While scrolling through your For You Page, you may have come across these videos where the same face appears cut in two: on the left, very “demure” makeup, on the right, an ultra graphic look. Creators often label the first as “male gaze makeup*”, the second as “female gaze makeup*”, with millions of views on BeautyTok. It’s impossible not to stop for a few seconds to compare the two sides.
Behind this simple split screen, a whole vocabulary from feminist theory is propelled into the makeup tutorials. The “male gaze”, theorized by film critic Laura Mulvey in her essay *Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema*, suddenly becomes an aesthetic filter to classify our looks. And this shift fascinates many people.
On TikTok, how was the “male gaze” vs “female gaze” makeup trend born?
On TikTok, the mechanics are often the same: the face appears naked, then the video freezes in two. On the one hand, makeup presented as one that would appeal to the “male gaze”; on the other, makeup designed for the “feminine gaze”, supposedly more free and experimental. Designers like Mirta Miler (@mimiermakeup) popularized this format, which was then taken up on BeautyTok.
Originally, the term *male gaze* designates, for Laura Mulvey, the way in which the camera adopts the male point of view and transforms female characters into objects of desire. On TikTok, this complex idea is greatly simplified: male gaze makeup becomes what is perceived as attractive for a straight man, female gaze makeup what reflects the pleasure and creativity of the person applying makeup. An assumed caricature, but which speaks to many young girls.
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What do these two makeup looks actually look like on TikTok?
On the “male gaze” side, videos almost always show a “pretty natural girl” effect. Light and luminous complexion, brushed eyebrows, a thin layer of mascara, a barely visible neutral eyeshadow, a pink gloss like bitten lips: everything is calibrated to give the illusion of effortless beauty. A study cited by the American media Bustle also recalls that men often find women wearing around 40% less makeup more attractive than they imagine, which fits well with this soft-glam ideal.
The “feminine gaze” breaks the boundaries. TikTok is full of graphic liners, colorful smokes, very present blush placed high on the cheekbones, dark or unexpected lips and almost “lumpy” mascara claimed. The goal is no longer to look “presentable”, but to have fun with colors, textures and pop references. To quickly summarize the codes seen on the platform:
- “Male gaze”: discreet makeup, neutral shades, fresh skin effect, nude lips or transparent gloss.
- “Feminine gaze”: assertive colors, strong eyeliner, intense blush, strong lips, glitter or material effects.
How the TikTok trend is changing the way we do makeup
By juxtaposing these two looks on the same face, the trend highlights a question that many ask without always formulating it: for whom do I do my makeup in the morning, and according to what internalized codes? On the platform, certain videos show to what extent their “male gaze” side resembles their everyday makeup, while the “female gaze” side becomes a field of experimentation that they had not dared to display until now.
This tension between public image and intimate expression also crosses other media worlds. In an interview with Claire Chazal on YouTube, Arthur confides for example: , a sentence which reminds us that behind each very exposed face hide multiple stories and identities. On TikTok, the success of the “male gaze vs female gaze” trend joins this broader movement spotted by media like Vogue: that of users who subvert beauty codes to adapt them to their desires, whether they choose a very demure pink gloss or an ultra dramatic purple smoky eye.
FAQ – “Male gaze” vs “female gaze” makeup trend on TikTok
What is “male gaze” makeup on TikTok?
On TikTok, “male gaze makeup” (*male gaze makeup*) refers to a look deemed attractive by a straight male gaze. It results in a fresh complexion, little coverage, neutral colors, discreet mascara and nude or slightly glossy lips.
What is “female eye” makeup on TikTok?
“Female gaze makeup” (*female gaze makeup*) corresponds to a look designed above all to please oneself. The designers combine graphic liners, colored shadows, a more pronounced blush, strong lips and more visible textural effects, sometimes deliberately “imperfect”.
How to easily reproduce these two makeup looks at home?
For a “male look”, use a light base, a targeted concealer, a discreet cream blush, a fine mascara and a tinted balm or transparent gloss. For a “feminine look”, keep the same base if you wish, but add a colored liner or shadow, intensify the blush, play with a dark or very shiny lip and embrace the material effects.
Is the male gaze vs. female gaze trend really feminist?
On a theoretical level, the notion of “female gaze” does not have the same status as “male gaze” described by Laura Mulvey, and several specialists point out that TikTok greatly simplifies these concepts. On the platform, the trend mainly serves as a visual role-playing game to question the gaze of others and experiment with other ways of applying makeup.
