|
In Korea, metrosexuality is still going strong, and many guys are now turning to makeup to look good at the office and out at night. Apparently, smoky eye makeup has become a common sight on guys out in clubs, and sales of eye cream and other skincare products are way up.
Even in the macho world of the military, "color lotion" (aka tinted moisturizer) has been common for years. In fact, makeup and grooming are becoming so popular that cosmetic company Amore Pacific has even opened a flagship men's makeup and skincare boutique in Seoul.
It's interesting to me that men in Japan and Korea seem to have fewer hangups about makeup than their American counterparts generally do. Despite attempts to popularize makeup for men in Europe and the States, it just hasn't caught on. (Witness the lack of buzz over Jean Paul Gaultier's dude-friendly bronzers.) Do you think men can pull off a bit of makeup just as well as women, or is it a hard sell?
http://www.bellasugar.com/Makeup-Sales-Men-Rise-Korea-7890194
Makeup on men becomes more acceptable
in Korea
“Macho men” and “tough guys” were popular in the past, but recently, “pretty boys” are the trend. A considerable number of Korean men have realized the value of an “attractive appearance.” As a result, the men’s cosmetics industry is expected to surpass the 1 trillion won mark this year. The market has steadily expanded from 570 billion won in 2008 to 650 billion won in 2009, 800 billion won in 2010 and 900 billion won last year.Surprisingly, colorful makeup items like eye shadow and blush are just as popular as BB creams a type of light foundation and moisturizers. It is easy to find men wearing foundation and eyeliner in places like Hongdae where college students flock or downtown Myeong-dong where foreign tourists are crowded. Makeup is not just for women any more, an expert said.Kim Myeong-il, a 21-year-old college student, has been wearing makeup since last year. “I always use moisturizer, primer and BB cream,” he says. “I wear eyeliner and lip gloss on special occasions.”Kim must wake up early every morning because he spends over an hour on his makeup. His makeup stand is crowded with dozens of cosmetics , including moisturizers, BB cream, sunscreen, primer, eyeliner, and lip gloss. He spends about 100,000 to 300,000 won a month on cosmetics. He says he works part-time jobs to cover his spending.Han Jeong-hae, 23, has detailed knowledge about makeup. He knows what kinds of chemicals are in cosmetics and how they affect the skin.Most of his knowledge comes from “cafés” or online blogs. There is a large number of online cafés dedicated to men’s cosmetics. Bigger cafés have thousands of members. This shows how popular makeup is among men recently.Despite this popularity, Lee Jong-beom, 23, says there is an unwritten rule among men when it comes to makeup. That rule is “no mascara.”“We can wear any makeup products we want except for mascara,” says Lee. “It doesn’t look good on men and it makes us look gay.” The men claim that they wear makeup for the same reasons women do. Desire for beauty is not exclusive to women. Makeup makes both women and men more beautiful and keeps them from becoming just another face in the crowd.Men claim that makeup improves self-confidence and gives them an edge over the competition, such as in job interviews or love life. “Beauty is power,” says Lee. “A little extra care is all you need to improve yourself. But a lot of men lose this opportunity because they’re stuck with the obsolete notion that makeup is for women.”As Lee stated, many people still disapprove of men wearing makeup.“Some people give me a dirty look,” says Kim. “Some of the elderly tell me makeup is not meant for men.”However, recently, the pressure has eased on men wearing makeup. “It’s all thanks to the boy bands wearing dark, smoky makeup nowadays,” says Kim. “Celebrities have made men’s makeup more acceptable.”The effects of these celebrities can be seen in recent surveys. As many as 54 percent of participants believed “men should wear BB cream” in a survey on ‘makeup on men,’ conducted for singles in their 20s and 30s. This shows that fewer people think “men wearing makeup is distasteful.” In a few more years, men may be able to powder their faces in the streets without fear.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2012/08/325_110233.html
Why do Korean men put on make up? It makes them look even more ugly though..?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Not the right answer? Try Yahoo! Search
* You must be logged into Answers to add comments. Sign in or Register.
Other Answers (9)
-
Are you referring to Korean men in general or Korean male idols?
If it's Korean men in general, well I don't think they use make up. My boyfriend is Korean and he does not wear make up! Hehe. But if it is the idols you are talking about. All I know is that most Korean male idols only put BB Cream as their makeup. Do you know the Variety Show 100 points out of 100(Oh my school)? Well anyway, there's this episode were all of them like spent the night together. So before sleeping, they showed the Idols' faces without their make up on. The girls look quite different with and without their make up on. But the guys still look the same actually. The host said that it's probably because the guys only put BB cream and nothing much. The guys who were there are Super Junior's Eunhyuk, FT Island's Lee Hongki, Shinee's Minho, and other celebrities.- 9 people rated this as good
-
It because your not used to it. Or maybe your not asian or you don't contact or knowing the asian Entertainment Industry. Actually putting make up on men in asian is very Casual. It their fashion, trend and style. It just like to some asian don't understand other country wear a cap then put a hood on which make to having TWO head wear clothing? I find them extremely hot and cute when they put make up. I believe almost every celebrity in the worldwide wear make up including if they are man. But probably they are not noticeable like foundation to cover their bad skin. This is my opinion. Plus make up is for all genders.
- 4 people rated this as good
-
Shut up , I bet your ugly , korean people look great with make up men and women it makes them look prettier :D not that they need to look prettier psh!!
I think make up is appropriate for us guys but i dont wear it tho cuz im not a star who gets shots taken from the paparazzi everyday!
I think its ok for guys as long as they dont wear well too much eyeliner like a crazy jrock star xD!!
im not saying jrocks wear too much makeup but you know they do xD!!!!!- 11 people rated this as good
-
UGLY I don’t think so. STRANGE may be. But my attitude towards this is that with a little plastic surgery and a little eye liner some actually look good. But it’s not for every one. I think u being a little harsh for Korean this make sense, for us may be not. I think you need to be a little understanding.
- 4 people rated this as good
-
It's called modern fashion :) It's getting more and more popular already :) And it isn't really ugly, you just have to learn to appreciate it ^^ Somehow, if you think about it, sometimes if guys don't put makeup they look plain :X
- 6 people rated this as good
-
to make them pull off a style or sometimes to cover up bad skin
i am a girl and i dont get why people think that boys shouldn't wear make up and make up is only for girls. girls with make up to me sometimes looks scarier or uglier. that is not revelant to the question you asked though. oh well- 8 people rated this as good
-
All celebrities wear make up when doing public things that people will watch, even though you may not realize it. So criticizing ONLY Koreans for doing it is kind of dumb, considering a ton other men do it too.
- 13 people rated this as good
-
actually this is done by many Asian celebrities
Chinese, Japanese etc
if you don't believe me, just search for visual kei images and all that you see are men- 12 people rated this as good
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110508235850AANr2qj
Report Abuse