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Do you have any makeup tips for guys?
Do you have any makeup tips for guys? Share!
Confidence is key! It’s true no matter the gender, but wear it because you want to, because it makes you feel confident and sexy and all things awesome. If you’re new to makeup and want to work your way up, try skin products (less noticeable) and eyeliner. Though generally, I think the majority of makeup tips you hear apply to all!
Thanks to Aaron for today’s question!
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So true, Christine.
This applies to everyone too, I suppose, but don’t ever let anyone belittle you for what you like to wear, whether it’s subtle or totally in-your-face. You get to choose what you wear and that makes you strong and gives you a chance to express yourself. You shouldn’t have to do that on someone else’s terms.
Don’t let anyone (especially women) tell you its not manly. Male celebrities have to wear makeup ALL THE TIME, why shouldn’t regular guys reap the benefits as well without being looked down upon?
No makeup! It’s just wrong for guys to wear makeup.
Male actors wear makeup all the time. Even the manliest ones =]
I mean this will all respect:
My response to this kind of blatant sexism is ALWAYS the same, “I know, right? I can’t stand that women have the right to vote either! It’s just not natural.” LOL!
Trying to tell someone that they can’t or shouldn’t do something because of their gender is sexism – And sexism is about as attractive as rasism. Not at all.
Always start with clean skin! Wash it with a gentle scrub, Use some witch hazel as toner. Pat dry. Moisturize and go from there. because males sweat more, you may need to do touch-up more frequently.
Lotion and deodorant daily is a must (rusty and musty is not sexy). Manscaping: trim the hedges, mow the lawn (but don’t scorch the earth!) Own a pair or two of Tweezerman tweezers & cuticle scissors to keep your unibrow at bay. Get clippers that are safe for the nose & ear hair. I little bit of bronzer/self tanner goes a long way for special occassions/photographs if you are melanin deficient. Wear a bit of cologne every day. Take care of your hands and feet. Last but not least, use a lip scrub & a moisturizing lip balm (not the shiny kind!). Brush & floss regularly! Whew (LOL @ myself for making this laundry list at 1 a.m.)
Haha! I fail completely! I hate deodorant smell (I RARELY wear it myself). I can’t stand manscaping (it’s just not natural), the more hair the better – Leave those eyebrows alone!!! I’d rather have pale than tan. Cologne is distracting and gives me a headache and rough hands are sexy! I agree with soft lips and clean teeth but other than that… No ma’am! I like my men to look and smell like MEN! LOL!
The smell of BO (which seems to be popular with young men and women)is nauseating than even the foulest of colognes. I went to a Book Discussion and was overwhelmed by the lack of hygiene in some of the young Boho Crowd. No matter what a man chooses for make-up (or not) hygiene is a must. And trim those unibrows. I like my men to look and smell like gentlemen.
Yes.
You’ve got Captain Caveman there! Ha haaaa xD Say hello to Sasquatch for me! LOL
Define “man” Dusty. You are just rude and closed-minded. My husband, who is very much a man, loves skin care products and colognes. He doesn’t wear color cosmetics, per se, but if he did that wouldn’t make him less of a man.
Whoa there! Let’s throw that in reverse for a second! LOL! What I was stating was my own personal preference of what I find esthetically pleasing to ME. If you looked at the rest of my comments on this post (there are several) you would have also seen me share tips on a few ways a man might wear makeup AND also defend a man’s right to wear makeup. I’m in full support of ANYTHING that ANYONE wants to do – Man, woman, gay, straight, black, white or paisley 🙂
Great question Aaron, and great advice Christine. Eyeliner is an excellent place to start. I’ve seen and loved it on so many men, Gerard Way, Ewan McGregor and Adam Lambert just to name a few. I would say start with that, watch a few tutorial videos, and in no time you’ll be at your gorgeous best.
Androgynous men in eyeliner are hot. The black eyeliner just brings out the eyes. David Bowie, David Sylvian, Nick Rhodes, and Gary Numan all call for a time machine!
Pluck your unibrow and dont overdo the makeup!
