Jack Averty: We’re made up with ladies looking good

That was the burning question in the Averty universe this week as I spent several hours tucked away in the corner of a beauty salon.

Probably best to gloss over why I was in the salon in the first place, but I would like to tell my loyal readers (hi mum) that my nails are now looking better than ever and good lord is my skin soft.

Observing the women coming and going from the salon like some kind of slightly perverted David Attenborough, I couldn’t help but notice how they all strived to look the same.

They all came in caked in make-up and dressed like their only aim for the day was to get as many white van drivers to wolf whistle at them as possible.

After an hour or two they would leave with nails like claws and lashes with what the kids would call ‘on fleek’.

Being what I thought was a strong believer in feminism, I couldn’t help think why don’t these women love themselves more?

Why do they feel like they have to live up to this stereotype of what they think guys find attractive?

Why can’t they dress comfortably and leave off the make-up?

But I soon discovered there’s several major flaws with my warped thinking.

First of all who the hell am I, a bloke who bares a striking resemblance to Jonah Hill only with a worse dress sense, to tell females how to dress and act?

Chances are these women are fully aware they could dress and act differently but they don’t want to. They like the way they look and it makes them feel good – who am I or any man to question that?

And just because they dress how they want, how does that in any way prove that they don’t love themselves?

Also the way women dress, whether it being comfortable or forced, is not an excuse for that topless guy hanging out the window of his mate’s car to launch into a sexual verbal onslaught.

As well as using my eyes in the beauty salon I was also fortunate enough to listen in on some fascinating conversations.

As you can imagine with girls gossip nearly all of what was said is unprintable, but one conversation sparked my interest.

One of the women in the salon had recently had lip fillers done, much to the fury of her boyfriend, who had demanded after the last time she never have it done again.

He was less angry this time, apparently thanks to some white lies, but still told her not to do it again because ‘she didn’t need them’.

I learned that the guy is totally besotted with her and however controlling his words sounded they were not meant like that – he genuinely just wants the best for her.

But that’s the whole problem right there – why do we think as men that we know better than women?

He could be right, she might not need them, but what if she wants them?

We don’t need to play the new Fifa for 14 hours until our eyes turn red but we want to – and we will.

The reverse of this is the women who are not comfortable with who they are and how they look and they are striving to live up to this terrible trend set by Instagram models – tight clothes, inches of make-up, size zero waists and lopsided lip fillers.

Some girls do this because they want to look like their favourite celebrities, others do it because they think it’s what guys find attractive.

As guys we might think that that is bizarre as that’s not what we find attractive, but we don’t realise when we’re gawping at pictures of Kylie Jenner or staring at the girl across the street in the risqué clothing that our women are watching and their confidence is being dented.

It’s easier said than done, but why don’t us men just love and support women’s decisions instead of constantly trying to force our views upon them?

Of course, there are scenarios when you have to speak your mind, or scenarios where you are more knowledgable than her and feel you have a right to impress your thoughts upon her.

But I think it’s fair to say when it comes to how women look – from everything from dresses and tops to nail colours and eyelashes – we are very much second best.

After a day of self-reflection in the salon it became quite clear to me what needs to happen:

Girls, keep doing what you do.

Guys, keep your bloody thoughts to yourself.