There's an evolutionary advantage with makeup. If it didn't work, women would spend their time doing other stuff that works. Like the blush applied to our model here. Once girls reach menarche, estrogen increases the number of capillaries in the skin of the face which will indicate fertility. Men are programmed to subconsciously respond to subtle signs like this, so unless you have a level of awareness of these things, you're kinda on the hook.
Ironically one of the signs of alcoholism and liver disease is a similar blush with enlarged capillaries (telangiectasia) that impacts men as well...
