Should Men Wear Makeup?

Should Men Wear Makeup?

I received a call at work a few weeks ago from a friend who sounded frantic. "Dale, I have a huge pimple on my nose!" he cried. "It's really bad. Uh, is there any way that you could cover it with some of that stuff?" He was referring to concealer and while he'll remain nameless of course, I helped him cover it and thought this cosmetic anecdote might help us ease into the topic of 'men wearing makeup.' It's more common than you think.
Did you watch the Academy Awards red carpet coverage last Sunday? In case you missed it; Angelina Jolie stole the show with her overly exaggerated pose popping her leg out of her gown as if her thigh was the hottest new fashion accessory. However, it was a glowing Brad who caught my attention. I couldn't help but notice Pitt's unnaturally pretty complexion. It's common knowledge all actors wear makeup on set, but I noticed he was wearing foundation, concealer, a bit of light shadow and definitely some highlighter. AskMen.com recently conducted a survey among a group of 'urban professionals' and 20% of men said it was perfectly fine to wear makeup. In fact, concealer is at the top of the list of recommended cosmetics for men.
I would never pressure a guy into wearing light makeup, unless he wanted to. Is it fair that when a woman has a bright red blemish on the middle of her forehead or bags under her eyes, she can simply dot on a bit of concealer, but a man can't? I'll leave the concealer debate up to you, but there are three subtle products I think every man should own starting with eye-cream. Applying eye-cream every night is a smart move because it keeps the delicate skin around eyes moisturized and can also can help with under eye circles and puffiness. Men should also wear sunscreen every day. There are sunscreens that are extremely light weight and can simply be part of your morning routine. Depending on your skin tone, owning some sort of man tanner is very common. I don't suggest going anywhere near a Jersey Shore shade, but "sun tone enhancers," and men's bronzers are products you can easily find in department stores.

I was recently hired to do makeup and styling on the set of a promo shoot. The low budget commercial was for a new I-phone app in the Bay Area starring a man and woman. As I finished applying her fake eyelashes, the director said, "don't forget to do his makeup too," pointing to the male lead. I applied light concealer and some contouring with bronzer. He wondered what his fiancé was going to think when she saw him and seemed rather uncomfortable with the makeup process, until he looked in the mirror. "Wow, that stuff really does make a difference," he said. It sure does and if the day comes when you decide to experiment with concealer, please be sure to blend well or ask a trusted female for a few pointers.