Is it only me or is everyone seeing more and more men wearing make-up these days. I am not talking grooming themselves like shaving or putting on deodorant but literally wearing make-up like nail polish, foundation, bronzer, mascara, concealer and eyeliner. I do understand that mascara and eyeliner on a rocker or Goth but in a normal man this makeup doesn’t quite work for me.
There is a new movement towards men wearing makeup and it’s not just gay men. According to the study, 33 per cent of men use hair removal products, nine per cent use foundation, 11 per cent use bronzer and 10 per cent apply concealer. When it comes to beauty treatments, 29 per cent of men get manicures, 24 per cent have facials, and 13 per cent book in for eyebrow waxing appointments.
Celebrities like Boy George, Seal, Johnny Depp, Marilyn Manson, Russell Brand and many more are embracing these latest traditions as well. It’s fine, as long as it looks natural but some of them are too girly for a man.
My husband won’t even touch the countless bottles of conditioner I give to him, and if I want him to moisturise his skin, I need to do it for him. In winter, I really want him to but he will only do it if I nag him constantly. I am glad because I can’t imagine my husband coming to me and borrowing some concealer to cover a pimple or asked for a foundation before a big interview or party.
Several well-known women’s lines are starting to offer cosmetics just for males. They call concealer “camouflage” and put the stuff in masculine packaging.
So what do you think about it?Do you know a man who uses make up? What do they use?
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nepaliaustralian 
“God help us if there’s a war.” this buys full hand on the fallacious equation men adopting something attributed to women = feminine = gay and weak = feminine (and thus not going to fight in a war, lol). Needless to say that’s wrong from the roots, nowadays, women are embedding all kinds of “androgynous” details in a “feminine” and classy fashion, short hair, high cheekbones and edgy jaw, pants, boots. So why can’t men wear makeup and nailpolish, or (oy vey) retreat drawing the line at colored nail polish?
I know that many men make all kinds of sexist comments about women body hair though, so sadly that’s also where many of them draw the line, but many women don’t find this fair as well and rightly polemize about it, they make present that in 60’s armpit hair wouldn’t have had anyone battin an eye, so that’s all a cultural aesthetic. The underlying thing is that, despite I love natural beauty in a woman, the makeup is going to highilght the eye shape in a creative way, and that applies to men too, in some aesthetic, different from the equally respectable current (although evolving) canon of austere beauty applied to men.
It seemed you were not against it, but at the end you agreed with comment against it, one said “minimal to women none to men” and you told “agree 100%”.
I just think that even visible makeup is good for men if worn with the right style, not overdoing, I mean, but lets say a bit of eyeshadow or eyeliner. Should be consistent with the rest of the outfit, also, it doesn’t have to be full goth, full blown glam, but a mix of it maybe, on the “rocker” side. Still with personal touches and no fixed rules. I can be buzzed, being my hair thinning, so it’s crucial having the right proportions and defined relatively thick eyebrows, in order to pull of such look.
Imho men makeup can be creative and I personally like black nails too on myself, being still straight, just for info.
Afterall it’s just an aesthetical experimentation, in some cultures men do decorate themselves, so some people are acritically judging according to very relative cultural stereotypes and I understand that, as the world has no balance, some people need to cling to costumes to forget how the world is unstable and conflictual, adopting them as absolute, but it’s wasted energy toward the wrong “problem”, the “problem” of people not abiding to some cultural norms, perceived as destabilizing “now even the men “dress like women” what has this world come to”, which of course is a bit laughable, but dismaying at the same time, as a thought.
I am not a fan of a man wearing makeup – I like it rough and tough 😛
Rough and Tough sounds so good , like a hunk 😉
God help us if there’s a war.
I hope there is no war …
Arrrgggg!!I haven’t come across so!!! but I am going to see for people like this!!!!!!
Look around and I am sure you will see some 🙂
Whatever works for them…
🙂
I met an older man recently who was wearing foundation to cover old acne scars. The make up was the wrong color and only accented his facial flaws. I felt sorry for him. It was creepy to me.
Ohoo poor him, Someone must have advise him that it is OK.
Maybe. He just didn’t look at his own face in a mirror with good light, probably.
That might be the case…
Agree. I think make-up on women should be minimal. There should be none on men. 🙂
Agree 100% 🙂
I think men are more aware these days of proper skin care, but wearing makeup and mail polish oversteps that masculine-feminine boundary in my opinion.
Ya that is what I mean. Why do they nail polish, manicure is great but why nail color?
I’m not a fan of men in (noticable) make-up myself but i do find it weird when other people are really really against it. Anyone can wear anything they want to wear and fashions always come back round. Does no one remember the 80’s?
I know what you mean. I think minimal is always OK but some of them are too obvious.
Equality of the sexes? 🙂
Oops bit touchy topic I know 🙂
In my experience, I have been introduced to some “lady ammo” because my girlfriend wants me to get rid of some “naturally occurring imperfections” (read: whiteheads, blackheads). Although it is not a lot, she wants me to look more than presentable since I encounter a lot of people at work.I know a lot of my colleagues who are influenced themselves, not only by their partners, but by our gay counterparts. We see that some products are effective, and want to try it ourselves.
I think it is OK to get rid of whiteheads/blackheads but what you do think of foundation, lipstick and nail polish?
Well, personally I have to say that men should leave that to women. Although times are changing. Next thing you know there will be a whole line of make-up intended for men.
They are already in the market. Next time check it out.
They are??? Haha! I didn’t know that! Well, that just means I am not in with the times, which is good, I think.
Make up + guys = disaster most of the time:) so you are doing alright 🙂
Great post 🙂 I remember when I first ever saw a guy wearing makeup. I was late teens and in a club and I saw he had mascara on and just a hint of colour on the lips. I was fascinated (we’re talking over 30 years ago), because he was gorgeous!!!
I like Russell Brand’s look, and Johnny Depp, but the truth is it doesn’t look great on all. Love your pictures in between.
I find some men look OK with minimal make up but I feel some of them take it bit too far…