A few years back, when I wanted to do a feature on the makeup secrets of drag queens, it was considered a bit outré for Harper’s Bazaar . I thought it was a great idea because they’re really the queens of transformation. They remodel bone structure, recreate feline eyes, full brows, lips and lashes, taking it to the complete extreme. Their makeup is the right mix of technique and art, following and breaking the rules, which makes them so intriguing and memorable.
In June last year, Valentina from Ru Paul’s Drag Race did a video tutorial for Vogue showing how to recreate her six-hour face, especially the bit where she shellacks her brows with glue stick and blowdryer, which she claimed was her trademark secret. Then, in September, Marc Jacobs and Ru Paul threw the first ever drag ball at fashion week that kicked off New York’s first ever Drag Con, a convention that celebrated drag and queer culture. Of course, how can we forget the beautiful Andrej Pejic? The world’s most famous trans model, who’s walked the runways for everyone from YSL to Galliano.
Today, designers are sending women down in men’s clothes and men down in women’s garments. You could say age of gender fluidity is in full swing, and it makes everything more fun.
In March 2015 I finally got to do makeup on a boy, for Harper’s Bazaar ’s seventh anniversary issue. We shot spring’s makeup trends, bronzed skin, blue eyeshadow and maraschino cherry lips on Ishaan, who was brave enough to model. Six feet six inches tall, caramel-skinned and delicate featured, he also had the inner fragility and sensitivity that added to his natural beauty. We were the first to do it at the time, but certainly not the last.
I truly believe genderless beauty isn’t a new trend, it’s the norm, especially in India, where sexuality has always been a grey area. In the West, they’re very fond of labels — straight means straight, gay means gay, if you swing both ways then you’re bi. But here anything can happen in the shadows of the night, no labels required. Last weekend I met a male friend rocking a striped shirt, tight pants and glittery, high-heeled pumps.
Another friend doesn’t differentiate between male and female fragrances, he wears both. According to him ‘male’ and ‘female’ are just marketing ploys. I strongly believe that about skincare, too.
My friend Druv loves cosmetics. Before you even hear about a new form of retinol, he’s ordered the product that contains it. Through him I discovered Creme de La Mer, and yes, it’s worth every penny. He also gave me the Serumtologie serum that contains 22% vitamin C, and now he’s raves about the NIOD ELAN.
So then, what are these products aimed at men? How are they even different? I find that every product for women works beautifully for men. I got my husband hooked on to Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair, and my father on Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream.
My friend Ruchi’s son loves pink, and she indulges him completely, from baby pink Barbie slippers to pedicures. The gender bit comes into play when we become aware of it. If we didn’t drum it into our kids heads then there would be a lot more girls playing with trucks and boys playing with dolls. And they would probably be more balanced as adults because they would grow up without prejudice.
A few years back I followed a fragrance writer called Tresor Prijs on Instagram, but it wasn’t just her discerning selection of perfumes that was appealing. Ivory-skinned, raven-haired, delicately boned, with the most beautiful blue eyes, Tresor herself is a real beauty. It was only when I read about Tresor’s personal journey that I learnt she was born Trevor.
Tresor was one of the first non-binary transgender individuals to be the face of a major beauty company (M.A.C). Non-binary means those who identify as both man and woman, or don’t identify with either, or encompass many gender identities. They’re addressed as ‘they’ not as ‘him’ or ‘her’. Now, Tresor has the most amazing beauty knowledge. They give themselves prescription-strength peels at home, have tried every dermatological facial you’ve never even heard of, and carry the Nature Bisse Diamond Mask to the gym.
Did I mention they were beautiful? And I mean all of them. Men, women, drag, trans — why do we even have these labels? Gender is fluid and shouldn’t come with tags, even if there are clearly defined identities. Labels add boundaries, which go against the concept of fluidity. After all, there’s something so inherently beautiful about people being in touch with the opposites within. Shouldn’t just that be good enough?
A fortnightly column to remind you about all things skin deep.
