Humans have been wearing makeup for centuries; thought to have first been invented by the ancient Egyptians who utilised substances such as lead and clay to create lip colours and eyeliners, cosmetics continue to be a staple in many people’s daily lives.
Despite being used by those other than cisgender women since its creation and loved by many LGBTQ+ and gender diverse people for its ability to allow for self-expression, the makeup industry has a history of gendering products to the extreme.The early 21st century saw a phenomenon in which brands created tailored ‘makeup for men’ as the industry began to grapple with the notion that makeup is inherently gendered, but there still remained a sense of rigidity as products were divided into.