Beauty counters for men could be here in the next few years

Male cosmetics counters could become a reality in the next five years, according to one L’Oreal boss.

It’s thanks to the increasing number of men who are investing in and wearing make-up – whether a subtle touch of concealer or full-on pouty lips.

L’Oreal’s UK managing director, Vismay Sharma, spoke to the Telegraph about the breaking of taboos, noting that many brands may open up male-targeted counters in the “next five to seven years.”

“Today you have a very small proportion of men who want to use make-up products but that proportion is growing and it will continue to grow. I think it’s just awareness – two things are happening, men know they can use make-up, and they know what it does when you use it,” he commented.

“The second thing is that the taboos are going, so between my generation and my son’s generation, the taboos are very different.”

A number of high-profile brands have hired male spokespeople over the past year. In February, L’Oreal itself took on Jake-Jamie Ward to be its first male spokesperson, with the male beauty blogger set to appear in campaign images and videos.

Georgie Aldous was another unexpected face to appear in a beauty ad, starring in Superdrug’s latest campaign. But he thinks the news is “a bad move for the beauty industry.”

“In my opinion, it creates a bigger gender divide when we are trying to get rid of it,” he tells Yahoo Style UK. “Instead of male make-up counters, brands should just market better with in-store campaigns. Instead of creating more of a divide, brands should focus on marketing better towards men so they don’t need separate stands.”

Stylist and make-up artist Lewis-Duncan Weedon has been wearing make-up since the age of 15. He is more open to the idea of male cosmetics counters:

“I think male-orientated make-up counters would be a fantastic thing although I personally don’t mind using the counters and items as they are now. More products for guys in general would be a good idea…”

However, he admits that “not every chap [would] feel comfortable with that. It’s about time the general public [saw] that guys wearing make-up isn’t a big deal.”

As well as individual faces, beauty brands that only cater for males have also stepped into the limelight. Last week, ASOS hit headlines for stocking male make-up brand, MMUK. The collection features everything from concealer to mascara.

Even famous make-up artists are beginning to take on the male beauty bloggers by posting their own tutorials for men. Charlotte Tilbury – known for painting the faces of stars such as Kim Kardashian – recently posted a video depicting “a masculine approach to beauty.”

Although some may not be fans of male-specific beauty counters, it’s about time men felt comfortable with covering up their spots or plastering themselves in a full face of make-up if they so choose.

Ask any man in your life if they’ve ever dabbled with concealer and the answer is likely to be an embarrassed yes.

Perhaps now that embarrassment will subside.

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