Make Up for Men: a Beginner's Guide for Male Beauty

Before I begin on tips and tricks, I'm gonna have to do some debunking.

1. From your favorite actors, k pop stars, rappers to even athletes, they all wear make up to interviews, red carpet events, photo shoots, TV appearances, award ceremonies, music videos, in commercials, attending parties, going to the club, performing in concert, getting married, in movies and on TV shows. Many famous men have a groomer. A Groomer is a specialized and licensed hairstylist tasked with making male celebrities (and civilians too) look their most handsome. It typically entails some combination of skin care, hair care, and makeup. Do you really think that a rapper looks like he got 12 hours of sleep after he was really partying all night long, took a red eye flight, and got to his hotel room four hours before he's gonna be on TV?
2. Historically men have been wearing make up for THOUSANDS of years. Ancient Egyptians wore kohl eyeliner and believed wearing makeup gave them protection from the gods Horus and Ra. Historians discovered that it was to prevent eye infections, and protect their eyes from the sun. And if you think about it, the first make up was war paint worn by men.
3. More and more companies are making make up for men, and including men in their campaigns. A lot of the brands that make make up for men are smaller brands that are either located in the USA, or brands based in the UK, Korea, China, and Japan. The products are formulated for men. Men have thicker skin (what I mean by that is the skin is actually thicker, not the whole "he's got a thick skin, he won't let it get to him" thing) so companies have to formulate products a bit differently so they're effective. But it might be more expensive. You can get the same results with products formulated for women.
4. You are a man. Don't let ANYBODY tell you that you aren't if you decide to wear it. A man is defined by his character.
5. A lot of stores like Sephora and Ulta have Men staffed there to help you out. DON'T be embarrassed if you need help. Ask an employee to help you out.
6. If your girlfriend/sister/mom/aunt/cousin/friend/grandma tells you "I'll be back! I'm going to Sephora/Ulta/CVS/Walmart/Walgreens/Target/Rite Aid!" Ask to tag along, and start an open dialogue about it. That person might be able to give you their own tips and tricks.
7. This is just one of articles about men wearing makeup. If you want to go more in depth, look on YouTube. It helps to see what the person is doing, rather than just reading it.

Now that we are done with the debunking. Here are my personal tips and tricks on that "no make up yet I'm wearing make up" look for men.

Know your skin type

Knowing your skin type will help make this process easier. A cosmetic brand will formulate their product based on skin types.

Oily—Oily skin happens when your sebaceous gland produces too much oil on your skin. That oil leaves your skin shiny, and often leads to break outs. When looking for products search for the words "Matte" or "Mattifying." Since pores are bigger, look for "Pore Blurring" products.

Dry—Dry skin can happen when your sebaceous gland is producing so much oil on your skin, and the oil dries up causing the flakes that end up on your skin. When looking for products, look for the words "Dewy," or "Hydrating."

Combination—Combination skin is when you have dry skin in some areas and some oily skin in others. In personal experience this is a bit more tricky to treat. Look for products that have the word "Combination skin."

Sensitive—Sensitive skin is similar to being allergic to certain ingredients that cause a reaction like a rash, dryness, or redness. Look for the words "Sensitive" or "Hypoallergenic." Products that are made for sensitive skin have ingredients in their formulas that won't irritate the skin.

Primers

Step 1: Primer

With your primer, make one dot on your forehead, one on your nose, one on each side our your nose, and one on your chin. Then use your hands or a make up brush to blend it into the skin.

Find a primer for your skin type. Most primers are clear or tinted, and will keep the rest of the make up in place. If you choose to use one single product, this would be it for the "no make up" make up look. Many brands make multiple primers for different needs, so make sure you read the packaging.

My recommendations

To deal with redness:

• Drugstore : NYX Cosmetics Studio Perfect Photo Loving Primer in Green ($13 at CVS)
• Luxury: Smashbox Photo Finish Reduce Redness Primer ($39 at Sephora)

Combination skin:

• Drugstore: Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer ($9.93 at Walmart)
• Luxury : Fenty Beauty PRO FILT'R Instant Retouch Primer ($32 at fentybeauty.com)

Oily skin:

• Drug store: Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer ($5.99 at Target)
• Luxury : Tarte Cosmetics Poreless Mattifying Primer ($32 at tartecosmetics.com)

Dry skin:

• Drugstore: E.L.F Hydrating Face Primer ($6 at Ulta Beauty)
• Luxury : Too Faced Hangover Primer ($34 at Ulta Beauty)

To deal with pores:

• Drugstore: Maybelline Baby Skin Primer ($5.79 at Target),
• Luxury : Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Face Primer ($32 at Sephora)

Sensitive skin

• Drugstore: Hard Candy Sheer Envy Sensitive Skin Primer ($7.62 at Walmart)
• Luxury: Honest Beauty Everything Primer ($21.99 at honestbeauty.com)

Labeled for men—MMUK MAN Makeup For Men Skin Primer (£28 at mensmake-up.co.uk),

Color correctors

Step 2

Use a color correcting concealer to areas where needed. Remember a little goes a long way. Apply, and then blend with your fingers, sponge, or brush (If your skin has no discoloration CONGRATS! You can skip this step).

