"When I first started on Instagram six years ago, the only stuff that existed was guy-liner," Starrr said. "It was Fall Out Boy, and it was not glamorous. There wasn't anything close to applying false lashes. I wanted to feel pretty and beautiful without being a drag queen." Beauty blogger Patrick Starrr, the extravagant star of the beauty world met with fans in Sydney earlier this year. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Not that it was easy. Starrr, now 27, lived in Orlando, Florida, at the time and worked at a MAC store in his local mall. He recalled getting stares from families at the food court. "I was wearing a scarf on my head and wearing makeup," he said. "I'm a Filipino plus-size brown man. I felt like a clown. But I was comfortable at my work. That was a very, very safe place for me." So was the social media world, where he connected with other young men who loved makeup. As his profile and career grew (he has 3.6 million followers), Starrr also realised the power he had to influence a larger movement.

"When you post an Instagram or YouTube video, it's similar to RuPaul's Drag Race, where you can see the humanity of the contestants and see their struggles," he said. "It helps show viewers that we're just people." He paused and giggled: "And it's beauty, it's just fun. Patrick is a walking rainbow." Men like Starrr have since influenced a new generation of young men who are wearing makeup and posting about it. According to the Instagram data team, there has been a 20 percent increase since the start of the year in mentions of "makeup" by male accounts on the platform. In only a couple of years, these young men have gained sway in the industry. Cosmetics brands like Milk Makeup have built their offerings on genderless beauty; the skin-care company Glow Recipe hosts sold-out boy beauty mask classes; and in the fragrance aisle, unisex scent houses continue to grow. In Starrr's case, the employee is now the collaborator: In December, he is releasing a special collection of products with MAC, which will kick off a yearlong commitment for five collections. The collaboration is second in size only to Rihanna's collections for the company.

And the men who are paying attention appear to be getting younger and younger. Bennett is one of the youngest and sees his account as a way to "enjoy the artistic side of makeup." Jake Warden, from Longmont, Colorado, is 15 and has 2.1 million Instagram followers. MAC Cosmetics has paid him to feature its Studio Fix foundation. Alan Macias (473,000 followers) is 19. His favorite look is what he calls "boy glam, which is a boy, but a pretty boy." "That's foundation, concealer, mascara, gloss and done," he said. And it's likely they would all like to achieve the success of James Charles, now 18, with 2.5 million Instagram followers, who landed a CoverGirl contract as its first male ambassador. Certainly their ages have raised eyebrows and drawn eyeballs. Some have mainstream celebrity followers, like Shay Mitchell, Ansel Elgort and Meghan Trainor. But Carly Cardellino, beauty director of Cosmopolitan.com, argues that their skill is the draw.

"If you're amazing at applying makeup, it doesn't matter how old you are or what gender you identify with," she said. "If you're young, already embracing who you are and are insanely talented, those factors will make you stand out even more." Though the younger generation of influencers are of diverse moulds, they are similar in that they take men wearing makeup as a given. "I didn't think about gender identity, what you do with your life, things you associate yourself with," Warden said, referring to the time he started his Instagram posts. "I think no matter what gender, you are free to do what you want." While men wearing makeup in Warden's community was not the norm, he was far from ostracised. His family and friends largely supported him. "The earlier guys on social media, they took some of the hate and negativity for us," he said. And the way men are dispensing with male beauty stereotypes is trickling down. Cozy Friedman, a founder of the Cozy's Cuts for Kids hair salon in New York City, has seen a shift in attitudes. "What you have now are millennial mums who have grown up in an era where gender is more fluid," Friedman said. "Millennials are very in tune with empowering their children." For example, she sees a wide range of hair lengths on boys. "It's not unusual for boys to sit in the chair, take out an iPhone and show a picture of what they want their hair to look like," she said, adding that they start around age 6. "There are many role models for them to look to now.

Matthew Taylor, 16, with 180,000 Instagram followers, is optimistic that male beauty norms will continue to loosen, regardless of sexual orientation. "I do think that one day boys will be able to do whatever they want and not be judged," he said. Loading Yet for a male influencer like Kevin Ninh, 21, known as Flawless Kevin on Instagram and YouTube, simply putting on makeup and taking photos should be only part of the message. Ninh is now at the University of Washington Bothell, where he is double-majoring in media communications and gender, women and sexuality studies. Though he started wearing makeup as a teenager and posting about it on YouTube five years ago, he has learned, he said, how portrayals in media can affect perception of gender and identity. "Yes, it's important to entertain," he said. "But while you're doing it, why not teach them something at the same time."