First Mate and I have been married for over 30 years and in all that time I never gave a thought to what women’s makeup cost ... until about 5 years ago. Now, she does not wear a lot of makeup, no face plaster with pounds of powder, etc - a little eye liner, lipstick, and a little blush (is that a thing?). One day we were at a walking mall and she asked to stop in at Ulta (Sephora? I don’t remember) where she proceeded to drop $90 on a small container (6 in dia, 1 in thick) of something. I about had a cow but she said that it was on sale and the container would last for over a month.
Now extrapolate that to what some women plaster on their faces and then add in shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving cream, etc. It must really add up.
I’m not defending the Aussie chick’s suggestion but I can see her point about the expense of cancellations.
My point was subtle. Why isn’t a first date a low makeup affair? A coffee shop conversation? A walk in the park? A visit to an art gallery? You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to look good for something simple.
Later on, if things progress and they go to a formal gala, that would warrant full,hair, manicure and makeup.