Color correctors are made to correct colors that you want gone. If you remember in art class, each color has an opposite color that will neutralize the color. Some primers are formulated to color correct as well. A downside to this is that this MUST be covered with a foundation or concealer.

• For INTENSE Redness use a Green colored concealer
• For all over MILD Redness use a yellow colored concealer (also good if you get a black eye or bruise)
• For fair to light skin tones with dark circles use a peach colored concealer
• For medium to dark skin tones with dark circles use a orange colored concealer
• For deep skin tones with dark circles use a red colored concealer
• For Hyperpigmentation use a purple colored concealer

My recommendations:

• Drugstore: LA Girl Pro. Concealer ($4.99 each at Ulta Beauty)
• Luxury: Urban Decay NAKED SKIN color correcting fluid ($29 each at Sephora)

BB creams/CC Creams/Foundation

Step 3.

Apply your choice of foundation, BB cream, or CC cream. Place three dots on your forehead, one on your nose, one on each side, one on your chin, and a few on your neck (unless you have facial hair).Then blend with your fingers, sponge, or brush. Make sure you blend (if you don't blend it will be a dead give away you're wearing makeup). Remember that this step is to even out the tone of your face, don't worry if it doesn't cover up everything.

BB creams are known as beauty balms, and have more sheer coverage, and skin care ingredients. It doesn't come in as many shades as foundation and is less pigmented than cc creams or foundation.

My recommendations:

Drug store: Maybelline Dream Fresh and Dream Pure (for oily skin) (both $7.29 at Target)

Luxury: Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream ($42 at Sephora)

CC creams are known as Color Correcting Balm and have just a little bit more pigment in them then BB cream, but not as much pigment as foundation. CC creams are also a good product if you want to skip the color correcting conclears and just use 1 product.

My Recommendations:

• Drugstore: Physicians Formula Super CC Color-Correction + Care ($17 at CVS)
• Luxury: It Cosmetics CC+ cream with SPF 50 ($39 at Sephora)
• Labeled for men: Formen Brightening CC Cream ($32.99 at formenmakeup.com)

Foundations

Foundations are the most pigmented, have different finishes, and have different levels of coverage. Foundations come in a HUGE variety of shades. If you're looking for a foundation look for one that matches your skin tone EXACTLY, many stores like Ulta, Sephora, MAC, and many others have employees that help you find your perfect match

Finishes.

• Matte means not shiny (good for super oily skin)
• Dewy means shiny (good for dry skin)
• Natural means like a second skin (good for all skin types)

My Recommendations:

• Drugstore: L'Oreal True Match Foundation ($10 at Ulta Beauty)
• Luxury: Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition ($40 at Sephora)

Labeled for men: WARPAINT Men's Liquid Foundation (£18.93 at warpaintformen.com)

Concealer

Step 4

Apply concealer to your under eyes to cover dark circles, and to any blemishes, scars, freckles, birthmarks, or any problem area. Then blend with fingers (if your blending your under eyes use your ring finger, it's the gentlest finger), a small brush, or sponge.

Concealers are made to conceal all the problems that we want to hide such as dark circles, acne, scars, birthmarks, freckles, or a black eye. When picking a concealer look at the packaging. Look for the finish and coverage type. Full coverage is good for a black eyes, scars, super stubborn redness, and birth marks.

To look like you're not wearing make up, make sure your concealer is your EXACT skin tone, or matches your foundation EXACTLY. If you want a quick one product look use concealer that matches your skin tone with a natural finish.

If dark circles are a huge problem use a concealer that is one to two shades lighter then your skin tone/foundation.

My Recommendations:

• Drugstore: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer ($6.29 at Target), Neutrogena SkinClearing Blemish Concealer ($4.54 at Walmart), Colourpop no filter concealer ($6.50 at colourpop.com)
• Luxury: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Retouch Concealer ($26 at Fentybeauty.com), NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($30 at Sephora)

Labeled for men: Evolution Man Conceal & Treat ($28 at shopmasc.com) Man Pen Concealer ($17.95 at Themanpen.com)

Powder

Step 5 (recommended for oily/combo skin, if you have dry skin then skip this step).

