Make-up

Although unknown to many, the use of make-up by the male gender is an activity that goes back thousands of years. Cave men painted their bodies with a reddish powder to frighten enemies or to beautify themselves for rites of worshiping the gods. As early as 4000 BC, the Egyptians valued facial adornment, in fact, the pharaohs used eyeliner and strong colours, such as black and gold, to display power and luxury, and green eyeshadow served to prevent illness. During wars, Vikings used a powder for the eyes, and African tribesmen like the Wodaabe excelled in the tricks and contours of their paintwork in order to impress women. Also, in the 18th century, male English aristocrats commonly wore make-up, when it was considered that beauty could be achieved with blush and white powder. The male sex has revealed a strong relationship with make-up for various purposes. From the Middle Ages onwards, this trend faded, as it was seen as ungodly. The West began to look at make-up as an exclusively female practice, and the stereotype spread like a virus.

«Men are starting to match women in the daily consumption of cosmetics»

Currently trends are returning to their origins. Men’s cosmetics is now a growing sector that is giving rise to paradigm shifts in a conventionally female industry. «Men are beginning to equal women in their daily consumption of cosmetics, I even consider that they are starting to take more care than the female face,» says make-up artist Henrique Salvador, used to contact with international figures from the four corners of the world.
A study done by consultants Grand View Research in 2019 revealed that the male cosmetics market was worth around 39 billion Euros worldwide. In the same year, L'Óreal Portugal proved that 75% of Portuguese men were using beauty products, although 64% continued to use unisex ranges. Hand in hand with the new trends, reputable brands such as Chanel are responding to the needs of a growing public by launching collections of entirely masculine products. Another example is War Paint, which makes the male gender the protagonist of its products, dedicating itself to selling make-up exclusively for this gender. Other brands such as Tom Ford, Menaji, Jean Paul Gaultier and Myego are following in the same footsteps.

In 2019 (...) the male cosmetics market was valued at around 39,000 million Euros worldwide

What is certain is that the digital world has played an active role in combating a stereotype engrained in society. «In the past, I used to see men wearing a concealer for dark circles under their eyes, today I see them doing their eye make-up in an Instagram live. This new generation sees things differently.» Voices of makeup artists and influencers have been heard by millions of viewers, which effectively boosts the fearless side of many male figures around the world. «Things are changing. In my work I always do makeup for a lot of men, I’ve had bank presidents and writers requesting my services.» The affirmation of gender freedom and equality through cosmetics has grown in form and size with virtual movements, famous people with speak out, influencers and brands, and the result... well, it transcends likes and sales, as it is giving rise to a breakdown of preconceived ideas and the development and adaptation of the cosmetic industry to the modern world.