HT Brunch Cover Story: Beauty and the beasts!

Have you ever seen billboards of make-up manufacturers that includes males? Do you suppose make-up will ever be a part of males’s on a regular basis routines? If not, suppose once more. Because make-up was at all times gender-fluid. The Egyptian Pharaohs again in 3100 BCE had elaborate make-up and skincare routines. Centuries later, widespread musicians like Prince and David Bowie wore make-up. In between, warriors used kohl to guard their eyes on battlefields.

Now a number of male influencers have taken the baton… oops, the wonder blender of their palms to provoke dialog about boys and wonder with out concern of judgment. Three digital creators inform us not solely about hues however the deeper shades of stigmas related to males who put on make-up.

Metrosexual plus plus

Siddharth Batra, 27  

Already doing style and elegance movies, Siddharth Batra (@siddharth93batra) dropped his first #ManBeauty video this February, displaying fundamental make-up for males. His group that he so fastidiously constructed went nuts – not in a great way. However, Siddharth discovered followers who lauded his ‘guts’ and the quantity right now stands at 112ok.

“There are people who comment ‘chhakka’ [on social media]. But this conditioning is meant to be broken!”—Siddharth Batra

However, Siddharth has been fascinated by make-up for longer than he can recollect. “I was always interested in how my mother used her cosmetics. Growing up, my parents knew I was metrosexual and fortunately, they were open-minded,” he says. “When I worked for an online fashion company, I had to wear make-up. I bombarded the make-up artist with questions and that’s how I decided to invest in a few make-up products for myself.” 

Putting this on Instagram felt regular. “My social media is a reflection of my life and I’ve always believed in breaking rules. As I got better doing my own make-up, I realised other people would like to learn too,” he says. 

Though he has many, many followers, he’s, in fact, trolled. “There are guys who give me genuine feedback and there are people who comment ‘chhakka’. But this conditioning is meant to be broken. My responsibility as a creator is to break the cocoon. If me and my partner both want to wear make-up, I don’t see why that should be a problem.”  

Siddharth’s intention is to not shock. It’s simply to normalise make-up for males. “A Hitler approach doesn’t work. I don’t want to hurt sentiments but I do want real change. The only way to do that is to intertwine pop culture, humour, fashion and beauty. The packaging matters irrespective of the numbers on social media because it all depends on how people view you; not just how many people view you.” 

Beautiful on the within

Ankush Bahuguna, 27

When Ankush Bahuguna (@ankushbahuguna) tweeted an image of himself carrying eyeliner, the Internet went loopy. “Just a man wearing eyeliner without caring about what others think. It’s not my eyeliner that scares you, it’s my freedom to wear it that scares you. This really isn’t about me, this is about you,” he tweeted.

But the actual dialog starter was an Instagram video that confirmed him making use of make-up. “As an actor, make-up is almost my second skin. So when I tried it myself, I was impressed by how well I understood it. It’s not just an art, but also a science and I am good at this!” says Ankush.

He anticipated the trolling, in fact, however didn’t think about it will be as unhealthy because it was. “The worst questioned my sexuality. These kinds of associations need to be nipped in the bud. So the next time I put up a video, I spoke about the stereotypes and attacked them collectively for attacking my choices,” he says.

“I’ll call out the trolls because on my bad days, I get really affected by what people say about me“—Ankush Bahuguna

More conversations about gender and beauty need to be had, says Ankush. “Ideally, make-up and skincare should come together and go much beyond conventional beauty standards. It should make people think, ‘Oh! It can also work like this’. But the messaging of most commercials cash in on consumers’ insecurities and I’ve fallen prey to it myself,” he admits.  

The angle to males carrying make-up is unusual, says Ankush, as a result of make-up has at all times been integral to Indian tradition. “Whether it is Bharatanatyam or Kathakali, men wear make-up. So if you abuse me for wearing make-up, the onus is not on me. I’ll call out the trolls because on my bad days, I get really affected by what people say about me,” he says.  

He who doesn’t care

Abhinav Mathur, 36

Four years in the past, when lawyer Abhinav Mathur (@_abix_) entered the digital content material area and needed to take part in shoots, he began carrying make-up. “It made me feel positive and accepted and that changed everything for me,” says Abhinav.

Though he’s not usually on-screen, Abhinav took to cosmetics fairly naturally. “It might be because I had no social stigmas in my mind. But that is not the case with most Indian men,” he says. “When I got into the industry, there were a lot of masculine-looking men but then I realised that everyone around me was glamming up. Conversations and your surroundings affect your thoughts deeply. I realised that applying foundation does not challenge my masculinity in any manner. So over the years, I’ve tried to perfect the art because when done shoddily, it shows,” he laughs. 

“Skincare does not only mean taking care of the under eyes…”—Abhinav Mathur

As far as Abhinav is anxious anybody who needs to make use of make-up ought to use make-up. “I like my oily skin being taken care of with a dab of concealer and the right loose powder. It is about enhancing my features and I don’t see why making an effort to look good is a crime,” he says. “Of course, I’ve faced stares but I’ve always taken it with humour. If I let my guard down and become vulnerable, I will squirm. I’m very comfortable in my sexuality, so jibes questioning my orientation are not bothersome.”

Recently engaged, Abhinav is unconcerned by trolls. “Education is the real deal in this. Your insecurities come from what you see around you, and I’ve made peace with the fact that it is not possible to change everyone’s perception. Having grey hair in the influencer space might not be regarded as well-groomed, but I’ll flaunt it. After all, you do you!”  

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From HT Brunch, November 22, 2020

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