Occasionally, my husband develops a blotch on his skin. As a human being, he is as susceptible to skin changes. When this blotch is red, I will invariably suggest that he allow me to dab on a little bit of concealer. He will invariably recoil in horror and run like a cheetah to another room.
My husband, and I suspect other men of his generation, aren’t driving the trend of male cosmetics. He likes his cologne and his manly-smelling soap. He’ll apply a scent-free moisturizer when needed. But he’s not about to linger in the make-up aisle choosing the appropriate foundation for his skin tone. However, men’s makeup is becoming a huge industry.
Popular in China for some time, now the US men’s cosmetics industry is gaining traction. The global men’s makeup market is valued at almost $1.14-billion this year. (The entire make-up industry is worth $71-B) It’s being driven by Gen Z, the post-millennials for whom gender restrictions are more fluid, according to a report from Bloomberg. They’re not necessarily blotting on lipstick or eyeshadow, but evening out their skin tone with foundation or powder? That’s no big deal.
Niche companies have popped up all over but now the big guys are taking notice. L’Oreal and Estee Lauder are developing products specifically for men. Although Gen Z is the biggest consumer group, you may recall this nugget, also from Bloomberg:
French President Emmanuel Macron had a makeup-related scandal in 2017, but it developed from his spending more than $10,000 a month on a makeup artist at taxpayers’ expense, not the fact that he was wearing the products.
It makes sense that young men also want to look their best and if a zit or big pores are making them self-conscious, what’s wrong with a little help from the cosmetics aisle? If my husband didn’t run so fast, I could prove to him that it’s no big deal, but damn, that man can move!
Once you sit in a make up chair on a movie set or for headshots, you quickly realize what a multitude of sins can be covered up with a little cake or bronzer. Heads up, Derek! It does’t hurt at all and you don’t leave the house much anyhow. Embrace your “inner glam.” It’s a competitive world out there and it never hurts to put your best face forward! Oop, there he goes again; this time he left “skid marks!”