I once got a very atypical email. Most emails in my inbox are from girls, but this one was from a guy:
“Dear Doe, I am part of that 1% of males that frequent your wonderful blog. I want to know what you think about boys wearing makeup. Is it acceptable for you. And how do you make it acceptable for everyone else that doesn’t want to talk to you because it’s “weird”. It’s easy for girls to have a cool style of their own, even if it is slightly weird, that’s what makes it cool. If boys want to dress up everyday, it would be too odd to spend more than an hour getting ready, and then they would be frowned upon and seen as a freak! It’s unfair! I love makeup, it’s so creative and heaps of fun. -Xander Catt”
That email sat in my inbox for a long time, until I finally found the perfect person to answer it. Anna, our Intern Extraordinaire, has a wide range of interests – one of which is men who wear makeup. Here is what she had to say.
Dear Xander Catt,
Thank you for writing and being a part of that 1% who believes in more than just skin care or ‘malicure’! Please continue being the person that you are and don’t try to please everyone. A lot of men fear makeup as they feel it takes away their masculinity. This wasn’t always the case. Centuries ago men applied powder and blush to their face to show off and represent their nobility. In that regard, they were equal to women (unfortunately that equality didn’t extend beyond makeup). In the times when first impressions and appearances matter more than ever, it’s no surprise that the subject of men in makeup is once again a hot topic.
Personally, I adore men who apply black eyeliner to their lids because it shows their confidence and their interest in fashion and art. They are not afraid of being called ‘feminine’ or ‘gay’ because they know it’s not about what others think of them, but their own vision. There are men out there who are freakishly good at makeup, in fact some of my favourite make-up artists are males, and very much integrated in the makeup business.
Versailles: an all-boys band!
Incidentally, Japanese Rock (also called ‘J-Rock’ or ‘Visual Kei’) is famous for its vibrant and uniquely-styled bands. Those unfamiliar with this music genre might mistake the band members for females. The band Versailles for example has the most fabulous costumes and ,SuG’ members wear crazy make-up at all times. They have many fans because they express themselves from the point of confidence. There are even Japanese magazines – like Cure – who invite J-Rockers to explain how they do their make-up!
An Afro-German male friend of mine recently unhesitatingly accepted my offer to give him a make-over. He has a girlfriend but shows a strong interest in colours and beauty (he is a photographer). In his opinion, make-up is a-must to emphasize a man’s masculinity, and he hopes “men and make-up will become one again in the following years, not only because of gender equality and fairness, but also because it’s a fun something they could have in common with women.”
Yours,
Anna
Deerlings: who are your favorite men in makeup?
Two words: Adam Lambert. <3
ShannonM Reply:
March 2, 2010 at 1:26 pm
YES! He looks so good with eyeliner, it really brings out his eyes.
Lena Reply:
March 3, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Just look what he looked like before the make-over (amazing difference, right?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXaa9aFdBJY&feature=PlayList&p=774F29512C387FC5&index=0
ShannonM Reply:
March 3, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Oh wow . . . he does look completely different, but that voice . . . like butter! And he is still ssssssoooooo pretty!
(Yes, I have a crush on him . . . what?)
Satsuma Reply:
March 6, 2010 at 3:18 am
He says he used to be a fat kid, and with the bronzer that he wears, it makes it REALLY OBVIOUS with his chin shape… someone should tell him, really, especially because you can hardly tell without bronzer.
Still. Boy does good with an eyeliner pencil, yeah Glambert!
There’s nothing better then men who ware makeup!! I just love it!
Bowie.
LaPetite Reply:
March 2, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Ziggy!
Satsuma Reply:
March 3, 2010 at 1:32 am
Aladdin Sane!
King Jareth!
Yes.
Doe Deere Reply:
March 3, 2010 at 9:48 am
Such great guys, all of them! ;) Haha!
I second Adam Lambert, but I also loved Johnny Depp in his smeared guyliner for PotC. I wish he’d wear it all the time!
Kelly Reply:
March 2, 2010 at 1:33 pm
I’ll second that! What a great example…and noone ever doubted Johnny’s masculinity as far as I know!
I believe this is a two-way issue we deal with here.
