72 replies to this topic

[Good Guy]

For the ones not reading this wall of text: why don't more guys use make-up(foundation/concealing/contouring) to their advantage/looking more attractive?

I really don't get it.
I consider myself a semi-metrosexual.

I am 100% straight, but I just want to look my best, wherever I go. My skin is clearing up tremendously atm on accutane, and I've been using powder foundation to improve my complexion, give it that lil' edge.

Also I'm about to buy some bronzer powder/highlighting powder to improve the angles of my face by very lightly contouring it.

Personally, people have never made comments about what supposedly would be make-up (foundation) on my face. And maybe if they do some day, I guess I'll just say I'm a metrosexual. Because I guess that's what guys trying to actually improve their complexion by make-up are.

Why don't more guys use make-up to their advantage? Of course this doesn't include eye-liner, eye-shadow and all that stuff; just a simple foundation/some concealer for flat red marks/contouring which is unnoticable?
And most of all: why is this not accepted; especially by girls. (contradicting; as they mostly use make-up as well). Girls shouldn't say "oh, I just like a natural rough manly man". Because I could reply with: "Yeah well, I don't want a clown-faced girl but someone who presents natural beauty".

Typed this up real fast, sorry for misspelling.

[Christa1]

You're not the only one. Check out these sites for makeup for men...

studio5ive.com
4voo.com
sephora.com

[plissken]

Well, it's not that strange is it? It's looked downed upon in our society. If you're a guy wearing make-up (unless you're a movie/ or rockstar) people generally see you as feminine, or "gay". While that might suck, that's the way it is. I'm sure you could make it look like you're not wearing anything, but that's risky when you're unexperienced right? There's always the fear that someone finds out.

Personally, as a guy, I see nothing wrong with wearing make-up when it comes to flaws that make you feel uncomfortable. Scars, redmarks or whatever. But if you look decent.. naah. That's just overboard vanity. About girls wanting manly men, that's not strange.. it's nature. Whereas most guys probably want girls to look feminine. Make-up and femininity goes hand in hand in this day and age.

[Fiyero]

the main reason men are afraid to venture into the world of makeup is because they know very little about cosmetics or how to apply them. most guys who read your first post might still be wondering what contouring is. many are also afraid of being caught wearing it and/or looking effeminate.

learning how to apply makeup properly, to make it look natural, finding the right shade, or contouring etc. can be a bit tricky and sometimes even girls have a hard time mastering the techniques.

Once men get over the fact that makeup isn't just about eyeshadow/lipstick, they start to get more comfortable with the idea of wearing something like foundation to help make them look more polished and presentable. some tricks like contouring the jawline/chin look especially good on men - it can give the illusion of a more defined square jaw.

No one has ever directly commented on my makeup. I'm sure people have noticed, but quite frankly I don't care if they do. The only few comments I have ever gotten were from people telling me my skin looks nice, asking if I was wearing anything.

I wear quite a bit of makeup but spend considerable time/money making sure it looks natural. Not because i'm afraid of people noticing but because I prefer a more natural look.. when i'm done, i still want my skin to look like skin.

[daisydukes]

I would like to believe that someday soon it will be more socially acceptable. Think of this: Plenty of men get manicures; in fact, I have seen beauty salons for men. Of course, men just get their nails polished with a bit of clear paint for a nice finish...but this is a great analogy for men and make-up. [Most] men would not wear crazy colors or mascara. So back to the manicure: if it is socially acceptable for men to get a simplified manicure, and for women to get a beautiful/sometimes extravagant manicure, why can't it be acceptable for men to wear a simple foundation, as it is acceptable for women to wear any make-up product they please (i.e. sometimes extravagant)?

[pchic]

I think makeup will actually improve the appearances of a lot of men.. it's like you see a pretty girl with an average looking guy on the street when most of the time the pretty girl's looks are enhanced by makeup, and it's all an illusion. I don't see why guys can't put on some concealer and powder. But it's still a stigma as people think makeup is for women only.

In japan however the men do put on makeup.. and emos do put on makeup too if that counts. Gender roles are blurring, men are going for waxing and going for skincare and stuff.

[Siava]

I don't know why guys are so afraid. Men wearing a bit of guyliner and manscara (hehe, I love those terms), and heck, even foundation if it looks natural is freakin' hawt.

Men wearing makeup cycles. It was popular in the 80's and waned, but seems to be coming back again with fury.

[cprlfred]

I don't know why guys are so afraid. Men wearing a bit of guyliner and manscara (hehe, I love those terms), and heck, even foundation if it looks natural is freakin' hawt.

Men wearing makeup cycles. It was popular in the 80's and waned, but seems to be coming back again with fury.

I don't really like make-up on anyone, male or female. I guess I would 1.) think it would make my face worse, and 2.) just be a way of covering up my skin - when what I really want is a real solution to the acne problem.

I think men are just as concerned about their skin. In our society, it seems as if it is unnaceptable for a man to cover up his flaws, where as women are almost expected to.

maybe not.

it is interesting....the make-up question. I always wonder what would happen if I was to somehow get on TV, like a game show....something like "wheel of fortune" they'd definitely put major make-up on, but what about say..."the price is right"...do they screen people for bad skin/acne??

I've never seen anyone with bad skin/acne on the news.

[Raimundo]

Finally, a topic I can really relate too

So far, I've been wearing makeup for about 3 years...However, I learned from my own trial and error, so at first, you could tell when I was wearing makeup (i didn't even know what "shade" and a bunch of those terms were. But thank the Lord for the creation of the Internet ). But I've become better and better and now, I'm actually become good at it...

