5 Makeup Brands Pushing Gender-Inclusive Beauty Forward

If there’s still anyone out there who thinks blue is for boys and pink is for girls, we might need to retire that idea. Because color, like hobbies, identity, and self-expression, has long outgrown those outdated boxes—and beauty definitely  is no exception.

Once upon a time, makeup brands crafted two separate counters: one for “her,” and another, often limited, for “him.” But that line is blurring fast. Men are no longer on the sidelines of beauty; they’re active consumers and yes, becoming the very face of major brands. Skin care and makeup are no longer exceptions to masculinity, but extensions of it.

As beauty becomes more expansive and expressive than ever, Allure Philippines rounds up five makeup brands that don’t believe in gendered rules, only in the power of individuality, and the freedom to show up as you are. 

Issy

Issy

It’s hard to miss Issy nowadays, with its attention-grabbing campaign releases and futuristic chrome packaging that looks appealing to men and women alike.

Issy’s co-founder and creative director Joel Andrade has long talked about the brand’s ethos of expanding the definition of beauty. In a previous interview with Allure Philippines, he shared that Issy is “not interested in pretty. Issy is interested in beautiful. And beautiful can mean many different things to many different people.”

Recently, the brand doubled down on that vision with the launch of its “Boys love Issy” campaign, reaffirming its stance on inclusivity through complexion products with extended shade ranges, including the Active Skin stick and Under Eye Brightening Fluid. For boys who want to begin exploring makeup, this homegrown brand is making that first step feel a little more accessible—and a lot more welcoming.

Absidy Beauty

Absidy Beauty

You’ve likely seen celebrity and model Vince Maristela all smiles in the brand’s beauty campaign, holding the Shape & Define eyebrow pencil—a move that places men directly within its beauty language.

But men as visual ambassadors are nothing new for homegrown brand Absidy Beauty. The brand has long embraced a more fluid approach to representation, as seen in its collaboration with celebrity makeup artist Jelly Eugenio, in which the brand introduced the Smooth Focus Brightening Powder Foundation—a portable, easy-to-use product designed to make beauty feel more familiar and accessible to everyone, regardless of gender. Something that slips effortlessly into a routine, no matter who is wearing it.

Kosas 

Kosas

What other beauty brand would’ve thought to put a hunk as the face of a plumping lip gloss campaign other than Kosas?

For its Lip Pulse campaign, the brand tapped American TV star Robert Rausch, a straight cisgender white man swiping on the gloss, which comes in six shades. While many gender-inclusive campaigns tend to tiptoe around queer narratives, Kosas went full disruptor by placing Rausch front and center for the brand.

Kosas challenges the idea that makeup, like a plumping gloss, is no longer confined to purses but also belongs in men’s routines. Indeed, in a previous Allure Philippines interview, Singaporean content creator Darshen revealed that various Kosas products like the DreamBeam sunscreen are staples in his bag, proof that the brand has entered routines for girls, boys, and queer consumers alike.

MAC Cosmetics

MAC Cosmetics

For decades, MAC Cosmetics has been part of the conversation on gender-inclusive makeup. Recently, the brand tapped K-pop superstar KAI of EXO as its global ambassador, further redefining the boundaries between masculinity and makeup in mainstream beauty culture—especially since K-beauty has been one of the key forces in normalizing men wearing makeup, as well as women embracing hyperfemininity.

But MAC’s engagement with gender inclusivity is not limited to appointing a male ambassador. In 2010, the brand introduced a unisex line to signal a clear departure from gendered marketing, at a time when many beauty brands were still operating with women in mind.

In 2021, it also collaborated with British-American fashion designer Harris Reed on a gender-fluid makeup collection. With KAI fronting its campaigns, MAC continues to cement its position on the idea that makeup is never gendered.

Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty

Global popstar Rihanna turned the beauty industry upside down when her eponymous brand Fenty Beauty launched an ambitious 40-shade foundation range at debut—a clear statement that this was not just another celebrity cash-grab brand, but one built to challenge long-standing beauty ideals.

Beyond turning inclusivity from a buzzword into tangible products, the brand also leaned into sharing makeup know-how. With Rihanna herself leading makeup tutorials, Fenty also showcases the same products in men’s makeup tutorials on its Youtube channel.

With the later expansion into Fenty Skin, the message extends further: makeup, and now skin care, is not defined by gender, but by what the skin needs. After all, skin concerns are universal; they affect everyone.

Beauty for all

From homegrown labels to global names, they’re all singing the same tune: beauty is genderless. It is for boys, for girls, and for anyone who finds confidence in applying blush, swiping on lipstick, and becoming more fully themselves in the mirror.

Making people feel seen and empowered is no longer a trend. It’s the future of beauty.