Mascara, foundation and concealer are the only ones I can think of where no one is likely to comment. They're mainly meant to be, as you say, subtle: enhance or conceal.
Lipstick, eyeshadow, blush, eyeliner -- all of these are decoration. ANY combination of these is likely to set someone off. I grew up hearing my grandparents' friends disparage the girls with blush because it was unseemly. Lipstick just draws attention to your whore mouth. Eyeshadow has ALL SORTS of terrible hooker connotations, especially the non-skin tone colors (e.g., blue). Eyeliner, too, gets a reputation for being glommed on to make the eyes obscenely painted.
By my observation, the difference between "slutty makeup" and "normal makeup" is a matter of degrees. Light eyeliner, neutral eyeshadow, a touch of blush? These are plenty work-safe. Heavy eyeliner, bright eyeshadow, red lipstick? Whore. Heavy eyeliner, no other makeup? Emo. Red lipstick, nothing else? Model wanna-be aka whore.
It's a fucking brutal damned if you do, damned if you don't world for makeup. The best application is the one that looks as if you're not wearing any makeup at all. Which is a damnable lie, of course, but it's pretty much the same thing people have always been asking of girls: be pretty when I want to look at you, but not obtrusive when I don't.
