Do You Wear ANY Kind of Makeup?

[Ryuichi13]

I've wondered this for quite some time.  I can't be the only one. 

Have you ever regularly worn makeup?

If so, do you still wear it?  Why?

Do you feel less masculine wearing makeup?  More masculine?

Do you feel younger when you wear makeup?  Older?

Do you feel that men that wear makeup are somehow "less masculine?'  Why?

*~*~*~*~*

I'll go first.

Have you ever regularly worn makeup?  Yes.

If so, do you still wear it?  Why?
I wear mascara, not only to enhance my eyelashes, which are super-short, but to darken my eyebrows, which are really light.  It also makes me look younger and less tired than I do without it, even when I've had enough sleep (which is rare).  I also wear lipbalm, but only because when I don't, my lips chap and crack open, and I got tired of blood on my shirts.  Also, I think most chapstick-types taste like @$$.  Lipbalm is often flavored.  Unfortunately for me, I just recently found out that some of the lipbalm I use is also tinted, which often leaves lip prints.   

Do you feel less masculine wearing makeup?  More masculine?
Not at all!  I feel MORE masculine, since it not only enhances my eyes, which I feel are my best feature, but makes me seem younger.  When I first started growing a mustache, I also darkened it using the "mascara trick" to darken the few hairs I had, giving me the illusion of having a darker mustache than I actually had.  I did that whenever I went out of the house until my sparse yet visible beard grew in.  Sure, I did the mustache trick to look passable, but it also really helped my self-esteem as a man. 

Do you feel younger when you wear makeup?  Older?
I feel younger when I wear it, and I don't look tired...or AS tired. 

Do you feel that men that wear makeup are somehow "less masculine?'  Why?
Nope.  Many cis men wear makeup for many reasons.  some to hide zits or blemishes, bruises (some from bar fights!), to darken light facial hair, or even to help hide a bald spot.  I feel "if it works to improve your looks/self-esteem/etc, why not use it?"

Ryuichi

[Pao]

I've never worn it regularly.

I have long been attracted to and affiliated with "Goth" subculture. I have never seen make-up as girly inherently. I do see a difference in makeup that is masculine and makeup that is feminine. I used to find it astounding that people would mistake my boyfriends in make up for girls. To me they didn't remotely look feminine.

I would probably be the type of guy to wear eyeliner or masquera to work if I didn't work as a Groundskeeper. I may be getting a desk job soon so I guess me shall see. I will probably opt for the extra sleep.

[AquaWhatever]

I would say.

No i never worn it religiously
I don't wear it now
I probably would feel less masculine wearing it only because if I were to wear it, it would be for comedic purposes or if it's Halloween.

I don't feel younger wearing it. I feel makeup tends to make you look older depending on how it's done.

Less masculine is kinda a complicated statement.

I would say no and yes.
No because guys in Hollywood wear makeup to appear younger or to hide "beauty marks"
Some use it because of skin disorders.
Some just like the art but they don't actually walk around wearing it.

I would only say yes if guys wore more traditional make up like bright red lipstick, thick eyeliner to make your lashes appear thick and full and basically any contour that would accent feminine features.

(Watch the female to male makeup transformation and vice versa and you'll know what I mean)

I don't think it's bad though. We're not all perfect to a T masculine/feminine.

Imo makeup is feminine (depending on how you wear it) and that's fine
Instead of trying to make it masculine we should just accept that nobody is 100% masc or fem and you don't have to be.

[Ryuichi13]

I've never worn it regularly.

I have long been attracted to and affiliated with "Goth" subculture. I have never seen make-up as girly inherently. I do see a difference in makeup that is masculine and makeup that is feminine. I used to find it astounding that people would mistake my boyfriends in make up for girls. To me they didn't remotely look feminine.

I would probably be the type of guy to wear eyeliner or masquera to work if I didn't work as a Groundskeeper. I may be getting a desk job soon so I guess me shall see. I will probably opt for the extra sleep.

I know what you mean!  I too am Goth, although I haven't gone to any Goth clubs since moving to the East Coast of the US.  Every now and then, I still will slap on a little eyeliner and even black lipstick, just because. 

I also cosplay, and I often wear eyeliner and mascara then as well. 

To me, makeup doesn't have a gender, its all in how you apply it.  I apply it to enhance features so that I look more masculine, but it can also be made to look more feminine, depending on how its worn.

I never really learned how to apply makeup "in the female way," even pre-T.  Only as a male Goth or cosplayer. 

