There is a glamorous pleasure that many women experience walking up and down the makeup aisles of Sephora. Even finding the perfect bronzer at the nearest drugstore has the ability to make one feel as if they are now a Goddess who should be living amongst the beach babes in California. For many, makeup brings confidence, and confidence is powerful. Sometimes my favorite part of the weekend is sitting down in front of my mirror, putting some music on, and testing out new beauty products before a night out on the town. Now of course, makeup isn’t a requirement to feel great about ourselves. I love rocking the bare skin look most days out of the week. But for each woman who chooses to indulge in the simple enjoyment of putting on a red lip, I wonder how many men would choose to express themselves through makeup as well, if it was seen as socially acceptable?
When it comes to men wearing makeup, no one dares question the coolness of pop and rock stars David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. I don’t care what you’re into, but if you say these men weren’t able to pull off a smokey eye without being masculine and sexy, you’re lying. But for those men who aren’t world-loved celebrities, it might be difficult to branch out and experiment with makeup because of the worry of others considering it to be too feminine.
But what if I told you fellas that there is a place where men wear makeup daily, and it only makes them more desirable? That’s right, boys, South Korea is stepping up their beauty game. It’s not taboo for men in South Korea to wear a little BB Cream to aid in the appearance of great skin. It’s not strange for South Korean men to take time to fill in their eyebrows and style their hair! If anything, taking an interest in makeup, skin care and fashion has given them a confidence that makes these men absolutely dreamy! This trend largely inspired by Korean pop stars and Korean television dramas has allowed men to experiment with a style that isn’t seen as just masculine or feminine. Makeup is a gender neutral interest in South Korea that only allows more freedom. Need an example? Here’s Jimin. A member of BTS, a South Korean boy band who knows how to win the ladies hearts with a stained lip and a touch of warm-toned eye shadow.
Has this trend made its way over to the States yet? Not exactly. Other than a few fabulous male beauty gurus on YouTube (try saying that five times fast) who can work a full face better than anyone I’ve ever seen, men in makeup aren’t very common yet. For American men who want to experiment with makeup it might seem like the only answer is a trip to South Korea! Even though that sounds like the most exciting trip one could take, it’s not that practical, is it? So hopefully American culture is able to learn a thing or two about beauty from South Korea and catch up. If makeup were to become socially acceptable for both women and men here in the States, it’s most likely going to happen with the help of celebrities and Youtubers — as that seemed to be the rule breaker in South Korea. And if that’s the case, we might not be that far behind than we think. Some male celebrities have made feminine fashionable recently among young men with their choice of clothing. Just take a look at Timothée Chalamet and Harry Styles with their forward fashion that doesn’t put a definition on masculinity.
For those men out there who don’t want to wait for the pop culture green light on makeup, guess what? You don’t have to! Someone has to make the change and be the next David Bowie in your life, why shouldn’t it be you? Take it from us girls, makeup is meant to be fun. That’s the most important thing about it. If you end up liking it, you’ll feel and look just like the rock star you’ve always wanted to be!