Wow! Really amazed at all the make-up histories popping up in the comments of the two NMUW posts here, so far. Many similar tales, and quite a few opposing ones, too. Some peeps grew up hating make-up, some were pressured to wear it by their families, others never really liked it to begin with and don’t much bother with it now. Interesting stories to be found here and here. Also, the ladies over at Auntie Wicked have a write up a la mine, and of course there is No Make-up Week’s home base, here.
First, as promised, here are the brave Biorequiem readers who decided not only to participate in NMUW, but also to share their naked faces with the world. Can I get a collective Rarrr!? Thank you all!
Now, today’s menu: men who wear make-up and the pesky, persistent stigma surrounding this concept. This topic is as irritating as it is attractive, so I’ll be augmenting my mini-rant with stimulating imagery.
Dylan Monroe by Christine Lewis
So, my first crush was on a sad harlequin doll. I was maybe 6. I talk about this in an ooold Coilhouse post, where I blame my love of painted boys entirely on that doll and Pierrot. Childhood fantasies aside, I find made-up men infinitely attarctive. And I’m not saying that boys without make-up aren’t alluring, but well applied make-up just does it for me.
Identical twins Tom and Bill Kaulitz, fashion week 2010, Milan
Somehow, make-up on men is still not exactly commonplace today. Sure, it’s around, it’s just not quite “normal”. We have lots of great man make-up in fashion photography and a few celebrities in so-called “guyliner” [Not a fan of that term. Also, remember Richard from LOST?] are sprouting up here and there, but, despite all the context of ancient Egypt and the Elizabethans and the decades of glam rock and drag, today this is still an exception.
Devendra Banhart
Make no mistake, it being an exception as opposed to standard is part of the appeal, for me anyway, but I very much wish make-up on men was just… accepted, so that our powdered pretties could wear nail polish to the office without fear of reprimand and meet our parents without dads sternly scrunching their eyebrows in unified disapproval.
While we’re on the topic, a few links, from my googlemancery of the day:
- The History of Cosmetics on Wikipedia
- Why Did Ancient Egyptian Men Wear Cosmetics?
- Male Cosmetics in the Spotlight, a 2007 article, predicts a resurgence of make-up for the “metrosexual male”
- 4v00.com, a website specializing in men’s make-up and skin care. Their philosophy claims men are better-endowed than women. Sigh.
- Make-up for men, an especially annoying article about why men should wear make-up to boost confidence
Rrr. Is that the best we can do, internet? It irks me to see terms like “metrosexual” being cooked up to define someone who wants to throw on a little eyeliner and bronzer, and it depresses me to see that the same old confidence-blasting “you need make-up” nonsense is being fed to men.
Clint Catalyst in Mother of London by Dirk Mai
So many questions surface in my weary brain, like: do we really need definitions and separate lines of men’s cosmetics? Can we agree that make-up is fun and leave it at that, or do we require degradation to be made into loyal customers? Personally, I think including men in cosmetics campaigns, along with removing words like “flawless” and “better” would do wonders, but I suppose that’s a naive opinion that doesn’t factor in Maximum Profit. Either that, or I’m correct and everyone should listen to me right now. Whatever the case, with an open heart I keep hope alive that kinder, more accepting times are fast on their way, and twenty years from now man make-up with be at least as prevalent as, say, hair extensions.
In lieu of instant change, I hope you’ve enjoyed the brazen objectification herein. Last, but not least, Miyavi. A distant relative, perhaps?
LLLOOVVVEE your choice of the beauteous men in makeup! thanks zoe! eep. did you go to the last miyavi show? I don’t recall seeing you there. it was FANTASTIC.
All the responses for NMUW were great, wish I could have sent in a picture but I’m having an allergic reaction and my skin is shedding like a snake eghhh haha!
How about http://www.petrilude.com ?
Not only his drag makeup, but also his everday looks are really well done. I’m all for men in makeup, as well as groomed eyebrows!
My first crush was the lead singer from Orgy..Jay, I think? Loved the look of make up on men. These days, I prefer men without makeup, in regards to sexual attraction. But I, too, would like to see more unique, made up faces on men. The only “everyday” guys I see with make up are just doing the go-to goth look, black eyes and lips. I appreciate the photos you’ve posted and hope that the men who DO want to wear make up, would take a cue and get creative. Hell, I’m gonna take a cue. These dudes can wield a brush better than I can!
