"This man isn't secure in his masculinity": Ankush Bahuguna on being trolled as a male beauty creator

Beauty creator Ankush Bahuguna had an exclusive chat with Hook about filters and photoshop, being a man who does makeup online, and more. From clapbacks for trolls, to the unrealistic beauty standards set today, here’s everything he shared.

Do we recognise real skin amid the onslaught of filters?

There has been a lot of debate on the use of filters and photoshop to “refine” pictures. Ankush recognised the fact that celebrities can’t help but use these to maintain their public image. He told us, “See, I think public figures go through a lot of scrutiny—about their looks, about their skin texture—everything. So, I don’t use filters on my own posts, but I get why celebrities sometimes have to do it.”

However, Ankush also added that seeing smoothened skin online is detrimental to our understanding of what real humans look like. He said, “Every now and then, there should be a reminder that these pictures are filtered or heavily photoshopped. I talk about this a lot in my content, that a lot of photoshoots that you see on social media are heavily edited. We just need to have enough people talking about what real skin looks like, what texture looks like, what good makeup looks like.”

He added that today, we have a warped idea of what good makeup or good skin is, because we constantly see edited images that don’t show real skin: “I don’t think a lot of people truly know what good makeup looks like in reality, because they’ve seen it filtered on social media. And, you know, so many people are great at makeup, but they see themselves in the mirror and they’re like, ‘No, I’m not good at it,’ because they see all the skin texture and all. But, I think skin texture is very normal. We just need enough people to keep reminding us every now and then.”

Why Ankush Bahuguna says “more guys should play with makeup”

Given how gendered beauty has been historically, men aren’t always given the space to express their interest in the area without fear of ridicule. But Ankush doesn’t feel makeup is only a woman’s domain. He says, “I think more guys should play with makeup. I think there’s a notion that eye makeup is only for women. But there are so many different makeup looks that would look equally good on a man.”

In order to make more men feel comfortable with beauty or playing with makeup, he says, “I just want to create an inclusive space with my content, that whoever comes to my page doesn’t feel left out. It’s definitely helped my self-confidence. I used to be a very different person five years ago, before I started this. I was so nervous starting this beauty page. But I think this has really helped me become my own person now, and become more expressive as a guy. I don’t think there is any field that is female-dominated because of just how our society is. There are enough and more male makeup artists in the industry.”

Ankush Bahuguna’s take on being a cisgender male beauty creator

Aware of the advantages he has as a cisgender individual on the internet, Ankush says, “As a cisgender man I come from a lot of privilege in the sense that if I do a makeup tutorial, people will appreciate it more than, let’s say, if someone were to be a non-binary person or gender-fluid person. Like, I would get a lot more acceptance. That’s just how biased society is. So, there is that privilege that I have.”

How Ankush Bahuguna deals with trolls who say men can’t do makeup

In our heteronormative society, men are often mocked and shamed for wearing makeup, so as a beauty creator who does tutorials on makeup, Ankush is no stranger to trolling. But he is clear about where the trolling comes from: “About trolling, I just feel like, on bad days, it really gets to me. But on good days, I can see through it and I’m like, ‘Okay, this person is not secure in his own masculinity, which is why he’s projecting this onto me.’”

Sharing the clapback he’s got for trolls, he says, “There’s, like, so many “Rakeshs” in the comments-section saying, ‘Men used to go to war earlier, and now they sit and do makeup tutorials.’ And I’m like, ‘Rakesh, tu toh kuch bhi nahi kar raha hai dono mein se (Rakesh, you’re doing neither of the two). Kuch toh karle (Why don’t you do something)? Na toh tu war lad raha hai, na toh tu makeup tutorial bana raha hai (You’re not fighting a war, and you’re not doing makeup tutorials either). Tu kya kar raha hai (What exactly are you doing)?”

At the end of the day, makeup is an art, a form of creative expression. If it continues to be a requirement for one gender, but closed to all others, does it not become less about the artistry, and more about reinforcing stereotypes? Perhaps, with fresh perspectives like that of Ankush, that can change. Perhaps, we can come to accept ourselves—skin texture and all-- with more ease. Perhaps, then, other men can wing it like Ankush, too.