Troye Sivan, Harry Styles, Yungblud et al might currently be making a strong case for men wearing make-up, but before they could even pick up a mic Ozzy Osbourne was going big on eyeliner and nail varnish in his own unique way.
The Black Sabbath frontman, who this year celebrates a massive 50 years in the biz with the release of his 12th solo album, Ordinary Man, has crafted a signature look matched by none (though Marilyn Manson comes close). Make-up has become as synonymous with 72-year-old Osbourne as his on-stage shrieks and he has perfected a heavily kohled eye that even Ru Paul's Drag Race's most talented queens would be envious of.
The self-described Prince Of Darkness started to wear his unique brand of gothic maquillage in the early 1970s. Proving that in order to secure heavy metal legend status, one is required to embrace the full works: a screamo sound, intimidating persona, shaggy locks and blacker-than-the-night make-up.
The Brummie legend is sticking to what he knows best. Case in point: you'd be forgiven for thinking the magazine photoshoot Osbourne has appeared in for this year's GQ Men of The Year awards took place 40 years ago. Osbourne's go-to heavy black eye and perfectly manicured dark nails are as pitch-perfect and polished as they were back in 1980.
And in 2020, Ozzy's look has gone mainstream. The aforementioned singers are giving it a good go, as are K pop's biggest names, such as BTS' Jimin, Kang Daniel and SuperM's Baekhyun. Meanwhile, brands such as Chanel and Calvin Klein now have male-dedicated make-up lines, which make it easier than ever to give your own face the Ozzy effect.
Below are the products you need if you want to give it a try.
Watch the GQ Men Of The Year Awards, in association with Hugo Boss, on British GQ’s YouTube channel here.
Ozzy Osbourne: I'm a happily married man with three kids. I'm not Dracula'
