You wake up in the morning and start brewing coffee, and while waiting to pour your first cup, you turn on the television to catch a few minutes of the morning news. Male reporters and political analysts appear on popular morning news shows and speak into the camera.
If you own a pre-HD TV, you may not notice what viewers of HD or UHD see with striking clarity: both men and women are wearing makeup, in some cases, heavily caked on foundation makeup. Seeing it for the first time, you may be taken aback, but after a while, you hardly seem to notice anymore. But the more you view TV in HD or Ultra HD, you’ll realize that men are always wearing makeup.
Outside of television or actors in movies, you may have asked yourself, “Should men be wearing makeup? Why or why not?” The answer is completely subjective: if you wish to enhance your appearance, cover imperfections and gain a little confidence, then the answer is yes, you should try wearing makeup.
Traditionalists and some older men who never wore makeup in their teens or early adulthood, may balk at the idea of wearing makeup because (as they see it) men wearing makeup diminishes masculinity. Bear in mind that these are mere opinions, and no one should abstain from trying it because of someone’s personal opinion about it. But beware, there may be consequences beyond someone’s opinion that can impact you when you start applying makeup.
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Wearing Makeup is Not About Wanting to be Feminine
For tens of thousands of years, women have applied cosmetics to their face and body in order to gain confidence, feel more attractive, and to a certain extent, conform to the notion that women are expected to wear it, especially when appearing in public and giving presentations.
Men who apply makeup are not immediately considered to be less masculine, or part of the LGBT community. Most men who apply makeup are heterosexual, and each month and year more and more men are wearing makeup, for the same reasons women do.
Just as there is peer pressure for women to wear makeup, there is an inverse pressure on some groups of men not to. If men have been inspired to wear makeup after seeing how it made a gay man look, means they are inspired to look better themselves.
Why do Men Wear Makeup?
Traditionally, women wear makeup, not only because of pressure from society; competition, especially in urban areas, can be fierce, and each woman strives to be noticed. But it is not only to attract a male’s gaze. Today people are evaluated for jobs, not just on their ability to do the work. If a woman is exceedingly qualified but does not make a positive impression visually, she could be passed over for someone who does make a good impression, though not as qualified.
But it is much more than that. Competition in society has become fiercer. People are so distracted by phones, the Internet and by increased pressure at their work that it’s even more difficult to get the attention you need to move forward.
Would a rural man who works on a farm in a small town where everyone knows one another, be as inclined to wear makeup as a man living in an urban center? It’s not my intent to paint a bleak picture about competition and getting noticed; male makeup may be simply an evolutionary adaptation.
If most men in society wore cowboy boots, it is likely that most of us would do the same. If most men drove electric cars, we would want an electric car for ourselves also. If most men bought makeup and applied it every day, do you think the pressure to conform would cause you to buy makeup for yourself?
Despite the most antisocial people living in society, most of us have a biological urge to conform. So if we see other males wearing something we haven’t seen before, and over time we see more and more males wearing the same thing, and that thing helps them gain popularity and be noticed, would you feel pressure to do the same thing? Perhaps you are doing it already?
My Recommendation For A Subtle Man’s Makeup and Concealer
If you’re looking for a really simple concealer that you can use to spot correct your face, you’ve come to the right place. There is absolutely nothing worse than waking up in the morning to a big zit/pimple staring back at you in the mirror. If you’re looking to give yourself just a quick dab to conceal the mess, I’d recommend THIS. It’s a really lightweight concealer that you can use to make pimples and spots magically disappear.
I don’t use this often, but when i do, it’s because I have experienced simple pimples popping up on my face that I want to totally annihilate. So, if you’re looking for a quick fix, I’d really recommend it.
Gender Roles are Being Redefined Today
There’s more acceptance in society today about expanding gender roles. Men are considered to be masculine today for different reasons than they were 20 years ago. In the 1970s, men were encouraged to be more sensitive and nurturing in their relationships, but in the late 1980s, men were drawn towards a different masculinity. Muscular strength, appearing masculine, meant building up muscle mass in the gym, not wearing makeup.
Attractiveness is now defined not in terms of muscle mass. Skinny jeans, once worn only by women, are now the most popular pants for males. It is not common seeing a 250-pound hulking, muscular man wearing skinny jeans today.
Men today are more conscious about what they wear, especially in cities and large towns. Lots of “gender conforming” men today enjoy applying makeup to get the best look they can.
A warning was mentioned earlier. For women as for men, trying to look one’s best can become an obsession. Women have fought for years against the image of females in advertising and the media. For a long time, clothing companies and retail outlets determined that skinny women were the epitome of beauty. Any women with a few extra pounds was considered fat or obese. Since then, things have changed. In fact, curvy women are currently being marketed more and more. Besides, it’s not really healthy to be too skinny.
Men can face a similar situation when makeup becomes popular. Men may appear in marketing ads, as intensely handsome and wearing makeup, either in national advertising, on websites, or on television commercials and may make men feel inadequate as they strive to mimic the model’s appearance. This same pressure forced women to think even harder on their choices for their appearance; unfortunately, this kind of pressure made most women feel inadequate.
All Men Should Try Wearing Makeup at Least Once
It is a good thing to try new things and see if they will improve your self-confidence, and makeup is a great example. Some men grew up with acne conditions such as acne vulgaris, or cystic acne, which left scars on the face and parts off the body. A light foundation will cover the scars and give the face a much-desired, smoother appearance. Others spent their teen years with a condition known as rosacea in which noticeable redness appeared on part of the face. Topical application of make will give the face a uniform color.
Still other men have spent their teens and adulthood with pale, translucent complexions and have always wished for more color. Primers for men come in different shades, from light to dark that will give them the healthy-looking skin tone they’ve always wanted.
There are degrees of makeup wearing for men. Some men’s makeup products, when applied, are barely noticeable except tot the wearer. Men can start with a light application of makeup and apply more later on if they wish, or only keep facial makeup to a minimum. Ironically, makeup can give men a more masculine look if applied properly.
What types of Makeup are the Most Popular for Men?
The most popular makeup products for men currently on the market are the following.
- Finishing Powders and Primers. Primer smoothes out the skin, and also helps eliminate shininess of the face. Some men also have large skin pores, and a primer in the right color for the face will greatly reduce the appearance of pores. Be careful with finishing powders. The work the same way as primers to reduce the appearance of pores and a shiny face, but if not used properly, finishing powders can be noticeable.
- Color Correcting Cream. If your skin has undertones of red or blue, color correcting cream can remove the reds and blues and give your face an even tone. Color correctors come in at least a dozen shades.
- Concealer Crème. The purpose of concealers is to hide blemishes and conceal the dark circles under the eyes. Spend time finding the right skin tone for your face. If you picked right, you can remove the dark circles and blemishes and have an even skin tone.