Men’s Makeup: Should You Wear It? (Cosmetics How-To for Men)

Perhaps surprisingly to some, men have been wearing makeup for most of recorded history, and while the practice may not be as common today, shifting views on gender norms have increased interest in men’s cosmetics, both as a form of personal expression and to look one’s best. Today, we’ll discuss whether or not you should consider introducing cosmetics into your styling regimen.

History of Men’s Makeup

Men have worn makeup throughout history, for many reasons. Ancient Egyptians lined their eyes with coal, ancient Babylonians and Incans painted their nails as status symbols, noblemen in Asia and early modern Europe wore face powder for a fair complexion, and ancient Greeks and Romans used ochre and iron gall to paint their lips and cheeks to appear younger.

There were also social forces at work that criticized men for wearing makeup. Religious and secular authorities sometimes associated makeup with effeminacy, decadence, vanity, or homosexuality. This was especially true during the reign of Queen Victoria, whose policies against male makeup led to its decline in Europe and in North America.

After World War I, men’s makeup largely disappeared in the western world outside of the dramatic arts. Performers wore makeup to become more visible and to account for stage lighting, and this carried over to the silver screen. In the second half of the 20th century, politicians, actors, and other prominent men wore makeup at public events.

As we move further into the 21st century, makeup for men is becoming more and more common in many regions.

Should You Consider Wearing Makeup?

Some people still find it inappropriate for men to wear makeup, often believing it to be girly or indicative of homosexuality. But in just the same way as you’d deal with people who think of dressing up as strange, you shouldn’t let others’ feelings dictate what you would like to do.

It might interest you to know that both Raphael and Preston do wear makeup from time to time in videos on our YouTube channel, to appear more “camera-ready.”

So, we understand that it can sometimes feel daunting to try something that people will feel is unmanly or wrong. But, it is important to keep in mind makeup isn’t only for gay gentlemen, straight gentlemen, masculine gentlemen, or feminine gentlemen–it’s for any gentleman who just simply wants to wear makeup!

It also means if you’re not interested in wearing makeup, that’s perfectly all right as well. But, if you’re thinking that makeup is something you’d like to try, we’ll walk you through the fundamentals of men’s makeup.

Prior to getting started with makeup, it’s worth noting that men wear makeup for different reasons, from non-conformance to creative expression. Today, though, we’re going to focus on what is called “corrective cosmetics.”

What is “Corrective Cosmetics?”

Corrective cosmetics use makeup to correct or enhance the natural appearance of the face. By “correction,” we mean covering up anything that you’d prefer to have more seamlessly blend in with the rest of your skin. This includes dark circles under the eyes, zits and pimples, scars, hyperpigmentation (also called dark spots), and of course, redness.

Ideally, this makeup will make it look like you’re not wearing any makeup at all. To achieve a natural look, you’ll need makeup that works with your natural skin tone. This will require knowing some basics about your skin and buying the right kind of makeup and tools.

How to Choose the Right Makeup

1. Determine Your Skin Type

• Dry skin, which means you typically have small pores and a matte complexion. You may be prone to redness and visible lines.
• Oily skin, which usually includes larger pores and a shiny complexion. You may be prone to acne and other blemishes.
• Balanced or normal skin is neither particularly oily nor particularly dry. 
• Combination skin is some combination of the above, usually in different quadrants of your face. So, for instance, an oily t-zone and dry cheeks.

2. Determine Your Skin Tone

Skin tone refers to the particular shade of your skin. Many cosmetics are tinted to match your skin tone. It’s very important to get this part right. Just a few shades off can be very noticeable.

Knowing your skin’s undertone helps you find the best makeup match to get that natural look.

• Warm means that there’s a greenish, yellow, or peachy undertone.
• Cool means that your skin has a bluish undertone.
• Neutral is hard to discern, whether you have a blue, green, yellow, or gold undertone and there’s simply nothing present that you can make out. But, that’s okay. It’s simply a neutral skin undertone.