Ryuichi 

[meatwagon]

Have you ever regularly worn makeup?
i didn't want anything to do with makeup before the age of 14, but after being forced/pressured into it by my mom, it became a habit.  i used it to experiment with colors and styles, and to flirt with the "goth" look that i liked but was forbidden from wearing.  if i was going to be forced to use makeup, i wanted to do it my own way and make art of it, like i was dressing up a doll--because that's all i was at that point, a dressup doll who had very little say in the things i could wear or what i was allowed to look like.  that continued into adulthood and grew into some kind of anxiety where i couldn't stand to be seen without my "mask" on.  that feeling started to fade after i moved away and finally had a chance to address my gender and start trying to see myself as my own person. 

If so, do you still wear it?  Why?
no.  i quit wearing it because i didn't want/need to pretend to be something i wasn't any more, and i certainly didn't want to reinforce people's perception of me as a woman.  i can appreciate it as an art form in theory or on other people, but it wouldn't do anything for me except draw attention to all the wrong things and i don't need that.  i'm not one to overdress for the grocery store or the doctor's office, and i think putting on makeup would be exactly that.

Do you feel less masculine wearing makeup?  More masculine?
while there are plenty of ways/reasons for men to wear makeup without looking any less masculine, short of costume makeup i don't think any of those would do anything for me.  especially given my history with it, i'd feel less masculine by default and have no intention of even trying until i'm further along in transition and able to actually be comfortable with my face.

Do you feel younger when you wear makeup?  Older?
n/a

Do you feel that men that wear makeup are somehow "less masculine?'  Why?
it would depend entirely on the style and reason for it.  there are definitely makeup types/looks intended for women, which enhance or give the illusion of feminine features.  the same can be said for men/male looks.  meanwhile, things like covering blemishes or darkening hairs/eyebrows and other "corrective" makeup styles are completely neutral.

[Kylo]

Only when doing TV or stage work tbh.

Anyone who thinks men don't wear makeup misses that one, lol. Performers wear it for work, even if it's look like they're NOT wearing any.

Because of that I personally don't see makeup as masc or fem. It's just "part of the job". And I've always been crap with it, I'll get someone else to do it for me who's better at it if they're around. Takes a bit of practice that I've never put in for. I was never much interested in makeup as a kid, unless you count "war paint" or being painted up to look like a reptile or something.

Makeup can make you look older or younger, I don't feel anything while wearing it unless I'm specifically supposed to.

I don't need any extra enhancements on my eyes, I already have long eyelashes, wouldn't need mascara as a woman. The point of female makeup around the eyes is to accentuate them or make them look larger and I don't need any more of that. Don't need any more on the lips either, they have got paler since T, which suits me better.

Are men less masculine for wearing it? I don't know. If they're just using concealers that's a different use for makeup, as is using it for stage. Using it to specifically imitate fem makeup is going to make an association in people's minds with femininity. I've known a few gay or bi people who used it to "suggest" stuff in a subtle way but it was rarely full on. I imagine there are a few men out there who do use it in the same way women do for the same reasons. It's probably not going to conjure images of masculinity for someone seeing it though is it. And maybe that's the point. A few singers etc. deliberately do it to offset expectations or to create a unique look. 

Two main reasons I never bothered with makeup were one, because I had no interest in being "pretty". And two, I met a woman when I was younger who asked me why I didn't wear any. I said I didn't care about it. She responded by saying something like "I wish I hadn't started wearing it, now I feel ugly if I go out without makeup on, I've been doing it for 20 years and it's like my mask." Made me think if I got used to something like that I'd feel hideous without it, and the idea of needing to plaster it on myself not to feel insecure sounds horrible.

[WolfNightV4X1]

Nope. But I am a huge fan of eyeliner/guyliner (courtesy of rock stars I look up to such as Billie Joe Armstrong) I dont get out much though so I have no reason to put on eyeliner, sadly.

Did I used to wear makeup? As a really wee lad, a baby with no memories, yeah...I played with it because my mom gave it to me. (This is only known through video and pictures, I have no personal memories of this). Throughout my childhood, no way, I was icked by it and avoided that girly stuff like the plague. This kept going for as long as I could remember, I didnt care to touch make up at all. However, during my teenager years I felt I had to present and look pretty or nice, so I kept a bit of foundation to make the face smoother and cover up blemishes, or some eyeliner and mascara(the thing for the eyelashes? lmao), as it turns out the most makeup peak I had was at the height of my "trying to be a girl" experience, which isnt saying much, I was more trying to pick a style if femininity that settles closer to being masculine while still feeling attractive or something, and I was socially unallowed to appear masculine and had to fight my way to not wear dresses and wear band shirts and jeans. To blend into girl culture or whatever. Same thing with leg shaving, did it because I had to. Overall though, makeup was such a minimal experience for me,


I'd definitely be more open to it now that Im past transitioning, but at the same time it isnt my thing, lol. I dont have the money or places to go to have reason to go out and look all made up.

