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As early as 4000 BCE, makeup played a significant role in ancient Egyptian culture. Egyptians valued with their culture and makeup was considered a tool to help achieve it. Since “dramatic eyeliner was customarily worn to communicate wealth and status” (Montell, A., 2018, para.5), men used black pigment for extrinsic cat-eye designs, which then turned into using kohl eyeliner. They also used eye shadow and lip/cheek stains made from red ochre. This was not simply to appear more attractive- “green eye shadow was believed to evoke the gods Horus and Ra to ward off harmful illnesses” (Montell, A., 2018, para.5).

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This website also goes through the history of makeup and men and women wearing it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through and learning that Egyptians wore makeup in 4000 B.C. I also learned that Lead was a major ingredient in the Victoria age and was so toxic that it sometimes lead to premature death.

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For the first time in centuries, men wearing makeup is not completely taboo. Thanks to social media and the emergence of male beauty influencers like Coverboy James Charles and beauty mogul Jeffree Star, makeup is in the early stages of becoming more gender-inclusive. This concept, however, is hardly new.

For generations, makeup has been seen as a "girls-only" enterprise, so we forget that it wasn't always that way. For millennia, stretching 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. At that time, the influential Queen Victoria I of Great Britain deemed cosmetics vulgar, a view corroborated by the Church of England. During the Victorian era, makeup was considered "an abomination" by both the crown and the church, creating strong, widespread associations between makeup, vanity, femininity, and "the Devil's work." As religious values continued to permeate cultures around the world, mainstream definitions of masculinity narrowed.

By the 20th century, makeup was seen as a girls-only pursuit.

In 2017, the world is finally coming back around and growing to accept different gender expressions. We hope the trend continues, but society can't move forward without looking back. Scroll through the timeline below to learn about the fascinating history of men and makeup.

Masculinity was important in ancient Egyptian culture, and makeup actually played a role in that. As early as 4000 BCE, men used black pigment to create elaborate cat-eye designs. A few millennia later, kohl eyeliner, green malachite eye shadow, and lip and cheek stains made from red ochre were also popular. The purpose was not simply to look more attractive-green eye shadow was believed to evoke the gods Horus and Ra to ward off harmful illnesses. D ramatic eyeliner was customarily worn to communicate wealth and status.

Fast-forward to the 1st century AD, when Roman men were known to apply red pigment to their cheeks, lighten their skin with powder, and paint their nails using a stomach-turning elixir of pig fat and blood. Roman men also painted their heads to camouflage bald spots.

During the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, makeup was wildly popular among men, who valued ghost-white powdered skin. (This was also the era when face makeup was dangerously cakey and made with lead, which often caused serious health problems, including premature death.)

It's no secret that King Louis XVI partook in the extravagance of makeup and hair products. ( Louis went bald at the age of 23 and subsequently forced the aristocracy of France into an obsession with wigs.) Men of the royal court also painted on beauty marks, which paired nicely with their high heels and fur muffs.

A long period of time elapsed before male vanity was spoken of again. (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.

Through the later 20th century, makeup for men was hardly mainstream. Instead, it was reserved for the fringe: artists and rock 'n' rollers like Steven Tyler, David Bowie, and Prince.

As American pop culture figures began to diversify in the early to mid-2000s, we were introduced to the concept of "guyliner." (Think Pete Wentz, Jared Leto, and Adam Lambert.) This look was most popular among punk rockers and their followers.

The concept of "metrosexuality" also entered the cultural consciousness at this time, and beauty brands began to release targeted "makeup for men." Consider Yves Saint Laurent, which released the "male" version of its Touche Éclat ($42) in 2008.

Though makeup for men was is no means the standard, social media has allowed male beauty gurus to share their artistic expression on a large scale, helping to break down centuries-old stereotypes. Major beauty companies like Covergirl and Maybelline took notice and announced the first male faces of their brands.

