FUSE OP.ED

Men wearing makeup …  Is it inevitable?

Thomas is not someone or something. It's not a venue, or an event, a destination, a way of dressing, mantra for living or even a way of life. It’s an attitude. It’s bespoke. It’s a one off, exclusive, special event—for one night only; the night of your life. It’s free, single, sexy and sweet. But if you’re a hater it will cost you. It’s not common, but it’s in demand. It's traditional, but innovative. Respectful, but ever questioning. It’s outcomes focussed yet doesn’t forget the little guy. It’s the latest thing, but it’s not trendy. It will test and challenge you. Just when you think you know it, it charges off a vertical slope, spearing toward the red line and onto a new adventure.

To quote a girlfriend of mine's entry on an online dating website, in the section entitled ‘Looking For’:
‘The following phrases scare me:

.. living at home with my parents for a while

... I’m 48 but young at heart

... it's not makeup, it's just a bit of bronzer’

The modern concept of the metro-sexual male is a walking, talking, shopping, moisturising wet dream for the advertising executive, or beauty spa proprietor.
With an inner-city apartment (where all the best gyms and bars are) and a high credit card limit, they not only inhabit careers such as hospitality, media, public relations and advertising, but now jobs seen as the last vestige of the retro-sexual; blue and white collar roles.

Consumer capitalism has given the traditional, self denying, self-reliant; strong and aggressive male role model the heave-ho. Indeed the retro–sexual has since been exfoliated away, along with yesterdays rough dry skin cells.

It is now perfectly acceptable for the modern male to colour-coordinate, care about skincare and manscape regularly. Because of this and all the other trappings that come along with the lifestyle, cosmetics are no longer solely the domain of the gay man—although you should have seen the look I got checking out the Lancôme counter. Hence it is such that, naturally, makeup may become a regular element of men's grooming.
But, makeup, surely a step too far?

Well, its too late. John Paul Gaultier (JPG) already launched a line of male makeup in 2003. The line included matte powder bronzer with a brush, face balm, fortifying nail polish, nourishing lip balm for pale skin, ‘Sneaky Kiss’ lip gloss and even eyeliner. Tag-lined either Tout Beau or Tout Propre; meaning ‘All Handsome’ or ‘All Clean’. The collection was impressively presented in jet black plastic packaging.

However, the line was not a huge success, and only recently has JPG attempted to revamp and relaunch the range. In what could be described as a marketing coup, or a reflection of the changing market for male makeup, the line has deliberately been targeted to the metro-sexual male.

The new collection, branded Monsieur is even more extensive, including bronzers (powder and liquid), eyeliners, concealer in three shades and moisturisers to ‘optimize the male complexion’. The philosophy behind this? 'A Monsieur lies hidden in every man. Monsieur is sophisticated and elegant without fuss or complication, but of course not without humour'.

Seriously, now you can stop laughing.

In the meantime, if you think its not catching on, think again:

Clinique, the popular mainstream line does carry men's skincare, which essentially is the same formula as for women, but in much manlier gun-metal grey packaging and with more masculine names. Instead of ‘Clarifying Lotion’, the men get ‘Scruffing Lotion’ and in lieu of ‘Dramatically different moisturiser’, there is ‘M-Gel’.

Amongst the other skin care items in the range, there are makeup items—like the concealer ingeniously titled ‘M-Cover’. It sold out in its first week on sale in Australia—sorry to all the lads out there that swear by it, but this is makeup; concealer like your girlfriend wears—pure and simple.
Would you want your man in makeup? Would you want ANY man in makeup? ... Discuss.

Thomas Hoffman Edited by Suzan Dlouhy