[Berserk]

Have I ever regularly worn makeup?

No, never. I have only worn makeup twice in my life and never because I actually wanted to. Once was when my cousin asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding when I was 18 or so (first time I'd ever worn makeup) and second time at around 19 when some girls convinced me I should try "dressing up". I absolutely hated both times.

Did you feel less masculine wearing makeup?

Yes and hated it.

Did you feel younger wearing makeup?

Did not make me feel anything age-wise, it just made me feel terrible generally.

Do you feel that men wearing makeup are less masculine?

Generally, yes. I do not consider wearing makeup to be a masculine thing nor contribute towards a masculine appearance. Most cis men and trans men who wear makeup tend to be more feminine/femmey or look more feminine in general. That said I have seen some masculine guys wear makeup but for them seems to also be about expressing a more amdrogynous or feminine aspect of their personality.

[SeptagonScars]

Have you ever regularly worn makeup?
- Definitely, but mostly so before my transition, in my teens. Into my transition, I've worn it more on and off rather than regularly. I try to prevent getting like "addicted" to needing to wear it every day, that's why I don't do it regularly anymore. Thinking I'm ugly without makeup is a trap I really don't want to fall back into again.

If so, do you still wear it?  Why?
- Yes, on occasion. I fill in my eyebrows when they've grown out lighter since last I dyed them, slap some powder on my face to look less shiny, sometimes put a bit of concealer on my acne if it's extra bad, contour my under my cheekbone and at temples to try to give a little edge/depth to my face or something. And sometimes I actually dot on some matte red eyeshadow on my lips which gives a super realistic slightly redder tint to them that stays all day.
Sometimes I wear more visible makeup though. Then I add brown/red-brown eyeshadow around my eyes to make it look like they're more "deep set" and kinda enhance my tiredness. I guess that's my "leave me alone I'm tired" -look.
I also dye my eyebrows and beard with hairdye which is kinda like makeup but more semi-permanent.
Also if I wear too much of it these days my eyes get sore and run constantly. Especially mascara and eyeliner does that. Doesn't matter how gentle/sensitive the products are.

Main reason is to make my face look "better" with a hint towards a goth look (like looking slightly more dead and risen from the grave) but naturally so. It's like a boost to make me feel a bit more handsome. I see it as enhancing the good looks I already have, so I don't think I look bad without it.

Do you feel less masculine wearing makeup?  More masculine?
- Slightly less masculine, I'd say. But I think that's really just because society kinda hammered it into my head that "all makeup=feminine" even though I don't actually think so. Like I know that war paint most certainly isn't feminine, or adding a fake beard for that matter. But alas, I still feel like wearing any makeup makes me a tad more towards the femme end of the spectrum. I think that makeup often is a form of gender non-conformity for men in this day and age. But it doesn't really bother me all that much cause I don't mind having some femme elements to my generally masculine style. Like so what if I'm 90% masc or 100%? Not like anyone is purely 100% either masc or femme anyway.

Do you feel younger when you wear makeup?  Older?
- A bit younger, I'd say. I don't think I look younger when I wear it though, or I hope so at least. Cause I'm not that old in actuality. The reason I think it makes me feel younger is because most people who wear makeup tend to be younger, and makeup is often regarded as either a "youth thing" or a "stage thing."

Yeah it can make you look older or younger, but I've acquired enough skill in that area over the years to know what to do to achieve the looks I want. I can make myself look anything from super feminine and young to more masculine and either young or older, as well as various different styles. I have no professional training/education, just self taught from youtube tutorials and lots of experimenting.

Do you feel that men that wear makeup are somehow "less masculine?'  Why?
- Yeah a bit, but I definitely don't think it makes them less male. Like they're still 100% men. But it does highly depend on what kind of makeup as well, if I think they're less masculine. A bit of mascara and chapstick is very different from a full face of makeup in drag queen style with glitter and all. I think it is still kinda brave for men to wear makeup though, and I'd never berate another guy for doing so. Rather I have a lot respect for that, and I think gender non-conformity is generally a very good thing.

