Masculinity Mavericks - The Rise of Male Beauty
From high-octane colour cosmetics to subtle skincare hybrids, male-focused make-up is on the rise. Celebrating an all inclusive mindset and challenging antiquated gendered narratives, this growing category is shaping new opinions and disrupting tired traditional tropes around masculinity.
Male beauty is finally in the spotlight, and not just for the Gen Z cohorts openly celebrating their creativity, fluid identities and unapologetic approach to self-expression. Once the preserve of the radical and reactionary, male make-up is now influencing brands and NPD pipelines from luxury labels to new startups, including older generations taking a fresh approach to looking and feeling their best. Unsurprisingly Gen Z are leading the charge, with Cosmetics Business reporting that “Gen Z men were found to be the driving force in the male beauty boom, with spending increasing 68% year on year – accounting for 27% of sales within the demographic”, and celebrity brands such as Harry Styles’ Pleasing and Machine Gun Kelly’s UN/DN LAQR have helped drive the cultural relevance of colour cosmetics for all genders.
For decades, many brands struggled to persuade men to embrace more than a cursory cleanse and moisturise routine, but with the days of men feeling shame around skincare and make-up over, an increasing number of men are incorporating performance skincare and cosmetics staples into their everyday grooming arsenal. Beauty giants such as L’Oreal, Estee Lauder and Rimmel London are also progressing the movement - enrolling brand ambassadors from traditionally male-dominated sports to front their campaigns and tapping into trending #GRWT (get ready with me) videos that normalise beauty routines for men (the hashtag has more than 83.2 billion TikTok views). Olympic diver Tom Daley is Rimmel’s first-ever male face, and Estee Lauder’s 2023 Advanced Night Re.pair Serum APAC campaign partnered with players from Manchester United’s first team, including Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, and Alejandro Garnacho - enabling the brand to not only reach new male audiences in an unorthodox way but to educate fans on skincare and position beauty as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Campaign straplines like Winning Formula, Change the Game and Icon meets Icon are conflating beauty routines with performance and success – a mindset that encourages and supports men of all ages to consider skincare and beauty as part of their overall wellbeing.
From the uber-polished looks of the Dior SS23 men’s runway to accessible men’s make-up brands such as War Paint and Stryx eradicating stigma, men’s make up has evolved into sophisticated skincare hybrids that embrace functional skincare actives as well as everyday cosmetic concerns such as dark circles, razor burn, bumps and nicks. Shakeup Cosmetics, one of the fastest-growing brands in this space launched its hybrid colour cosmetics range in Boots earlier this year and with the male colour cosmetics market predicted to reach a valuation of US$43b by 2033, innovators in this space are keen to satiate consumer appetite across new markets. Slick new make-up brand Apostle, created by luxury beauty industry insiders Jamie Melbourne and Tony Lecy-Siewert, is determined to make make-up mainstream for men in the US. Challenging the ubiquity of generic ‘unisex’ brands and confidently creating clean, prestige products for men at an affordable price point, the brand is elevating the men’s make-up space with its premium Mr. Porter aesthetic, luxe packaging and hybrid make-up products that men can seamlessly adopt into their existing routines. ‘Reclaim’ – the brand’s debut product - is a clean, tinted moisturizer/skincare hybrid with hero ingredients such as Niacinamide and Vitamin E that deliver long-term skincare benefits. The brand ethos leads with a focus on cultivating self-care and self-awareness as a building block for confidence and empathy – a fresh take that challenges the still prevalent culture of toxic masculinity and what modern men actually want. What is also fresh and innovative is the brand’s deliberate reversal of the traditional shade range order – it starts with the deepest tones, clearly recognising the power of challenging cultural perceptions and pushing the D&I narrative even further forward.
As we witness this exciting resurgence, may this boom in beauty emerge as a turning point in progressive modern masculinity – championing the next generation of males to embrace beauty as a natural part of their ongoing wellness and self-care.
Article Credit - Nicky Connors