As the rules of gender presentation become more and more flexible, makeup continues to slowly infiltrate some men's everyday routines, not necessarily in the larger-than-life fashion of James Charles, but in subtler ways. A little concealer on a blemish here, a little brow gel there. Gender-neutral ad campaigns from brands like Milk Makeup help the denaturalization of makeup as a feminine endeavor.
This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

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From 4000 BCE to Today: The Fascinating History of Men and Makeup

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For the first time in centuries, men wearing makeup is not completely taboo. Thanks to social media and the emergence of male beauty influencers like Coverboy James Charles and beauty mogul Jeffree Star, makeup is in the early stages of becoming more gender-inclusive. This concept, however, is hardly new.

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This video was very thought-provoking. The interviewer went out on the streets and came out and asked the nitty-gritty question- should men wear make-up? She decided to ask women as it is considered “normal” for them to wear make-up. There was a variety of responses as well. One woman said, “They should definitely be able to. If we are all fighting for equality, they should be able to do whatever they want”. Another said, “I think it’s for the girls, and just for the girls.” Then the interviewer took it one step further and asked if they would date a man who wears make-up. It was incredibly compelling to listen to what everyone interviewed thought of men wearing make-up.

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Jeffree Star (left) and James Charles (right) are pictured below. Both are male beauty gurus of YouTube with a massive following. They both are fighting to shut down claims that, “men shouldn’t give makeup advice” (Griffin, L., 2019, para. 1) and that they, “promote gender appropriation” (Griffin, L., 2019, para. 1). It’s refreshing- to me- to witness the “rules of gender presentation” (Montell, A., 2018, para. 13) adapting as I believe everyone, no matter their gender, should wear and be who they want themselves to be. Accepting someone for who they are as a person is much easier and the mature option rather than attempting to bend and break them to what we believe to be acceptable.

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This website walks through the history of men and makeup and explains why makeup isn’t JUST for women and that it always has been gender-less. Advertising is the reason behind the re-branding of makeup solely for women. It started in Egypt and then moved into Queen Elizabeth the 1st rule of England, then makeup fell out of favor due to how toxic it was as it was made with lead.

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When James Charles was named the newest face of CoverGirl, many people said it was groundbreaking.

He would be the world's first "CoverBoy," for a brand that had featured only women in its campaigns over the course of its 50-year history. He would also be one of the few men who'd appear in makeup ads and commercials after launching a successful career as a makeup blogger while he's still just a teenager.

Although a few makeup brands are starting to include men, and men are building their own communities within makeup blogging, the scope and promotion of this new campaign stands as the most obvious progress to date.

Maybe because of him, boys and gender nonconforming people who want to wear makeup will know it's OK as they walk alongside their mothers in the makeup aisles of Target or Walmart. Maybe because of him, they won't be as afraid or clueless approaching makeup for the first time. Maybe because of him, the stigma against men and gender nonconforming people wearing makeup will begin to lift.

But the thing that many may have overlooked with the announcement of Charles' role is that men wearing makeup is not new.

In fact, as with many things our society has deemed solely feminine, like wearing or caring about personal grooming, men thousands of years ago actually took part. Even in the past fifty years, there have been men who embrace makeup, from actors like Johnny Depp to drag queens like RuPaul.

So in addition to Charles making history, his public affection for makeup is also a nod to the past.

A long time coming: Makeup was documented in ancient Egypt. We see examples of this on many artifacts from the time, with both men and women wearing copious amounts of makeup, with particular attention paid to expressive eyeliner.

According to History.com, people in ancient Egypt, a civilization that's known to have started around, thought wearing makeup gave them protection from the gods Horus and Ra. Kohl eyeliner, which they made from grinding minerals like malachite and galena, served as much of a practical purpose as a spiritual one - some believed it warded of flies, infection and the harsh rays of the sun. Turns out, they weren't exactly wrong about that, with research proving that their eyeliner mixture actually had the ability to eye infections.

One of the men who was most famously a fan of this exaggerated eyeliner look was King Tutankhamen, who was regularly depicted wearing the black or green eyeliner, especially before large dinners and gatherings as a sign of power.

And if you consider nail polish to be makeup like we do, then men have actually been wearing it since 3,200 B.C., with men wearing nail polish to signify class in Babylonia during this time. Men in China and and Egypt also continued this practice as well, using colors to signify a kind of social hierarchy. Beyond Egypt, men in ancient Rome were also known to dabble in makeup, often using powder and rouge and nail polish to add a bit of flair.