[Corax]

Oh boy, that image I have on my head now.... x'D
No, I am not wearing make-up. Testosterone gave me acne and I could by that stuff especially made for dudes to cover it up but it's way too dark and doesn't match my pale skin, plus I hate to have any paint on my skin I find it itches and is uncomfortable.
Aside from that anything more than covering up acne would look ridiculous on me and make me feel like a clown and complete joke – whether clowns are feminine or masculine is for everyone to decide individually I suppose

Regarding the question whether I think that wearing make-up in general makes men less masculine I do have to say it depends.
It depends on the purpose of the make-up as well as how the make-up is done.
If it's theatre make-up actors wear or just to cover something like acne up, no it is not emasculating.  The same goes for some crazy face paints artists or musicians put onto their faces or painting yourself a zombie face for Halloween.
If however a man paints his face like women do, yes, he appears effeminate, emasculated and maybe even girlish to me.

Examples!
I don't think that this face paint makes them appear feminine:






This kind of face paint however makes this man (Yes, that is a legit 'cis' man, I thought was a hyper-feminine lady at first too. If I had seen him on the streets I would have Ma'amed and unintentionally misgendered him. That bloke actually also dresses and wears make-up like this during his everyday life too.) completely feminine and I see nothing masculine about him.

[Allsorts]

Well, I'm still in a 'questioning' phase whilst mostly been quite androgynous for a good while. I've had different phases in my life of make up or no make up, I'd say I have an ambivalent relationship with it in general. I like having the ability to cover up spots or flaws and the like, but I don't feel comfortable with the idea of painting over my face and trying to make myself look like someone else. In a really fake way. Who I am should be good enough.
And it felt really weird when I used to do full/heavier girly makeup because with my small features and pale, blank canvas I really can make myself look like a different person. That didn't feel authentic to me, and even friends could fail to recognise me in some photos! (Plus I tend to end up with a 'man in drag' look (which is great if that's what you are and are going for!) with my face type etc and get misgendered that way)

At the moment I do still sometimes slap on some cover-up or concealer. I'm also starting to fill in my eyebrows a bit - again I feel conflicted because I'm not good at it and I think it looks a bit unnatural but I was "blessed" with very thin eyebrows since childhood so they are dead giveaway for me in terms of gender. I don't pluck and never have but they still look over-plucked, plus thinning out a bit now and some white hairs. I'm not sure how to make them look thicker and more masculine because just filling with a pencil looks obviously made-up on me. Colour but no hairs, ya know?

This thread did remind me of about 10 years ago... my younger (early 20s), male cousin got into the 'metrosexual' thing and more grooming and I think he did use a little bit. So I think in some social circles it is becoming a bit more socially acceptable for men to use a bit of covering or enhancing makeup.

I'd imagine there are a few men out there who wear a bit of natural makeup and we don't even realise, because it is done minimally and naturally. Ideally good makeup should look like you aren't wearing makeup but just look a bit 'better' than normal. I think a large part of passing that off is in finding the right shade of foundation and concealer which for some of us can be really really tricky (the "are you anaemic?" level of pale, here lol!)

In recent years when I've done that type, the comments when I've met up with people have tended to be that I look "really well" (long term sick here) which was kind of frustrating because I wasn't any weller, just had a bit of foundation on.

The times I have noticed make up on men I think it's been intended to be noticed, cliche but the slightly more effeminate gay men I've known.

Then as others have said, there's the goth look. No I don't think that looks unmasculine because it's clearly different from female makeup and even on female goths, it doesn't have the same purpose or create the same look as typical mainstream female makeup.
I guess most traditional make up has been on females and done in techniques and colours that were designed to amplified feminine features. Perhaps in the future that will change as makeup becomes more versatile in its purposes and techniques.

[King Malachite]

Absolutely not.  I wore make-up once, because my sister tricked me into it.  I feel as though make-up is a more feminine thing, and unless it was for cosplay purposes, to wear make-up would be to emasculate me.  Being pre-transition, I already get enough "help" with being emasculated, so no thanks to make-up.

[Peep]

I'm allergic to most eye makeup so the choice is really taken from me there

I will still occasionally fill my eyebrows as even with T they've not thickened up much

[PurpleWolf]

Have you ever regularly worn makeup?
Totally! Started at 12. Still continuing on xD.

