Ankush Bahuguna: I know many men who love doing smoky eyes on an everyday basis

We can all see how Ankush Bahuguna is now dominating the field of beauty. In fact, where skincare and beauty tips for men had generally been labeled as feminine, this influencer made it a talking point for all the right reasons.
Now that he has made an effort, he is the first male beauty influencer who has his own show too! Cherry on the cake? Well, Wing It With Ankush is coming up with season two. He’s defying the preconceived gender biases related to the beauty ecosystem. In an exclusive interaction with us, sharing about how the notion of beauty, in general, isn’t limited to just the fairer gender but has also extended itself to all men out there, he explained, “Even as an influencer, I wouldn’t confine myself. My earlier introduction to the world was, Hey, I am a comedy content creator. That changed to an actor! Then I started making make-up videos. I am open to better work opportunities because I can multitask. I can’t see people boxing me because it took me a lot of years and confidence to be like this. I was always in a dilemma about whether people were going to accept me or not. I am over it, finally.”
Ankush illuminates further, paving the way for men to pay attention not only to their skincare and hair regimens, but also to their makeup. “I belong to a profession where even men need make-up to look good. We are entertainers. From the beginning, I normalized it. So when I went on to start a make-up feed, I didn’t realize the impact would be so overwhelming. It’s just make-up; there is no gender in it now. I want my reels to reach male audiences prominently so that we can dismantle these barriers. I have witnessed something very interesting: men do not pick up a product until and unless a “for men” tag is written on it. They are always looking for validation. This is just an illusion. I know of many men who love doing smoky eyes on an everyday basis, including me. On the other hand, there are women who don’t like make-up at all.”
We were leading some great conversations on the importance of gender fluidity in beauty; hence, he continues, “Beauty trends are always fun to try. Let’s be real: these trends get your eyeballs! Even if it’s outrageous, if you want to be a part of that conversation, you will have to step into it. You cannot be so blasé about it. Beauty hacks rely on shock values! I don’t find these trends outrageous; I see opportunities. I don’t want my audiences to feel inferior after watching my content, but they turn to me for guidance on skincare and beauty tips for men. I always show filter-free make-up to let them know it will cake up. A slight crease in your make-up is not bad make-up; it’s something normal to happen.”
He’s willing to change the mindset, and that’s what is resonating with us. “I am no trendsetter. I genuinely enjoy doing this. I see some of the other creators who immediately blend everything and apply it to their faces. In the make-up industry, experts are way too fixated on whether we are professionally trained or not. They forgot how some of the biggest make-up artists in the world are self-taught! Its a misconception that we can’t learn it by ourselves; you don’t have to go to a make-up studio to learn,” adds Ankush.
Known for his stunning makeup looks, he spills his favorites: “Lakme is my favorite—I have done a whole season with them. I can’t imagine to date that I have an IP of my own, and that too for makeup. Four years ago, I wasn’t thinking of any beauty pages, and now there is a show with season two. To collaborate with a brand as big as Lakme is again a wild dream coming true. My mother has been the most supportive. I don’t have any sob stories to tell! It takes my parents two and a half years to understand what I’m trying to accomplish. They wanted me to pursue architecture; they were concerned about their investment (he laughed out loud). Now that they have realized the potential of a creative field, earlier, they couldn’t understand why I was walking on the ramp. When I was on the cover of Forbes Magazine, they realized the impact of what I do, or a Times of India feature on me. It was a big deal for them; they were flexing in the whole neighborhood. I feel embarrassed, but they are so cute.”
On a final note, sharing his camaraderie with his closest friend, who is now a popular actress, Shibani Bedi, he shared, “We have seen each other grow and even break apart. There were times when we weren’t picking up, but we were rock solid. It’s not that our videos are going viral now; they were equally loved when we weren’t actors in this industry. When we collaborate with each other, we are never selfish toward each other. Now that she’s doing movies, I just want to see her succeed madly.”