Beauty Icons: Boy George
By Glinda
I’m going to make this a regular feature here on the ole’ Manolo Beauty blog, and for my inaugural icon, I thought we’d have some fun.
I will never forget the first time I saw Boy George. It was, of course, on television, in a music video for his band Culture Club. The voice! The dreads! And oh, the makeup!
The year was 1982, I was in sixth grade.
Now, were there men in music who had put on makeup before? Of course! There was Bowie in the Ziggy days, Lou Reed dabbled in some eyeliner at one time, not to mention KISS and their full-on facepaint. I’m sure there are others, but it’s late and I’m too lazy to do a bunch of research.
On all of those men, though, it seemed like the makeup was a definite affectation, a persona. But Boy George was just born to wear tons of eyeliner and outrageous eyeshadow combinations He was a natural. Notice I didn’t say he looked natural, but he was by far the most comfortable man in makeup I’d ever seen.
He had some fantastic eyebrows, didn’t he?
This was in the days long before hi-def and spray-on makeup, yet somehow he always managed to have a flawless complexion. I know many women who could learn a lesson or two in makeup application from Mr. George.
And while he wasn’t the first male spokesman for Viva Glam for M.A.C. (that was Elton John) he was certainly first to rock the makeup. Viva Boy George!
November 12th, 2010 at 12:35 am
Oh, the Manolo hates my first choice!
Tears, I haz them.
November 14th, 2010 at 3:55 am
Awww, I love your first choice! George not only pushed the envelope with the clothes and makeup; he always pulled it off flawlessly without a misstep (his later Leigh Bowery tribute phase wasn’t to my liking, but he did achieve what he was going for).
He was definitely one of my big style influences in the 80s. And that understated turtleneck/blazer look reminds me of a fabulous friend of mine.
November 15th, 2010 at 2:03 am
@BSAG- He absolutely was a style influence for many, and still is.
I don’t even necessarily like him as a person, but his icon status is pretty much solid in my book.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
This reminds me that I need to wax my eyebrows. Thanks, Boy George, for the heads up!