Men have been involved in the makeup community for centuries, however only recently has society been starting to accept them in the modern world. But the search for recognition and acceptance has been a long and hard one. These guys have had their masculinity questioned, been subjects to verbal abuse by “keyboard warriors,” and been pegged as “attention whores” who are simply doing this to gain attention.
However I’m here to tell you that these men indulge in makeup because they truly have a passion for it. And these genuine people are going to be the ones who smash our gender norms apart.
So here we go!
James Charles (@JCharlesBeauty)
On October 11th, 17-year old Instagrammer James Charles joined the ranks of Katy Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, and Zendaya as the makeup company Covergirl chose James as their new makeup ambassador, otherwise known as a Covergirl.
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When a company as globally renowned as Covergirl chooses to have a male (a Senior in high school, nonetheless) makeup lover as the new face of their company, you know that men in the beauty world are gaining traction.
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On Instagram James is racking up hundreds of thousands followers (and counting) who are beginning to recognize the sheer amount of talent this teen has. Simply look at the difference between when James first started doing makeup A YEAR AGO to today!Â
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The Glow Up is very real. And if this is what James can do in a year, then imagine what he can do in a decade. This is a pivotal moment in makeup history, and I know that it can only get better from here.
Patrick Starr (PatrickStarrr)
Patrick Starr is an absolute character in the best possible ways. He’s fierce, he’s fabulous, and he’s unapologetically himself. Patrick’s 1.7 million subscribers on Youtube shows massive acceptance of his unique qualities.Â
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Patrick is a cross-dresser and his fashion sense is just as fantastic as his makeup skills. Patrick’s turbans, high heels, smokey eyes and lashes only add to his superb personality, making him a joy to watch on Youtube.
Patrick has made leaps in the beauty world as signaled by his collaboration with the nail polish company Formula X. His custom colored nail polishes could be seen in their own Sephoras around the country.
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Patrick’s personal philosophies of self-love are threaded through everything he does, and they are something that all of us need a little more of in our lives.
Manny Gutierrez (MannyMUA)
And last, but certainly not the least is Manny (my personal favorite). Manny has sass for dayzzzz and the makeup skills to supplement it. He started out on Instagram (@mannymua733) where he now has 2.7 million followers, and went to Youtube when his followers (whom he lovingly calls his Mannyacs) asked for him to show them how he did his makeup in his Instagram posts. When Manny started his Youtube channel he would have never imagined having a following of 1.8 million subscribers, but he remains to have a down-to-earth, genuine persona.
When companies start seeing new and innovative public figures come into popularity, especially figures that break gender and social norms, they go after them. Just like Patrick, Manny has scored many notable collaborations of his own. Manny created three custom-colored liquid lipsticks with Ofra Cosmetics, one liquid lipstick with Gerard Cosmetics, and most remarkably he created his own eye shadow palette with Makeup Geek.
One last achievement to put on his resume, Manny was chosen as Maybelline’s honoree for the “One’s to Watch” spread in PEOPLE’s Magazine. Which is an achievement that we all can appreciate as a VERY bug deal.
These boys in beauty have made giant strides in the commnunity, thus bringing the concept that “beauty is for everyone” to society’s attention. And this by itself is a social comment on how our world is changing for the better.In his very first video (Everday Foundation Routine | MannyMUA) Manny jokingly says “Covergirl don’t cover boys, so I need to use Marc Jacobs.” Well sweetie, not anymore. The world’s finally catching up!