Men in Makeup: A commentary on toxic masculinity - Alexa Cimino

Makeup has become a passion of mine, and one I was encouraged to pursue because I was a woman. But what about those who want to do things outside of their gender identity? Unfortunately, not everyone applauds those who want to experiment with different avenues of self expression outside of what society has deemed appropriate to their gender. While men in makeup can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, it is still considered “taboo” by some if a man wants to explore cosmetics - something gendered as “feminine” and therefore “off limits” to men. I spoke with five of my male friends to talk about their experience growing up in a world where heteronormity is the standard, and how it has affected their ability to go beyond their idea of masculinity - all while doing their makeup.