ASOS Releases Masculine Makeup Line
Sigh.
Famous Oxymorons: Jumbo Shrimp. Clearly Confused. Act Naturally. Deafening Silence. Open Secret. ...Masculine Makeup…
ASOS, a British, online fashion store is trying to get men to buy makeup. You would think that within their gender-norm politics they would avoid labeling their product line at all. ASOS co-founder, Alex Dalley, claims:
"We hope that this move places make-up for men on the radars of thousands of guys out there who simply want to look their best everyday.”
I want to give ASOS benefit of the doubt. They try to stay progressive, such as not photoshopping their models' bodies. Check out one of their advertisements below.
You know what's coming next. But, why do we have to label makeup at all? ASOS tries to appear trendy, naming their products "Manscara", "Beard Filler", "Guyliner", and other masculine tropes so a heterosexual, cisgender man will feel…comfortable(?) purchasing the product.
I am a man who wears make-up daily to "look my best everyday". However, the pronouns of the product line are just absurd. If you check out the ASOS Men's Make-Up website, you'll see that the descriptions for their products lead you into believing men shouldn't wear make-up at all. And if they are, they certainly don't want you knowing they have it on!
"The Mans Man’s Makeup – MMUK MAN’s makeup formulas are built with one thing in mind…men! Men don’t want to show the signs of wearing makeup nor get caught applying it. You’ll soon be working it like a pro and more importantly, getting away with it, [while]…achieving a champion complexion that won’t blow your cover."
I am trying to imagine who exactly their target audience is. Their marketing is really off putting. I wouldn't suggest investing stock in ASOS' Men's Makeup.
Do you believe we should be gender labeling make-up?
As a trans woman who can’t
As a trans woman who can't pass in public I find that this trend may increase social acceptance of male appearing persons wearing makeup in public. It also may mean the development of cosmetics that are adapted for masculine skin. Im not offended by the labelling of such products at this time because of this.
Yes, we should be gender
Yes, we should be gender labeling makeup. For now, anyway. What a bunch of whiny victims we all are, these days. Most people find something they have always known to be "feminine" to be difficult to accept as anything else. Mens makeup seems surprising, and conjurs up images of burly construction workers wearing high heels on the job. There are stages to acceptance.