NEWS COPY
Millions of British women fear they won't be taken seriously without wearing make-up, new research reveals.
A poll of 2,000 women found nearly a third think others wouldn't treat them with respect if they went to a meeting, out for a date or to an interview completely bare faced.
In fact, the average lady claims to feel at least 31 per cent more confident if they have a full face of make-up.
The report, which examines the relationship between appearance and self-esteem, found 41 per cent rely on make-up to make them feel more assertive, attractive and self-assured.
Sadly, a third of women do not like their appearance at all without make-up, a fifth wear products just to feel 'normal' and one in three women spends less than an hour per day without make-up on.
The research, which was commissioned by Solgar as part of the launch of its new collagen beauty supplement, also found that the 'bare-essentials' look for the average woman still involves a minimum of four products before she feels happy with her appearance.
Lisa Munro launching Solgar Collagen Hyaluronic Acid Complex said yesterday: "It's no secret that feeling good on the outside can provide a great boost to our confidence levels overall, but it's important that we don't let make-up determine whether we are happy in ourselves or not.
"The results show many women strongly rely on make-up and it's worrying that in this day and age, despite all that women are achieving, they still feel less able to be themselves or to naturally gain higher levels of confidence and self-esteem.
"Taking pride in your natural appearance and prioritising a healthy look is important in ensuring our confidence is more deeply rooted within ourselves and not simply a result of what's on the surface."
When reviewing their happiness in areas with and without using products, make-up had the biggest impact on skin appearance - a rise of 34 per cent happiness in their look was found if wearing some sort of product on their skin.
Women also felt they gained a 25 per cent boost from using make-up on their eyes, results showed.
Perhaps that's why 41 per cent of women said their reliance on make-up was either strong or very strong- while less than a fifth said they rarely wear it at all.
If having to pick only one make-up product to wear, foundation would be the product of choice with nearly a quarter of women selecting this as their biggest essential.
And the average woman waits four months until they're happy to let a partner see them without make-up, results showed.
While it's never far from our thoughts - 47 per cent said they regularly find themselves comparing their make-up to that of friends and colleagues.
Women would be most likely to wear less make-up if the quality of their skin was better.
However attitudes to ageing and skin appearance appear to be changing, with 43 per cent saying they would rather look good for their age than look many years younger.
And over a third said they are comfortable in their own skin and happy to age naturally.
Lisa Munro of Solgar added: "With foundation named as the most essential make-up item, it's clear women don't rate their natural skin appearance.
"Many are 'hiding behind' their make up too and we know that British women would prefer their faces to look 'fresher and radiant' rather than younger, but want more subtle solutions than resorting to cosmetic procedures.
"Our collagen hyaluronic acid supplement helps to boost the skin's moisture levels and increase skin elasticity to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, working with your body's own biological processes to nourish beauty from the inside out and optimise your own natural beauty."
ENDS
