All Made Up!

Four cool guys with exceptional make-up skills create glamorous eye looks, exclusively for Cosmo...smashing gender stereotypes with their sparkly, glitter-fuelled gaze.

- Meghna Sharma

DEEP PATHARE

“The first time I tried on make-up was at the age of 10—I remember stealing my sisters’ lip glosses, lipsticks, and mascaras, and secretly applying them. But I realised soon enough that I love make-up, and it has now become a passion. My journey with make-up has been an incredible one...I used to feel invincible, liberated even, when I wore make-up as a teenager. It was a mask of protection, my armour against the world. But now, I use it as a tool to express myself, my identity, and my art.

My dramatic eye looks and glossy lips turned many heads...and while that bothered me earlier, now I just own it. The first time I publicly wore make-up was at the age of 16. I was in a coffee shop in a mall, when two girls walked up to me to compliment me. There were some nasty stares, too, but those were ignored. In recent times, society has become more accepting of men wearing make-up, but we still have a very long way to go before it becomes a safe space for individuals like me. My fellow creators keep me motivated and inspired. And this look you see here is quintessentially ‘me’—it is cheery, colourful, dramatic, and intricate.”

SHANKAR LAL