Take your setting powder, with your brush or compact, and lightly pat the product on your t zone (the t zone is your forehead, and nose).

Setting powders come in two forms: a pressed compact and loose powder. The compact is good for on the go in case of touch ups.

Setting your face with powder is good, because it will help your oil stay at bay.

The powders come in colored (to match your foundation) or translucent (it appears white but once on the skin it will be clear) shades.

My Recommendations:

• Drugstore: Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder ($3.95 at Walmart)
• Luxury: Tarte Blot Party on-the-go mattifiers ($20 at tarte.com)

Labeled for men: MMUK MAN Anti-Shine Powder (£22 at mensmake-up.co.uk)

Brows

Step 6 (optional)

If your brows are super bushy, run a brow mascara or clear brow gel through them to neaten them up.

Brow mascaras come in colors (to match the color of your brows) or clear.

My Recommendations:

• Drugstore: NYX Control Freak Eyebrow gel ($4.20 at Ulta Beauty), Maybelline Brow Drama Scultping Eyebrow Gel ($7.99 at CVS, 4 different shades)
• Luxury: Glossier Boy Brow in clear, ($16 at glossier.com, 3 different shades along with clear), Benefit cosmetics Gimmie Brow eyebrow gel ($24 at Sephora, 8 different shades)

Setting Spray

Step 7 (I HIGLY RECCOMEND)

Spray your face with setting spray. Hold the bottle five to eight inches away from your face and spray. This will keep your makeup in place all day. Don't forget to apply lip balm too

Like foundations, setting sprays can come in dewy or matte finishes. Look for a long-lasting setting spray to look fresh all day, or if you plan on going to the gym.

My Recommendations:

• Drugstore: Covergirl Outlast Active All-Day Setting Mist ($6.99 at Target)
• Luxury: Urban Decay All nighter Setting Spray ($32 at Sephora)

Removal

Before going to bed, you MUST take your make up off. The makeup that is left on your skin can clog your pores, and can actually cause break outs.

There are many products to get rid of that make up.

• Make up remover wipes are little towelettes that are drenched in makeup remover. All you do is wipe your face till its clean, and throw it out.
• Certain face washes can remove make up (look at the packaging) Wet your face with water and lather with the cleanser, then rinse, and towel dry your face.
• You can also use Micellar water on a cotton pad to remove the makeup without washing your face.

And after removing the makeup, use a moisturizer to prevent your skin from drying out

My Recommendations:

• Drugstore: Neutrogena Make Up Removing Cleansing Towellettes ($4.99 at Target), Simple Kind To Skin Foaming Facial Cleanser ($5.59 at Rite Aid), Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 ($6.59 at CVS)
• Luxury: Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Wipes ($14.50 at Sephora), Boscia MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil ($32 at Ulta Beauty), Tarte Micellar Magic Make Up Remover and Cleanser ($18 at Tarte.com)

The " No way I'm wearing make up " look

So if you're a guy who has made it this far and decide "No way! I'm never wearing makeup." I got stuff for you too.

For oily skin, use blotting papers. The papers are normally blue or a matte white, and when the paper itself comes in contact with oil it absorbs it. The paper will become clear and then you throw it away

• Drugstore: Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Facial Blotting Sheets ($5.29 at Target)
• Luxury: Boscia Green Tea Oil Blotting Liner ($10 at Ulta Beauty)

Moisturizers can also be oil absorbing. It's like two in one.

• Drugstore: Formula 10 Seriously Shine Free Mattifying Oil Free Moisturizer ($6.99 at Ulta Beauty)
• Luxury: Clinique for Men Oil Control Mattifying Moisturizer ($28 at Sephora)

A misting spray can add moisture back into the skin.

• Drugstore: Garnier SkinActive Soothing Facial Mist with Rose Water ($8.99 at CVS)
• Luxury: Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Chamomile and Lavender ($12 at Sephora)

For redness, there are creams that can tone down that redness.

• Drugstore: Cetaphil Redness Relief Facial Moisturizer SPF 20 ($14.49 at Ulta Beauty)
• Luxury: Dr.Jart+ CICAPAIR Tiger Grass Cream ($48 at us.drjart.com)

Always apply sunscreen. There are a few that mattify, and a few that add moisture back into the skin

• Drugstore: Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunscreen ($5.60 at Target), Neutrogena Hydroboost SunScreen ($7.99 at Target)
• Luxury: Ren Clean Skincare Clean Screen Mattifying Face Sunscreen ($36 at Sephora), Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense SunScreen Lotion ($42 at Sephora)

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