Makeup for men?

My husband is a doctor and is getting his picture taken for a brochure at his office. The problem is that his skin is super oily and I don’t want him to look like a greasy, shiny mess in the picture. Is it OK if I just powder his nose and forehead a bit? I’m not sure he will let me, but if I get the go ahead from you, he just might!

A little dab of powder in the t-zone area will drastically tone down the glare from his shiny face in pictures. You are such a nice wife to be thinking of him! Plus, if you make sure the powder is completely translucent, it won’t add any color to his face, and it will just absorb the oils. If he is hesitant to let you perform that little makeup makeover on him before the pictures, then your next step is just to use oil-blotting papers. He can’t object to those. They are just sheer papers that soak up grease. Biore makes a set that are called Shine Control Oil-Blotting Sheets. They come in a pack of 65 sheets for $7 at most drugstores. They aren’t very girly looking either. I think the sheets are green or blue. Manly colors, right?

Men and makeup is an odd combination. But when you think about it…why can’t men wear a little makeup? I know my husband’s skin could use a little evening out every now and then. And how come I was the only one loading up on undereye concealer to cover up the many sleepless night with a newborn? He probably would have looked a little perkier with it, too! I did actually come across a guy in the market for concealer when I was the guest artist at a recent Spring Makeover Event. A man and his wife approached me, and he said that he was interested in finding a good concealer to cover up the dark circles under his eyes. Now, at first I wasn’t sure if he was serious or just kidding around.

Men come up to the cosmetics counters all the time when their wives or girlfriends are shopping for makeup. They always like to joke about their faces, “Can you do anything for this ugly mug?”, etc. Usually I laugh politely and go back to helping the wife or girlfriend, but this guy seemed serious! He really wanted concealer, and was really concerned about his dark circles. Vain maybe, but I guess men want to look good, too. Does a man really need to wear concealer, or any kind of makeup for that matter? Does anyone care about dark circles on a guy? Interesting question. I have done makeup on men before, newscasters needing foundation for television, or the occasional performer looking for stage makeup for a drag show. So, I showed the man a few different formulas. To be honest, he did have extremely dark circles, so he needed the full coverage of our heaviest concealer. I tried a couple of different shades on him and he checked it out in two different mirrors to make sure it was the correct one. I didn’t get the impression that he had ever worn makeup before. Finally after much consideration he settled on the shade I recommended. Not too dark, or light, but actually a great match for his skin tone. It did cover the circles, and he looked more awake. Plus, he wanted the concealer brush to go with it. I mean if you are going to wear concealer you might as well have the best brush tool to apply it with, right?

Overall, I was happy to help him, as I enjoy picking out products that make a person feel and look their best. He was pleased with the concealer we chose. I guess if women are expected to hide our flaws with makeup, men should feel like they can do something to look their best, too.  The purpose of makeup is to enhance your natural beauty. Hiding imperfections is a part of that process. Yet, where should a man draw the line? I mean, my husband was looking a little pale the other day after a bout with the flu, but I certainly didn’t think about dusting a little bronzer on him before he headed off to work. But come to think of it, I did cover up a couple of red acne scars way back when we had professional engagement photos taken. He didn’t really need it, but his skin looks nice and even in our framed picture! So, maybe a little concealer on our men is a good thing, but I draw the line at mascara. It’s just unnecessary - especially since my husband’s lashes are long enough naturally!

Real Makeup Companies for Men (you aren’t going to find these at Target!)

John Paul Gaultier - Featured at Sephora.com, this line is under the heading of Complexion Enhancers for Men, and not under makeup. It has six items, consisting of two types of bronzers, lip balm (tinted and clear), lash and Brow tint, and Eyeliner/Concealer double ended stick, which is actually a very useful dual purpose product for anyone’s makeup bag. The packaging is slick and mostly black. It seems like most makeup for men is focused on heavily bronzed skin and soft lips.

Clinique - This popular mainstream line does carry men’s skincare, which essentially is the same formula as some of the women’s, but in much manlier gun-metal grey packaging. Something women have been stealing for a long time for themselves is their incredible non-streak bronzer. This oil-free gel gives a natural transparent glow to the skin. I’ve actually used this before on my pasty, pale skin.  Plus it’s cheaper and less shimmery than the women’s bronzers. Also, if you husband’s lips are chapped check out their lip balm with SPF 15, and make him wear it this summer!

Studio 5ive - This company was founded in 2000 by Ben Coler, a makeup and skin care specialist who believes that men can benefit from the use of “corrective makeup that is undetectable.” Sounds very 007 to me! I like to think of makeup on guys as a covert operation. You know celebrity men on the red carpet wear it! You can find this full line of makeup and skincare at mensmakeup.com.