Watch for yourself: Why men should not be afraid of cosmetics
Men's Makeup Theme The media has been timidly raising not the first year, but it seems that right now the world is more than ever ready to perceive makeup as the prerogative of both sexes. "Again" - because men and make-up binds a much longer story than you might think.
In the distant past, social relations assumed a class division, and cosmetics were one of the ways to remind of this. For example, in ancient China, the ignoble strata of the population were forbidden to paint their nails - this was considered the privilege of the upper class, and in the latter the color of lacquer meant belonging to a certain dynasty. For obvious reasons, the makeup of the last century no longer fulfilled this function - yes, subcultures at any time sought to isolate themselves from those around them, but there was no longer an abyss similar to that between powdered and repaired noblemen and tanned peasants.
In addition, in the last century, many famous men wore make-up, and the scientific and technological revolution made it possible to broadcast their choice and appearance to a huge number of people through the media. For the drama of the picture, black and white stars, and then color cinema, tinted their eyelashes and darkened their eyes, which made them look sleek. But if the make-up for actors is traditional and due to the laws of the scene, then the public was not so calm about eyeliner and lipstick on other public figures. Bowie, Manson, Mercury at different times defused the situation and trained the public tolerance for otherness. All three loved to flirt with the theme of gender, but there were also Kiss aggressive soloists in the ranks of "men in tights", proving that makeup, worn back and close tights do not contradict masculinity in any way.
At the last turn of the century, the media fell in love with talking about metrosexuals - men who "excessively" care for themselves. Through the efforts of journalists, the word acquired a negative connotation - upon hearing it, many imagined Patrick Bateman, who: a) made masks for the face; b) had sex with his reflection; c) well, something else was wrong with him. Journalist Mark Simpson, who invented the concept of "metrosexual", described him in 1994 as "a young man with a high income, unrelated by relationships, living or working in a prestigious metropolis (because there are the best stores). In the 80s, only on the pages of magazines like GQ, in the 90s they are everywhere and right now are engaged in shopping "(curious that Simpson was the first to use the word" retrosexual "- Madman's Don Draper is best suited to illustrate the type as well as possible).
The analyzing consumption company NPD Group has fixed this new round of men's relations with cosmetics. In 2002, in America, 9% more was spent on grooming products (exclusively male care) than in 2000. According to the results of her survey, 9 out of 10 participants thought that self-care was necessary for a business person, and half did not see something unworthy for a man in manicure and cosmetic procedures. European consumers did not lag behind American ones: about 40% of men bought cosmetics at that time (yes, they did), and the most popular among them was a moisturizer.
At the same time (in 2000, more precisely) was founded one of the most famous companies that produce men's cosmetics, Jack Black. The brand produces products for the body, face, hair and fragrances - everything that a modern man can look and feel better without endangering what he values most of all - his masculinity. Jack Black’s founders not only know, but also speculate on buyers' fear of losing the last one: they say that such a trivial brand name, more like a whiskey brand, was chosen because it sounds like the quintessence of everything that is close to guys: "This name will be comfortable to pronounce in a conversation with bro - because it is not feminine and not elaborate."
The tendency not to call cosmetics for men by their name is still in force: the CEO of the brand of mineral cosmetics Jane Iredale admitted that they, too, went on about the customers who thought with stereotypes and simply repackaged the products from the main line so that they did not look feminine. The founder of Mënaji (a brand sold in Nordstrom) generally admitted that they do not use "M-word" (makeup. - Ed.) Because it is taboo. The names of men's "cans" are a separate excuse for teasing: in order not to frighten customers entering the new territory anyway, the brands abandon their usual vocabulary and call the anti-aging serum Protein Booster Skin Serum, and the concealer is Urban Camouflage.
Despite the quite understandable caution of some brands (and maybe thanks to her), more and more men are getting used to taking care of themselves. Damon Jones, a spokesman for Procter & Gamble, who owns Gilette and The Art of Shaving, who recently came to Russia, says that now “spending energy on self-care is normal not only for women - everyone likes to look good, and metrosexuality has become mainstream”. Some brands are not afraid to call things by their names and produce not only basic tools like washing gels and moisturizing creams, but also those that perform an exclusively decorative function - concealers and bronzers (although men’s makeup is usually not further covered by disguise "flaws").
Now we are experiencing a very interesting period - for the first time in a long time we are witnessing the erosion and revision of gender boundaries. Men and women begin to perceive their body in a new way and its transformations - both natural and artificial. Again, the Internet greatly contributes to freedom of expression: the more we see diversity in the world, the more it is endowed with positive connotations, the wider the boundaries of our comfort zones. This, of course, applies to makeup. Judging by the way gender roles are changing now, the day is not far off when many men will not have to prove that Smoke Aiz does not prevent them from understanding their fiduciary duties or being a good father.