If so, do you still wear it?  Why?
YES. Everyday,  . Why? Bcos I f-in' like it!!! Bcos I look goooood with guyliner on lol  I really love makeup, as simple as that. I use eyeliner regularly and would use like eye shadows too etc. but usually don't coz eyeshadow/mascara does make my eyes appear more feminine. I use other stuff as well I won't go into detail here . Hey, would even rock lipstick (like black etc...) but don't coz that too pre-T does make me more female-looking obviously. I admire stage makeup etc. rocker/goth style. But I def use it in a 'guy way'! I can't do female/professional makeup. 

Wearing makeup like that eyeliner is an essential part of my style.

Do you feel less masculine wearing makeup?  More masculine?
More masculine tbh. And been told that by others too. Surprisingly being pre-T all that eyeliner and guy makeup stuff makes me look more masculine actually. Possibly bcos I then look more like 'myself' if you know what I mean. In some pics I hate it when makeup makes my eyes appear feminine... but generally I just like the way I look with makeup on. I always put eyeliner on while being out of the house but just at home I don't bother with any makeup really. At times makeup can make my face appear more feminine - but totally without it I tend to look more 'female' on the face imo. (My favorite passing story is one long time ago when I stepped into a hairdresser's, had long hair + makeup on, and totally passed, so... lol  ! In my case guyliner and stuff don't affect my passing at least.)

Do you feel younger when you wear makeup?  Older?
Easy: younger!!!

Do you feel that men that wear makeup are somehow "less masculine?'  Why?
No, never thought that. Imo men who wear makeup (like rocker guys with guyliner or Johnny Depp etc.) look masculine to me. I def feel more masculine that way. Plus like Kylo pointed out in TV etc. everyone wears LOTS of makeup!!! I don't think makeup really has an effect on anyone's femininity or masculinity tbh. They are inherent traits imo. Like I know some fem gay guys who don't wear makeup (at least not that I see it) but paint their nails... To me femininity is reflected on how people move, talk, sit etc... To me those gay guys I know appear 'feminine' that way, and that has nothing to do with having or not having makeup on...! I don't consider myself to be feminine at all coz I don't possess any traits I'd personally consider 'feminine' in the way I move, walk, talk, sit etc. So I think my core personality is masculine/neutral. Only my appearance might be considered as 'feminine' by some bcos of the guyliner. But again, I don't view someone as feminine just bcos they use makeup. 

[graspthesanity]

Have you ever regularly worn makeup?

Yes, started in my teenage years when I was confused and that lasted quite a while after I came out as a trans guy. But what kept me going was seeing a play where men were in full drag and I aspired to be like them. My mom complained that my make up is too theatrical, too bright and in my head it went... I'm doing make up like a guy. I still have a make up instagram which I update nearly daily with new looks, but I've been really going out of the box, feeling more comfortable with really doing it over the top. It's noplasticdolltails for whoever is interested.

If so, do you still wear it?  Why?

I only wear it at home for a photo, for a look then I remove it. I had an ugly incident where a trans guy called me out for looking like some mom's friend of his and then my mind went bonkers. I stopped using make up after that for the streets. Also, I moved to a place where men just don't wear make up, so all I do is for my instagram.

Do you feel less masculine wearing makeup?  More masculine?

Depends on the day. There are days when I dread doing it for a photo, there are days where my fingers are itching to do some look. But I don't see my make up as feminine.

Do you feel younger when you wear makeup?  Older?

Same age, really.

Do you feel that men that wear makeup are somehow "less masculine?'  Why?

No, no and no. My biggest role models were men in make up and men do make up in a different way, well, the ones I look up to.

[Sethie The Tenor]

Does it count if you have no experience with makeup and you just want to look like Billie Joe Armstrong, because you are a Green Day fanatic, and you are going to perform a cover song, and you do eyeliner and it looks horrendous.

[Ryuichi13]

I'd say that counts as wearing makeup.

Good luck with your cover, bro!

Ryuichi

[Sethie The Tenor]

I'd say that counts as wearing makeup.

Good luck with your cover, bro!

Ryuichi

Thanks, man! in addition to make up I also wear black hairspray in my hair lol

[Ryuichi13]

SWEET!  I think hair spray also might count as makeup.  Idunno.

I just dyed my dreadlocks red and purple.  I LOVE having different color hair!

Ryuichi

[Sethie The Tenor]

I dyed my hair black semi permanently once, I like to dye it rose gold now, but unfortunately it doesn't stick for more then a week, because I am naturally copper blonde, and the red in my hair makes it very hard to dye lol