What is a man without makeup?

Superpopular designer whose fashion expression is as interesting as his fashion collections, Marc Jacobs, last week announced a major entry into the world of decorative cosmetics.

In collaboration with Sephora, he launched his first cosmetic collection that will emphasize colors because, as the designer says, ‘nude’ is reserved for lazy people. With this statement, Jacobs has positioned himself in the world of cosmetics and revealed to women that his line will be bold, quirky, playful, and aimed at true makeup lovers. However, it will not only be the fairer sex that can enjoy Jacobs’ new entrepreneurial venture – he has decided to include a unisex line in the collection that will contain concealers, eyebrow grooming kits, and lip balms. This shows that he is following the trends of so-called male grooming, which has outgrown the categories of shaving products, ‘two-in-one’ body and hair care products, and, eventually, men’s skincare cosmetics, becoming a constantly growing niche. In short, men have also started to take better care of themselves and wear makeup.

ManUp’s makeup The global market for men’s cosmetics, reported Adweek, is ‘worth’ $33 billion, and 78% of men, according to its research conducted on a thousand Americans under 35, feel the same pressure to be groomed and in shape as women. Looking at individual product categories, those that were recently considered women’s territory, the largest percentage of men (60%) use face creams, 45% go for hair removal, 18% use liquid foundation, 14% nail polish, and 12% eyeliner. The domestic, quite conservative society would likely stigmatize guys who share eyeliners with their girlfriends, but some Adweek readers claim that this is not about the feminization of men, but about the need to stand out in a competitive business world. For example, a commenter on the article, a Canadian, shared with the virtual world that he uses makeup (foundation and mascara) to look groomed and tidy in front of clients. Interestingly, he does not use women’s cosmetics, but products from the online company ManUp, which are said to be almost invisible on the face. Thus, the fact that this cosmetics beautifies but (allegedly) cannot be seen has become ManUp’s unique selling proposition (USP) that has attracted the attention of male customers in a very short time since the company’s founding.

Constant growth The idea of starting a business, said the company’s founder Andrew Grella to the media, arose shortly after his prom night. His face was then attacked by acne, and his caring mother reached for products from her cosmetic bag and saved the day. Young Grella was surprised at how much better he looked after being made up with foundation and mascara, so he decided to allow men from all over the world to feel the same satisfaction. His offer includes everything you can imagine: from concealers and highlighters to hair gels and mascaras. Grella’s clients are mostly consumers under 35, but statistics show that men’s cosmetics are even more popular among young men under 25. According to Kline & Company data, by 2016, sales of men’s cosmetics could exceed $3.2 billion. Although this figure is significantly lower in Europe, it is interesting that the market is growing twice as fast as in the U.S.: total revenues from products rose from €289 million in 2005 to €420 million in 2010, with the highest growth in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. According to analysts’ estimates, the largest growth is expected in the Chinese market, which should grow by 20% by next year. Experts explain this growth with the thesis that several sociological trends have influenced the development of this niche. To begin with, more and more men are employed in service industries, and face-to-face communication with clients is part of their job description, so eloquence and a neat appearance are imposed as imperatives of their business life.

Gradual approach Furthermore, the category of consumers popularly called ‘baby boomers’ wants to look younger, while younger ones are getting used to new beauty standards thanks to media and popular culture, according to which hairy cowboys are completely ‘passé’. However, despite these trends and market growth, cosmetic manufacturers should not adopt a ‘hardcore’ approach but should gradually introduce them to the world of beauty products. This is what the French brand Sothys does, which has launched three lines aimed at men. In the first, called ‘beginners’, there are the fewest cosmetic products, and in the second – ‘amateurs’ – the products are those that men sometimes borrow from their partners (face creams and the like). The category of ‘confirmed consumers’ is logically the largest and contains innovative skincare and decorative cosmetics. Their challenge, brand representatives told the Premiumbeautynews.com portal, is to advertise products without making men feel less – masculine. Their products are therefore simple and practical, and their spokesperson, international rugby player Vincent Clerc, cannot be more masculine than he is. The team from Sothys agrees with marketing experts who spoke to the mentioned portal that advertising must convey the message that cosmetics help the stronger sex assert themselves in business and private environments. They should also be taught that they have different skin than women, which is why they will only be convinced of the advantages of cosmetics after they buy products intended exclusively for them. Additionally, it is important that their shopping experience is as pleasant as possible because men, especially those who fall into the ‘straight’ category, feel uncomfortable when buying cosmetics intended for them. In this very young market, the success of the brand will depend solely on the marketing approach, as men are clearly becoming more interested in this niche – the only question is how to catch them in the net, sell them, for example, mascara, and convince them that they have bought something completely normal in the world.