If possible, we suggest getting professional help. The makeup departments in most major department stores and malls and specialty retailers like Sephora, Ulta, or MAC. They have staff that will be happy to help you select makeup that will match your skin tone.

You will not be the only man interested in makeup in these stores, but if you aren’t able to visit a storefront or prefer to do this yourself, many cosmetic brands offer online services for matching. Make sure the retailer will allow you to return lightly used products, as colors can look different on your skin than on the swatch.

Remember, whenever testing, buying, or applying makeup, try to see how it looks under different light sources; in particular, both artificial and natural light.

3. Choose the Makeup Type

Most concealers come in liquids or creams, and it’s best to go for the makeup type that best suits your skin type and needs

Liquids offer light to medium coverage because the product is thinner. These work well for all skin types. They typically come in a tube container with a doe-foot wand.

Creams are thicker and often have a more waxy texture. They typically can be applied more thickly and, therefore, offer greater coverage and more longevity when compared to a liquid. Creams are less compatible with dry skin but work well with oily skin. They come in pots, sticks, and pans, depending on the brand.

The more contrast there is between the blemish you like to cover and your skin, the more coverage you’re going to need. But, take into account, the higher the coverage, the harder it is to maintain a natural look. You’d also want to choose a translucent setting powder if your skin is combination or oily or if you simply want another layer.

4. Shop For the Makeup

Male cosmetics is a burgeoning industry and many new startups focus on makeup exclusively for men. These products are specially formulated with male needs in mind, like thicker dermis, variable sweat production, more oiliness, and hormones that create a rougher skin texture. 

These brands carry everything you need for a basic concealed look but can be limited when it comes to the number of shades. They also tend to favor cream formulations. These can sometimes be too heavy for certain skin types like dry skin.

If you check out Stryx, Formen, Altr, War Paint, and Menaji, you’ll find that none of these brands carry more than five shades. Most only carry three, and they are all cream products.

Remember, getting the shade wrong is the worst mistake you can make. It will make it obvious you’re wearing bad makeup, so be wary of this.

Many brands have created special lines geared towards wider audiences. Consider Tom Ford products, specially designed for men, or Glossier and Fenty whose products are marketed as unisex and come in an impressive shade range.

Finally, makeup that is marketed toward women can work perfectly well on men’s skin, and there’s a lot more variety. But, keep in mind, products not marketed toward men may have features you may not want, like fragrance or a luminous or shiny finish.

But, consider also that existing makeup brands tend to be better established and have wider selections than male cosmetics-exclusive lines. Some examples would include NARS, Make Up For Ever, NYX, bareMinerals, Urban Decay, Hourglass, and L’Oreal. These are all great places to start.

5. Select the Application Tools

There are three main ways to apply concealer, which are using your fingers, sponges, or using brushes.

• Fingers – You always have them with you so they are, typically, the most convenient tool. They can be great for simple, large-area applications like under the eye or over a large spot of redness. The heat of your skin helps melt and disperse the product. But, they can be too big and clumsy for small blemishes.

• Sponges, like fingers, do a great job of dispersing a makeup product. But, it’s hard to get them to thoroughly cover blemishes.
• Brushes are an excellent concealer tool. There are many types of concealer brushes but we recommend four kinds: detail brush, flat brush, small fluffy brush, and a large powder brush if you decide to use powder. All four brushes will prepare you to cover almost anything. But, you can get away with having just one small detail brush and using your fingers to blend.

How to Apply Men’s Makeup

1. Do Your Normal Skin Care Routine Before Applying Makeup

Start with a clean and moisturized face. Even if your skin is oily, makeup will look patchy over dry areas. If you need recommendations, we made a list of some of our favorite grooming products to help you out.

2. Select and Apply Your Concealer or Foundation

Concealer for Small Blemishes

As the name implies, a concealer is great for concealing blemishes. Select the liquid concealer for light or medium coverage and cream for high coverage. We would generally recommend liquid concealers as they are the easiest to use.

