And although I don’t know if I wanna feel like a man (about what?), I don’t think undermining them with “hey there, oldy/ugly/zitty!” adverts is a net gain.

Most of my clients were city traders who needed to hide the evidence of heavy nights out, long days on the floor and a generally unhealthy lifestyle. Others included a gent in his 70s, a rockbilly boy with a massive quiff and a load of average dads.

Where my female clients worried about looking natural and weraing too much make up, the men had to be forcibly stopped from wearing more and more.

Years of worrying about lines, acne, beard rash and other skin complaints had left them neurotic. They wanted to know how to hide embarrassing blemishes and not feel as if their skin was on fire from shaving. They wanted to hide a shiny head from a receding hairline and how to get rid of eye bags. They all felt judged on their appearance, usually by women, often by bosses and were envious that women had permission to wear stuff that covers the flaws up. They were so excited to hide their problems and look perfect.

Maybe the flipside is that they discovered nothing is ever good enough when you start drinking the beauty industry Kool Aid, but that’s why I taught all my clients not to believe the hype, but how to be sceptical and see the industry for what it is and what you want from it.

I’d hate to think gender equality involves eventually making men feel crappy about themselves all the time too. Shouldn’t we be working on making women feel more like men, not the other way round?

I do think GBQ men / male identified people are sometimes more open to playing with makeup without it being a “girl” “boy” issue, which I think is awesome. I think makeup SHOULD be for fun across all gender identities. Not the rigid “for females” “not for males” prevailing paradigm we’ve got going right now.

But until dudes believe it’s their obligation to look as attractive as possible in all situations in order to attract the opposite sex…there will never be full make-up parity.

But, as we learned earlier this week, bodies really aren’t what we should be focusing on, right? *rolls eyes*