Male cosmetics counters could hit department stores in five years, L'Oreal boss says

[Tennis]

Male make-up counters could become a reality within five years, the UK boss of L'Oreal has said, as it is no longer a taboo for the "selfie generation".

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Vismay Sharma, the cosmetics giant's UK managing director, said that demand for make-up among men was growing fast.

Speaking about the industry as a whole, he said male-targeted counters in department stores and drug stores could be a reality in "five to seven years".

According to Mr Sharma taboos are changing and make-up is becoming more accepted for men among what he describes as the "selfie generation".

"Men know they can use make up, and they know what it does when you use it"Vismay Sharma

He said: "Today you have a very small proportion of men who want to use make up products but that proportion is growing and it will continue to grow. I think its just awareness - two things are happening, men know they can use make up, and they know what it does when you use it.

"The second thing is that the taboos are going, so between my generation and my son's generation the taboos are very different."

"Is the trend going to go towards bold colours or more subtle? I don't know. But what I do know is we are listening very carefully to consumers and what they want."

It comes after online retailer ASOS this week launched a male-only beauty range from MMUK, which includes a concealer, beard and brow filler and mascara.

Co-founder Alex Dalley said: "We hope that this move places make-up for men on the radars of thousands of guys out there who simply want to look their best everyday."

And at the higher end of the market fashion titan Tom Ford has also launched a small collection of male grooming products including an eyebrow maintenance kit and a concealer set. The brand's "Brow Gelcomb" is reported to have rocketed in sales, showing it clientele feel the need to keep their "over-eye caterpillars" well-tended.

To cater to the growing demand for men's cosmetics, make-up artists who usually cater for women's only customer bases are starting to post tutorials on their websites specifically for men to provide them with tips and tricks.

Make-up mogul Charlotte Tilbury's website reads: "I get so many requests from men asking how they too can benefit from the power of skincare and make-up products." Describing a video on her site, she said: "This is a masculine approach to beauty – helping you to look and feel revived after a late night or a long winter, for a job interview or date, or when you just need a skin pick-me-up."

It is the first time that men and teenage boys are being offered a dedicated range of concealers and foundations to subtly improve their appearance and boost confidence. The male make-up revolution also offers more accessible solutions for men suffering from spots and skin conditions to cover their blemishes without resorting to using "women's" products.

And as make-up trends evolve, men could also see bolder forms of make-up such as eyeliner and eyeshadow included in mainstream cosmetics offerings.

Last year 26-year-old beauty blogger, Gary Thompson, became the first man to star in a make-up advert.

Featuring in L'Oreal's True Match Foundation advert alongside celebrities including Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Gary talks about finally being true to himself and embracing who he is. At the time he said: "I think we've come far with accepting men wearing makeup.

"If you look at it five years' ago, if you thought of men wearing make-up you'd think of extreme sparkly eyeshadow but today it doesn't have to be like that. You could wear a good foundation, a good contour, a natural base and it doesn't have to be extreme."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017...e-yearsloreal/

What do you think?

Is this really where society is heading?

@Aeula Being from the U.K. are you interested?

[Aeula]

You know lots of that shit has the foreskin of babies in it, right?

I don't really want to put baby dick anywhere near my face.

[Morgaith]

I find it strange that it doesn't exist already tbh but with the rise in the trans people i can totally understand why it's at least coming now.

[Doctor Amadeus]

You know lots of that shit has the foreskin of babies in it, right?

I don't really want to put baby dick anywhere near my face.

No it does not. LOL

[Tennis]

I find it strange that it doesn't exist already tbh but with the rise in the trans people i can totally understand why it's at least coming now.

It's very popular in South Korea but not in the rest of the world. Most of the guys I know would never wear concealer, eyeliner etc.

[Elegiac]

As a dude who wears makeup, 'male cosmetics' already exist. Last I recall existing makeup brands didn't come with a vagina.

[Aeula]

No it does not. LOL

Most face cream and skincare products do.

[Moralgy]

I find it strange that it doesn't exist already tbh but with the rise in the trans people i can totally understand why it's at least coming now.

Trans men generally just stick to normal makeup if they want to after transition so it really wouldn't affect the market what so ever, trans women just use makeup.

Idk why we need "male makeup" when it is still just makeup. Is it just going to be a marketing thing that has a giant FOR MEN sticker on it so guys don't feel like "girls" when buying it? Kinda sad if that is all that is holding some men back from wearing makeup.

[Hugnomo]

As a dude who wears makeup, 'male cosmetics' already exist. Last I recall existing makeup brands didn't come with a vagina.

Exactly. Gendered marketing is just a bullshit excuse to sell the same product twice, often times overpriced.
I don't wear makeup myself, but I know men who do, and they have for a long time. Nothing wrong with that. People should be free to express themselves the way they see fit.

[Xargoth6634]

The only times in my life where I ever wore makeup as a dude was when I acted in high school plays some 20 years back. I have zero use for it today, but more power to anyone who would.

[Kyriani]

I think that if/when cosmetics becomes a more unisex thing as far as use goes, we'll still see cosmetics specifically geared more towards men. By that I'm thinking less bold colors and more "enhancement" type cosmetics like how eye liner can make some guys look really friggin sexy.

Case in point:



There's also more tribal style cosmetics like my favorite Dothraki wears:



Even something like Football player eyeblack could become a fashion statement:



Maybe with enough time bold color cosmetics could become the "it" thing. Remember, once upon a time blue used to be the "girly color" and pink the "manly color". Anything is possible.

[Super Kami Dende]

As a dude who wears makeup, 'male cosmetics' already exist. Last I recall existing makeup brands didn't come with a vagina.

Things suddenly make a lot more sense.

Also, I didn't think Men Cosmetic Counters were required, since there wasn't any Women only Barricades around existing counters.

[Independent voter]

I don't think it's for heteros.

[Daedius]

You know lots of that shit has the foreskin of babies in it, right?

I don't really want to put baby dick anywhere near my face.

What if it was endorsed by a Mohel ?

[Snes]

If more people want to smear carcinogens on their faces then I'm not going to stop them. At least it's good for the economy.

[Hooked]

I would never wear make up, I have good looks naturally.

[Arkthugal]

As a dude who wears makeup, 'male cosmetics' already exist. Last I recall existing makeup brands didn't come with a vagina.

They'd probably sell more if they did, though.

[Tennis]

As a dude who wears makeup, 'male cosmetics' already exist. Last I recall existing makeup brands didn't come with a vagina.

Why would you do that. You look fine the way you are.

[Elegiac]

Why would you do that. You look fine the way you are.

Because I feel more confident and polished when I do. My choice, not yours.

- - - Updated - - -

Things suddenly make a lot more sense.

Oh my god, I put shit on my face to even out my complexion. This somehow has something to do with my political viewpoints.

[Milchshake]

Oh my god, I put shit on my face to even out my complexion. This somehow has something to do with my political viewpoints.

There's a professional man out there who only wished he knew how to even out his complexion.... I'm totally buying stock in companies that sell orange blenders.