Did Elvis Presley Wear Eye Makeup? The King Apparently Loved Eyeliner

With an award-winning film by the name of Elvis that has received the (very difficult) stamp of approval by his survived family, Elvis Presley’s reign as the king of rock and roll has quickly become a topic of discussion amongst the younger generations.

Known to be a bit of an outlier in his heyday, not only was Presley’s music and way of moving on stage a source of rebellion, but his unique look set him apart from others in ways that confused and excited people in the best way. And while celebrities of today like Harry Styles have furthered the boundaries of what our history has always considered the norm, with male manicure moments, dresses worn on major magazine covers, and beyond — it truly was Elvis who walked so the new rock stars could run.

Early in his career, he would often wear lacy shirts that were considered more feminine-leaning at the time (hello, free the nipple), and a major fan of the color pink, his bubblegum-hued Cadillac has become synonymous with the legend himself. And a little-known secret? The king was in fact a fan of makeup — more specifically, eye makeup — and loved making his vibrant blue eyes pop on stage while performing. True king behavior.

In an interview just a few years ago, Elvis’ one and only love and wife, Priscilla Presley, opened up a bit about the king (and his pre-show routine). She explained: “Elvis said that the eyes are so expressive. When he was young, he was an usher at one of the theaters in Memphis, and he would study all of the actors who had their longevity — Tony Curtis is one. Tony Curtis taught him how to put a little black eyeliner, just a little bit, above his eye. He loved the art of transitioning from what he saw as realistic to him, and then of course adding a little bit more to give it that punch.”

She then goes on to clarify: “When I said he loved makeup, I meant he loved eye makeup.”