As much as it is considered politically incorrect nowadays to characterize a woman as unfeminine just because she doesn’t care about make-up, is should be the same way around with men who do.
And yes, I am more or less one of those women. I love feminine clothes, girly accessories and high heels, but I wear almost zero make-up. I frequent your blog not so much about the make-up tutorials, as for posts like this one and your general attitude towards life. Keep rocking!
I’m being honest. Men who wear make-up are a total turn-off for me. I would never discriminate men who do wear make-up though.
A lot of this has to do with sexuality of straight men and women. Masculine features are what women are attracted to in men. And vice versa. If I see a “feminized” man, it takes all the attractivity out of him for me. This has absolutely nothing to do with discrimination, it’s just part of my nature, my instincts.
Bill Kaulitz. He looks stunning with his makeup. :]
Cassandra A.K.A. Nemo Reply:
August 9, 2010 at 2:28 pm
omg yes yes yes! and strify is amazing too.
Yeah, Visual Kei!
(Did you know that this trend is starting to pick up a lot in Québec? Out of about 7,000,000 people in our province, we have more than 400 reunited on a forum here (http://qc-harajuku.top-forum.net/). there are even some bands here that are trying to give a broader appeal to visual kei.)
Also, about guys who look good with makeup; I love Petrilude. He also makes really interesting tutorials on youtube!
This was so refreshing to see. I love it when men express themselves through makeup. It’s art after all and all celebrities wear it as do a lot of professionals.
I’m so happy to read it! I’m so like Anna, i love man wearing make-up, and Versailles <3.
Ooh Stuart Pilkington in the first pic! He was in a UK series of Big Brother and was famous for wearing guyliner! ;)
It looks to me like she didn’t really address the e-mail message, just used it as a reason to start talking about men wearing make-up.
I can’t remember it that well (memory of a goldfish), but the blog post written by Doe’s hubby seemed to cover that sort of thing better.
Not trying to hate, I just don’t think guy-liner and j-rock is the sort of answer the e-mail sender was looking for.
Kristi Reply:
March 2, 2010 at 7:01 pm
agreed
Satsuma Reply:
March 3, 2010 at 1:34 am
Well, yeah.
Doe Deere Reply:
March 3, 2010 at 9:51 am
I thought she addressed it right away actually, telling him not to change for others. A little further insight never hurts. ;)
My boyfriend is super masculine, but he gets bad acne sometimes, and I cover it with concealer. He knows it makes him look more professional at work. No one wants to go to a business meeting, interview, or audition with a huge pimple taking away from their credentials.
Mmmm…Bowie. He looks fantastic in make-up.
I have to say, I’m kinda a sucker for a man in guyliner.
I believe some men like wearing make up and do so in secret. But they arent necessarily gay. The one I saw on TV was married. He said he wasnt gay he just like make up.
My husband! He looks so hot in the smudgy black eye makeup he wears when we play a show (we’re band mates)
the jrock band gazette!
ya… I don’t think the post really answered the question. ^^; I kinda question visual kei sometimes. I’m sure a good number of them like dressing up and make up. But I think another good half just do it cause that’s what sells.
Rachel Reply:
March 2, 2010 at 11:22 pm
I agree. I’m a fan of Visual Kei and I think that they really just wear makeup because the fans love it and expect it. On their days off, a lot of J-rockers don’t wear make up and it really isn’t their personal preference.
Oh, and there’s a guy, Josh that does make up tutorials on youtube.
He faces people being all judgemental about him being a guy wearing make up… but he’s standing up and continuing which I find very inspirational.
Xander, I think you should accept that not everyone will accept make up on a guy. Either you be that “crazy dude” that wears make up… which, I assure you, there will be people who will still accept you… but not going to lie.. there will be more that look at you funny. Or you could go full out for “special” occasions like going to a concert. If anyone asks, you could be like, oh I like to go crazy some times, and it’ll be okay cause people get crazy in concerts. It’s a compromise… but if you’re not ready to face all the cricism.. I think that’s a small step. I take the later part for my “over the top” make up I like to do, cause I’m shy to do them every day.
Melinda Reply:
March 2, 2010 at 4:13 pm
I’m a big fan of EnKore! I love his funny videos before he gets to the makeup tutorials!
