NO NORMS

In an age of inclusivity, beauty brands are ditching dictats and going gender-neutral

- HENA DESAI

For as long as we can remember, make-up and beauty have been synonymous with women. Look around – from overtly pink packaging to porcelain skin blown up on billboards, beauty products have been primarily made for and marketed to women. But as we enter this increasingly gender-inclusive decade, it’s time to finally acknowledge that beauty is for everyone.

Over the last couple of years, gender norms have blurred, and thankfully so. Mainstream fashion labels like H&M are launching unisex collections, and the beauty industry is soon following suit – now, beauty doesn’t have to look a certain way or come packaged as female-specific. And this seismic shift towards gender-fluid beauty came into the spotlight about three years ago, when international brands like CoverGirl introduced their first male brand ambassador, blogger James Charles.

BEAUTY FOR ALL