Throughout human history, people have protested for change. Each time, a large group
holds signs, marches and stands up for their beliefs, even if the subject of their protest may be
taboo. Today, thanks to social media, we see movements flowing from many media platforms
that follow somewhat of the same pattern. #BlackLivesMatter for example created its own form
of picket sign, taking Twitter and Tumblr by storm. This, and many similar movements, all have
one thing in common: equal treatment. But even in a world where equality is on the rise, many
opinions still tend to be taboo. One of the biggest is men in the makeup community. Makeup
should be used as a way to express one’s personality or help with confidence and should not be
used explicitly for one gender.
Recently, CoverGirl tackled this issue by announcing their first male CoverGirl, coining the
term: CoverBoy. The new model, 17 year old James Charles Dickinson, simply know as James
Charles, has already appeared in advertisements for the brand as a spokesmodel alongside
iconic women like Katy Perry. CoverGirl chose Charles to prove their point that mascara works
on all lash types. Following the announcement of Charles’ spokesmanship, the brand released a
statement saying, “All of our CoverGirls are role models and boundary-breakers, fearlessly
expressing themselves, standing up for what they believe, and redefining what it means to be
beautiful, James Charles is no exception.” But, I’m still a bit incredulous. Why is Charles
considered to be a “boundary-breaker” simply because he is male?
This could possibly be because the history of makeup is undeniably feminine. Cosmetics are
believed to have been used for more than 6,000 years. The earliest identification of the its use
dates back to ancient Egypt, where certain creams made of beeswax, olive oil and rose water
were used. Roman books identify the use of cosmetics being frowned upon in their culture. Is
this the reason for its femininity? Historically, Roman men tended to be more in touch with their
feminine side. Those men and the woman associated may have started using makeup, giving
roman society a feminine view on cosmetics. In more recent history, woman of the early 1900’s
were considered promiscuous if they wore makeup. But during the 1910’s the increasing
popularity of theater encouraged a daily use of makeup. Yet, this history never excluded the use
of makeup in men.
So let’s face it, makeup is gender neutral. Beauty is beauty no matter if you’re male or
female. No bottle of foundation, tube of mascara, or brow pencil is labeled “women only.” So the
next time you see someone with their brows on fleek, or their highlight blinding, think about how
lucky they are to have the social acceptance to rock those products.