How did men embracing makeup fade away? Well, history here is spotty but we do know that during Queen Elizabeth I's rule in England, which lasted from 1558 until her death in 1603, makeup wasn't for one gender in particular. Both men and women cared about their own vanity, and the look of the moment was all about having a very, very white face. In order to achieve this look, unfortunately, people started slathering something known as Venetian ceruse on their faces, which is made from mixing vinegar with lead.

And if you know anything about people's affinity for lead in anything at this time, you'll know that lead equaled death. Although the reasons behind Queen Elizabeth I's death are murky, there is that the lead mixture she used on her skin and lips was directly responsible. So yeah, the most popular makeup trend at that time actually killed people.

After Queen Elizabeth I's rule, makeup fell out of favor partly because it was so dangerous and literally toxic to wear. Then came Queen Victoria, who ruled during the late 19th century, who deemed wearing excessive makeup as impolite, associating it with and shaming sex workers. So men (as well as women) backed off a bit longer until the makeup industry modernized, and by "modernized," we mean removed all the lead in the late 19th and early 20th century.

However, when it did come back in public favor in the early 20th century, makeup advertising was entirely focused on women, not men. So really, advertising is the reason why makeup has turned into an entirely gendered practice, creating a culture in which only women were targeted as makeup wearers, leaving men and everyone else out.

According to a number , this period of time is when men who did wear makeup started getting associated with a certain type of effeminacy and, in some cases, homosexuality. A stigma began, many years ago, that actually still lives on today.

Of course, there have been the outliers. Glam rockers, the rebels, the femmes and queer folk have long attempted to normalize the idea of people who identify as men wearing makeup.

Think David Bowie in the '70s and Boy George in the '80s and every single member of KISS too. The thing is that those men were members of various countercultures that existed as safe spaces for more free expression by artists and performers, from glam rock to punk. By being associated with these cultures, you avoided being labeled by society because of how you decided to express yourself.

They weren't mainstream. But you know what is mainstream? CoverGirl.

Now, not only are James Charles and male makeup aficionados like him opening the doors of possibility for men who aspire to wear or even just admire makeup, but Charles is specifically doing his best to normalize it for the men who are more likely find themselves walking through the aisles at Walmart than flipping through the pages of Vogue.

Though it's unfortunate that it's taken hundreds of years for our society to go back to practices that were acceptable in 3,000 B.C., it's progress nonetheless.

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Makeup isn't suddenly genderless. It always has been.

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When James Charles was named the newest face of CoverGirl, many people said it was groundbreaking. He would be the world's first "CoverBoy," for a brand that had featured only women in its campaigns over the course of its 50-year history.

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I actually follow this influencer on YouTube. James Charles has quite the following on YouTube with an astounding 16 million followers. The content he puts out is high quality and through the comments section, he interacts and gathers future video ides from them. He is extremely talented and is not afraid to break boundaries every day.

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Even beloved A-list star, Johnny Depp, wears black eyeliner. Johnny Depp is a personal favorite of mine. He does what he wants and has no fears when it comes to being himself, even if being himself means many people will ridicule him for wearing makeup.

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Website #3: Beginner's Guide to Makeup for Men

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Website #3: Beginner's Guide to Makeup for Men

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I really like this website; it simplifies and breaks down what makeup men should use if they are just starting with makeup or is interested in it. The message this sends is powerful; it makes the viewer (a man) feel accepted with who they are and empowers them to embrace who they are. It suggests a few products that are great to use when first testing the makeup world.

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Who says men can't use makeup and other beauty products marketed toward women? With the help of some nice people at a local makeup store (and my girlfriend), I found some items that even the manliest of men can use discreetly and comfortably. Trust me, the only thing people will notice is how good you look.

I never had a skincare routine until last year. I washed my face in the shower, and only applied...
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Exfoliating Scrubs

Nothing looks worse than a bunch of crusty, flaky skin on your face. No, don't pick at it. And don't drench your skin in lotion hoping it will make it go away. That skin is dead and needs to be removed! Exfoliating scrubs will do the trick so your moisturizers will actually do something. A good scrub also gives your skin a nice glow to counteract any dullness in your skin tone.

