Male Beauty Influencers: #meninfemaledominatedfields

The act of dressing up your younger brother in a pretty dress, red lipstick, pink eye-shadow, and a stack of necklaces is a universal throwback to a moment of stupidity. I remember doing it to my baby brother, too. Ready to get clicked, the resulting ensemble was a crack-up experience for the sisters and a regular “haunts me at 2 AM” moment for the brother. It was his main character moment, but in the wrong genre. Feeling misplaced, particularly MISGENDERED, the brother rebelled as if his identity had been lost in that sea of giggles. After more than fifteen years, I recognise the social and cultural POV of every brother whose definition of masculinity was nonchalance, stoic endurance, resistance to vulnerability, and especially the neglect of self-care, but I do not approve of it. I mean, who the hell gendered makeup? 

Male beauty influencers wearing makeup are treated like someone wearing fuchsia pink to a funeral– out of place and begging to make a statement. Nail polish on five fingernails, strokes of red lip balm, long hair, layers of BB cream– enter the Indian society’s favourite way of expressing disapproval– Beta, saree bhi pehen lo! So basically, we admire women, but we cannot be like them— self-loving, confident and basically HUMAN! Pfft, tell that to Marc Jacobs!

From Guyliner to Glow-Ups:

The Evolution of Male Grooming

In Ancient Rome, the use of red pigment on cheeks and powder to lighten skin colour was a regular practice amongst men. Various layers of makeup with ghost-looking powder were fashionably popular in Elizabethan England. The early 2000s introduced “metro-sexuality”, which meant adopting a convex view to one's appearance, elevating one’s “looks game”. Being metrosexual wasn’t some show of change of sexuality in men, but a Mettre en valeur- a way of loving yourself. 

Guyliner, a male-oriented spinoff of eyeliner, became mainstream, pioneered by musicians like Elvis Presley, 80s rockstar David Bowie, emo rock player Marilyn Manson and more. Coloured scarves, hip chains, layers of cologne, vest tops, cufflinks, fake tan, lots of grooming products– this was the recipe to break all cultural norms set by the same men. Fast-forward to 2025, Spornosexual, a double patty metro-sexuality, is gaining traction. Oiling your hair and shaving your chest isn't enough. The world needs MORE. Sculpted body, glazed face, shiny hair: no one who is a pop-culture enthusiast would forget the morning routine of the womaniser Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. Relentlessly pursuing a rigorous fitness regime and a skincare routine built with bricks of self-conscience, he put grooming to the level of self-obsession, a feeling previously alien to men. Longer durations at the gym, more protein shakes, a 10-step skincare routine; your narrative boils down to 3 things– GOOD LOOKS, GOOD LOOKS and GOOD LOOKS. You divinely follow David Beckham, subscribe to GQ and shop from Hugo Boss. The urge to have an Adam Sandler summer is outdated– casualness is out, and perfectionism is in. This whole change of narrative is owed to the metrosexuality movement, which taught that putting effort into yourself is actually in vogue. 

Much like professions, makeup also has always been gendered. When a woman uses makeup, it is seen as mundane, but when a guy uses makeup, there is an alteration in the natural order. The male demographic of makeup artists (MUAs) agrees. Their use of social media to foster makeup for men is no less than a social experiment in the least socially acceptable society. The outcome? Let’s say some are still climbing the ladder. Youtuber and Instagram content creator Ankush Bahuguna has been the king of juggling two worlds- one of light, where he is creating an all-inclusive club for people who love to wear makeup and another of shadows, where he bashes the stereotypical cis-men for their outdated and quite unnecessary opinions. ‘Men used to go to war, now they put makeup videos on socials’- said one troll. Guess what? Men can do both now. Future Market Insights (FMI) reports that between 2018 and 2022, the male colour cosmetics market grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7%, and it is forecasted to grow at a higher rate. Another norm challenger, Aditya Madiraju, is helping clear the thorny path by demonstrating how men can wear makeup confidently. No foundation makeup routine, undereye colour correcting tips, mechanism of a makeup powder– themes that have a major role in his Instagram feed, also he is approved by GAGA! Deep Pathare brings a dramatic edge to makeup, climbing a step ahead from the “keep it simple” method. Elements of sass and drama– Sunset eyes, duo chrome eyeshadows, high gloss highlighters- are a regular in Deep’s profile. 

Brands for the Bros:

The Rise of Male-Centric Beauty Lines

With a plethora of dermatological differences from women- thicker, oilier skin, higher pigmentation- the recognition of the necessity of men’s makeup is in the chrysalis. War Paint for Men, an attempt to redefine makeup for men, has proved to be a failure, draped in necessity. It has proved its indispensability through an experiment by Dazed, a style and culture magazine. The results unfolded like how the sun rises from the east– in the most obvious manner, but leaving some space for unpredictability and improvement. The conscious element which comes with the brand, the cruelty-free and vegan-natured products, put it on a pedestal in this path of novelty. This, along with the association with a men’s mental health organisation called CALM, gives it a merit of relevance, hitherto absent. 

But not all is lost for men. Nunorm brings a ray of hope to recover from the sob chapter. A power-packed beauty line for men– Brow pencil for defining eyebrows, a Vegan brush for easy application of products, a Blotting powder for oily skin, a Concealer stick with a brush and a Tinted Hydrator– I mean this is a 2-step ahead move from the women’s makeup brands. Dundas Beauty, Formen Makeup and Mënaji are some other major players in the market catering to men’s needs. 

Why Representation Needs Nuance, Not Novelty

But what is MANLY? A male protagonist written by Sandeep Reddy Vanga or Brad Pitt from the 1999 Rolling Stone cover who wore a purple sequinned strappy dress to ridicule the gender prejudices? Some mere gay homophobic connotations or trends do not make makeup UNMANLY. It is the social conditioning we have been brought up with which instils this thought. In fact, we owe all the fashion flair and the flirtatious factor to the gays; being trailblazers, they stirred up the macho man’s world with a mascara stick and blunt commands. They have played the role of guardian angels and helped cisgender men leave their self-declared shadows of illogically-defined masculinity and seek faces they secretly desire. Some subtle makeup elements have found spots in cis men's grooming routine- face primer, eye base, eyebrow grooming. So this adoption of the fluid nature of makeup is making wonders more than we know.

We also consider a different perspective arising– the gender double standards pervading the beauty world are intending to fasten their seat belts in the ride of selective appreciation and performative praise. Heavy makeup on women is a misunderstood concept, so much so that the process is taken as a haphazard take on real beauty, producing a fake output. While men simply using lip balm are hailed as brave for adopting practices long associated with femininity. This puts women at an inevitable disadvantage, making them villains in their own story. As men enter the beauty space, the conversation must shift from novelty to nuance—one that recognises, not romanticises, gendered expressions of self.

Looking up trends, hacks, and aesthetics online, why not use the easiest tool available in the market to achieve it? It's high time to shed the skin of the archaic self and embrace the coming of inclusive norms. The boxed nature of makeup needs to be shattered. Do not listen to the devil on your shoulder; be the David to your Victoria, not the Justin to your Hailey. Remind yourself– with makeup, you are still a MAN. I rest my case.