My friend Emilio loves Versailles, I keep trying to get him to let me put makeup on him. I’d stick to a deep brown eyeshadow to bring out the depth…
Doe, so glad you and Anna brought this up!
In the end, it is all about being comfortable with yourself. When I first found Doe’s blog, I was really intimidated by all the color even though I loved what I saw. I was scared to ‘go there’ because I didn’t want everyone looking at me (insecurity).
However, the more color I added to my outfits and face, the more comfortable I became with it. And did people notice me more? Yes, but not with an attitude, because I was comfortable. And because I’m comfortable, I can make other people comfortable, too, which makes them more accepting of others.
I think it would be great if Xander could start small. Go for a test run with friends he trusts. If he’s comfortable, there’s no uncertainty for haters to exploit. Even if some of his friends are uncomfortable with it starting out, they will get used to it eventually.
Go for it Xander. Be true to yourself. You never know, you might pave the way for another guy to rock the liner.
Doe Deere Reply:
March 3, 2010 at 9:52 am
Thank you for saying that, Glenys!
Ville Valo. oh yes.
To Xander…you just can’t make it acceptable to some people, trying to change someone else’s viewpoint is like beating your head against a wall. You can enjoy and explore your own (as doedeere says) GLEE, by trying to connect with others with the same passions (virtual or otherwise) and test your comfort levels within certain surroundings (I like the concert idea)to build your own confidence. You don’t have to make people conform to you (as you don’t have to conform to others), you can just shine and shine and shine anyway…and maybe some people will love it and some people won’t. Regarding the ones who don’t…their loss…
In a male ego-centric world, I believe that we have to stereotype men to be masculine by their lack of makeup because that is what and who we see as idols and such. But when men Idolize other men on stage or in movies, the sad fact is, not all men on tv/movies, look the same in real life, because they HAVE TO WEAR MAKEUP on stage to NOT look like a ghost. If we embraced that fact, then we may move on to other ideas.
My boyfriend is a makeup artist. He’s the one I go to for color choices, application, and tips. He’s more on the monster movie side of makeup artistry, but he knows a good deal on application and the sort. I absolutely adore the fact that I can go to him and he to me, when we decide on costumes and such. I’m doing a flamboyant color scheme on him for the Alice Premier at the end of this week. While for the Friday the 13th Premiere he dressed up as potato sack Jason and I the “Victum” of Camp Crystal Lake with blood and guts spilt all over my camp shirt.
No, Your masculinity is not in jeopardy by wearing makeup, think of all the 80′s Hair metal bands that do/did wear makeup to make themselves look masculine and feminine at the same time. Alice Cooper was never criticized (to my knowledge) on his masculinity, neither Dee Snider of Twisted Sister. You need to take Dee’s advice and say “We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore!” when it comes to the fact that you are less of a man if you wear makeup. Again they did it for shock value, but the message between the two were there, “Who cares what society thinks of me, I’ll do what I want with no regrets!”
I’d say do what feels right to you, society changes all the time, sometimes the new or interesting scares people who’ve grown accustomed to the culture at hand, and they fear those who are different. I’m a teacher, I make sure that I have my students explore their creativity as long as they are not hurting themselves or others. I have students who wear hello kitty earings, eyeliner, and with one boy, full out makeup with foundation and eyeshadow. Even the boys who find themselves to be the definition of masculinity wear pink shirts from time to time. I try to make my classroom a safe haven for all students who feel oppressed or rejected because of what or who they are. Due to my unwavering stance of accepting my students for who they are, my disciplinary problems have been, at best, petty teenage angst or just having a bad day that required no higher administration involvement. When I asked my students about that, they said that I’m not trying to change them, that is why they give me little problems, I’m just trying to give them a better shot at being themselves while they learn history. That’s what needs to happen in a society, accepting those for their own personal unique abilities, not because they’re different.
Until then, remember, most progressive movements in history would never have succeeded if there weren’t people fighting for their rights or looks as it were (1920′s).
<3 Melinda
I love Johnny Depp in his smudgy black eyeliner for Pirates!
