I think a lot of this has to do with the pressure society (think advertising) puts on women to look their best. Yeah, it's fucked up, and yeah it sucks that they cave in to the pressure.
That being said, I cannot stand when they think they need to basically put on a fake face to be seen in public. I go to a university about an hour outside of Chicago, and like half of the bitches here go way overboard on the makeup.
Seriously? Nobody gives a fuck what you look like during an 8am lecture. Only thing I'm thinking about is how much longer I have until the class ends. Just be yourself. That kind of confidence is hella attractive.