The main reason why guys are afraid of makeup is because of the big stereotype that by wearing makeup makes them 100% gay and no female will not want date or mate with them because they wear makeup.

At first, I was self-conscious about wearing makeup due to the typical stereotype, but now I really don't care what people think about me. So if they judge me just because I don't want people starring at my blemishes and scars, then the hell with them, I don't care . Just a couple weeks ago, I had my shade matched for Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Macy's at the Mall of America. I was getting my shade matched while people walked by. Some of them stared, while some people payed no attention at all. I had only one older lady give me this "awkward look". But like I said, I don't care what people think, so the hell with her.

Alot of people have made good comments about the pros of guys of wearing makeup. In the early ages, the men usually wore the makeup because women were to beautiful to wear it (except for those of higher class, since they could afford it). Now days its just to hard for people to realize that makeup is not just for one specific gender. Plus, more skin care companies are making "For Men" products, so sooner or later more men are going to be using more skin products, makeup or not. So expect more "metros" to come your way...(I dislike using labels for people...music as well).

So for all those people reading this topic (plus you "metros" in the closet), don't be afraid of walking in the makeup aisle. Your not the only one that does so, so why the hell should you be afraid? Ignore what people say and listen to your own judgement...you'll be happier that way

Please note, I rambled on for while, so excuse any of my spelling errors...I'm just too damn opionated for my own good

[stopthemaddness]

maybe not.

it is interesting....the make-up question. I always wonder what would happen if I was to somehow get on TV, like a game show....something like "wheel of fortune" they'd definitely put major make-up on, but what about say..."the price is right"...do they screen people for bad skin/acne??

I've never seen anyone with bad skin/acne on the news.

They probably do!! and for those with light acne they apply makeup or a lighting trick or something. With the millions of people who suffer from acne it would be impossible for one to never be on a game show...

Back to the original question: Why don't more guys use makeup??
I think before acne, maybe even up to a few years ago I would think that it's way to gross and weird for a guy to wear makeup. But now that i understand how a little bit of makeup can go along way when you're feeling less than confident about your facial apperance, I would be totally okay with a guy wearing makeup.
And plus that's one more thing we have in common, I can see it now.. shopping at Sephora together, matching eachother's shades, then at the end of the night we can both take off our "clown-faces" sounds pretty ideal.

[Tyga]

I'm not afraid of make-up. It's not my thing. Other guys can wear it as they please. I'm not going to give them a problem about it.

[Rich 213]

i personally don't wear make up for a lot of reasons the main one i would say is laziness. i don't want to be waking up another 15 minutes early EVERY morning to deal with it. i try to streamline my morning routine to squeeze every minute of sleep possible

other than that i don't know how to do it, seems like it would be inconvenient doing something like swimming, and i never really thought it would help that much. i think i would feel more self conscious wondering if people could tell i was wearing make up than i do about people seeing my acne.

[now.or.never]

Girls try to look their best.

Guys try to look their best while hiding the fact that they're trying.

Makeup on a guy shows that he thinks of his acne as a disgrace. That is weakness.

Sure, makeup makes me feel good (I'm a drama student, so I have put it on b4)

But the scrutiny that comes with it makes me feel bad.. so for me it's just not worth it.

Sad Sad truth =(

[Gemgems]

Everyone wants to look their best.
And we have to admit that makeup does improve how we do look. For men its so hard to buy makeup because there is nothing aimed at them to buy.
But things are getting better for them. There are ranges of skin care out there now just for men so who knows im a couple of years there will b a whole new makeup range 4 them.
I dont have a problem with men wearing make up. It just shows they like to make an effort like us girls do. Just dont wear more than the girls guys! Ha ha

[Erk]

Personally the only makeup I ever use is eyebrow pencil..yes, I'm gay, but I refuse to wear any coverups though, I find it to be completely unnatural. I wouldn't want compliments on my skin if I had makeup on.

The only way I would ever wear makeup is if I really needed to cover up a scar from a pimple I had just popped or something, but then I just use products to lighten those scars. Now, for beautiful, radiant skin, just use facial masks and use microdermabrasion products with vitamin C in them. People sometimes ask me if I'm wearing makeup because my skin is so clear and vibrant, but I'm not!

[Raimundo]

Personally the only makeup I ever use is eyebrow pencil

My boss apparently does this...even though I've never seen him in the makeup aisle before buying it...(he must buy it when he opens the store...sneaky bastard... lol).

Guys try to look their best while hiding the fact that they're trying.

Makeup on a guy shows that he thinks of his acne as a disgrace. That is weakness.

Sure, makeup makes me feel good (I'm a drama student, so I have put it on b4)

I really don't believe my acne as a disgrace. More of an annoyance
But everyone has their own weakness I guess...and makeup does make me less self-conscious, therefore allowing me to actually go out and enjoy life more rather than sitting at home by myself. But that's me

My foundation takes 1-2 minutes to put on and has full coverage =)

Lucky. I take more time to make sure I don't mess up
Sometimes if I apply to fast I might forget about unblended spots...which isn't great when your walking around with a brown spot under your chin

[mattio]

I used to put on a bit of concealer (from The Body Shop) on my marks for a few months last year, and had become quite good at it. BUT it was starting to make me break out terribly, so I quit it.. its better to have visible marks than new breakouts.
I'm hearing good things about mineral makeup though (ie that it blends well and is not comedogenic), I might give it a try in the future.

[.JacktheLad.]

interesting, what would be a good mineral make up to buy? i guess its a concealer?

i dont have a clue when it comes to this stuff, sounds interesting though