Photo via @daniellemarcan
There’s a new phenomenon buzzing in the beauty space and it has to do with catering your makeup style to a certain gaze. Creators are showcasing the contrast between male gaze vs. female gaze makeup. The male gaze often involves enhancing features like the eyes and lips while leaning towards a more “natural” look to satisfy male desires. On the other hand, makeup catering to the female gaze embraces creativity, personal aesthetics, and bold choices, often resulting in darker, vampier, and out-of-the-box styles. While both male gaze and female gaze makeup have their merits, we wanted to break down simple ways to achieve each look.
Male Gaze Makeup
After applying your base makeup, it’s essential to load on the blush to achieve the innocent charm that defines male gaze makeup. Start with a bright pink blush stick, blending upwards and outwards. Follow up with a highlighter stick, applying it above the blush, on the bridge of the nose, and on the cupid’s bow. Next, use a brush to apply a shimmery pearl eyeshadow to the inner corners of the eyes to accentuate them. Create a small wing with liquid eyeliner and apply a few coats of lengthening mascara. Finally, define the mouth with a lip liner and finish with a swatch of high-shine lip gloss for a polished look.
Female Gaze Makeup
For female gaze makeup, start with the eyes before perfecting your base. Apply a matte gray eyeshadow all over the lids, blending a darker gray into the crease and outer corners. Carefully line the lower waterline and upper lash line with kohl eyeliner, setting it with black eyeshadow to prevent smudging. Once your eyes are done, complete the rest of your base makeup. For the lips, anything goes – choose a pink nude lipstick for a minimal look or go all out with a dark-hued lip for a more dramatic, nighttime feel.
At the end of the day, preference for male gaze vs. female gaze makeup isn’t crucial. As long as you feel confident, nothing else matters.
