An influencer has divided opinion by saying men ‘have to pay’ on the first date because of the investment she makes in cosmetics to look good.
Elle McNamara, from Derbyshire, joined the TikTok trend of creators breaking down the hidden costs of their makeup routines.
The TikToker, who goes by the name BambiDoesBeauty online, eh known for her makeup and beauty videos, especially those in which she claims to have “aged backwards” to look younger at 33 than she did at 23.
And in her latest ‘GRWM’ (Get Ready With Me) videoexplained to Elle that men should ‘pay on the first date’ as the total cost of her appearance was £233.07.
Elle’s radiant makeup routine included products from Dior, Chanel and Rihanna’s makeup brand Fenty.
Elle McNamara, 33, from Derbyshire, revealed how much her make-up routine costs as a reason for men to foot the bill on the first date
The light-hearted video was made with a very tongue-in-cheek tone, but still made it clear that preparing for a date as a woman can be very expensive.
However, opinions were divided online – with one commentator even going so far as to brand it ‘sexist’.
One wrote: ‘I strongly disagree with this as we choose to buy and wear makeup.
‘And one use would not equal the entire purchase amount. But you shine!’
A second commenter added: ‘I hope this is a joke. you’re not wearing £233 worth of make-up. That would mean you used it all up for one look, which is obviously not the case,” while a third said: ‘This doesn’t make any sense.’
The debate over who should pay on the first date is controversial and can lead to awkward situations because people have different preferences.
According to a recent poll of MailOnline readers, 40 percent believe the man should pay the bill on the first date, while 58 percent say it should be split. Only two percent believe that women should pay.
In another similar video, a TikTok user going by the handle @naginadarling said the total cost of her makeup routine was $1,326 (£1,042).
Once again, some in the comments disagreed with her reasoning, writing, “I don’t like this argument.
‘You do all that because you want to. It’s not a requirement for dating.’
But women were generally in favour, with some even arguing that the amount does not include ‘nails, eyebrows, outfit, shoes and bag’ – and should be higher.
Elle’s radiant make-up routine included products from Dior, Chanel and Rihanna’s make-up brand Fenty, totaling £233.07
It comes after a dating coach revealed he believes the man should always foot the bill on the first date.
Niko Emanuilidis30, is a relationship guru who regularly shares romance tips on his TikTok account, where he has more than 162,000 followers.
Recently, the New York-based love expert took to the video sharing platform to talk about why men should always foot the bill for a date.
In a viral clip, which has been viewed more than 232,000 times to date, he explained that men should always put away their credit cards in the first “three to four months of dating.”
He captioned the video: “Men must pay.”
Niko started by explaining that in ‘modern dating’ many men think they have to split the bill.
The TikTok trend divides opinion – as it shows how much women pay every day, but others believe it has to do with choices
‘No, you pay for the dates. You pay, you pay, and if you can’t pay then you shouldn’t even be dating,” he said.
“You have to focus on your work, on your purpose, and making money to the point where you can afford to take a woman out and show her a good time.”
He noted that if men asked women to share the costs, they should walk away, because those who refused to pay for dates “had no idea at all.”
The dating guru added, “That just shows me that you have no dating experience, you have no idea of what’s masculine and what’s feminine, and you’re just completely dropping the ball.”