Maybelline gets its first male model: Beauty brand breaks stereotype
- Manny Mua is Maybelline's first male beauty ambassador to endorse a product
- He is a popular beauty blogger with a massive following
- These men are slowly breaking the stereotype of women wearing make-up
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Cosmetic giant Maybelline quietly introduced a new model to showcase their latest mascara. What was interesting, however, is that the said model in question is not a woman, but a man.
So, who is he? The male model is a beauty-based blogger called Manny Gutierrez, who has a massive following on social media.
It goes without saying that the make-up industry is a booming industry catering to a woman-centric audience.
Gender Stereotypes and MakeUp:
Earlier, men and makeup, would be akin to oil and water. But, that has slowly changed over the years, with the beauty industry now catering to a smaller section of men, something unheard of earlier. You can’t quite fault the older generation, who have grown up in an era of traditional-based roles. Any male, who dared to be different, would be instantly ridiculed. Unlike the current generation, who aren’t too perturbed by it; if anything, they are likely to be envious at the sheer masterstroke of a liner, or the effortless blending of eye shadows.
Male and Make-up:
Little known fact is that there is a growing tribe of beauty bloggers who also are men, who challenge the status quo. According to Mic, “This generation of male makeup artists on YouTube and Instagram take cosmetics just as seriously as their female counterparts. Their objectives, on the other hand, somewhat differ — and reflect a shift in how men are able to interact with beauty.”
Just like women, who are making strides and shattering one glass ceiling at a time, so are these small minority of men, who embrace make-up and aim for it to be genderfree.
May their tribe continue to grow and inspire others to do so - gay or not.
Brands embracing change:
In line with the changing times, it is thus not surprising that brands, too, have endorsed male ambassadors for their cosmetic line.
That said, Maybelline isn’t the first brand to do so. In fact, Cover Girl in 2016 put a popular male face - James Charles – a beauty blogger, for one of their products. As did NYX with Patrick Starr on Instagram.
