I've Been Single for 8 Years, and TBH, I Blame Makeup

I wish I were kidding when I say my love life is directly related to my eyeshadow obsession.

- BETH GILLETTE

Hi, I'm Beth and I've been online dating since my 18th birthday. I've probably swiped through the entire city of Chicago and about half of New York at this point. And all I really have to show for it is a few dozen matches that went absolutely nowhere and one kind of amazing story about hooking up with a CIA agent... who only disclosed their identity after dumping me.

What does all this have to do with makeup? I'll tell you: I'm not excessively picky. All I ask for is a sense of humor. I'm not super exclusive-I'm open to dating men and women. What I am is an ardent lover of makeup, and it shows.

 My profiles are filled with photos of me sporting glitzed-out cheekbones, vibrant red lipstick, meticulously blended watercolor eyes, and neon graphic liner. To me, this makes perfect sense because makeup is basically my everything the basis for my job, what I do for stress relief, how I communicate my mood and feelings. But lately, I've started suspecting it doesn't make perfect sense to others, that maybe my beauty looks could come across as a little intimidating? Or something? There was only one way to find out.