While most do not usually wear eyeshadow or lipstick, these male stars actually don a full face of foundation that looks so natural, we tend to forget they are even wearing makeup.
"Men have been getting makeup or 'grooming' for as long as there have been cameras," says makeup artist (and Byrdie contributor) Afton Williams. "Everyone does it. When I tell people that every man on television is wearing makeup, a lot of people have a hard time processing that."
In modern times, we see rock, pop, and metal bands and artists like KISS, David Bowie, and Prince showing off elaborate looks onstage. In many forms of performance, including theatre and film, the public sees male actors wearing significant amounts of stage makeup.
Job Market Competition. For many Korean men, using makeup is a way for them to improve their hireability. Putting on makeup takes time and training, and men who have mastered the skill can have an advantage in situations such as job interviews.
Turns out, barring Spanx, men employ all the same expertise — from plastic surgery to makeup — to look ravishing on the red carpet.
Earlier explorers from the University of Rochester in New York have already scientifically confirmed that women in red attracts men's attention most of all.
In the spirit of speaking with data, I ran a quick survey on Qualtrics with about 60 men. 78% said they preferred women with the no-makeup look while just 22% said they preferred makeup. In a company context, product managers would assume that this revealed a clear preference.
For men, it's all about that "chok-chok" radiance. The de rigueur look in South Korea, literally translated as a "dewy" glow, has long been associated with femininity. But a pretty-boy esthetic popularized by K-pop idols is helping to fuel the $7-billion Korean cosmetics industry.
While there are many countries that think men shouldn't use makeup, Japan isn't one of them. They're still not the majority, but more and more men here now use cosmetics and think nothing of it.
Beauty standards for men are tall, pale skin, and a clean-shaven face. Male standards aren't as restricting as women's but they're similar in causing men to look androgynous, pale, and skinny.
Overall, 15% of heterosexual men 18–65 in the U.S. currently use male cosmetics and makeup, and an additional 17% would consider using them in the future.
It wasn't until the late 20th century that mainstream men once again wore obvious makeup. Though men in 1920s Hollywood wore makeup, the goal wasn't so much to show off as it was to show up on camera.
Yes, lipstick for men is not a modern concept, but rather a reinvention. Not only did the purpose of lipstick take a turn throughout the years, but the range of people who donned colorful lips changed as well. Today lipstick stands as a medium for self-expression and creativity for any person regardless of gender.
Men are often times considered weird for wearing makeup because there's social stigma attached to men who do that. Many societies, even till today, see men who do traditionally feminine things such as applying makeup as effeminate and emasculated.
For millennia, stretching from 4000 BCE through the 18th century, men traditionally used makeup in myriad ways. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that makeup was relegated to one end of the gender spectrum.
Most Korean men who wear makeup like to use a pencil to draw perfect eyebrows, they also use tinted lip balm to moisturize their lips without looking too pale. Finally, some of them also use natural blush to create a healthy effect.
Hookups and Casual Dating are Taboo
While hookups in other countries are not especially celebrated, they are accepted as part of society. However in Japan hookups are seen as “filthy”, this is mostly the opinion of those that practice a religion.
Prolonged eye contact (staring) is considered rude. Don't show affection, such as hugging or shoulder slapping, in public. Never beckon with your forefinger. The Japanese extend their right arm out in front, bending the wrist down, waving fingers.
Yet while enjoying Korean television dramas, some foreign viewers find it strange that young male actors wear red lipstick. Indeed, young Korean male actors always wear lipstick on the screen, and as a result, they look like women. Sometimes, they even look prettier than the women with whom they share scenes.
According to a survey on South Korean beauty trends among men, around 4.4 percent of respondents in their forties stated that they were using make-up regularly in 2021.
There shouldn't be any stereotypes, especially with gender, linking skin care in that way whatsoever." Men and masculine-identifying people have adorned themselves with makeup for thousands of years.
"When men were evaluating a short-term mate for a one-night stand they showed equal interest in her face and body instead of the face winning by a blowout." For long-term 75 percent of male participants wanted to see the face, but for short-term flings 50 percent of men chose face and 50 percent chose the body.
"Male faces were rated as higher in attractiveness when presented wearing subtle makeup, compared to when presented not wearing makeup," said Carlota Batres, the survey's lead psychologist. "This was true for both male and female raters, and whether analyzing the data using a by-participant or a by-face analysis."