This week, Maybelline announced that social media influencer Manny Gutierrez has been recruited as their first male ambassador. Boasting over 3 million followers on Instagram and collectively 91 million views on his YouTube channel, it’s easy to see why Manny was chosen to represent the up and coming ‘beauty boys’ of social media.

Manny has got skills that we could only ever dream of perfecting. Just look at that beautiful wing!

The campaign that Manny is fronting is “That Boss Life” which promotes their Big Shot Mascara. Beauty Blogger Shayla Mitchell is also part of the campaign for the global beauty brand. This is the first time Maybelline have included beauty bloggers in a campaign, so their choice of a male beauty blogger is particularly telling.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOzsIjEDPdR/?taken-by=maybelline

What started as a curiosity for Manny has turned into a life changing career. From a young age Manny was pressured into studying medicine by his parents. Manny has since been an inspiration to millions by deciding to follow his own dreams and ambitions instead. He made the decision to go against gender norms and (maybe more terrifyingly) his parents. Thankfully he did, because he’s inspired millions all over the world and contributed to a much needed makeup revolution.

While this is Manny’s first time working as the face of a brand, it’s certainly not the first time working with a beauty company. He has had his fair share of collaborative endeavours, including a Makeup Geek x Manny Mua pallet, and an Ofra Cosmetics trio.

Selecting Manny to be the face of their new mascara is a savvy move by Maybelline to appeal to the growing male market for cosmetics. In 2015, MAC Cosmetics used the Brant Brothers as male makeup models for their unisex makeup line aimed at including male shoppers as well.

Male makeup has become more prominent throughout the past few years, and men sharing tips on how to best apply and wear makeup have garnered a strong following (as Manny shows). Maybelline is making the most of the emerging market by hiring Manny, although they are not the first makeup company to do so.

Boy oh boy!

In October last year, Covergirl announced their very first male ambassador, James Charles. At 17 years old, James has made headlines all over the world for breaking gender barriers and being a part of a much needed inclusivity trend among beauty brands everywhere. With a solid following of over 400,000 followers on Instagram and more than 700,000 on YouTube the aspiring New York makeup artist joined Katy Perry to be the face of the brand, and their first Cover Boy.

In the past, brands like Milk Makeup and Anastasia Beverly Hills have launched campaigns with male make up products like Him/Her Lip Balm from Giorgio Armani. Influential brands like Tom Ford have created a makeup line just for men, including lipstick and eyeliner as well as skin care. With more and more brands embracing men as the faces of their products and providing them with products that are made specifically for them, this is a huge step towards gender equality.