For pimples and scars, apply a small amount of concealer onto your skin and into the problem area. Add this product in layers. You want just enough of the product to conceal the blemish, but not so much that the makeup is obvious.

Blend by gently tapping with your ring finger or a damp sponge. Remember, don’t rub or you’ll simply lift away or disperse the product too thinly. Blending is essential because an unblended patch of concealer might not look as bad as a pimple, but it will be just as noticeable.

For bags under your eyes, especially dark bags, consider applying a concealer that is one to two shades darker than your normal skin tone. This will help neutralize the dark areas. Dab two dots of concealer on the inside of the eye and one on the outside and then blend.

We recommend checking out Fenty’s Pro Filt’r Concealer for its range of shades, NYX’s HD Concealer Wand for its light appearance, or the extremely easy-to-use Stryx Concealer Tool. Because concealers tend to fall into fine lines and wrinkles, consider only using them for problem areas. Try to avoid applying it around the crow’s feet at the edge of your eyes.

Foundation for Larger Blemishes

If you are dealing with redness, prominent pores, or razor burn, which are larger skin blemishes, consider using foundation. Just like with concealers, remember that you’re going to have to match your skin tone as well.

Foundation can be a cream, a liquid, or even a powder. But, we generally recommend a liquid. Some foundations are especially suited for dry skin, often referred to as “beauty” or “blemish balm,” And we recommend offerings from Bobbi Brown or Altr. They offer great hydrating qualities and blemish blurring.

For oily skin or heavier hold, consider color correctors. This provides a more even complexion. But, it will also be more noticeable. Check out what Formen and bareMinerals have to offer. They offer products with great coverage, but not too much weight. NARS, Urban Decay, and Hourglass all make foundations for great general use.

To apply, use your ring finger, dab equally-sized, fingerprint-sized portions on your forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin. You should probably skip the chin if you have a beard. Pat the product in and blend with your ring finger or a damp sponge. Apply any excess product to your neck or ears or else the color contrast will be very noticeable.

3. Use a Translucent Finishing Powder

To finish, you may want to use a translucent finishing powder. If you have oily skin, finishing powder removes shine. But, all gentlemen can benefit from powder as it will help keep the makeup in place while also minimizing the appearance of the makeup to begin with. It removes an overly smooth texture and makes it difficult to see you’re even wearing makeup at all.

Consider L’Oreal Infallible or NYX’s Finishing Powder as they have great endurance and are nearly invisible on the skin.

To apply, use a brush to dust it evenly over any makeup or any areas that have shine. When finished, bearded gentlemen will want to go over their facial hair to ensure that there is no makeup or powder in the hair.

As mentioned, this is only an extremely basic makeup routine intended to diminish blemishes. 

How Should You Take Men’s Makeup Off?

Now that we’ve told you how to apply makeup, we should also tell you how to take it off. A strong reminder here, don’t sleep in your makeup. This can dry out your skin and clog your pores.

Thankfully, removing makeup is a lot faster than applying it. You will just need a makeup remover and then your regular facial cleanser. While brand names can have some added benefit, any makeup remover will do. If you don’t know where to start, consider micellar water, which is an industry-standard for removing makeup.

Use a generous amount of product and don’t scrub. Gently work the product into your skin and let it lift the makeup off. Finish by cleansing your face with water and cleanser–yes, another one! Makeup remover is designed to dissolve makeup and remove most of it, but you’re going to need a cleanser to completely remove it.

Conclusion

We hope that today’s guide has provided a good introduction to makeup and the basics of putting on and removing makeup. We also hope that this makes you feel empowered to give men’s makeup a try if you feel it’s right for you.

Outfit Rundown

Today, I’m wearing a blue cable net sweater and a brown and white dress shirt and green slacks, brown dress shoes, and brown shadow-stripe Fort Belvedere socks. Check out the Fort Belvedere shop for socks like these.

Would you consider wearing makeup? Why or why not? Let’s discuss in the comments section!