Hey, Mr Beautiful: Indian men negotiate the tricky terrain of make-up

Emmanuel Macron found himself in a controversy over reportedly spending euro26000 over R2 lakh on makeup in less than 100 days While his public office makes that fact worthy of a headline regular Joes are just as generous with its use driven by the desire to look perfect on social media profiles Meet five men who dont care if you give them the stink eye as they buy that fancy mascaraMakeup is empoweringAkash Choudhary 24 owner of a marketing firmAkash ChoudharyFor Andheri resident Akash Choudhary who owns a marketing firm wearing makeup is more functional than decorative My job involves meeting a lot of people so I have to be the best version of myself he says His monthly bill of R4K includes money spent on foundation loose transclucent powder and primer from Bobby Brown and Chanel Its an instant confidence booster says Choudhary who got his girlfriend to teach him application tricks since he was battling a bout of acne back in his college days His freshfaced appearance has inspired friends to give makeup a shot Its no longer girly If anything its empowering he saysMy exgirlfriend and I used the same productsAmit Arora 29 specialist at an MNCAmit AroraLast year while on a date Amit Arora was embarrassed to learn that the girl and he used the same cosmetics Her bag was open when I got a peek into her vanity kit It had the same mascara mousse and foundation laughs Arora who ensured it remained a secret until the relationship carried on While she may have been ignorant of his vanity his colleagues arent Its common knowledge at his Noida office that Arora is the goto person when female colleagues run out of foundation My male colleagues say Real men dont wear makeup but Ive learnt to ignore them he says The vanity kit stays out of the prying eyes of his parents They dont understand where I come fromMy girlfriend takes my word on itKunal Chaugule 27 cabin crew with airlineKunal Chaugule at his Kalachowki home PicAtul KambleWhether he is walking across an airport or strolling in a mall Kunal Chaugule often has people come over and ask about his flawless skin I have good skin not flawless But thats what makeup can do for you he says Its been seven years since Chaugule started wearing products I used to be the only guy at the makeup counter not anymore he says Years of use has made him enough of an expert for his girlfriend to check with him what she should useIts nobodys business what I wearPratinav Pratap Singh 24 brand consultantPratinav Pratap Singh PicNimeshacircAcircAcircAcircu00c2u0080AcircAcircAcircu00c2u0088DaveEach time Pratinav Pratap Singh uploads a selfie on Instagram hes met with comments While some heckle others are encouraging of his decision to wear makeup In fact eight of 10 direct messages are from boys inquiring about brand details he says The nasty remarks only egg him to work harder at proving that its all right for men to wear makeup their sexual preference notwithstanding Nobody looks flawless All movie stars are pancaked when they step out Its about time we accepted that makeup is genderfree he says Singhs relationship with cosmetics began when he was 19 Then a student at the University of Manchester Singh had returned to his Lucknow home for a summer break I was telling my mother about the buzzing social life when she suggested that I use makeup when I go out for parties he says A couple of tutorials later he was equipped to shop for himself I can happily make my way in a crowd of women at a makeup store Its nobodys business what I wearMumbai is more acceptingSarthak Saheb Singh 29 graphic designerSarthak Saheb Singh PicSameer MarkandeIts been over three months since Sarthak Singh moved to Mumbai from Indore to work as graphic designer and he is relieved that no one has commented on his penchant for makeup Every morning he sets aside 10 minutes to dab primer foundation and powder I apply it seamlessly No one realises I am wearing makeup It appears like a glow he says Singhs tryst with makeup began when he dabbled in theatre in Indore It hid my black spots and left me more confident on stage I thought why not use the armour in real life too he says