Male cosmetics include all
cosmetic
Cosmetic may refer to:
*Cosmetics, or make-up, substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning
*Cosmetic, an adjective describing beauty, aesthetics, or appearance, especially concerning the human body
*Cosmetic, a t ...
products intended for use by men, such as makeup,
skincare
Skin care is a range of practices that support skin integrity, enhance its appearance, and relieve skin conditions. They can include nutrition, avoidance of excessive sun exposure, and appropriate use of emollients. Practices that enhance appea ...
products,
hair care
Hair care is an overall term for hygiene and cosmetology involving the hair which grows from the human scalp, and to a lesser extent facial, pubic and other body hair. Hair care routines differ according to an individual's culture and the physic ...
products, body care products,
sun care products,
perfume
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...
s, and other decorative cosmetics.
Historical use of cosmetics
As early as 4000 BC, makeup played an important role in ancient Egyptian culture. Men painted black pigments on their eyes to create cat-eye designs that were considered attractive and a symbol of wealth and status.
Ancient Egyptians believed that green eye shadow could invoke the god
Horus
Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...
to fight harmful diseases.
Men are known to have used cosmetics in Roman times, although it was frowned upon by society. Men seen carrying mirrors were viewed as effeminate, while those using face-whitening makeup were thought to be immoral because they were expected to be tanned from working outside. Two of the more acceptable practices were the light use of certain perfumes and moderate hair removal. A man removing too much hair was viewed as effeminate, while removing too little made him seem unrefined.
[Stewart, Susan. ''Cosmetics & Perfumes in the Roman World''. Gloucestershire: Tempus, 2007, pp. 82-95.] The Romans found it especially inappropriate for an emperor to be vain, as was apparently the case with the Emperor
Otho
Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors.
A member of a noble Etru ...
. The Emperor
Elagabalus
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus, 204 – 11/12 March 222), better known by his nickname "Elagabalus" (, ), was Roman emperor from 218 to 222, while he was still a teenager. His short reign was conspicuous for s ...
removed all of his body hair and often donned makeup, which caused the Romans much grief.
During the reign of
Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
, cosmetics were very popular among men, as they valued ghostly, powdered skin.
In this era, due to the chemical makeup of the substances used, cosmetics often caused serious health problems, including premature death.
![Kabuki-makeup](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Kabuki-makeup.PNG)
With the advent of modern film making in the United States in the 1930s, men's hair and cosmetics re-emerged in the public eye.
However, men's beauty products were relatively non-existent on the market until the end of the 1990s.
Only a few brands were interested in producing men's cosmetics because it was regarded as a niche market.
Male cosmetics are not as widely accepted as female cosmetics; only 17% of men think that makeup products are important in daily life. Nevertheless, 97% of men use skincare products.
Kabuki
Kabuki is a traditional Japanese art performance. It involves elaborately designed costumes, eye-catching makeup, outlandish wigs and exaggerated actions performed by the actors.
Kabuki was originally performed by women but beginning in 1629, only male actors were permitted to perform kabuki. Kabuki actors apply oil and wax to their faces to help cosmetics stick to the skin.
Then they put on a thick white cosmetic called
oshiroi
is a powder foundation traditionally used by kabuki actors, geisha and their apprentices. The word literally means "white powder", and is pronounced as the word for white () with the honorific prefix .
When worn by geisha and , is notable f ...
that covers their entire face.
Oshiroi is made of rice flour and uses slightly different shades of white depending on the age, type, and gender of the character.
On a cosmetically-made white face, red and black lines are used to outline the eyes and mouth. Different shapes are used for male and female characters.
For certain characters, there is a special makeup style called
kumadori
is the stage makeup worn by kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by som ...
. Kumadori consists of dramatic lines and shapes of different colors, each representing a different emotional quality.
The most commonly used colors are dark red, representing anger, passion or cruelty, and dark blue for sadness or depression. Other common colors are pink, representing youth or happiness; light blue or green, representing calmness; purple, for the aristocracy, and brown for selfishness. There are about a hundred different mask-like kumadori makeup styles.
Male consumers of cosmetics
Age group
Aside from traditional use and use in the arts, research shows that young men who are between 18–34 years old are more likely to use cosmetics.
Males using cosmetics
Male cosmetics were originally targeted towards homosexual men, however, market research revealed that only a third of male cosmetic consumers were gay. Some men use beauty products to cover perceived flaws on their faces, such as
acne
Acne, also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term Cutaneous condition, skin condition that occurs when Keratinocyte, dead skin cells and Sebum, oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include comedo, black ...
marks and freckles.
Additionally, some men use cosmetics to boost their physical appearance.
