Boys In Make-Up...opinions.

[mel0622]

i have nothing against guys wearing makeup but i see what lovemichelle is saying. i wouldnt want to date a guy who wears makeup. i already have a high maintance guy. he likes to take forever to fix his hair! and i wouldnt want him to wear makeup he'll just take even longer to get ready before we go out. and i kind of feel intimidated with guys wearing makeup. like 'holy shit this guy is good, way better than any girl or me good' lol

 

[mspixieears]

I don't think anyone's going to yell at you, but did you know that it was in fact MEN who wore makeup before women? I'm thinking pre-Revolutionary France, court of the Sun King. Also in theatre: at the times when women were not allowed to act (Shakespeare's time).

There is a massive thread on this in the Chatter section; it's fairly old but yes, it's been a topic of discussion here before.

I say do whatever the hell you want, just make sure it's not mortally wounding someone.

 

[caffn8me]

Makeup use goes back way further than pre-Revolutionary France or Shakesperean England. The ancient Egyptians at least as far back as 4,000BC wore makeup in a range of colours. Both men and women wore makeup. The makeup probably served a practical purpose as well as a purely aesthetic one in that it helped to keep the skin moist and keep infections out of eyes.

 

[mspixieears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by caffn8me Makeup use goes back way further than pre-Revolutionary France or Shakesperean England. The ancient Egyptians at least as far back as 4,000BC wore makeup in a range of colours. Both men and women wore makeup. The makeup probably served a practical purpose as well as a purely aesthetic one in that it helped to keep the skin moist and keep infections out of eyes.

There you go! Wow, didn't know it actually had some practical purpose to it. It's funny, I actually started wearing makeup to make me stop doing certain nervous habits, like biting my lips, making my fingers bleed. Go the ancient civilisations! Yea! Thanks for that info.

 

[caffn8me]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mspixieears There you go! Wow, didn't know it actually had some practical purpose to it. It's funny, I actually started wearing makeup to make me stop doing certain nervous habits, like biting my lips, making my fingers bleed. Go the ancient civilisations! Yea! Thanks for that info.

Just one of the useful things I learnt on my M·A·C course

We even made our own Egyptian cosmetics from the raw materials available to them at the time - things like red ochre, yellow ochre, saffron, soot and essential oils.

 

[rose_arcana]

I love men in makeup!!! I wish more of them felt they could wear it and didn't feel pressured not to. Why shouldn't a man cover his blemishes, highlight his cheeks, etc? It's only society telling us it isn't "manly" that we find it problematic. We do the same to women who look too masculine.

At one of my MAC counters there are 4 or 5 male MAs who wear full makeup and I love it - and I love them helping me out and doing my face as well.

 

[moonrevel]

I like guys in makeup, breaking society's gender roles. My very first MAC MA was a guy, and he did makeup better than anyone I've seen to date, and I was in absolute love with him (though he was gay, so that wouldn't have worked out). Would I be a little weirded out and do a double take if I came home to find my boyfriend searching for the perfect shade of pink lipstick for his skin tone in my collection? Probably, because I'm the makeup fiend in this relationship, dammit!

But if it were his thing (it definitely isn't, but if it were), I'd be okay with it.

 

[lovemichelle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rose_arcana I love men in makeup!!! I wish more of them felt they could wear it and didn't feel pressured not to. Why shouldn't a man cover his blemishes, highlight his cheeks, etc? It's only society telling us it isn't "manly" that we find it problematic. We do the same to women who look too masculine. At one of my MAC counters there are 4 or 5 male MAs who wear full makeup and I love it - and I love them helping me out and doing my face as well.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I wouldn't go to an MUA who is male. I feel a women would know my needs better. I just think it looks weird facial hair, blush and stuff. It's cool that you guys don't care, but I like men to look like men. The standard man isn't wearing bright blue eyeshadow with viva glam lipstick. In my opinion.

 

[KJam]

There are men who look fabulous in makeup. I am talking about well applied make-up - not 1980's rock star makeup, which makes me gag. If I were getting my makeup done at a counter, makeup applied well on a male shows me he knows how to do it and I would find it comforting. I would look at it as a sign of his talent, not his sexuality. I see a lot of that here, and I love it. There is just something so sassy and beautiful about that freedom of expression and pure, raw talent.

Drag queens piss me off because they are so damned beautiful most of the time. I see it as unfair! Damn those gorgeous divas.

On the flip side, my husband would be hideous in make-up. He has perfect skin and beautiful eyes, but does anyone want to see his hairy, 220 lb, linebacker-self in mascara? Hell no!

 

[leppy]

I think its a matter of fashion. There are times in history when it was acceptable for men to wear MU but not women, and times when both sexes did quite openly. I don't believe there is a matter of what is right and wrong and I find it ridiculous when people try to argue morality over something so obviously seperate from it.