PS, that picture of Clint Catalyst is amazing. I keep going back to it. Very well done.
So, I can’t help but notice that all your photos of made-up men read as quite feminine to my eyes. Without make-up that brings out masculinity, I doubt you’ll see it as anything other than a fringe movement. As for myself, I’m a pretty femmy dude, but there’s not much motivation for me to put in the long hours of practice it would take to figure out how to work with my natural 5 o’clock shadow and not look like a clown.
I also notice that you’ve neglected what is probably the most common (and accepted) form of masculine makeup: the dark greasepaint lines worn under the eyes by sports players and the like. Indeed, when I was first starting out in theater and had to learn how to apply my own stage makeup, the other actors asked me if I’d ever put on warpaint as a kid.
I’m going to guess that’s not a style of men’s makeup you find terribly enthralling, and bless you for that, but I think that if you want to see make-up on men more accepted, you need to think about make-up that enhances the butch as well as the femme. If your real interest is a mainstream acceptance of men with a feminine look without the ha-ha-only-serious vibe of words like “metrosexual,” “guyliner,” “manscaping,” or (shudder) “murse,” well… that battle’s been raging for a long time, but I suppose it’s not totally impossible we might live to see it won.
The creation of “men’s” makeup lines does tend to help prospective customers overcome the “BUT THIS IS FOR GIRLS” response. That said, most men that are actively looking for makeup got over that issue long ago.
The problem I find isn’t so much a dearth of dudes in makeup, but the average quality of face-paintery. Unfortunately, a lot of guys halt the evolution of their makeup at “smudgy raccoon eyes” simply because there is no easily accessible means to learn a better way. Where as women have far more socially acceptable resources from which to glean their expertise.
Even more interesting, is that (some) women who have been treated poorly over the course of their lives simply because of how they look, will in turn treat makeup’d men poorly, again, simply because of how they look. Do the bonds of “sisterhood” (as it concerns solidarity in the face of adversity) just not extend to folks with outie-junk or what?
Also, Nestor Carbonell’s (Richard on Lost) eyes look like that naturally, no makeup whatsoever (the lucky bastard).
Ben, you’re right, I didn’t mention football grease paint, or tribal war paint – a conscious decision. This is because grease paint isn’t considered “cosmetic” – its function is to prevent sun from blinding players in the field. Decorative and war paint, on the other hand, is gorgeous and interesting, but I think that it’s better suited for a post of its own.
Also, you bring up an interesting point, that actually plays well into a future topic. What type of make-up, in your opinion, would accentuate masculinity? What does “butch” mean to you, in terms of make up? I felt that Clint’s make-up was actually pretty darn masculine and reminiscent of grease paint!
Also, both the Kaulitz twins are likely to be wearing make up :)
I think I’m REALLY going to enjoy reading your blog this week ^_^
Qais,
“The creation of “men’s” makeup lines does tend to help prospective customers overcome the “BUT THIS IS FOR GIRLS” response. ” — Indeed. Which is why I say that including men in make-up advertising campaigns would do a world of good. Thoughts?
More importantly, I’m going to need proof of Richard’s super-human eyeliner powers.
@Zoe, Agree with you about Clint’s make-up being masculine, but to my eye, only just. And w/r/t dark grease paint under the eyes does come from practical use (and I believe there’s a Mythbusters episode that shows it does actually work, but only if you’re wearing a hat with a brim), but I think there’s a style element to it, too. If you see a man with the dark lines painted under his eyes, it carries meaning. Certainly, you’re unlikely to see it outside of sports fans engaged in a little cos-play, or the heightened reality of an advertisement trying to invoke athleticism or competition, but I still feel like if male make-up were looking to find an “in,” it would be from something that already has some cultural familiarity.
Subtle enhancements to shade or hue read as feminine, and are likely only going to find mainstream acceptance when male femininity does.
Masculine make-up sounds bold and full of bravado. But it’s not meticulous. Sprezzatura comes to mind: unkempt, but inarguably stylish. Impossible to copy without looking like a fool. Like how you fold a pocket square to make it look like you just shoved it in your jacket pocket without thinking.
