Not for the Male Gaze: Uncanny looks that defy the belief

Graphic by Claudia Johnson

When I think of “men repellants,” I think of aesthetics that intentionally refuse the familiar: Imperfect hair, outfits you can breathe in and makeup that doesn’t apologize for being colorful. Looks that unsettle because they disrupt the long script of “beauty” that we grew up with. But, is any break away from the norm a men repellant or just an evolution into the uncanny feminine, one not designed for male consumption?

Maybe this is about refusing to define “appearance” or its ideal standards, and instead creating a style that exists for its own sake, not to flatter or reassure. Beauty isn’t always the objective; sometimes the intention is to distort, unsettle or push the face into something alien, subtly wrong or intentionally uncanny.

These styles and looks that play around with what’s “normal” or accepted. In other words, men repellants.

Bleached Brows

One of my personal favorites because they highlight all your other facial features. Brows convey so much of our emotion, so getting rid of them gives the face a whole new framework. Our brows define bone structure, makes eyes look rounder and provides more room to experiment with bolder makeup. 

Bleached brows are a relatively new trend. They were first introduced in the ‘90s on the avant-garde runways of Alexander McQueen and Anna Sui. They became a staple for New York City club kids, a youth subculture known for their flamboyant DIY costumes, theatrical makeup and fluid approach to gender. But the look didn’t become popularized until the 2020s. Now, celebrities like Jenna Ortega, Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, Alex Consani and Doja Cat have all publicly bleached their brows. 

The dramatic disruption of facial framing is part of the discomfort. Without brows, the face can appear unfinished, sparse and slightly uncanny. Getting rid of that familiar brow frame can create a futuristic, transformative and alienlike look that is far from traditional attractiveness and the expectations of the male gaze. 

A man repellent? Absolutely. A fun way to experiment with your facial structure? Even more so.

Armpit Hair 

Honestly, hair anywhere. In middle school, during the first stages of puberty, I remember my mother telling me to shave my legs because having hair there wasn’t “ladylike.” Quickly, I learned that many women shave not just their legs, but remove hair from almost every part of their bodies. Arms, stomach, armpits, bikini areas and backs are expected to be smooth and untouched by puberty. 

Young women are taught that society expects silky, poreless perfection from our skin while men are allowed to have hair everywhere without a single comment. 

Unlike bleached brows, hair removal isn’t an unfamiliar concept. Some of the first razors were used in India and Egypt all the way back in 3000 BCE. Egyptian women shaved their heads and pubic hairs as they considered these marks to be uncivilized, and during Cleopatra's time women used a sugar wax. By the sixth century, upper-class Roman women shaved with pumice stones and depilatories. In the Elizabethan era, women even removed their eyebrows and shaved back their hairlines to create the illusion of a larger forehead.

In a world where women have been expected to remove hair for thousands of years, letting armpit hair grow can feel like an act of rebellion, even if it is just being human.

So is it a men repellant? Maybe. But is it also simply a reminder of our humanity? Most definitely.

Blush Blindness 

Applying heavy and exaggerated blush on the cheeks and nose creates a hyper-flushed look so intense you become desensitized to it. Overapplication of blush can result in a clown-like and oversaturated makeup look, turning something that is normally subtle into something excessive, uncanny or intentionally “wrong.”

Too much product deviates from “natural” makeup looks. Layering blush becomes less about impressing others but about expressing yourself. It can aim to create a look so striking and unconventional that would make men less likely to approach the wearer.

 Personally, I’ve always applied too much blush on purpose. I love layering different shades, mixing powder and liquid formulas and creating new colors each time. Blush has always been the most fun and playful step in my makeup routine because I change how I do it every time. 

Celebrities like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan have popularized this look, wearing bold blush looks that emphasize performance, playfulness and self-styling over conventional prettiness. These choices reject traditional beauty traditions and the idea that women and queer people must always present themselves to be pleasing to others. 

Men repellant? Yes. Fun way to add a pop of color to your makeup? Duhhhhh. 

God forbid a girl wears makeup intentionally.

Raccoon Eyes

A staple of my high school emo phase. Every morning, I’d pack black shadow around my entire eye and smudge it under my lower lash line. If I had extra time, I’d add a dramatic cat-eye to match. Why did I do this? Honestly, I just thought that it was cool as hell.

A direct rejection of softness and “clean girl” aesthetics, intense black shadow is grunge, messy, and 365 party girl wear. It’s chaotic, lived-in and expressive: Everything the male gaze hates.  

Sometimes an edgy, “unapproachable” face isn’t about seeking attention at all, but about reclaiming your own. Experimenting with different looks and styles is a way of trying on different versions of ourselves, testing boundaries and identities in a culture that's eager to fix women into something pleasing for the male gaze. This type of self-styling isn’t always rebellion; but a form of self care. A way of choosing yourself as the primary audience.

Men repellant? Yes. Cool as s**t? Absolutely.

Oversized Silhouette

Baggy clothes that don’t accentuate the body and obscure natural body shape. Loose clothing has been associated with lack of care for personal appearance. But that interpretation says more about society’s expectations than the clothes themselves.

I wear baggy clothes all the time. Mainly because it’s what I feel most confident in, but also because it's comfortable. Looser silhouettes are reliable, freeing and let me exist without worrying about how my body is being read. 

What clothes you wear and makeup you apply should all come down to what makes you feel good. If it makes you comfortable and confident, go for it.

Men repellent? Maybe. A way to dress for myself? Always.