The biggest benefit to going makeup-free

I am not one of those girls who has to have her full face on before she leaves the house, mostly because I’m lazy, but also because I don’t care about people seeing my ‘real face’.

Sometimes, I also have my hair tied back in a ponytail because I haven’t showered yet.

It is on these days that a lot more people ask me:

So what are you studying?

or

What do you plan on studying?

I don’t know if they’re being kind or they really just can’t suss out someone’s age, but I have to always laugh and reply: Actually I’ve been out of school for a good 6 years now, and I work as a consultant.

Interesting.

One (married) guy at work even asked me how old I was because apparently I looked like I just came out of high school so there was no way I had finished a college degree.

Three questions pop into my head:

1. Is it because younger girls don’t wear makeup, so people assume they’re younger?
2. Or that college students are less likely to want to dress up/put on makeup and go out the door?
3. Do I really look like a college student? (And can I score some great student discounts? :P)

I should also note that I am not very short.

I’m the average height of a Canadian, around 5’4″ and I rarely (read: never) wear heels outside of work. At work however, I am mistaken for being in my early to mid thirties, mostly because:

• I bother to dress up a little, even with some heels
• I wear some makeup
• I don’t talk in the office the way I would with my friends on the phone 😛
• My line of work rarely has people under the age of 35 in it <– BIGGEST REASON!

So for the past 6 years my actual age has been a surprising point for many of my clients.

At least I know if I wear sweatpants, a sweatshirt, no makeup and my hair in a ponytail, I will look years younger. 😛

That said, I really do enjoy wearing makeup. At least some concealer and eyeliner.

I wonder how long this will last.

Have you gotten similar responses?