Can a Man Wearing Makeup Be Sexy?
By Kate Sullivan, Allure magazine
Recently, a male acquaintance approached us at a party and asked about makeup. For himself.
He's young, handsome, and while definitely the type of metro-hipster who wears his pants so tight that he's got to slap his thigh to get a quarter out of his pocket-he's also straight. He has no interest in trans-style false eyelashes, but is curious about concealer. Unhelpfully, we immediately launched into a story about how our brother dabbed some concealer under his eyes before his prom back in the late nineties, and did such an awful job at it, that we thought our mother would never stop laughing.
But this local trend story out of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida shows that man-makeup and swanky skin-care purchases are now spreading beyond major cities. Not that we needed a reminder: A joint survey between Allure and GQ found that the average man uses 11 grooming products a day. American men spent close to $5 billion on products last year (and that's leaving out the cost of spa and hair removal treatments)!
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But as much as women don't want the men in their lives to look like ogres, and as much as they have been able to seamlessly adopt men's products-like masculine scents or the amazing Mach3 razor-many are turned off by a man spending time and money on beauty. When we went gamine a few years ago, we took some flack-but drew far more Audrey Hepburn-laced compliments. Feminine or androgynous looks for men (gay and straight alike), however, are often met with scorn. Why is there such a sharp difference in people's reactions?
Finally, for our makeup-curious man-friends, one piece of advice: Skin care first. If you're at the point where you're considering Clinique's M Cover (specifically made for men's blemishes and under-eye circles), you shouldn't be washing your face with a bar of Irish Spring. Get a decent cleanser (we like: Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash), and while you're at it, a moisturizer with SPF (Kiehl's Facial Fuel), and something to blast away breakouts (Neutrogena Rapid Clear 7 Day Acne Intervention Kit).
P.S. That gender-neutral, gentle cleanser will make your bathroom much more lady-friendly.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