Makeup is frequently used by male stage performers and movie actors.
Intensive makeup might be used to produce a zombie-effect, aging or other special effects, for a movie.
Although using makeup can be time-intensive, it saves time and cost compared to the use of computer-driven special effects and can be more visually appealing to the audience.
With the number of aging populations around the world continually increasing, older men are also turning towards cosmetics to slow the appearance of physical aging effects.
Many of these effects include wrinkles, age spots, dry skin, uneven skin tone, and even hair damage; the appearance of all of these can be reduced by the use of cosmetics.
Branding and packaging of male cosmetics
Several cosmetics and skincare brands have developed products specifically for men's skin, such as
Nivea
Nivea (, stylized as NIVEA) is a German personal care brand that specializes in skin and body care. It is owned by the Hamburg-based company Beiersdorf Global AG. The company was founded on 28 March 1882, by Paul Carl Beiersdorf. In 1890, it w ...
,
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is ...
,
Tom Ford
Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and directe ...
, and
Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
. Nivea is the most popular brand for men with 34.4%, followed by
L’Oréal with 21.9%.
The packaging of male cosmetics is generally simple. The colors are mainly blue, green, grey, white or black. Compared to women's cosmetics, there are fewer bright colors such as pink, red and purple. These design choices aim to attract male customers, whilst reducing the resistance of male customers to cosmetics, breaking the belief that cosmetics are for women only.
Also, cosmetics companies produce cosmetics tailored to the preferences of men in different regions.
For example, Revlon has launched a Middle Eastern collection, and Ferrari has developed a traditional Middle Eastern fragrance, taking into account local consumer preferences.
Men working in the cosmetics industry
Gender balance in the cosmetics industry
Although most cosmetics consumers are women, the majority of executives within cosmetics companies are men.
Many large beauty companies have few female representatives on their boards or senior management teams.
For instance, the leadership team of the cosmetics giant
Revlon
Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brothe ...
, as well as the leadership team of
Bath and Body Works
Bath & Body Works, LLC. is an American retail store chain that sells soaps, lotions, fragrances, and candles. It was founded in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio and has since expanded across 6 continents. In 1997, it was the largest bath shop chain in ...
and the luxury goods group
LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French holding multinational corporation and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Paris. The company was formed in 1987 through the merger of fashion house ...
(with brands such as
Makeup For Ever, Fresh and
Benefit Cosmetics
Benefit Cosmetics LLC is a manufacturer of cosmetics founded and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It is a subsidiary of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
History
Benefit was founded by twin sisters Jean anJane Ford Born in India ...
), consist mainly of males.
In comparison, the board of
Estée Lauder is almost balanced, but the number of women in administrative positions throughout the company is relatively small.
Overall, women account for 34% of the board of directors of personal care companies and 24% of all executive positions. While this ratio may be more equitable than other industries, it is not yet reflective of the cosmetics market or society at large.
Male cosmetics bloggers and celebrities
The number of male beauty bloggers on YouTube is also growing.
Makeup male bloggers will evaluate cosmetics and provide makeup tutorials and advertise products. The most famous male beauty bloggers in the United States are Patrick Starr and
James Charles
James Charles Dickinson (born May 23, 1999) is an American beauty YouTuber and makeup artist. While working as a local makeup artist in his hometown of Bethlehem, New York, Charles started a YouTube channel, where he posts makeup tutorials. ...
.
One of the most prominent male cosmetic celebrities is a Chinese
streamer
Streamer or streamers may refer to:
* a person who streams online on an internet platform like twitch or youtube
* Pennon, a small pointed flag
* Streamer, a kind of confetti consisting of strips of paper or other material
* Streamer, a common nam ...
named Li Jiaqi. Jiaqi tests lipsticks and analyses the colour and texture of each lipstick for a large audience.
On November 11, 2018, Li Jiaqi sold lipsticks live, selling 15,000 units in five minutes.
Men’s cosmetic market size and growth
When compared to other industries, the global cosmetics and beauty products industry is rather impervious to economic depression or expansion. Economic ups and downs have affected trends within the global industry in recent years; however, the sales volume has maintained relatively constant.
In the case of a recession, the sales of cosmetics are generally maintained at a certain steady floor. In 2017, the global cosmetics market value was US$523.43 billion.
It is expected to reach a market value of US$805.61 billion by 2023 and a compound annual growth rate of 7.14% from 2018 to 2023.
The increase in male beauty awareness is a major factor driving the growth of the global market.
During the period from 2018 to 2023, the global men's beauty products market is expected to grow at a rate of 5.23%.
References
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Cosmetics