I tried two exfoliating scrubs, both primarily made with natural ingredients. For my face, I used Fresh Sugar Face Polish that's a mix of brown sugar and strawberry seeds (it smells good enough to eat). For my lips, I went with Bite's Agave Sugar Lip Scrub. They're both pretty similar, so you could probably get away with having just one really good exfoliating scrub. Wash your face, use the scrub, wash it off.

Facial Moisturizer and Lip Balm

Dudes, moisturize your face. It's scientifically proven that moisturizers make your skin look better and help it do a better job serving as a barrier to the outside world. Moisturize at least once a day, but make it twice a day if you're more active or spend a lot of time outdoors. I have pretty fair skin, so I use a moisturizer that includes broad spectrum SPF 15 sunscreen as well, like Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer with Sunscreen. And after you use a lip scrub to get rid of all that dead skin, don't forget to use a good moisturizing lip balm that will make sure your lips stay looking nice.

Ms Yeah is a very creative YouTube personality known for her unusual cooking videos, but her most...
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Primer or Finishing Powder

If you tend to have a shiny face, or your moisturizer seems to amp up the shininess for you, a primer can help even you out. This magical liquid smoothes out your skin and reduces shininess by giving your skin a matte finish. It also reduces the appearance of pores if they tend to draw too much attention. I went with Smashbox's super popular Photo Finish Foundation Primer and it works pretty great. Apply to your T-zone and anywhere else that needs a little evening out.

Translucent finishing powder is similar to primer in how it gives your skin a matte finish, hides pores, and reduces shininess. The downside is that it can be the most visible of the products here if you're not careful. Over-powdering will make it apparent that you're wearing makeup, especially if you have facial hair. I gave Rihanna's Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Blotting Powder a go and it was fine and light. Could barely tell I'd put any on.

Color Corrector

I first learned about the magic of color corrector on Netflix's new version of Queer Eye. Grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness recommended something called a "green stick" to help improve the skin tone of one of the shows makeover subjects. This man had harsh red undertones in his skin, and a little green color corrector reduced the redness drastically. I also have red undertones in my skin, so I gave Sephora's store brand of green color corrector a try and it helped even my skin out quite a bit.

If you don't have red undertones, yellow color corrector can help hide purple or other darker tones on tan skin, orange hides dark spits on dark skin tones, peach hides blue or purple on light tan skin, lavender hides yellow tones, and pink hides blue tones on fair skin. Talk to someone at a makeup store if you're not sure what your skin tones are. When you've got the right color, lightly apply anywhere you have tones that need to be evened out, like under your eyes or around your nose, then blend with your finger or a pad.

If you want to offset dark circles, redness, or dark spots with makeup, you have to understand how...
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Concealer

Concealer is the most makeup-y item on this list. It completely hides your blemishes, evens out dark circles under your eyes, and gives your skin tone an even finish in areas where your coloring is a little different. The hard part is identifying your skin tone to a specific brand's coloring options. There's only one way to do that and it involves going into the store and trying them all out on the back of your hand.

I eventually landed on Kat Von D's Lock-it Concealer Creme because it's not too thick, it lasts a long time, and it doesn't act like paint and crease (making it obvious that you're wearing concealer). It did a bang up job of hiding one of my blemishes. You just apply a tiny bit, then use your finger to gently blend.

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Who says men can't use makeup and other beauty products marketed toward women? With the help of some nice people at a local makeup store (and my girlfriend), I found some items that even the manliest of men can use discreetly and comfortably. Trust me, the only thing people will notice is how good you look.

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Video #3: How Would You Feel if Your Man Wore Makeup?

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Video #3: How Would You Feel if Your Man Wore Makeup?

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This video is quite interesting. The main interviewer raises the question, “How would you feel if your man wore makeup?”. The responses were immediate. Most felt that if their man started wearing makeup, that’s okay, but as soon as they started wearing more makeup then them or if they started looking “prettier” than them, then it was a deal-breaker. Which just blows my mind, if my significant other started to wear makeup, I would understand that it’s their choice and if they enjoyed it, then I should have no problem with their decision.

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How Would the Panel Feel About Their Man Wearing Makeup? | Loose Women

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A little into my experience with this final project.