The Five Signs

1. People are unaccountably awkward. Some people --especially men-- find women who wear too much makeup unattractive and strange. And so they hold them at arm's length, unable to focus on what a woman is saying because they're distracted by how she looks. This is actually true; a guy friend once told me he always feels this way when chatting with his brother's wife-- her makeup is so extreme that can never quite figure out how to talk to her.

2. You have to replace it often. Some women can use the same tube of mascara or the same eyeliner pencil for months. But if you're on the other side of the scale, it may be time to wonder if you wear too much. If you can empty out an entire tube of mascara in just a couple of weeks, it's undeniable: you wear too much of the stuff.

3. You re-apply often. Think of your typical work day. Of course you get up in the morning, get ready, and fix your makeup. But if you find yourself lugging your makeup bag into the bathroom every hour or so to re-apply a bit here or a bit there, it generally means you're wearing too much... especially if part of touching up means layering on more mascara and wiping away smears of black from under your eyes.