Would you be OK with your boyfriend or husband wearing makeup?
When you first think about men wearing makeup, you probably envision all those male beauty vloggers that are killing it on Instagram, flaunting their eyeshadow and contour prowess. After years of blogging, they’re finally landing those major beauty campaigns. And good for them, right? They’re having fun, expressing themselves on social media and challenging societal norms of who can and cannot proudly wear makeup. Certainly their millions of combined followers would agree.
But how would you feel if the guy you saw discussing and expressing makeup wasn’t some far-off blogger on Instagram, but someone you know, or even someone you love. What if your boyfriend or husband expressed that he wanted to wear makeup — would your opinion on guys wearing makeup change in any way?
In an effort to make this conversation around men wearing makeup more personal to people, we decided to ask 20 folks — models and bloggers and co-founders, oh my! — the following question: Would you be OK with your boyfriend or husband wearing makeup?
This is what they said:
1. James Scully, famed casting director
“Being in a relationship for 28 years, if my boyfriend started wearing makeup now, I’d be a little concerned,” James Scully, a famed casting director, said. “I personally have no problem with a boy wearing full-on makeup. If I were a young kid, it wouldn’t be as much of an issue for me. As for me now though, no. It just depends on the guy, you know? My actual boyfriend would look terrible in makeup. I don’t think 50-plus-year-old men should be wearing makeup.”
2. Troy Solomon, model and blogger
“Hell yeah! I wear makeup. I love makeup, I wear it every day,” Troy Solomon, a plus-size model and blogger, said. “I am always wearing bronzer if nothing else, the occasional mascara. I think it’s super fun and a fun way to express yourself and give you a little extra oomph.”
3. Christine Cho, body-positive blogger
“I’d be totally fine with my husband wearing makeup if he wanted to,” Christine Cho, a body-positive blogger, said. “Since the beginning of our relationship I’ve been very upfront with how accepting I am of him expressing himself in whatever way he wants, judgment-free. He’s worn skirts and leggings in an effort to experiment with his style, and I always support him. If he came to me tomorrow and asked to use my lipstick it really wouldn’t bother me because I don’t consider experimentation as an attack on his masculinity or sexuality.”
4. Camille Moroz, co-founder of Stature
“I definitely put eyeliner on my husband. My husband, he’s still goth through and through,” Camille Moroz, a co-founder of the petite retailer Stature, said. “I recently started getting really into the Asian beauty, K-beauty thing. So I started buying these products and my husband is really getting into it. As far as makeup, it’s just another form of artistic expression.”
5. Miguel Ghalichi, makeup blogger
“I’m totally cool with it. Why not?” Miguel Ghalichi, a makeup blogger, said. “I feel like we can both share the same amount of femininity and masculinity in our relationship and coexist. In fact, we love wearing makeup together!”
6. Dexter Mayfield, model and dancer
“I’m totes OK if my BF wore makeup, because if he feels beautiful and amazing in makeup then that would be all that mattered to me,” Dexter Mayfield, a plus-size model and dancer, said. “It’s his happiness.”
7. Charli Howard, model and activist
“I’ve actually dated guys who have worn concealer here and there and it never bothered me,” Charli Howard, a curve model, said. “Although I did tell him to take it off at night so not to break out!”
8. Johnny Sibilly, actor
“I think for me it would be less about how I feel and more about how it makes him feel. If it makes him feel strong and confident then I’m all for it,” Johnny Sibilly, an actor, said. “A lot of times we embrace things about our partners that are common to us and reflect our tastes, but for me it’s more about what makes him special and unique. As long as it doesn’t get on my white pillow case I’m all for his self-expression.”
9. Shay Neary, model
“I guess it would depend on what they were using it for. If the goal when using the makeup is to look feminine, then no, because I’m attracted to masculine men,” Shay Neary, who made history as the first out plus-size transgender model to land a fashion campaign, said. “But if they were using it to cover a birthmark, eye bags, or fixing something that makes them feel insecure, who am I to judge?”
10. Clémentine Desseaux, model and activist
“If he already is my boyfriend and I love him, I’ll be totally fine,” Clémentine Desseaux, a model and body-positive activist, said. “Whatever can make him feel good and doesn’t hurt anyone is totally fine with me. Who cares?”
11. Spencer Claus, male beauty vlogger
“I mean, I wear makeup on occasion myself, so it would be really weird and hypocritical of me if I expected my boyfriend to be OK with it but then not be OK with him doing it,” Spencer Claus, a makeup and beauty vlogger, said. “Like... that would just be weird. Also, it’s just makeup, so who cares. Go for it. I’ll even help him blend it out.”