Also: tattoos. Face and neck tattoos can be quite masculine. Maybe there’s some leads to be found there?
I’m fairly young and I’ve noticed a rise in the past few years of boys and young men wearing makeup. It’s typically more subtle however and less theatrical as many of your examples show.
Foundation to even and smooth out skin. A slight touch of eyeliner/mascara to achieve a more edgy look. Filled in brows (which have been plucked). This is a makeup post, so I’ll only briefly mention the noticeable rise in hair removal among young guys.
I see the standards for men slowly becoming as involved as the general standards for women. The average men seems to groom and beautify more and more as time goes by. Some of them, like my brother, feel with chagrin that there are certain things they HAVE to do now, like most women have felt for ages.
in highschool i had a male friend who suffered from severe acne. upon confessing to me that it embarrassed him so much & wishing he could ‘just cover it up’ i asked him why he didn’t try wearing make up. ‘yeah, right,’ he said, ‘as if i’m not ostracized enough.’ i felt so angry that it was considered perfectly acceptable for a girl to slather her face with 2″ of obvious foundation ( or well applied, all the better) but for a guy to conceal his perceieved flaws & feel that much more confident would make him an outcast. i still feel sad.
as for richard’s superhuman eyeliner powers – i belive it! i went to primary school with a boy who had a very distinct natural liner along the waterline. it was almost navy. completely mesmerizing.
Hi Zoe! What a coincidence that you mention this in your blog! I actually was going google crazy looking for “tips” on how to put makeup on a male….particularly my boyfriend because we were going out to a fetish club and thought hmmm..he wouldnt mind me playing up his eyes. Anywho, while I go about my researching ways I found many of the same links you found…metrosexual this and gay men that and let alone the “how to look like a weirdo” bs sites. I soon grew annoyed and discouraged. I found minimal “how to put makeup on a man” tutorials…but realized its not any different than a woman…like any makeup application just do it with care and flare. word! If you should have tips on your blush response in the future..that would be neat.
Off topic, but word has it that the twins are moving to L.A.
I hope I see them in the streets…faces fully made up or not. HOT DAMN.
I agree, It shouldn’t matter who you are, make-up is fun and should be for everyone. I personally think that make-up looks wonderful on men.
I somehow made it through highschool in make-up and skirts without being killed. I actually stopped the year my daughter was born, due to someone throwing a cassette tape from a speeding car, yelling, “FREAK!” I then began to be conscious of the hostility towards gender/clothes/make-up play, I’d been blind to in my youthful arrogance.
This is the North Carolina I know, save for a few “safe” spots. I dress up, as it were, still, but rarely and never when the kids are with me. And to this day, 8 out of 10 of those times, I’m at least verbally assaulted by the standard high school bully type. I suppose I can no longer lean maverick in make-up. I assume many men, who would, don’t do so out the the same apprehension.
That’s where we stand, I think, on a whole, for the moment. Your take a significant risk with make-up, as a man. Oddly enough, I think it’s a higher risk if the man in question isn’t overtly feminine. But that’s another discussion altogether. And I’ve rambled enough.
Ack, should’ve mentioned, that thrown cassette tape was tossed when I was holding my daughter in my arms.
I agree with @Jerem there, i feel the same, as well as the added difficulty of trying to hold down an office job with a little flare here and there. My high school days were much easier to step in to the role that I wanted to be in, but it seems as time goes on and I am now in Alaska ( :( ), and I put my clerical skills to work for me, it doesn’t really “work” for me. I feel like I have to be the “guy” in the office and any step outside that box invites derision and weird looks. So for now i just try to dress nice. i miss the make up. As for Clint ? I wish I had been aware of him when I was younger, what an inspiration( off topic, i know). I do hope as well that makeup-ed men do become more socially tolerable and not just when you’re an artist. I may only bang out a mighty spreadsheet, but I want to look fabulous while I do it!
And now for the ladies, I love you all in make up or out, just as long as it’s YOU.
PS ( love the blonde-no makeup-blackhoodie-Zoetica pics)
Wow! That was a really fabulous article! Gogo man’s right to have his feet firmly in all the ‘girly’ arts! It really would be lovely to see a time when makeup and nailpolish was as acceptable to wear to the office for guys as well as gals.