And to Xander —
I think Doe has answered similar questions asked by women before, specifically how to deal with people who don’t appreciate their individuality and personal style and people who see them as “weird” because they present themselves differently. There is no way to “make it acceptable” in the eyes of other people, but part of your originality comes from embracing who you are despite people who don’t understand it. Keep rocking the makeup and try to ignore/rise above people who don’t think you should be able to express yourself.
Xander- I’m not going to lie, you will face some serious criticism for that. Make up nowadays does not equal masculinity so you might get labeled as ‘emo’ or ‘gay/’freak’ among other things. Cheer up though because a lot of people will still accept you and think nothing of it. It all comes down to how comfortable are you with yourself and your masculinity. If stares and comments are an issue with you (which is natural, we all want to be accepted) I would recommend starting slowly; just a little bit of eyeliner now and then so it gives people time to get used to it then progressively add more and more. That way it won’t be so much of a shock.
And if anybody says anything to you point out masculine straight guys such as Ewan Mcgregor who have publicly admitted they really enjoy wearing make up. Heck, my best friend is straighter than an arrow and an ardent conservative christian and he loves it when we apply make up on him. He’ll even leave it on all day long.
I wish more men were as open minded.
Hmmm.
Not to bash on j-rock (love the stuff), but the make up that artists like “Mana” wear is very… Not apporpriate for daytime wear? I wouldn’t know. Maybe if you’re into that kind of thing. But for sure you could wear that for a costume ball or fashion show (which are more or less the same thing :D). What about for the day to day guy makeup wearers out there?
I’d suggest easing into it. Wear a little bit of dark brown liner and clear mascara, as well as some concealer or brightening foundation. You can contour your cheeks too, if you’re into that sort of thing. Lastly, I would suggest a glossy balm: prefferably one that smells yummy.
Personally, I think that if you want to wear makeup, you just do it, regardless of what people think. I mean, baby, go for the gold. if someone un-friends you because you wear a little mascara, they weren’t your friends to begin with.
Men wearing makeup is the hottest thing i’ve ever heard of. More people need to embrace this idea.
In fact, one guy actually underwent a “manly” makeover job – see for yourself how it went: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-one-man-makeover-results-in-guyliner-and-manscaping/?eref=RSS
julien-k!
i started a page on facebook called “more guys need to wear eyeliner” because i love the look so much!
I admit, I giggled and clapped when I saw Versailles’ picture. It’s pleasantly surprising to see them here, since I’m a big fan of them – and I definitely agree that guys should feel free to explore makeup and fashion to the same degree that women do. For a long time, actually, I’ve pondered how women seem far more prevalent in explorations of aesthetics and natural beauty than men… take fashion magazines, for example, as well as ads in the mags and on TV for cosmetics and toiletries. Far more women than there are men. It seems imbalanced and strange. Men are beautiful, too – it doesn’t seem like a lot of them really get the credit they deserve.
Xander, you should definitely feel free to paint your nails and spend TWO hours getting ready. You don’t need to justify your interests to anyone!
Anna Reply:
March 3, 2010 at 2:19 am
That’s because I’m into Asian music since… 7-8 years, I can’t remember.
Bill Kaulitz. He’s just the most amazing person ever, he totally pulls away the boundaries of masculinity and feminity, he’s like a living masterpiece!
Cassandra A.K.A. Nemo Reply:
August 9, 2010 at 2:31 pm
He’s so sweet too and very shy.
I think guys that wear makeup are sexy. It shows they are secure with themselves and don’t feel the need to prove that their masculinity.
zomg, i second Ville Valo!
:D
I get ridiculously unhealthy crushes on men in makeup. There should be more of them, then I might crush more often :D
I don’t have a problem with guys wearing make-up if that’s what they like! we all have to be ourselves and I don’t like it when people scoff at me and put me down and treat me like an outcast because of my style, so I’m not going to do that to someone else. Nothing is “normal” nowadays, I don’t even know what that means. Gender equality and self-expression all the way! You are awesome Xander, so show it off!!
Zane Reply:
March 2, 2010 at 10:27 pm
oh I almost forgot! my favourite man in make-up has to be without a doubt, Davey Havok from AFI, he’s gorgeous and talented!!
Phoenix Reply:
June 4, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Yes yes yes! Patrick Wolf is my favorite though.
