Raul Ojeda

The first time I heard someone say “makeup is only for girls,” I was about 8 years old —  too young to really care, but old enough to understand what was being said.

The more I grew and began to understand the beauty community, the more I realized the industry was marketed specifically to women.

This trend of male influencers wasn’t integrated into pop culture until early 2015, but the truth is, male celebrities have always used makeup. Male actors and musicians have worn makeup on the downlow for decades now, some have even sported makeup as part of their “looks” or personas.

James Charles and Jeffree Star both began wearing makeup, Star with his dark gothic makeup and Charles with his unique artistic creations he would post on instagram.

On Oct. 11, 2016, Charles became Covergirl’s first male spokesperson.

Since then, makeup artists (MUAs) including Manny Mua and Patrick Starr have partnered with other makeup companies like OFRA Cosmetics and MAC Cosmetics to showcase their products on the faces of male MUAs.

According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the word makeup is defined as “cosmetics (such as lipstick, mascara and eye shadow) used to color and beautify the face.” This definition makes no mention on makeup being exclusively for women.

If makeup was meant solely for women, the companies that advertise the makeup would be advertising it as such. The word is broken into two syllables: “make” and  “up”, as in,  you “make up” whatever you want.

Sometimes people forget that makeup is an art form and an artistic escape and expression. The beauty industry has become a safe place where men can make careers as makeup artists and not have a single person bat a single eyelash.

Charles is a modern example of a makeup artist-turned-entrepreneur, from his collaborations with makeup brand Morphe and unveiling his new successful clothing line “Sisters Apparel.”

The notion that wearing makeup makes someone less of a man is an outdated and tired stereotype. As we move forward, let’s normalize men in the makeup community and respect the courage they exhibit online and in person.

“I had just been posting my Instagram pictures; it was just like everyday…just post my makeup looks and go,” said Charles on ”The Ellen Show,” explaining how he caught the attention of makeup company Covergirl.

It continues to grow with videos from creators like Charles and Star constantly in the trending page and other men like Gabriel Zamora, Zackary Vang and Thomas Halbert helping pave the way with their fresh content.

Makeup is a one-size-fits-all product, and men shouldn’t be ashamed to wear it, whether they want to cover a pimple or give themselves a red cut crease.