Blending out the Lines

By Sodam Kim

Concealer, eyeliner. Why not conceal-him and eyeline-him? There are many arguments going back and forth about how women wear makeup because that is what society considers appropriate: a fresh, natural looking face that is effortlessly applied and blended flawlessly with just the right shade of contour to bring out her golden glow. However, men, who are expected to care-less about their appearance, are bluntly excluded from this practice. This forces them to deal with easily fixable problems such as uneven skin tone and dark circles. I believe that if a 13 year-old girl can open up a beauty channel on Youtube, then a grown man should be “allowed” to wear makeup as well.

People have been enhancing themselves since the early ages. According to Lawrence Barham of the University of Bristol, body painting dates back to over 400,000 years ago. Pigment found in an Middle Stone Age deposit in Zambia, is predicted to have been used for “making social and artistic statements on their bodies” (Wilford).  For nearly all those years, both men and women indulged in cosmetics. Even just a few hundred years ago, it was common to see upper-class British and French men wearing rouge and powder. However, cosmetic products began to specifically target women, and gradually the act of wearing makeup became a feminine behavior. In today’s day and age, it is completely normal to see a man combing and styling his hair, but as soon as he picks up a beauty blender, his masculinity is at stake. Ironic, huh? Although it is not clear how self-enhancement became gender biased, this stereotype is keeping many men from a great source of self-expression.

Everyone has imperfections, everyone. Even Hollywood celebrities breakout from time to time. However, so many people assume insecurities about their appearance only affect women, as if they are the only ones who can spot a prominent blemish on their nose. This leaves the guys to walk around self-conscious, acting as if they are not bothered for the sake of being ‘manly.’ This topic is not only about men. Keeping men away from makeup may seem insignificant, but it is indirectly sending the message that presentation is a greater concern for women than it is for men. Simply making beauty cosmetics open for both genders would take off a great deal of pressure for women. If there is no reason for anyone to lose confidence because of the way they look, there should be no one victimized for gaining confidence through self-enhancement.

Now I am not saying every guy should immediately sign up a Beauty Insider card at Sephora, but rather suggesting that makeup should not be gender biased. At the end of the day, it is nothing more than a self-enhancing and empowering product. It’s not about men being feminine; it’s just about men generating confidence through taking control over their physical appearance. Plus, I can guarantee that your boyfriend will finally understand why you are running 2 hours late once he gets his hands on a Naked Palette as well.

Works Cited

Alptraum, Lux. "The Case for Why Men Should Wear Makeup." Quartz. Quartz, 20 Oct. 2016. Web.

ChowdHury, Nibedita. "Should Men Wear Makeup?" Quora. Cimpress Open, 28 Apr. 2016. Web.

Wilford, John Noble. "In African Cave, Signs of an Ancient Paint Factory." The New York Times. The New York Times 13 Oct. 2011. Web.