The Role Of Influencers In The Development Of Male Makeup Industry
Who doesn’t want to look good? Male beauty standards have reached to a whole new level. Hence, more men are wearing makeup than ever before. There have been changes in the outlook of the society towards male grooming and makeup. Gender fluidity has been accepted more and more. Now that has become more acceptable. Male make-up industry has shuttled to a newer height. Public figures have obviously been a major impact and have become idols for more and more people to look up to. Getting men to believe makeup can be manly. Some companies try to do this by opting for a manlier name – rebranding mascara to manscara, eyeliner to guyliner, foundation to tinted moisturizer. Report, based on its ongoing survey of more than 170,000 internet users, suggests that fans of vloggers like Zoella, Alfie Deyes and Tyler Oakley look to find out about new products and brands than to look to them more for entertainment and life advice.
You've probably seen James Charles on your Instagram Explore page with his colourful makeup looks, and you're about to see a lot more of him. CoverGirl announced that Charles is the newest face of the brand, making him the first male CoverGirl spokesperson. This has made him a huge influence on his male viewers. With CoverGirl's So Lashy, the company's first universal mascara, Charles is promoting 'lash equality.'
One of my favourite male makeup artist is Jeffree Star. Star in all his eccentricities has been taking the glam world by storm, with his music and beauty-centric videos. Donning hot-pink hair and heavily-done eye makeup, Jeffree’s electrifying persona is what’s been the talk of the town for quite some time now! From working as, a beauty guru to now using social media as his stage to showcase everything that he is passionate about, Star needs no validation to prove his worth as an artiste! This pop singer has also been in the spotlight for songs that go in the opposite direction when it comes to clichés and gender-stereotypes. Not just that, Star’s self-titled YouTube channel has over 3.7 million subscribers going total bonkers over his unabashed enthusiasm for makeup and fashion.
The influence of makeup has not just been limited to the western world but also has come to India giving birth to makeup artists like Naeem Khan, Aamir Naveed, Dil Matharu and many more. Not to forget J. Fernandez Elton seems to be everyone’s favorite even though he learnt tricks of the trade all on his own. But now his makeup techniques have made him do photo-shoots of international models in exotic locations worldwide. But the self-taught artist, who is now the official make-up artist for Maybelline New York. One of the most popular Indian male influencer is Sushant Digvikr . He’s a former Mr. Gay India and actor who debuted in as Rani Ko-HE-Nur at Kitty Su at the Lalit in Delhi, and within a year he became the first Indian drag performer on national television and today he tours across the country with his art.
Drag queen performance refers to individuals who perform over exaggerated representations of gender for an audience. They are men in women's clothing and often act with exaggerated femininity and in feminine gender roles with a primarily entertaining purpose. Some of the most popular drag queens are Alyssa Edwards, Pearl, Bianca Del Rio, Bob the Drag Queen, Shangela, Adore Delano. On reviewing various articles I’m drawn to the conclusion that male makeup artists such as James Charles, Jeffrey Star, J. Fernandez etc. have made a huge impact globally on men’s grooming and make-up. Over hundreds of thousands of men have started using products which have been shown in such male makeup artists videos and vlogs.
