Long gone are the days where guys separate from their girls as they reach the makeup aisle. The winds of change now bring men and women to the makeup counters to get all the latest beauty products.
With celebrities like George Clooney and sports stars like David Beckham featuring picture perfect faces, men too can benefit from makeup. By no means do you have to look like David Bowie or Boy George (unless you want to), but the application of some makeup, men can now accentuate those features they really want the ladies to see.
Top designer, Marc Jacobs, launched his line of male beauty products at Sephora including lip balm, concealer and brow gel. Since then, several other designers and makeup companies, like Mac, have jumped on board. Despite the resistance, the product lines have actually done substantially well.
We live in a world where appearance matters; you only have to look at television ads and anywhere on social media. Men and women look flawless. So, why do men from everyday walks of life have to suffer from dark eye circles, unruly eyebrows, or chapped lips?
Now they can use brow gel to tame their eyebrows into a perfect pose and concealer to cover those dark circles. There should definitely not be any discrimination when it comes to nice smelling lip balms; these truly need to be unisex because we all need kissable lips.
Men can also now benefit from face cleansers and toners as well as face masks and skin bronzing powder. Men can get that healthy glow with the latest scrubs and lotions. Looking your best does not make you less masculine and even the most rugged of men can have healthy looking skin.
The newest in the male beauty line is 'manscara', which has caused upheaval once again. Similar to the mascara women buy, it is used to accent features. Additional products like foundation are sold to create flawless appearances without looking feminine.
In reality, men have been wearing makeup all throughout history so this really is nothing new. Somewhere along the line, society decided it was feminine. Now we have to add tag lines like 'for men' to products that society deems fit for females only. The products are not supposed to be some special edition, but rather used by anyone at any time.
Of course, this is all met with resistance by men that think their image will be thoroughly tainted with the use of makeup. Is this really the case, or do we still rely too much on the ways of the past?
Men and women have equal jobs now and share financial responsibilities. Both sexes can vote and both can play any sport they want. The days of strict male and female roles are disappearing, leaving an opportunity for further equality. The most masculine and heterosexual men are used in advertising and provide testimony of using these products.
Final Thoughts
Beauty is not strictly a feminine characteristic. There is nothing wrong with men taking care of their skin and keeping it youthful and supple. It is not about looking feminine; it is about looking groomed. It's about taking care of ourselves and our images with whatever tools (and makeup brushes) we have at our disposal.
Citations
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2415461/Marc-Jacobs-unveils-new-MENS-make-range.html
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/makeup-for-men-photos_n_3159754.html
