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

Film
30:00

Five men sit down to get their makeup done as they engage in a conversation about self care, toxic masculinity, gender norms, societal expectations, and their journey in exploring their identity.

Men in Makeup: A commentary on toxic masculinity

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 鈥渢aboo鈥 by some if a man wants to explore cosmetics - something gendered as 鈥渇eminine鈥 and therefore 鈥渙ff limits鈥 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.