People need to open their eyes and realize that what they think is "right" is only normal, because its the currently accepted attitude. It will change whether you like it or not, and then it will change again in some other way. Some people always resist the way things are, and some people will always resist change and what isn't THEIR idea of the way things should be. Its natural. The goats and the sheep.. its pretty obvious who is who.

To those that will claim that it isn't natural for a man to care about those things: If you look around in nature and research it, you'll find that quite often its the males that have decorative attributes or whos behaviour is designed to make them more attractive to the females, whereas females are generally plainer and do the choosing. So actually the way we as a society currently see things (emphasis on currently) is more contrary to nature than a man in lipstick.

As for your port lovemichelle, you knew it would cause controversy and upset people, hence the last line of your post. You can claim innocence and that it wasn't your intention but the truth is obvious, you wanted to get your opinion out and felt the need to comment on things you were seeing that you thought were wrong, knowing full well the reaction it would get. I'm not saying you shouldn't state your opinion, you can say what you like.. but no one is going to buy that you were hoping not to offend anyone with it.

 

[asnbrb]

i know some guys who wear makeup, but not the full deal (eyeshadow). Eyeliner, concealer, foundation, lipstick can all be used to make us (women) more attractive, BUT natural- to cover up our blemishes, so why can't it be used for the same thing on guys? Also, for some reason, I find that the guy MA's where I live apply makeup a hell of a lot better than some of the girls. Now, it's highly unlikely that I'd be attracted to a guy who wears Pink Poodle l/g and Teal pigment, but I don't see anything wrong with coverup and enhancement.

 

[Juneplum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leppy As for your part lovemichelle, you knew it would cause controversy and upset people, hence the last line of your post. You can claim innocence and that it wasn't your intention but the truth is obvious, you wanted to get your opinion out and felt the need to comment on things you were seeing that you thought were wrong, knowing full well the reaction it would get. I'm not saying you shouldn't state your opinion, you can say what you like.. but no one is going to buy that you were hoping not to offend anyone with it.

EXACTLY! i think she loves the attention

 

[DaisyDee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovemichelle Maybe I'm wrong, but I wouldn't go to an MUA who is male.

That's ludicrous! Some of the most famous MA's in the world are male...and my fave at my MAC counter happens to be a man...he is FANTASTIC at doing women's makeup.

How very close-minded you're being.

Sad for you.

 

[mspixieears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovemichelle It's cool that you guys don't care, but I like men to look like men. The standard man isn't wearing bright blue eyeshadow with viva glam lipstick. In my opinion.

And what exactly does a 'man' look like? It's fine to have an opinion on why one doesn't like men in makeup, but saying you like men to look like men??? What might be considered manly to one person, is ridiculous to another e.g. muscly men - I don't find their 'masculinity' attractive, but threatening.

So perhaps you'd like to clarify exactly what your 'standard man' is?

It's not a question of no one caring, but more no one understanding your perception of aesthetic masculinity.

 

[samtaro]

Men in makeup are hot.

 

[samtaro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mspixieears And what exactly does a 'man' look like? It's fine to have an opinion on why one doesn't like men in makeup, but saying you like men to look like men??? What might be considered manly to one person, is ridiculous to another e.g. muscly men - I don't find their 'masculinity' attractive, but threatening. So perhaps you'd like to clarify exactly what your 'standard man' is? It's not a question of no one caring, but more no one understanding your perception of aesthetic masculinity.

Actually, I really don't care. I think it's closeminded of her. I know that everyone is trying to be nice and all, and I had bit my tounge until this, but please don't speak for all of us.

 

[lovejam]

I don't mind it at all.

P.S. I'm guessing that in the old days, men had the same hangups about women wearing trousers that you've got about men wearing makeup. Just something to think about.

 

[jess98765]

its kinda weird though cos some guys probably wear more makeup then me at times- that's kinda scary! but i think its alright for guys to do it..whatever expresses themselves more and makes them comfortable i guess

 

[mspixieears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samtaro Actually, I really don't care. I think it's closeminded of her. I know that everyone is trying to be nice and all, and I had bit my tounge until this, but please don't speak for all of us.

Whoops, sorry samtaro, I was trying to be neutral and stimulate intelligent conversation. Generally, not for all who have necessarily responded to the thread. I apologise if you got the impression that I was speaking for all involved. No one is trying to be nice; if you read the posts very carefully, I'd say there is some very cleverly disguised hostility towards the initial poster, that which she wants or wanted to incite.

I did want to suggest that there might actually be several definitions of what a 'man' is. I was actually under the impression that in contemporary cultural theory (post-structuralism, I think), choosing to define non-biological attributes in terms of gender is very, very passe.

Apparently, beauty and some sort of intellectual debate regarding it is thought of as mutually exclusive.

Crap, now I'm on the bleeding soapbox.

 

[mspixieears]

Incidentally, the mods of this forum could close this thread if they so desired, or merge it with the following:

http://www.specktra.net/forum/showthread.php?t=23711