Make-up for men: how K-pop, changing ideals and gender identity are driving the male cosmetic trend, and tips for men who want to try
- Men wore make-up for thousands of years, only stopping after the Age of Enlightenment when gender divides were established
- Now, with changing ideas about gender stereotypes, many men are trying out beauty products, and the cosmetic industry is ready
Young Yuh’s skincare and make-up routine usually takes 35 minutes: cleanser, toner, some type of serum, moisturiser, sunscreen, primer, concealer, contour, blush and eyeliner.
For many straight men like Yuh, this might seem excessive. But Yuh, who boasts 1.6 million followers on short-video social media platform TikTok and posts skincare and make-up tutorials full-time, finds the process key to his self-expression.
Make-up and skincare preferences vary greatly from person to person, Yuh, 31, says over the phone from Los Angeles. “It’s like hygiene or it’s like art. There shouldn’t be any stereotypes, especially with gender, linking skincare in that way whatsoever.”
Men and masculine-identifying people have adorned themselves with make-up for thousands of years. But gender binaries established during the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries influenced who typically wears – and who doesn’t wear – make-up today.
Look on TikTok and other social media platforms, however, and you’ll notice a shift: men of all sexual orientations brush blush on their cheeks and find eyeliners to make their bold eyes pop. The hashtag #meninmakeup has more than 250 million views on TikTok.
“We are experiencing the democratisation of make-up across gender lines,” says Meloney Moore, associate dean at the School of Business Innovation at Savannah College of Art and Design.