Guyliner (eyeliner for guys) has been around for millennia, with origins in ancient Egypt. The past few years have seen an increase of this trend at Lincoln.
Senior Chase Kochis is notorious for his use of eyeliner at school, at track meets and during performances with his band, Dystoria.
Kochis began his adventure with eyeliner as a sophomore.
“I wore eyeliner for the first time on Halloween my sophomore year,” said Kochis. “It was kind of funny because I was a rocker vampire. I was like, ‘this is kind of fire.’”
Kochis now wears eyeliner almost every day. His inspiration comes from his involvement in music. Many of his favorite musicians are keen on eyeliner.
Men have worn eyeliner throughout history, but in the ’70s and ’80s, male musicians like Prince and David Bowie brought guyliner back into the headlines, after eyeliner fell out of fashion in the 19th-20th century.
Rockstars like Bowie utilized eyeliner to create a memorable look that is still associated with the era to this day. People wear eyeliner for a slew of different reasons: self expression, aesthetics or just for fun.
Senior Finley Hobbs is among those who enjoy wearing eyeliner because of a fascination with makeup. Unlike Kochis, Hobbs is new to his experimentation with eyeliner.
“I wanted to mess around with some sort of makeup, and [eyeliner] seemed like fun,” said Hobbs.
There are many pros to wearing makeup, but women are often considered the target market. However, the benefits of wearing makeup are applicable to all. Wearing makeup can enhance one’s features, build a routine, help a person express themselves and so on.
“It’s something fun to do in the mornings and sometimes, it’s confidence boosting,” said Hobbs.
When asked to give advice to future guyliner-experimenters, Hobbs recommends a certain type of eyeliner over others.
“I like gel eyeliner because it’s really good at staying on the waterline,” said Hobbs.
Kochis recommends not getting over-zealous.
“Don’t wear too much, just keep it on the low,” said Kochis. “Don’t let it overtake your face.”
Hobbs’ parting advice for those interested is not to be afraid to dive into the world of guyliner, as there is often a stigma around men wearing makeup.
“I think it’s fun and people should try it,” said Hobbs.
