Makeup truly has the power to transform us or, at least, increase our confidence in the way we see ourselves. It hides imperfections, highlights the beautiful, and acts as a meditative practice to those who use it. However, makeup use can be looked down upon by others, especially when it comes to workplace rules.

One man got some heat from a couple of female coworkers for just that reason. It appeared that a customer noticed the mechanic wearing makeup, which caused quite a bit of drama to occur at the car workshop. He decided to turn to the r/AmIthe[Jerk] community and figure out whether he was the one in the wrong in this situation. Let’s get into it.

As more and more people embrace makeup in their daily lives, it’s hard to imagine it being an issue in one’s workplace

Image credits: Sergey Meshkov (not the actual photo)

However, this mechanic recently revealed the bullying he faced from female coworkers after he started showing up to work wearing makeup

Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)

Image credits: makeaitaup

No one deserves to be ridiculed and made to feel inadequate for something that isn’t workplace regulation

Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)

The situation described at present is quite nuanced and complex, although it may seem obvious as to who is in the wrong here. AKA, it’s definitely not the OP. Unless workplace rules state otherwise, one should be able to wear whatever makes them comfortable and confident, be it clothing, hairdos or makeup. In this case, the little amount of makeup was inconveniencing no one.

Although we’ve come a long way when it comes to makeup inclusivity, with more men being comfortable with using it on a daily basis, there’s still a long way to go in ending the stigma against it. It is still far from socially acceptable for a man to wear makeup, thanks to toxic masculinity and misogyny—men under the pressure to be hyper-masculine or risk being ridiculed for being too feminine.

However, makeup is just a tool, be it to improve oneself or to be used as a creative outlet. It has no gender when looking at it objectively. Therefore, men feeling no shame or emasculation regarding cosmetics should be encouraged. It should be a choice for men to wear makeup if they want, and a choice for women to not wear makeup if they do not wish to.

The makeup conundrum affects both genders, as women are often expected to wear makeup as a way to look more professional

Image credits: LinkedIn Sales Solutions (not the actual photo)

Speaking of that, we notice that the conundrum on workplace makeup is quite gendered, especially when considering the expectations put on women to look a certain way. Women are considered to be unprofessional if they don’t wear makeup, as it’s seen as a standard of looking “clean” and put together.

Thus, makeup isn’t an optional tool of self-expression at work but an essential part of personal grooming. However, there are health concerns, personal preferences and the pure dislike for makeup as a whole that should be considered and acknowledged as we move forward in society.

As stated by Oindrila Ghosh, a lot of associations, often negative, made with makeup are baseless and are only an attempt to control women and demean those who do not agree with the modern societal interpretations of ‘femininity’ and ‘masculinity’.

Moving forward, it is expected that makeup will become more gender-neutral, with men breaking out of bounds of toxic masculinity

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

“The stigma associated with buying and purchasing this product is starting to diminish,” said Andrew Grella, founder and CEO of the men’s makeup brand Formen Inc. According to Morning Consult polling, thirty-three percent of men aged 18-29 said they would consider wearing makeup, while another 30 percent of men aged 30-44 said they’d be open to the idea as well.

We, as a society, are realizing that what makes a man a man and a woman a woman is arbitrary, and that makeup doesn’t have to define one’s masculinity or femininity. It’s more likely than not that the future of makeup will be a gender-neutral one, and I, for one, can’t wait for that to be the case.

The world may just be a much better place if we allow people to wear what they love, as long as it’s not harming or affecting others or the business negatively. Of course, certain businesses may want to have a signature look that represents them and that’s fair, but no imaginary rules should be put forth onto workers in an aggressive manner, such as the one we saw in the story.

Once the discussion started, the mechanic was happy enough to provide a little more context into the issue

People online were more than supportive of this mechanic, encouraging him to continue putting makeup on regardless of the criticism

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