ABSOLUTELY Adam Lambert… I love how perez hilton calls him ‘glambert’ all the time ;P, I really love guyliner, I got some for my ex-bf for his birthday recently ( I’m forced to be nice to him, you see, because my very best friend is going out with him now). I also love guys in skinny jeans!
I’m not a HUGE fan of the guys themselves, but I am in love with Adam Lambert’s boldness and Marylin Manson’s makeup design.
Rock on Xander, and don’t let anyone bring you down!
Davey Havok, Jared Leto and Billie Joe Armstrong are my favorite “guyliner” wearers
Chris Corner aka IAMX.
fav guy with makeup is hands down adam lambert! such talent!
Joshua ie Petrilude of YouTube. I have been a big fan of his for a while now. He is so down to earth, and so talented!
Good article, but it’s sad to see all Japanese rock being identified as “visual-kei.” Visual-kei is only a small, small niche, well past its prime, of a vast and vibrant rock scene.
Adam Lambert. Hands-down. That man is amazing.
Two of my closest guy friends, Ghostie and Sol, wore make-up a lot. I didn’t really think about it until just now, because it seemed so normal to me. They made it look good, and I’m sure people might’ve thought bad things about them, but nobody said anything to their faces about it. [They're too stylish to have haters ;)]
@Xander, I’m afraid you really can’t make it acceptable to people around you, other than by being yourself and staying confident. Your friends will get used to it, and you’ll gain more friends who engage you just because they’re behind what you are doing. For critics, I’d find a repertoire of snappy-zingy comebacks that’s not too confrontational – the idea is to bring them on board with a little humor that suggests they butt out, not to alienate or embarrass them. Lashing out means they’re getting to you – treating them with a wry sense of humor keeps you in control.
That being said, I think environment is everything. Sure, you can push the envelope anywhere you go, but that can be uncomfortable and difficult at times. I don’t know where you live, but you’ll find more avant-garde communities in larger cities and in more liberal areas. If you’re stuck in a little old deep south town, however, it can be okay to go with the flow at work or around town and save the hotness for weekends in the city. Its all a matter of what makes you comfortable. And if you can’t be yourself because of your surroundings, consider a move! I did!
I have to say I always kind of enjoy it when I see guys in makeup, and it almost always looks *awesome*. I live in San Francisco so I actually see such things fairly often! The other night I saw a guy with amaaaazing makeup, especially the false lashes. :D My boyfriend has let me put some “manly” makeup on him for a few crazy occasions, haha.
There are some totally awesome posters on the internet that I really admire, most of whom have already been named by others above. Also, David Bowie is my frickin idol.
Miyavi is most definately my god, hahah.
He’s absolutely gorgeous. As a gay woman, even I would want to marry him, and not only because of his feminine appearance – he looks very girly and totally gorgeous without or without makeup, honestly.
But admire the hell out of him for how comfortable he is in his own skin. He is himself, and I believe that his makeup is a part of that. I think that that is something that most people would find incredibly attractive, gay OR straight.
As for men that don’t accept it, I feel it’s because they’re not okay with themselves – lashing out at someone who embraces everything about themselves. The majority of them are probably uncomfortable with the idea of pampering themselves even if they want to at times, because they feel it belittles their own masculinity.
If you ask me, masculinity is just a word. It’s something so incredibly unimportant that makes men crazy, and I doubt I will ever understand why, when the most important thing to anybody, any gender, is that they are themselves. Labels mean nothing to the world, and the sooner people realize and accept it, the better a place this will be.
Kuri Reply:
March 3, 2010 at 11:54 am
Win.
My partner always likes to wear make-up and ususally steals mine!! I’m taking him to our local MAC store soon to get some concealer for him hehe :)
I LOVE Visual Kei!!! And I’m all for guys wearing makeup and not just eyeliner :)
Brandon Flowers from The Killers. Hands down.
http://www.concert-pictures.com/rock/the-killers/2005/brandon-flowers-02.jpg
Ewan McGregor has to be my favorite. I love when he wears eyeliner to movie premieres! I also love love love Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance.
I’m pro men with makeup! As long as they don’t overdo it, but then again – overdoing it is usually wrong no matter what gender you are. (Not referring to colourfulness and glee here, of course. ;))