The beauty industry has been booming with growth in the past few years because of beauty bloggers and social media.

The peak of this beauty community is Jeffree Star; makeup artist, brand owner, and influencer. Some might see it as odd that a man is at the top, but the beauty community is packed and gaining more male influencers like Manny MUA, Patrick Starrr, and James Charles, the first ever Coverboy. The number of boys in glam has elevated massively thanks to the nation becoming more accepting in people exploring their interests. It’s more common now than ever to see a man walking down the street with eyeliner on.

Despite nationwide growth, boys in glam can still be isolated in smaller communities, such as cities and schools. For example, here at Wheat Ridge High School there is only one boy who openly wears a full face of makeup on a regular basis. 

Jeramiah Angel Robledo is an openly gay sophomore who began wearing makeup in the 7th grade, defining his eyebrows out of boredom. His first pallet was the all famous Jaclyn Hill pallet. He’s self taught and spent his time learning through YouTube and lots of practice. This far along, Jeramiah has become known for his amazing makeup looks and confidence, even having more inexperienced girls looking up to him for their own makeup. 

Not only does he have the support of fellow students, but he’s also greatly supported by his family. When he started, his mom didn’t have much care; she just saw her son in makeup and treated it like normal. The shock caused his dad to keep a distance, but he’s come to full support of Jeramiah’s passion. 

Despite immense support, Jeremiah still faces blocks in the road. According to him, some have even gone so far as to try and fight him, all because he enjoys the art of makeup and stands tall in his sexuality. Most of the time he brushes off negativity, not allowing it to affect him. In more hostile situations, his way of combating these issues is to return the same energy, meaning he treats people just how they treat him.

Jeremiah admits that as a freshman he felt uncomfortable, but today he’ll wear a beautifully blended shadow with the biggest and best lashes he can get. He’s become a staple of acceptance and confidence in this small community. High school is already difficult without the struggle of finding yourself and loving who you find. People fear stepping out of their “comfort zone,”\ which is really better seen as the zone of what’s socially acceptable; yet without stepping out of that zone, it becomes difficult to find what’s unique to an individual. 

Acceptance is a growing trend every coming year. The more people that step out of their shells and the more that accept one another, the stronger the community is. In the inspirational words of Jeremiah Angel Robledo, “Just do it and get it out. You need to express who you really are.”