It’s hard to ignore the fact that more and more men have been wearing makeup lately—myself included. It’s definitely caught people off guard, garnering the subtle (or not so subtle) double take or the, “Oh my Gosh are you wearing makeup?!” While men have been wearing makeup for a while now, only recently has it been getting popular culture and media attention and have cis men been embracing the trend of makeup.
L’Oréal Paris just announced a new campaign in England for their True Match Foundation, emphasizing diversity and the claim that their foundation should match about 98% of skin tones in England. Campaigns like this aren’t necessarily new (they are always appreciated though), but this commercial takes it another step forward by featuring a man wearing makeup. This is the first time that L’Oréal is actually marketing makeup towards men, and it seems like a trend that won’t be stopping anytime soon.This commercial is cool in the sense that it shows that makeup is for everyone, regardless of stereotypes, gender and beauty ideals. It’s less about that fact that a man is wearing makeup, but more about the fact that makeup should be inclusive for everyone.
But, I also wonder why this commercial should mean something. Men wearing makeup is nothing new. Celebrities like Prince, Marilyn Manson and Johnny Depp all wore makeup regularly. However, now average men have the opportunity and platforms to show their art forms. YouTubers and internet celebrities like Bretman Rock, MannyMua and Patrick Starr are all men who made a name for themselves by being men who do makeup. With more of a platform and voice, men have the opportunity to redefine masculinity by taking what used to be niche hobbies and interests and bringing them into the mainstream. Men in makeup, while it might never be a norm, is becoming more and more mainstream.
