I rarely don make-up. It's not that I detest putting on make-up. I just don't have the time to wear any nowadays. Or rather, I don't make the time to put any on.
Truth be told, I have to admit I had only warmed up to make-up during junior year in COLLEGE. Yeah, you got (and read) that right. I am a late bloomer. A tomboy - well, not really - just a dishevelled mop of hair who pooh-poohed the facetious quality of cosmetic products.
And applying lipstick was my mode of make-up back then. Nothing more, nothing less.
It was only after graduating and starting work that I got interested in other forms of make-up. Lipliner, lip gloss, and blusher. The latter however turned out to be, time and again, a source of pimples for me, which I gladly and vehemently tossed in the bin.
But I stopped short of applying any eye make-up. My twin sister, on the other hand, is quite hands-on about eye make-up. Eye-shadow she dabbed on like a pro. Three years back and post-engagement, I began experimenting with eye make-up, specifically eyeliner. After marriage, I remember my younger sister commented that she was impressed that I managed to deftly tweak the liner on my upper lids. Those were the days.
This cosmetic walk down memory lane was jogged by this particular column which pokes fun at Zac Efron's (of High School Musical and Hairspray fame) love of 'mancake' and 'guyliner' and questions the market durability of men's line of 'make-up', or as it is euphemistically known, 'enhancement'.
While the rest of the world looks set to embrace the idea of 'enhancing' a man's look, acceptance and enthusiasm Stateside are falling behind.
...the culture that gave birth to the rugged masculine ideal of the Marlboro Man may not be ready to reach for the blush brush just yet. A GQ survey in 2005 reported that "92 percent of men would not wear makeup even if it guaranteed them a more fulfilling sex life." U.S. sales figures seem to confirm the ongoing resistance to men's makeup...
Surprisingly, in this Metrosexual day and age, men are generally still uncertain and downright embarassed about applying mancake foundation and other 'enhancement' to cover their blemishes and spruce up their looks respectively. Probably, this indecisiveness is rightly so, as men try to preserve their overt masculinity in the face of insurmountable societal pressure to fit the well-groomed mould.
The genius of the metrosexual concept was that the term divorced men's grooming and primping habits from homosexuality: A metrosexual man could feel secure in his heterosexuality even as he spread his legs to get a bikini wax. Makeup seems to have a harder time avoiding direct associations to gayness: The term "men's makeup" conjures Boy George and drag queens rather than Brad Pitt or Tony Blair dabbing on powder to conceal dark circles.
Ironically enough, in the Islamic tradition, applying kohl around the eyelids has been part of men's grooming set for several centuries. Even our Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) brought a kohl jar, amongst others, when he travelled. Middle Eastern men have been putting on kohl for years. So when Fall Out Boy's frontman, Pete Wentz made the headlines for his so-called radical eyelined image, I was not wholly impressed. Stale news.
(Note: Different schools of thought draw the distinction on the permissibility of kohl as opposed to modern concoction of eyeliner, or in this case, guyliner)
Personally, I mind the least bit men with kohl applied on their eyelids but I draw the line at dabbing on foundation. It is TOO vain and effeminate even for my unconventional taste.
For the future, I believe the market for men's 'enhancement' is set to roll big monies for cosmetics companies willing to play by the hidden rules - 'concealing' the obvious emasculating attributes of make-up through a successful brand management of exclusive 'manly' products.
As male's gender identity continues to evolve, so would the range of aesthethic items for men. In the mean time, you can bet young, nubile fans and movie producers will make a beeline for the likes of Zac Efron.
As for moi, it's nice to sit back and watch men getting the pressure of looking the part for a change!
Photo taken from here
Cartoon taken from here
No comments:
Post a Comment