Ever since David Beckham turned up on the field wearing nail polish and eyeliner, it wasn't only girls around the world whose jaws were dropping: the whole idea of "real" men wearing make-up no longer seemed such a foreign concept. Well, to a certain extent anyway — the average guy might not be trying to emulate Boy George, but men are increasingly experimenting with key cosmetics basics in a bid to keep up appearances.
Fast tips: 8 make-up tips for men
"Most guys know, if you're sweating anywhere other than the footy field or the bedroom, you're going to look out of control," says make-up artist Elsa Morgan. According to Euromonitor, global sales of men's cosmetics reached $23 billion in 2003.
Since then, large cosmetic houses, including Clinique, have released products, such as concealer, that have been traditionally aimed only at women. "Men have blemishes and under-eye circles just like women do, and recently, it has become increasingly acceptable and desirable for men to take better care of their skin and their appearance," says Scott Miselnicky, Clinique's executive director of global make-up product development.
Men's make-up is not really new — apparently, even the Romans used kohl to line their eyes, chalk to whiten the complexion and rouge to add colour to cheeks. But the trick for guys to carry off colour in the 21st century, is to keep it subtle, says cosmetics creator Napoleon Perdis.
"Contrary to popular belief, men do wear make-up!" says Napoleon, whose top recommendations for men include a mattifying product to reduce shine on their T-zone and a lick of clear mascara to smooth unruly eyebrows. While men prefer not to use the term "cosmetics", there's no doubt the modern metrosexual wants a smooth, even skin tone and is willing to experiment with products offering natural coverage, such as tinted moisturizer, concealer and lip balms.
"There are unisex products available that appear extremely natural and appeal to men's main concerns of toning down redness and hiding dark circles," says Maria Ertas, make-up artist and general manager of Make Up Store.
Mineral make-up is also becoming increasingly popular with men as it has a natural-looking finish and doubles as sensible sun protection.
"Getting men to admit openly that they use any kind of make-up is tricky! But we can tell you, just quietly, that we do have male fans," says Inika CEO, Miranda Bond.
Ladies, lock up your make-up kits now!
