certainly not universal, as there are countless men who dedicate their lives to the art of cosmetics — take the incredibly talented James Charles, Manny MUA, Patrick Starrr, and Jeffree Star, for example. Nevertheless, the thought persists. Perhaps it's because, yes, there are some men who believe that we use magic — as opposed to makeup — to look instantly contoured, highlighted, and groomed. And there are some who think we use nothing at all. For instance, a former paramour of mine once told me, "I love how you don't have to do anything to look beautiful." I glared at him from under a sheet of flat-ironed hair. Yeah, sure. I don't do anything. Why is this the case? Well, according to a few makeup-loving Reddit users, men may be less attuned to color than women. One woman sparked a discussion when she posted a photo of herself wearing a decent amount of makeup — or at least, enough that most beauty addicts would notice. She captioned the pic, "The intense amount of makeup (~1 hour) I'm wearing when my boyfriend thinks I'm not wearing any makeup." Other users chimed in quickly, proposing their own theories as to why. The prevailing explanation seemed to be that men perceive colors differently. One cited a National Geographic report that traced the difference back to our hunter-gatherer roots, in which men evolved to notice large, faraway objects (like deer and other prey), whereas women, as gatherers, developed an eye for smaller things, like berries and herbs. It's an interesting theory. For us, the more likely answer is this: People who use makeup notice makeup. Those who eschew the cosmetic arts are less likely to notice it. Would you agree? Let us know what you think in the comments.