According to a February 2019 YouGov poll, one in 20 British men now wear make-up. When asked why they wore make-up, 15% said they found it ‘fun’, and one in eight (12%) claimed it allowed them to express their creativity.
Today, we have male social media beauty influencers such as James Charles and Jeffree Star who use make-up freely to advise both men and women. James Charles has garnered so much relevance in the beauty world that he launched his own collection with Morphe, while Jeffree Star has his own line of cosmetics.
Men wearing make-up is not new…
From Jared Leto’s guyliner to Prince’s pioneering cat eye, men have been experimenting with boldness & creativity to transform their look with the power of product for generations.
None has used make-up as boldly and as creatively as David Bowie.
From the vivid visionary of Ziggy Stardust to the stunning neon strike of Aladdin Sane, Bowie’s makeup artist, La Roche, used colours in a wildly audacious manner at a time when make-up for men was largely taboo.
Bowie was reported to have said that he had a “repulsive sort of need to be something more than human” and with every alter-ego transformation came a new burst of supernormal colour combinations that developed into the iconic looks still influencing the industry today.
The modern man in Britain
While the area of men’s make-up is still niche, many brands are becoming more adaptive and innovative with their use of colour on male models as well as make-up lines launched specifically for men.
ALTR London
ALTR London’s founder, Alex Doyle, started his line of men’s make-up due to personal skincare issues he experienced in his 20s from acne to eczema. He experimented with female make-up products to help with his confidence but decided that there needed to be a more male-targeted brand in the industry.
ALTR London’s range of cruelty-free products are packaged in recyclable packaging and we particularly love the best-selling Face Fix Concealer. This multipurpose concealer boasts an easy-to-blend formula of carnauba wax, candelilla wax and kaolin (supreme china clay) which works to cover dark circles and blemishes and help tackle acne breakouts.
Available in four shades: Light, Medium, Bronze and Dark.
Daniel Sandler Cosmetics
British beauty mogul Daniel Sandler has been at the forefront of the British make-up scene for over 20 years and has now launched his own luxury range of make-up products so you can recreate his beauty vision yourself.
We are obsessed with the entire range but we have to highlight Sandler’s award-winning Watercolour Liquid Blush available in six glossy, lightweight shades that promise to stay put all day. The subtle nature of the blush is perfect for men who want some light highlighting for an everyday look.
Available shades: Moonglow, Sunglow, Luxe and Pop.
Dominic Paul Cosmetics
Dominic Paul’s brand was established in 2019. The MUA had trained at the prestigious Shepperton Studios and participated in projects for London Fashion Week and other high profile beauty events.
His cosmetics range is bursting with pigment-rich, cruelty-free products. We particularly love his Contour Palette which can be used as an eyeshadow, bronzer or setting powder and offers lightweight, buildable coverage. Featuring six skin true shades for highlighting and contouring whatever your skin tone and a large mirror to for easy and precise application.