Go go omnigenderous future!
I don’t dispute any man’s right to wear makeup if he wants to- it’s not something I would want to be denied myself, so why would I do so to anyone else?- but I don’t find it attractive. At all. I like big, stocky, manly men that make me and my Amazon self (5’11”) feel small.
That being said, I’ve done paintings and drawings of David Bowie (an obsession of mine since I was eleven), as well as Brian Slade from “Velvet Goldmine”. But still I thought Jonathan Rhys-Meyers was more beautiful without the makeup than with it. Even in his frock dresses and his long hair.
Actually, looking back, I was madly jealous of some of those boots, too. I’d kill for a pair of sparkly platforms.
Soooo much truth!
If more boys would wear makeup then it WOULD become a norm. :)
That dude from Lost? Yea, those are his real eyes, no make up. He was the Mayor in The Dark Knght, I remember him. He’s just blessed.
Via Wikipedia-Carbonell’s dark eyelashes have been the topic of discussion, but interviews with both Carbonell and the producers of Lost have made it clear they are not enhanced by any form of makeup.[13] A short skit during the Lost panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2009 featured Carbonell allegedly applying eyeliner before throwing a Christian Bale-esque rant upon receiving the wrong color makeup from an assistant.[14] In addition, in the Psych episode “Shawn 2.0”, Shawn makes a comments about Nestor’s character as having dark eyelashes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestor_Carbonell
I think for people younger then 60 the problem with makeup for men comes from its duality of use. Do you wear it feminize yourself or to emphasize our manly side. Macho makeup seems to be growing in acceptance as a seductive trait. However to wear it be more more Fem often leaders to negative responses. Its openly different and a shock to most people.
For the record “Richard” from Lost really does look like that in real life, I saw him at a restaurant once while they were still filming on the island. He was sitting behind me and I didn’t know, but my boyfriend noticed and whispered “guyliner is behind you.” I didn’t know who he was talking about so I said “guyliner?” a lot louder than I should have, and he turned to look. It was awkward.
Also, my boy sometimes lets me put makeup on him but sadly he would never wear it out in public :/
BUT THEY DON’T TALK ABOUT HIS EYELINER.
OK, OK guys, I believe it. Just keep in mind that cosmetic tattooing is out there, so it’s not too far fetched to think that maybe, just maybe, he had the edge of his waterline shaded a bit.
Ah Miyabi and visual kei men are always nice.
Well, I guess, if it is eyeliner or cosmetic tattooing, he certainly helps your case. He’s the Mayor of Gotham City, after all. ;p
Nawww… Surreptitious cosmetic procedures? On actors? In Hollywood?!
I CANNOT FATHOM SUCH ACTS OF CHICANERY.
I can, however, extend super-heapin’-honkin’-buttloads* of thanks—not only for the inclusion in your blogature, but also to anonymer, Ben & Wes for the props served my direction via Thee Almighty Biorequisite Comment Section.
re: the asterisk? To clarify “Gya! Not Literally” to the 2 percent who…oh,
:: nvrmind ::
Now, for a little “JSYK” on the tip of men appearing in cosmetics campaigns:
Since Gaultier’s launch of his line in 2003, they have been. Granted, the vast majority of adverts I’ve seen have been in European publications, but I remember when they began popping up. “Remember” because it was the equivalent of whatever-that-car-commercial-is (oh, you know the one: it involves shoulder-punching) for two friends of mine & me. Ditto, displays in high-end department stores here in the States.
S’anyway, I’ll spare you the clickity-clicking & share some info courtesy of that trusty ol’ Command +C, Command + V:
“Gaultier’s company hopes to satisfy the demand of men for these products (the demand has grown since the last ten years). This way, the company has changed the brand name from “Skin Styling” to “Monsieur”. The new brand includes interesting packaging that breaks traditional molds.
This way, in the Monsieur line, we can find products with a retro design (like lipsticks) and masculine aspects with completely black packaging in a rectangular shape, or suntan lotion that comes packaged in an extremely discreet and elegant box.
Isabelle Fulconi, marketing manager of the firm, was the first person of the fashion world that thought about targeting the makeup products to men. She is very satisfied with the results of the project that was managed by Interbrand (a consultant firm).”
