The emergence of genderfluidity and postgenderism in the make-up world

Abstract

Make-up has been a gendered concept for centuries. Its use has been attributed almost exclusively to women in several historical eras, including modernity. However, I noticed two recent trends regarding this subject: the growing inclusion of men and people of other genders in this practice, and a process of undoing gender in the world of make-up. The objective of my research is to explore how these movements are reflected in the media. My approach is qualitative. The method I chose is content analysis. This study reveals that the artistic beauty world and social media have been embracing and promoting gender diversity when it comes to wearing and applying make-up. Decorative cosmetics are less seen as a source of gender restriction, and more as a fun way to explore one’s identity and creativity. Moreover, people are encouraged to share their experience with each other and to be supportive.

Keywords

• Gender fluidity
• postgenderism
• undoing gender
• masculinity
• femininity
• make-up identity