Musicians often do it. As do celebrities, actors and most athletes. In fact, many of these people do it both in and out of the public eye. The fact of the matter is that more and more men are wearing makeup and many beauty and lifestyle brands are ready to serve up more products than ever before. Cosmetic brands such as Clinique, Nivea and Khiels offer full ranges of men’s products but also designers who have mastered the marketing surrounding lifestyle brands are ready to offer a boost to the men’s cosmetic market.
Tom Form is set to launch a men’s product line soon that will include a new fragrance, skin care, concealers and bronzers. In an recent interview, Ford told WWD “I know so many guys — gay, straight, whatever — who steal a woman’s concealer and dab a little on their fingers when no one is looking. It just makes skin look better”.
However, as much as I am behind the idea of improving ones exterior with cosmetics, I can’t condone poor skincare routines and improperly applied cosmetics which means, I’m here to teach.
Here is a quick 5 minute routine that is less about makeup and more about looking revitalized and alive.
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Step 1: Cleanse time
Time: 1 minute
Suggested products: Nivea for MEN Sensitive Skin Face Wash and the Clarisonic Mia cleansing face brush
How-to: Wet your face with warm water and massage a quarter size amount of cleanser all over your face. Next, wet the head of the brush and then press the on button and let it do it’s work. It’s timed for a full minutes worth of movement before it shuts off, so there is no need to do anything but move the brush around the face for some deep cleansing action. Once it’ over, wash the cleanser off your face and pat dry with a towel.
Step 2: Moisturize
Time: 1 minute
Suggested product: Clinique Skin Supplies For Men M Lotion
How-to: This lotion is lightweight so start by applying a loonie size amount all over the face and along your neck, too. Massage into the skin moving in an upwards motion and allow the product to work its magic.
Step 3: Eyes and lips
Time: 1 minute
Suggested products: Visine Original for Red Eye and Khiels Facial Fuel No-Shine Moisturizing Lip Balm
How-to: Red eyes automatically make you look tired, so pop a drop of Visine in each eye to clear away any redness. Your lips need some attention, too, so apply a light layer of the lip balm to smooth out any chapped, dry areas. The matte-look formula will also make the product look barely there.
Step 4: Skin tone corrector
Time: 1 minute
Product: Dermalogica Sheer Tint SPF 20
How-to: Apply four equal pea size amounts in the following spots: forehead, chin and both cheeks. Using your fingers, spread the product well across each quadrant and be sure to blend well so the product looks like one with your skin.
Step 5: Bronzer
Time: 1 minute
Product: L’Oreal Men Expert Hydra Energetic Moisturzing Gel
How-to: This is a gel formula which means, once applied and set, it is incredibly natural looking and last long, so there won’t be any tell-tale signs come end of day that you’ve been wearing some colour on your skin. Apply on the back of your hand and from there, dab onto the forehead, chin and both cheeks and massage into skin. Don’t fear the colour of this translucent gel either as the colour that appears after application is so slight that there’s no fear of a fake and bake tan colour coming through.
When it comes to makeup in your routine, it’s a personal choice. If you could look a touch better, more awake or simply refreshed, why wouldn’t you, male or female? Just be sure to stick to a few key products like concealer, moisturizer and lip balm to even out skin tone and keep your skin in great shape.