Following Gaultier’s lead, as of today—this 22nd September, 2010—everything from bronzer to blotting powder to eyebrow brushes for gents are sold by
4VOO, Male Species, Menaji, MYEGO, Taxi for Men (example of product names? The concealer is called “Disguys”; the eyeliner, predictably, “Guyliner”), Billy Jealousy (the flamer of the lot, but I ain’t mad about it…there needs to be a flamboya with a wicked sense of humor to keep things interesting, as far as I’m concerned)
*
Also, How-To guides have become increasingly more common—and oftentimes free of
‘F-Bombs,’ even.
[AHEM! as in: “Fierce” & COUGH, COUGH! “flawless”]
Exhibit A:
http://www.suite101.com/content/mens-makeup-a109861
However, since we do live in a Plutocracy, spot-check …
Exhibit B:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/fashion/02skin.html?pagewanted=all
Just this month, in the New York Times.
We may be in a recession, but according to those figures? Face paint for the xy set looks like a lucrative investment.
Now somebody needs to beat my face!
That was a lot of work…
:: AmpersandHeartsSemicolon ::
more eloquent folks have said most of what i want to in response to this post, but i’ll throw in my two cents anyway.
i’ve always been terribly attracted to femininity, and boys in makeup make me swoon. that said, boys who wear makeup don’t necessarily look feminine, and femininity doesn’t mean wearing makeup. if a masculine guy wants to play up his eyes or smooth over some flaw he sees in his skin, more power to him. and if a feminine guy doesn’t think he needs to wear makeup, then he doesn’t have to. it’s just a tool for us humanfolk to play with, and a damn fun one at that.
(also, may i suggest brian of the dresden dolls? http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID2629/images/The_Dresden_Dolls%281%29.jpg he looks gorgeous and dapper in his makeup, and it doesn’t detract from his masculinity at all, at least in my opinion.)
You just took it back old school with that Miyavi picture, oh gosh.
So lovely though. Blarghghghghg.
Also those twins are mighty fine.
I don’t mind make-up on boys. It really should be less of a rare site.
(ALSO, SIGHT….)
Hooray! I’ve been waiting for this article since you first announced no makeup week. I too am a female who adores the sight of a handsome man in well-applied makeup, or perhaps to be more honest, androgyny in general. My first (and sadly, lingering!) crush was on Brian Molko.
How can I learn to apply make up better? Us men have limited resources….also are there any brands you recommend for male make-up?
Just my 2 cents: The idea of makeup for men and the idea of “masculinity” (referring to Ben Johnson’s interesting comments) is also very culturally based. I live in South Korea, and here, men frequently carry bags, wear shoe lifts so they can be taller, style their hair, use toner, and some of them use makeup. It’s accepted here, and no one thinks they’re less masculine for it.
Korea does, of course, have its own issues, but their concept of masculinity is markedly different from the Western concept.
In a related note, a Chinese talkshow I was watching recently was showing how transformative makeup can be. The host then uttered a phrase that I’ve been thinking about: “There’s no such thing as an ugly woman; just a lazy one.”
Still not quite sure how I feel about that.
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youre too damn cute 4 life, zo && clint is a sexer!!! ngl, biorequiem is my fave new site <3
Indeed. That picture of Clint is stunning and a fantastic example to use PRO male makeup. Love this blog.
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I think it’s sad that makeup is thought in terms of “masculine” and “feminine.” I’m a girl who loves makeup and is really attracted to what most women would call (usually with derision, disbelief, or disgust) “feminine” guys; slender, little facial or body hair, sculpted eyebrows, etc. I think as long as culture is so dependent on what is “masculine” or “feminine” and rejecting something that goes past those lines, guys sadly won’t be able to wear makeup without getting haters. I’m all for it; but I think what kind of makeup or whether a guy wears makeup depends on his particular face. For me, I’d love a Bill Kaulitz type (maybe with more tattoos) for a boyfriend. I’d love to be able to do makeup with the guy I love because I am first and foremost an artist, and really, to me makeup is art in a very personal form. I’m a girl who tends to dress more masculine, and I have really short hair, and i can go most days without any makeup on and not think about it, but I love to do it crazy when I can. I wish men had the same cultural to use makeup as art and self-expression as women generally do.
*same cultural permission or some such, I meant to say.