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The beginner's guide to wearing make-up... if you’re a man - Telegraph.co.uk

The beginner's guide to wearing make-up... if you’re a man - Telegraph.co.uk


The beginner's guide to wearing make-up... if you’re a man - Telegraph.co.uk

Posted: 26 Dec 2019 12:00 AM PST

15% of the UK male population under the age of 45 bought makeup in 2016 according to Mintel. In the last five years, men's makeup has been on the rise, from beauty industry monopolies like Chanel and Tom Ford to new indie brands like War Paint, Benny Hancock, Mankind, Hims, Menaji and Formen, that cater exclusively for men.

Every year Facebook notifies me about how many years it has been since my secondary school prom and I am always left with one regret: I should have used a concealer. I started wearing makeup (not a full face of drag, but a little concealer and brow pencil) in the autumn of 2012. 

It was more for function rather than vanity, I wanted to cover my acne scars, and the odd blemish here and there. That was the year that I discovered that my cheeks are always red. Sometimes they're ruby red, at the best of times they're a peachy pink. But nonetheless, I have always felt like the red bird from Angry Birds.

Two of my high school friends took me to Superdrug to help me find a concealer that colour matched my skin tone. I quickly became a concealer hoarder. I would buy at least two concealers a month and hide them in my wardrobe from my mother (try telling a Middle Eastern mother her son is wearing make-up). 

Needless to say, my mother got used to the idea and so did everybody else it seems. Because as we enter 2020, it's increasingly common for men to experiment with natural looking make-up to boost their confidence for all sorts of occasions from work to their wedding day. 

Here's my beginners guide to men's make-up...without looking like you have a scrap on.

Basic skincare prep is the first step 

Tinted moisturiser, £22, War Paint;  tinted Moisturiser SPF 30 , £35, Laura Mercier  at John Lewis; Oil and Pore Control Mattifier, £35, Murad; Bronzing gel, £39, Tom Ford

It's a myth that makeup can fix anything; it can't unless your skin is moisturised. There's two ways to go about this. First, make sure you drink water daily (easier said than done) and apply a cream to your face. Murad's Oil and Pore Control Mattifier, £35, is my daily go-to. It has all the ingredients your skin needs such as avocado and African Yellow Wood bark, which minimise pores, plus it's oil-free and contains SPF.

The next step is to invest in something with a slight tint to give your skin a glow. Nothing OTT, just enough to look as if you've been outside in the fresh air and haven't been curled up on the couch all weekend watching Match of the Day

Tom Ford's bronzing gel, £39, works wonders in five minutes, just blend it evenly across your face. This is recommended for those with light to medium skin tones. If your skin tone is much lighter or darker, then try Laura Mercier's tinted moisturiser, £35.50, which comes in 20 shades and contains SPF to protect your skin from sun damage. 

Even though it is technically marketed to women, it works the same for men and is sheer enough to top-up with throughout the day to keep your natural glow going. 

The upside of using makeup that's specifically designed for men is that the packaging is more 'manly.' War Paint's products come in matte black bottles that look similar to a pot of men's hair wax. Despite coming in five shades, the tinted moisturiser, £22, from War Paint takes every skin tone into consideration and there's even a colour-match tool on their website if you're too shy to go to a beauty counter.

Groomed eyebrows give your face a lift 

Brow pomade, £24, Surratt Beauty at Net-a-Porter; Eyebrow pencil, £32, Chanel

The biggest makeup trend for men in the early 2000s was the guyliner as seen on Johnny Depp, Russell Brand and Jared Leto. Don't panic. The focus has shifted since then (thank goodness). In 2020, it's all set to be about eyebrows. I like to think of eyebrows the same way that I think about beard hair — they need styling too. 

If you have full brows, Surratt Beauty's brow pomade, £24, is easy to apply because of its clear formula that transforms your eyebrows within seconds by fixing them in place. However, if you have gaps in your brows or grey strands, Chanel's Boy De Chanel eyebrow pencil, £32, will mask it with a few light-handed strokes as it comes in four shades, including grey.

Men need concealer too

Touche eclat illuminating pen, £26, Yves Saint Laurent; make-up sponge, £21, Chanel; loose powder, £37, Giorgio Armani; corrective pen, £24, Benny Hancock

If you simply want to look less tired, then a multi-purpose concealer like Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Éclat Illuminating Pen, £26, is almost invisible. It's great for building up coverage over dark circles or for disguising a pesky Monday morning spot. Benny Hancock also does an effective Corrective Pen, £24. 

When it comes to application of make-up, it all depends on your skin type and the finish you want. Everyone swears by make-up sponges like the Original Beautyblender, £17, because of its tear drop shape which gets into every nook and cranny of the face to blend base make-up to an invisible finish. But, if you'd prefer not to be caught out, try Chanel's black make-up sponge with handle, £21, which resembles a shaving brush.

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