12. Ryan Dziadul, model and blogger
“I like to think that I’m a liberated guy. I’ll happily carry a bag intended for women, and if there’s a fragrance I like I’ll spritz it on even if some ‘nose’ somewhere wasn’t exactly picturing a 6-foot-tall dude as she concocted it,” Ryan Dziadul, a plus-size male blogger over at @ExtraExtraStyle, said. “But if my husband one day decided to try a smokey eye or a berry-stained lip? That would be hard for me. It’s just not what I’m attracted to. But you know what makes me happiest in life? When he’s happy. So if a coating of ‘manscara’ or ‘guyliner’ makes him feel hot and sexy and comfortable — I’ll learn to love it.”
13. Katie Knowles, model
“If he said to me he wanted to wear makeup, I suppose I would be a bit taken aback, but then I’d ask what his reasons for it were,” Katie Knowles, a curve model, said. “If he wanted something to maybe cover up spots or scars, that doesn’t bother me. If I’m truthful though, if he started getting better at highlighting and eyeliner than me I’m not sure I would love that. I’d never want to stop someone doing what makes them happy, but I don’t personally think I’d want my boyfriend wearing a full face of makeup.”
14. Jake-Jamie Ward, makeup blogger
“He already does wear makeup,” Jake-Jamie Ward, a beauty and makeup blogger, said. “I taught him how to slay his complexion and now he can’t live without his magic skin perfecting tools. Everybody deserves the right to feel like the very best possible version of themselves.”
15. Gia Narvaez, blogger and YouTuber
“I would totally be OK with the guy that I am dating wearing makeup,” Gia Narvaez, a YouTuber, said. “Honestly it’s just another form of expression and who am I to judge whether someone wants to wear makeup or not? The guy I am currently dating does not wear makeup, but if he told me he wanted to wear makeup I would totally support him. And truth be told, I would probably teach him how to apply it because that’s what you do when you care for someone. We need to stop trying to place everyone in boxes. We need to stop assuming that each gender has their set forms of expressions. If someone wants to wear makeup, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation, they should totally be allowed to!”
16. Bianca Caampued, co-founder of Small Girls PR
“I actually think that guys definitely could and should wear makeup if it makes them feel good,” Bianca Caampued, a co-founder of Small Girls PR, said. “There’s nothing wrong with a little ‘guyliner’ if it brings out the color of your eyes, or using foundation or concealer, or even bronzer if needed (or wanted!). Just as with women, guys can get that ‘no makeup’ makeup look if they want to keep it natural. As women I think we put an emphasis on being able to do anything a guy could, or at least having the access to things that are available to guys and being able to make the decision to participate. The same opportunity should be given to guys.”
17. Fran Tirado, executive editor, Hello Mr.
“I wouldn’t just be OK with my boyfriend wearing makeup — I would require them to try it,” Fran Tirado, the executive editor of Hello Mr. magazine, said. “Makeup, to me, is power. When I put on highlighter, I wield my queerness like a sword. If you are a man who tries on makeup and its not for you, that is OK. But the sooner we get all men to try makeup, the sooner we can de-stigmatize femininity, to disassociate femininity from weakness. All men should try to upend their gender performance. The sooner we can do that, the sooner we can get to living in a genderless society — one where, when we see a person, we think less about what genitals they were born with, and more about the fact that they look fucking fantastic.”
18. Eef Vicca, senior fashion director at Factory PR
“If [my husband] would be insecure about his skin for example I would of course not start laughing if he wants to mask that with subtle foundation,” Eef Vicca, the senior fashion director at Factory PR, said. “Honestly, whatever makes him feel happy and more confident in his skin. I think what goes for a girl applies for a guy too. Taste is not a female or a male thing.”
19. Forrest Wu, go-go dancer and NYC nightlife legend
“I work in nightlife, so I couldn’t be less bothered by men in makeup,” Forrest Wu, a go-go dancer in New York City, said. “It’s almost compulsory for some of the real club stayouts — and anyway, it’s a difficult and personal art form to perfect. If someone I was dating wanted to wear makeup, I’d only ask that they not go too crazy with contouring. I think it’s a little gauche.”
20. Danielle Kwateng-Clark, freelance fashion editor
“I love when my husband puts on chapstick and we even get pedicures together,” Danielle Kwateng-Clark, a freelance fashion editor who’s worked with Essence, said. “But if I walked in on him putting Ruby Woo, I’d probably freak out. Unfortunately, I’m not progressive enough to get past gender paradigms associated with a full-on beat on my husband. But I have no problem sharing certain clothing items, deodorants, soaps and lotions with him. But the makeup thing is just for me in our home.”
21. Avani Agarwal, co-founder of petite retailer Stature
“I have tried so many times to take a little bit of powder and matte down my husband’s face,” Avani Agarwal, a co-founder of Stature, said. “Especially in cases of being out at a summer wedding and you have a shiny nose. Like what’s the big deal? I have been slightly successful but I think it’s great. My son wears nail polish and loves it. I think eyeliner on men is stunning.”
