[2014/01/23]More men wear makeup

[lancelot]

More men wear makeup

Male cosmetics market estimated at 1 tril. won in 2012


“I used to think wearing even just lip balm was too feminine,” said Choi Jung-hwan, 24, as he pulled a tube of gloss from his bag and smeared it across his lips. He replaced the cap, smacked his lips together and smiled.

“Primping has become a necessity for men,” he continued. “It’s a testament to how much a man would do to win over a girl.”

Grooming is no longer just for women. Members of K-pop boy bands Infinite and BEAST are rarely seen on stage without a little eye shadow and liner. In a survey of 2,880 Clio makeup users, BEAST member Lee Gi-kwang placed second among male celebrities who look best wearing eye liner.

Non-celebrity males refrain from painting their eyes but do emphasize their facial features and even out their skin tone by wearing creams. For example, they wear a little BB cream, a light foundation or base to cover up spots, freckles and acne.

“Many men visit our store to try different shades of foundation or base,” said a makeup artist at Make Up For Ever, a well-known cosmetics brand. “We often give them makeovers so that they can sample colors and make informed decisions.”
What women think

According to the PR Planet manager, women are the ones who buy BB creams for their husbands and grown sons.

“They buy the products for their sons or husbands, especially if their sons or husbands need to appear formal, like for a job interview or a black-tie event,” she said. “They know how uncomfortable it is for men to go shopping for makeup, so they do the shopping for the men.”

She also said women buy BB creams as gifts for their boyfriends.

“They make very good gifts because they’re practical,” she continued. “Young men these days wear makeup to cover up blemishes and to even out their complexion. They know acne can turn girls away.”

Song Ji-sun, a 27-year-old office worker, said her boyfriend was not the kind of man who spent more than 10 minutes every day applying cosmetics. But since she bought him facial scrub for his birthday two years ago, he realized how important skin care is and began to take good care of his looks.
“I feel repulsed by men disguising themselves with thick makeup. There are online social websites where members post their Barbie-and-Ken-like pictures, which are often influenced by Japanese animation characters. It’s really creepy,” she said as recalls seeing makeup-wearing men on the streets around Hongik University in Seoul.

“They are not trendy at all. To me, they seem either narcissistic or obsessive. Either they’re obsessed with their looks or they have such low self-esteem that they have to plaster themselves with heavy makeup,” she added.

 

 

Questions

1. Have you ever seen any men or do you have any male friends who wore makeup? What do you feel about their makeup?

2. Do you think the Korean society is ready to accept male's makeup?

3. Do you think it is a good strategy for men to wear makeup for job interview or any important meetings?

4. If you are male, would you try some male comestic products? If you are female, would you buy them for your boyfriend or male family members?