Ladies: Would YOU Go Bare On A First Date?

Most girls wait at least three dates or so before they do it. Some girls do it right away. Others? Never do it… not even after he’s put a ring on it!

Would you dare to go bare on a first date?

Before we go any further, you should probably get your mind out of the gutter. We’re not talking about sexytime or nudity – we’re talking about makeup.

I just read a post on Elite Daily titled Dare To Go Bare: 4 Reasons Why A Girl Shouldn’t Wear Makeup On A First Date. To be completely honest, when I first saw the title I instantly thought, “This girl must be out of her damn mind!” Most people in the comments section seemed to agree, save for one or two people.

However, once I read through the post, it got me thinking. How many girls would actually do this? And more importantly, how many guys would actually like it if their date showed up without makeup on… and how many would run for the hills?

In case you haven’t read the post, author Katie Gonzalez cited four reasons why women shouldn’t wear makeup on a first date, and I have to admit, she makes a strong case for nixing the first date makeup in favor of something more natural.

1. Women have to learn confidence without it.
“If women can’t find ways to accept themselves sans any cosmetic assistance, they definitely shouldn’t be looking for a new relationship. The old adage, “You have to learn to love yourself before you can love someone else,” certainly holds true.”

2. If all goes well, you know he’s interested in more than a made-up face.
“Instead of knowing whether this guy was interested in you for your witty conversation, you should question whether he was just preoccupied about showing off his super hot new girlfriend to all his guy friends.”

3. It allows you to call the shots.
“Don’t put yourself in a position where you feel like there’s a “look” you must maintain; be yourself, and he’ll be happy for that. And if he isn’t, well, then it’s a good thing you didn’t waste a single swipe of your $24 bottle of liquid eyeliner on him.”

4. It’s the great un-equalizer.
“If women don’t expect guys to amp up their appearance for a first date, why should we waste our time fretting over whether the man will appreciate our cat-eye eyeliner or not?”

Before I go any further, I should clarify: I tend to prefer a more natural look. If I’m going out – whether with friends or a guy – I’ll do foundation, blush, eyeshadow, mascara and sometimes lipgloss or lipstick, but I stick to colors that match what’s already going on on my face – i.e. my eyeshadow is skin-tone and meant to just enhance what I naturally have, not create a crazy illusion.

Personally, I think she looks gorgeous without any makeup! (via @/viva_glam_kay on Instagram)

If I’m dating someone, I have no qualms about going makeup-less – even early on. Almost every guy I’ve dated has commented on it – positively. Personally, I think most of my female friends look much, much better without a boatload of makeup on. In fact, I’d go out on a limb and assume that most men would agree.

Don’t get me wrong – I know a lot of females embrace makeup as a form of self-expression, which I think is awesome. I’m jealous of girls that can create a perfect smokey eye or have the inclination to change up their look on a daily basis based on their mood, and I’ve definitely sat through numerous Michelle Phan videos on YouTube thinking, “How the hell does she do that?!”

However, when it comes to dating, I think the author of that post may be onto something… kind of. When you go out on a date, you should present your best self, but you should also be yourself.

If you think he might not like you for how you naturally look on the first date, that opinion probably won’t change once the contouring and smokey eyes come off several dates in. Oh, and he probably won’t like you if you cover his pillow cases in foundation, either.

My personal opinion? Find the happy medium, but do what’s best for you – not a guy, not society and not a host of bloggers. While I personally wouldn’t go makeup-free on a first date, I think it’s important to be yourself as much as possible.

What’s your opinion, ladies?

MEN, we really want to hear from you. Would you prefer your date to be nicely made-up, completely natural, or somewhere in-between? How would you feel if your date showed up without makeup?

Share your thoughts in the comments section!