Beyond Billie Joe Armstrong: 8 Famous Men Who Should Capitalize On the Nostalgia of Guyliner
Back in 2007, there was no better way to show off your angst than a heavy circle of black eyeliner, its edges reaching far past the intended region. It was a trend not just for sullen teenage girls, but also the twenty-something dudes who wrote the songs to fuel that angst. Cut to ten years later, when nostalgia is fashion’s favorite trend du jour, and one particularly entrepreneurial aging rockstar is capitalizing on the fad. Last week, Kat Von D—no stranger to heavy eyeliner herself—announced on Instagram that she has teamed up with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong on a brand new eyeliner called—what else—Basket Case. Armstrong, who turned 45 years-old this year, naturally models the makeup in the promo imagery. Now, guyliner wasn’t exactly widely celebrated in the first go around, but then-again, we are just coming off a runway season that saw the return of cargo pants, so what’s old is new—and cool—again, and perhaps best not to question why this in happening. No, the bigger question here is how did Armstrong, of all people, get to become the face of guyliner—and in 2017, no less? Surely there should have been a Robert Smith x MAC collaboration by now, or a YouTube tutorial by Pete Wentz (actually, there is one of those). So, in honor of Armstrong’s business savvy, a look at eight other famous gentlemen who should get into the male beauty business.
1Robert Smith
When you Google The Cure frontman’s name, “Robert Smith without eyeliner,” is one of the top search entries to automatically fill in. The singer could easily market himself as one of the original innovators of the trend, giving his brand instant credibility.
2Pete Wentz
If Smith was an originator, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz revived the trend with the pop-punk set of the mid-Aughts. It was around that time that the band catapulted to mainstream success and have remarkably stayed relevant ever since, meaning Wentz would do well to keep his line mid-priced and well-stocked at Duane Reade—perfect for your little cousin and, hey, maybe even your dad. They did have that one song in the NFL commercials.
3Brendon Urie
A prodigy of the Wentz era, Panic at the Disco’s Brendon Urie has recently graduated to a different form of stage makeup, starring on Broadway in Kinky Boots. Why not marry the two and create a line of stage makeup that can go from the main stage to a weird karaoke bar where the cast party is being held without smudging all night?
4Gerard Way
My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way always sort of dressed like he was going to Comic Con, so it only makes sense the he now makes a career writing comic books. Rather than turn his back completely on his rockstar past, Way could invent an eyeliner that double as a pen to write all those comics.
5Jason Momoa
Jason Momoa has moved on to bigger and better things since his eyeliner-touting role of Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones in season one. The actor will star as Aquaman in next month’s Justice League—but it Batman v. Superman‘s box office numbers were any indication, it might not be a bad idea to have a backup plan in the works.
6Johnny Depp
Feeling in a rut? Maybe a little under-eye definition is all you need. Hell, it certainly working for Johnny Depp, who had a career renaissance after his role in The Pirates of the Caribbean , and again when he decided he was going to be a rockstar. His brand would make a perfect pick-me-up for any mid-life crisis.
7Pharrell Williams
Rihanna has Fenty Beauty now, so why shouldn’t Pharrell through his hat into the beauty ring? He’s already worn eyeliner to the Met Gala, so the look already comes with a stamp of fashion approval.
8Jared Leto
Jared Leto is an odd example of a reluctant Oscar winner who would rather be known for his band that once opened for Sevendust on tour. But to really make his edgy, non-Jordan Catalano image stick, Leto may have to rely on his industry connections and get some product placement in next year’s Academy Awards swag bag. Once he gets Leonardo DiCaprio on board, it will be a bestseller.
