MAKE-up and DIVING

[Afraid_of_Fish]

i didn't even know there was such a thing as lip-cancer. wow, more reason for me to wear lip gloss/stick.

 

[beachdivequeenbelam]

I had the pleasure of meeting you and Scubaguy and Scubababe last weekend, and thought you were all just wonderful -- Andy, your eyes really are to die for, and I say that with full awareness that you had nothing to do with it, it's just one of those happy accidents of nature.

Two brief points on your comments: I love your attitude about women as friends, etc. It reminds me of my late, great, daddy, who one year was given a trophy, the Prince Charming award, from all of his wife's girlfriends. There are just some men who are very comfortable with women in all parts of their life.

Second point, I wear waterproof mascara to dive, and it is more out of concern for people who have to look at me. I have these round rabbit eyes, and am eyelash-challenged, so without mascara I have this wide-eyed-just-escaped-from-the-asylum look... not good around divers, who can be a little edgy, especially bad if you're looking for a dive buddy.

Good point on that. I am very fortunate to have long black lashes and if I wear mascara I look like I have big eyes. It would be worse if I wore mascara underwater. I never that about it that way at all but excellent suggestion for girls with that problem.

Bridget

 

[OrlandoRogue]

Just reading through this thread and I have to add that fear of skin cancer is why I apply the added the protection of lipstick with sunscreen and a light waterproof base with sunscreen (which I hardly ever wear when I am not scuba-diving) on top of the already applied sunscreen. As a fair-skinned redhead with cases of skin cancer in my family, I do all I can to protect my skin. To the people in my life whose opinion's count, I have proven that I can be a rough and tumble gal by holding my own mountain biking, kayaking and scuba-diving. To those who meet me for the first time on a dive and think, "wow, she's such a sissy for wearing lipstick on a dive," I say..."so what!"

 

[Nehallenia]

thanks Boatlawyer! that's awfully sweet

and Nehallenia, i agree with you that i would love to go out and drink some beer
with Foo and Divemistress... but... i would add you to that list too!

Wow, thanks! Don't know if I actually make it into that league, but it was nice of you to include me.

Hey, I'm not busy this weekend, the dive I was going on has been cancelled - ??

 

[Nehallenia]

Just reading through this thread and I have to add that fear of skin cancer is why I apply the added the protection of lipstick with sunscreen and a light waterproof base with sunscreen (which I hardly ever wear when I am not scuba-diving) on top of the already applied sunscreen. As a fair-skinned redhead with cases of skin cancer in my family, I do all I can to protect my skin. To the people in my life whose opinion's count, I have proven that I can be a rough and tumble gal by holding my own mountain biking, kayaking and scuba-diving. To those who meet me for the first time on a dive and think, "wow, she's such a sissy for wearing lipstick on a dive," I say..."so what!"

There are lots of clear balms with high SPF ratings that will do that job . . . but it's just more fun if they have colour, isn't it? I quit with the lipstick when I smeared it all over my [male] instructor's regulator during a demonstration of reg use!

 

[Nehallenia]

When you're under water, you're not making love connections nor are you the focal point of the dive.
.

This made me think of something I have noticed very early in my dive career - the connections you DO make with people underwater. I have been very fortunate with dive buddies so far, all of them have been very experienced divers and most of them have been either PADI or NAUI instructors. I have noted that communication problems become magnified underwater - if you have difficulty getting along with someone out of the water, it will get a lot worse underwater. Also, there is a certain intimacy that is created when you dive with someone - you feel closer to them after you have gone on a dive with them, barriers seem to fall. Anybody else have this experience??

 

[ckbonder]

Why do you put on make up when you are planning to scuba dive?? it's either going to get washed off, wiped in your gear.. or just messed up.. ie mascara.. water proof or not. I don't understand why??? Maybe cause I am a tom-boy and just to see the purpose of the stuff............

I usually don't put on full make-up when I'm going to be out on the boat all day. Those times I stick with Ocean Potion waterproof sunblock (SPF 30) and the Cover Girl Everlast lipstick. I wear foundation, mascara, and lipstick at work and if I end up deciding to go diving in the evening, I don't always remember to take the make-up remover along so I can take the stuff off before the dive.

Lots of women (me included) wear make-up for the way it makes us feel. Sometimes women wear make-up to create a social mask that they can hide behind so they don't feel vulnerable. OTher times, they wear make-up because they like hte way it makes them look. I wear lipstick because my eyes are dark and my lips are very pale and I don't want to look like a refugee from the 1960s (anyone remember the white lipstick craze?).

A truly waterproof mascara (one that requires baby oil or an oil-based remover to get off) won't run or smudge even when it gets wet. The Maybelline mascara I generally use (when I wear the stuff) survived my mask being kicked off by my niece the last time we went to the lake.

However, some sunscreens will act like a make up remover and cause even water proof mascara to smudge. Before deciding to wear mascara while diving, do a test in the bathroom sink at home. Put on your sunscreen and mascara, let it dry,then dunk your face into a sink of water. Does the mascara cause your eyes to sting? If it does, don't wear it while diving.

As far as those women who do the Merle Norman/high end ($38.00 for a lipstick and $68.00 for a foundation) make-up thing complete with three shades of eye shadow, liner, mascara, concealer, lip liner, lipstick, blush and contour shading and pressed powder to finish things up, even when they are diving, they're just wasting their money since they'll have to re-aply it when they get back on the boat.

Christine (safely returned to Dayton, Ohio after being evacuated from the Florida Keys last Thursday)

 

[Nehallenia]

.

A truly waterproof mascara (one that requires baby oil or an oil-based remover to get off) won't run or smudge even when it gets wet. The Maybelline mascara I generally use (when I wear the stuff) survived my mask being kicked off by my niece the last time we went to the lake.
.

OK, today I did a test, though I wasn't expecting to. Knew I was going to dive for work this afternoon, so I didn't do the full makeup this morning, just lip gloss and WATERPROOF mascara (Rimmel brand, cheap drugstore stuff). While I was diving, I had a problem with my hood (yes, in August, I am diving with a hood, this is CANADA, it is cold, not as cold as you think, but still cold) and my mask flooded repeatedly. My eyes got a good flushing with cold salt water and . . . hardly any smudging!