Are you trying to climb the corporate ladder, and wondering why that ladder doesn’t go as high as you think it should?
Well, it ends up that people’s perceptions of a woman’s competence can be directly tied to the makeup that the woman is wearing. So says a STUDY FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
The disclaimer, of course, is that the study came from the manufacturers of Cover Girl and other makeup brands, but even so — the study does confirm that outward appearance does have an effect on one’s perceived competancy.
The study showed a series of photos of individuals, each one with different levels of makeup applied (“natural”, “professional”, and “glamorous”). The conclusion was that women feel more confident when wearing makeup, and that can help lead to an outward impression of knowing what one is doing.
Not all women agree with the study, claiming that whether they wear makeup or not does not reflect on their ability to perform any job or occupation.
Another conclusionsfrom the study include is that high contrasting makeup (makeup of the wrong color for the subject) makes a person appear untrustworthy (may be why some think clowns are creepy)