if women wear makeup....

Can you share what your exact issue with make up is? Not what scientists say, or how women wear various amounts of it for various occasions, or what better does or doesn't mean. What *your* precise issue is with it.

As well as, do men by and large like women who wear heavy make up more or less than women who don't?

🤣

Note that I didn't say "look" better, I said "feel" better. Because better is subjective, I agree, but I'm talking about the psychology of colour theory and the psychology behind self-perception. And yes it absolutely is the same as wearing clothing because wearing heels and wearing slippers make you feel different. Drag queens often state that they feel more powerful and dominating in feminine clothing, makeup and heels than in power suits, and it shows. Then, when you try to apply the "but they're doing it to appear more sexually attractive though" school of thought, it doesn't work, so that's just not an accurate perspective. It's almost seems like you've trying to shoehorn that idea onto reality when it clearly isn't fitting because you can't conceive that there could be any number of other reasons why people wear makeup.

I feel like you're close though, because women going to bars and wearing more makeup is about boosting self-confidence and also about looking more intimidating to men so they don't approach you. That you're only able to view their actions through the lens of "this is clearly for men" aka "they're doing this for me" is a bit of a narrow perspective. They're doing it because they're going to be around a lot of drunk and therefore brutally honest people, including their friends, and they want to feel more secure in their appearance, that's it. Women put as much effort into looking good at a friendly brunch, there's just less drunk men there.

Add onto that the fact "natural makeup" is probably the most popular right now, and that more extreme makeup clearly is either ultra feminine or very alternative, what's sexual about that? Everyone has physical insecurities, using makeup to soothe those insecurities is personal. If people treat you better because of it, that's a bonus, but it rarely has anything to do with sexually attracting anyone, that's what showcasing cleavage and short skirts are for.