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This is how BTS look so good – make-up for men, already popular in Korea, is now the norm for millennial and Gen Z male consumers

South Korean boy band BTS did a make-up collaboration with VT Cosmetics.

Remember the days when men had to be either rock stars or Captain Jack Sparrow to pull off smudgy black “guyliner”? It seems like that’s where cosmetics began and ended for men in the 90s and early 2000s.

But today, if you browse through the men’s section of ASOS, the London-based company which targets millennials and Generation Z consumers, you will find a dedicated make-up section listing thousands of unisex and men’s-only beauty products.

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One such product is the Liquid Foundation for Men by MMUK (Men’s Make-Up UK), which was voted in the September 2012 issue of Men’s Health as the world’s best male face make-up.

“Men’s grooming has come a long way since the soap-and-water thing,” says the product description of the light-to-medium coverage foundation.

Tom Ford Brow GelComb for men has been developed exclusively for men's eyebrows.

According to a study by YouGov, the global public opinion and data company, the 18 to 34 age customer base is where we see the male beauty industry on the up-and-up. The study says a third of younger men use beauty products to make them look better.

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Additionally, 29 per cent of male millennials abide by a regular skin regimen. (So if your boyfriend or hubby is still on that janky soap bar, perhaps now is the time to switch gears.)

But it’s not just ASOS and millennial start-ups that are taking note of this uprise in men’s make-up; established luxury beauty brands are also trying to cash in on the demographic.

Tom Ford Beauty offers a men's line, which includes a Brow Gelcomb developed exclusively for men's eyebrows. There is also a Brow Definer, Bronzing Gel and Hydrating Lip Balm in the collection.

Chanel unveiled its first cosmetics range for men, Boy de Chanel, in January 2019.

Chanel unveiled its first cosmetics range for men, Boy de Chanel, in January 2019, which come in a sophisticated matt-touch, midnight blue packaging.

Korean actor Lee Dong-wook is the face for Boy de Chanel.

Boy de Chanel comprises three products: Le Teint, a tinted fluid foundation that promises an “undetectable result”; Le Baume Levres matt moisturising lip balm with no shiny effect on the lips; and Le Stylo Sourcils, an eyebrow pencil in four shades – light brown, grey, deep brown and black.

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Tom Ford For Men and Boy de Chanel seem to market themselves to male consumers who want their make-up game to go unnoticed.

Some male beauty advocates, however, do not mind their make-up skills being clocked. In fact, for some, it’s their bread and butter.

Male beauty influencers, once relegated to YouTube videos and social media feeds, have been receiving the same kind of international spotlight as more “traditional” celebrities in recent years.

Internet personality James Charles, who became the first male ambassador for CoverGirl in 2016, was recently spotted on the red carpet for Rihanna's Savage x Fenty show in September. He regularly receives mainstream media attention for his antics on- and off-screen.

Filipino-American YouTube star Patrick Starrr has featured celebrities Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Katy Perry, Raven Symone, Naomi Campbell and Paris Hilton on his popular beauty tutorial channel. He also partnered with MAC cosmetics for his own capsule collection.

Jeffree Star, a popular YouTube beauty celebrity, started his own e-commerce make-up line, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, in 2014.

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We might attribute the rise of the male cosmetics industry, at least in part, to these “non-traditional media” celebrities, who used their channels and influence to show that men, too, could stake a claim in the beauty industry.

In South Korea, male appreciation for cosmetics and grooming has been ingrained in culture since the rise of K-pop. For male K-pop celebrities, it is not uncommon for them to wear full make-up on stage like their female counterparts.

 

According to CNN, South Korean men lead the world as male skincare consumers, with the Korean market growing by 44 per cent between 2011 and 2017. These consumers might enjoy beauty treatments at least once a week, with the ultimate aim of looking more like their K-pop idols.

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In fact, today, we’re seeing more male faces fronting beauty campaigns and taking on ambassadorial roles for cosmetics brands – and most of these figures come from Asia:

South Korean actor Lee Dong-Wook is the new Chanel ambassador for Boy de Chanel.

Hong Kong rapper Jackson Wang became the newest face for Armani Beauty in August.

For Givenchy Beauty, Kang Daniel, member of K-pop group Wanna One, is the face of the brand’s Le Rouge lipstick line.

South Korean boy band BTS did a make-up collaboration with VT Cosmetics, and Monsta X partnered with Tony Moly for a range of lip tints.

K-pop Artist Holland, in an interview with Allure magazine, said: “I heard a lot of the American guys don’t put make-up on. In Korea, it’s totally the opposite; a lot of Korean guys are interested in using make-up.”

 

Deciding to wear make-up, whether it's a spot of concealer on dark circles, or a full glam moment for the red carpet, seems less about what gender you are and more about whether you want to.

As a Chanel representative put it: “Men should be free to use make-up products to correct or improve their appearance, without calling into question their masculinity.”

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Chanel, Tom Ford and luxury brands join mainstream companies in creating make-up products for men, already popular with K-pop bands such as BTS