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Stocksy
In This Article
For the first time in centuries,men wearing makeupis not completely taboo.
This concept, however, is hardly new.
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For millennia, from 4000 BCE through the 18th century, men traditionally used makeup in myriad ways.
It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that makeup was relegated to one end of the gender spectrum.
As religious values continued to permeate cultures around the world, mainstream definitions of masculinity narrowed.
Eye of Horus Cosmetics
By the 20th century, makeup was seen as a girls-only pursuit.
Today, the world is finally coming back around and growing to accept differentgender expressions.
As early as 4000 BCE, men used black pigment to createelaborate cat-eye designs.
Mysterious Fayum Portraits
Dramaticeyelinerwas customarily worn to communicate wealth and status.
(Makes you grateful for the5-freenail polishes of today.)
1930s Hollywood
A long period of time elapsed before male vanity was spoken of again.
Frock Flicks
(Thanks, Queen Victoria I.)
But with the arrival of modern movie-making in the United States, hair and makeup for men reemerged.
Clark Gable’s polished look was perhaps the first example of “metrosexual” beauty.
Bigli.com
1970s & 1980s
Through the later 20th century, makeup for men was hardly mainstream.
Around this time, though, many of the most legendary male makeup artists began working in the field.
One such artist wasScott Barnes, whose brushes graced every big name in Hollywood.
Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
Right now, there are more female makeup artists than ever before."
(Think Pete Wentz, above, Jared Leto, and Adam Lambert).
This look was most popular among pop-punk bands and their followers.
WireImage for Bragman Nyman Cafarelli / Getty Images
Consider Yves Saint Laurent, which released the “male” version of its Touche Eclat in 2008.
Major beauty companies like Covergirl and Maybelline took notice and announced the first male faces of their brands.
The conversation around skincare and the self-care movement for men has also escalated."
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
Makeup has evolved through the years …
Makeup doesnt always mean femininity, not in this day and age.
You also have boys with beards wearing full faces of makeup, and it’s acceptable."
Milk Makeup
Gender-neutral ad campaigns from brands like Milk Makeup help denaturalize makeup as a feminine endeavor.
And Barnes paints an even more exciting vision for the future.
“Theres more accessibility.”
We can’t wait to see what comes next.
