More men wear makeup

Lee Cu-bin, a 20-year-old college student, receives a makeover from makeup artist Hyun Ki-seoun at the Make Up For Ever booth in Lotte Department
Store in central Seoul, Tuesday. Hyun said more men visit the store to buy cosmetics to cover blemishes. / Korea Times photo by Yoon Sung-won

Male cosmetics market estimated at 1 tril. won in 2012

By Kwon Ji-youn, Yoon Sung-won, and Park Jin-hai

"I used to think wearing even just lip balm was too feminine," said Choi Jung-hwan, 24, as he pulled a tube of gloss from his bag and smeared it across his lips. He replaced the cap, smacked his lips together and smiled.

"Primping has become a necessity for men," he continued. "It's a testament to how much a man would do to win over a girl."

Grooming is no longer just for women. Members of K-pop boy bands Infinite and BEAST are rarely seen on stage without a little eye shadow and liner. In a survey of 2,880 Clio makeup users, BEAST member Lee Gi-kwang placed second among male celebrities who look best wearing eye liner.

Non-celebrity males refrain from painting their eyes but do emphasize their facial features and even out their skin tone by wearing creams. For example, they wear a little BB cream, a light foundation or base to cover up spots, freckles and acne.

"Many men visit our store to try different shades of foundation or base," said a makeup artist at Make Up For Ever, a well-known cosmetics brand. "We often give them makeovers so that they can sample colors and make informed decisions."

She added that some men look into buying "transparent" makeup products, such as eyebrow pencils and seals. Transparent makeup refers to makeup that is natural and just barely visible.

Those who find foundation or base too heavy often opt to try BB cream.

BB cream, otherwise known as a blemish balm or beauty balm, is an all-in-one facial product that functions as foundation and sunblock, and is similar to tinted moisturizers and color lotions. Although this cosmetic cream is sold largely in East and Southeast Asia, Western markets have recently shown interest in it.

Kim Jae-yong, 22, a former male model and an aspiring actor, said wearing makeup is increasingly becoming acceptable among men. He and his male model friends use various creams such as BB creams, tinted moisturizers, and sunblock every day.

"BB cream is just like sunblock but better. It conceals skin problems well and improves your complexion," he said.

"I don't wear too much makeup. But that is my personal choice, and I don't want to point fingers at men who do. I think, to them, wearing makeup is a form of expression."

Kim Woo-hyun, a 30-year-old bank employee, said he began applying cosmetics when he began his career in the service sector.

"My bosses always emphasized the importance of giving a good first impression to clients," he said. "So, to take extra care of my skin and look, I began using cosmetics."

Though wearing makeup has work-related advantages, he realized it improved his confidence overall.

"I feel confident when I talk to others. At first, some people mentioned that my powdered face looked awkward," he said. "But as my application skills improved, the makeup became less obvious but still smoothened my complexion. These days, I wear BB cream whenever I go out just because it feels good."

Kim Jae-yong, a former model, examines a pot of moisturizing cream at the Lab Series booth in Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, Friday. Lab Series is a male skin-care brand.
/ Korea Times photo by Park Jin-hai

Market potential for male cosmetics

A good number of companies have launched male product lines, but some are hesitant about doing so.

Kim Sang-woon, a manager at ULOS, a male cosmetics company, said they have yet to introduce a BB cream product because in general, makeup is still considered burdensome to males.

"Men feel uncomfortable covering their skin with a layer of makeup," he said. "Furthermore, men don't wash their faces the way women do ― men first remove the oil on their face and then wash their face with foam."

In contrast, AmorePacific, a leading chemical and cosmetics company, said that the male cosmetics market has great potential, growing at a rate of 15 percent per year.

The number of men who take care of their appearance increases every year. In 2012, the size of the male cosmetics market exceeded one trillion won ($897 million) and is expected to continue to increase, according to research conducted by AmorePacific.

At AmorePacific, male cosmetics brands grew at an average annual rate of 16 percent between 2007 and 2011. The sales of one of these brands, Laneige Homme, grew at an average of 33 percent during the same period and are expected to continue growing.

"BB creams have consistently gained interest from men. Since men's products were introduced, sales of BB creams have skyrocketed," said a PR Planet manager in charge of publicity for LG Household & Health Care products. "Men are ‘lazy,' and therefore, enjoy using all-in-one products."

What women think

According to the PR Planet manager, women are the ones who buy BB creams for their husbands and grown sons.

"They buy the products for their sons or husbands, especially if their sons or husbands need to appear formal, like for a job interview or a black-tie event," she said. "They know how uncomfortable it is for men to go shopping for makeup, so they do the shopping for the men."

She also said women buy BB creams as gifts for their boyfriends.

"They make very good gifts because they're practical," she continued. "Young men these days wear makeup to cover up blemishes and to even out their complexion. They know acne can turn girls away."

Song Ji-sun, a 27-year-old office worker, said her boyfriend was not the kind of man who spent more than 10 minutes every day applying cosmetics. But since she bought him facial scrub for his birthday two years ago, he realized how important skin care is and began to take good care of his looks.

"Two years ago, all he used to apply on his face every morning was, at most, an aftershave lotion," she said. "But now, he proudly tells me that he has recently purchased moisturizing cream, skin essence and several skin-whitening cosmetics. It really is a dramatic change."

Song said she welcomes her boyfriend's changed attitude on grooming.

"Above all, I feel confident when I'm on a date with my good-looking boyfriend," she said. "I am often flattered by friends who talk about my boyfriend and gush about how great he is."

However, not all women have become accustomed to makeup-wearing men.

Kim Yu-jin, 20, a part-time employee, says it is okay for men to wear BB cream but nothing more. "Since I work in Myeong-dong, I often spot men wearing makeup. But, for me, eye liner and circle lenses are too much," she said.

"When I was younger, grooming seemed to be an expression of unique personalities. But as I aged, I realized that over-grooming can make one look rather childish."

Park Eun-ji, 35, an office worker, says even though wearing makeup is considered trendy among men, she cannot bear males wearing excessive makeup.

"I feel repulsed by men disguising themselves with thick makeup. There are online social websites where members post their Barbie-and-Ken-like pictures, which are often influenced by Japanese animation characters. It's really creepy," she said as recalls seeing makeup-wearing men on the streets around Hongik University in Seoul.

"They are not trendy at all. To me, they seem either narcissistic or obsessive. Either they're obsessed with their looks or they have such low self-esteem that they have to plaster themselves with heavy makeup," she added.