Let’s Talk: Men & Makeup Throughout History

by Emma Stern
January 8, 2016
in Beauty, Makeup
0

Throughout history, men have been known to wear makeup on occasion – although it remains a controversial practice in our society, in some places even considered taboo. These days, modern men are standing up to the stigma and wearing makeup to enhance their own natural beauty – and at Amazingy, we are loving it! ♥

In our culture, makeup is nearly always associated with femininity. The process of beautification is both an expectation and a privilege that is primarily assigned to women. Starting from a young age, most girls are expected to familiarize themselves with makeup and to seek it out as a cure for their imperfections. Makeup can be used to hide certain flaws or to enhance attractive features. It can also be used for creative self-expression.

Some men may want to conceal a blemish, make a statement using dark smokey eyes, or paint on a bold red lip – but they may not feel comfortable expressing this desire without it leading to questions regarding their masculinity. However, the tides are turning, both within the entertainment industry and among the population at large, as brave young men push back against the norm. As a result, many men are starting to enjoy & experiment with makeup – and not just as drop-dead gorgeous drag queens, either 😉

Men & makeup throughout history

That’s not to say that the current practice of men wearing makeup is the first time it’s been documented. Throughout recorded history, there have been many examples of men who wore makeup. While these examples tend to be few & far between, they do exist. However, the intention behind the application of makeup has certainly changed over time; when men wore makeup in antiquity, it was normally a show of status.

The search for the earliest records of men using cosmetics stops in Asia – specifically China and Japan in 3000 BC – where men used tinctures to stain their nails as an indication of their rank in society. In ancient Egypt, upper-class men (such as King Tut), wore dark kohl eyeliner to accentuate their eyes. They were also the original inventors of contouring – often wearing mineral powder as a highlighter, applying it with a plank of wood or a bone, from the top of their brow line to the tip of their nose.

Men & Makeup - Eyeliner on Floris #1 — *Our “Destroyer of Boxes” Floris wearing an ILIA Beauty eyeliner* ♥

And indeed, the list goes on, with ancient warriors painting their faces, pre-French revolutionary men dousing their visage in a thick layer of white powder, or ancient Roman men painting the tops of their heads to disguise premature baldness. One of the most famous men in history, Alexander the Great, was ridiculed for using an eyeliner pencil.

In more recent times, makeup for men has been used more liberally. The advent of cinema – and then rock & roll – encouraged the vanity of young males. To make the eyes look defined on stage & on screen, eyeliner was often worn by the likes of Clark Gable, Cary Grant and Elvis Presley. Then came the cosmic wonder that was David Bowie – a beautiful, cosmetics-wearing extraterrestrial – or Steven Tyler, the smokey-eyed heartthrob of the 70s. Today, the ‘guyliner’ trend is nothing new to us, with studs like Johnny Depp and Jared Leto bringing it into the common circuit of celeb looks. The relationship between men & makeup dates back to early civilization – but it has never come close to matching the use & experience of makeup by women at large. That is, until now.

Men & Makeup - Contouring on Floris #2 — *Floris wearing Tata Harper ♥*

Men & makeup today

In the present day, makeup isn’t only being used by male celebrities & rock stars. Men of all sexual orientations & ages are now beginning to use makeup for grooming purposes – including, but not limited to: covering up a blemish, getting rid of dark circles under the eyes, or filling in patchy eyebrows or beards. Men want to look their best, and yes, sometimes part of that is using a bit of concealer. As of late, cosmetic brands have begun to release lines of products specifically tailored to men – and increasingly, men are actually using them. In 2014, 6.3 billion dollars were spent on male grooming products in the US. (Compare that with the 2.7 billion spent in 1997, and you start to get the picture.) Nowadays, most men appearing in the media spotlight – everyone from teen boy bands (think: your favorite K Pop group) to older politicians – are using makeup to help them look “flawless”.

In my opinion, men embracing makeup is something that should be celebrated, as it indicates a turning of the tides. It’s a sign of success in our ongoing fight for gender (& human) equality – that people of all identities should feel free to enhance their facial features as much (or as little) as they desire. Long live makeup!

So if you catch your boyfriend stealing your concealer, perhaps you can give him a few tips & tricks on how to apply it! It’ll something completely new for you to bond over ♥