Almost half of the respondents said they experienced a sense of disappointment when they saw a woman’s unmade face.

With group dynamics and traditional gender roles and stereotypes still prevalent in Japanese society, conforming to cultural norms is considered to be an important part of growing up and adapting to the world around you. It’s the reason why women are still banned from doing certain things and why it’s rare to ever see a woman without a full face of makeup, given the unwavering sense of girly-girl femininity in Japan.

So it’s hardly surprising that men will do a double-take when they see a woman’s unmade face, especially given the impressive makeup techniques Japanese women have learnt to master over the years. However, a new poll, which surveyed 330 men in their 20s-40s, found that 40 percent of men were disappointed when they saw a woman’s face without makeup.

According to the 40 percent of men who said they were taken aback by the makeup-free face, the main points that stood out for them were:

– Spots and lack of lustre (29.8 percent)

– Wrinkles (14 percent)

– Shadows (8.8 percent)

– Sagging skin (6.1 percent)

– Open pores (5.5 percent)

– Acne (5.2 percent)

Damning comments included:

“The skin appeared dirty, and there was a huge gap in the difference between her made-up face and her face without makeup.” (Male, 40s)
“When she took off her makeup, her spots and wrinkles stood out more than I could have imagined.” (Male, 30s)
“It felt like she aged immediately as soon as the makeup came off.” (Male, 30s)
“I was surprised to see sunburnt spots and freckles.” (Male, 20s)

While we can’t criticise these men for their honesty, we’re hoping the poll results don’t encourage young women to head out to their nearest plastic surgery clinic. At the end of the day, 60 percent of Japanese men surveyed weren’t disappointed when they saw a woman without any makeup, proving that the majority of men either love you in your natural form, or are wise enough to know that makeup is meant to highlight, enhance and conceal.

For those who want to see just how transformative the powers of makeup can be, take a look at these informative videos, which show a regular-looking woman turn into a kawaii princess and the secret magic behind enlarging your eyes. And with the right tools and clever use of blush, men can even turn into women too!

Source: J-Cast News via NicoNico News
Featured image: Pakutaso