Dermalogica skincare line for men is amazing, gel bronzers, oil free products are amazing, tinted moisturziers are great because men that do wear makeup don’t want a whole lot on their face.
Oooh! Great question!! I’ve got opinions galore on this subject! Haha! Assuming that you’re trying to pull of “natural” (I know, right? What’s “natural?!” LOL!) then try some of these tips:
NO powder! A powdered, matte face is the first giveaway that you’re wearing makeup. Try to find foundations that don’t need to be set (and aren’t full-coverage) – And go with cream blushes and/or bronzers instead of powdered ones. People are naturally a bit shiny – You want to keep that if you don’t want to LOOK like you’re wearing makeup.
If you NEED to use a powder – Reach for a luminizer when you’re done (liquid instead of cream or powder). Everyone and their uncle makes them now-a-days. I find that they bring the life back into a heavily made-up face. Apply to the cheekbones, nose and forehead – Anywhere you would have a little natural shine anyway. My personal favorites: MAC Strobe Liquid and Face Atelier’s Ultra Sheer in Champagne (that stuff is AMAZING!) You can use a soft, fluffy blush brush with the smallest amount of product and buff it into the skin – Or get some of the product on your hands and press it into the skin using your palms.
If you want to darken your lashes, consider going to a salon to have them tinted instead of using mascara – If you don’t want to do that then invest in a good mascara fan-brush. Mascara WANDS are designed to really coat your lashes – You’ll end up looking like you’ve got eye makeup on unless you use a fan-brush to lightly “tint” your lashes.
Contouring! Contouring can be a guys best friend. Using a product that’s just slightly darker than your own skintone to create shadows can give you better cheekbones, a stronger jaw and a nicer chin. But practice – How quickly we forget season 7 of Roseanne when she looked like she had racing stripes on each cheek LOL! (If you grow it well, you can also contour and shape with facial hair – A goatee can slim a face if done right, so can sideburns – I use my beard to make my chin look bigger than it actually is ALL THE TIME!)
blond boys often have blond lashes. i think if they dye their lashes brown or black it would enhance their eyes. or using mascara. but black would maybe be too much. brown would be better.
and use concealer!
I did theatre for many years, often working with guys who had never worn makeup. Also I have gottten my husband addicted to the clinique skincare line. Take care of your skin this is true whether or not you wear makeupbut especially if you do, remove it before bed or your skin will be angry!
i dont think men need make up, i love natural guys, buy if you want to wear make up keep the skin healthy and glowing not cakey and powdery!
tips i wish all men would adhere to: pluck the hairs between you eyebrows, nobody likes a monobrow! and white teeh are sexy so keep em clean!
I’m a somebody and I LOOOVE a monobrow on a cute guy! I’m totally serious 🙂
But the unibrow looks angry and perturbed quite a bit! LOL
I guess I like my men a little MEAN looking! Haha! 😉 xo
ha ha haaaa xD
Perhaps starting out with light dark eyepencils/kohls is easier if you just want to give it a discrete try. Also if you just dab a little lipstick on lips after you applied chapstick the color will be a lot less intense and I think it helps in the beginning when one is getting use to the product and the art applying it.
I really hope “guy makeup” will not become a thing. I’d rather go without makeup myself for the rest of my life than see men wearing makeup.
That age has been and gone already but that whole androgynous Bowie makeup dealie all needs to come back today!! Woo hoo!
I agree that skin is a great place to start. In South Korea, it is very common for men to use skincare products such as cleansers and moisturizers. Some use tinted moisturizer. As a result, many men look more charismatic and thus have an subtle edge when dealing with business. Other than skincare, I find it very admirable when men sculpt and contour their faces. It looks dashing and handsome in a gaunt sort of way. Some of my debate team members use theatrical makeup to smooth out any facial imperfections, again for that subtle, charismatic edge. Mascara can work well, brushed over eyebrows, to fill them out.
Gaunt and angular. Ooh I like it already! The future sounds bright and with better looking men! Woo hoo!
If you want to keep it natural, I’d suggest tinted moisturizer and maybe some concealer. And maybe brow gel! Nice brows are important for all genders!
Can’t improve on what you wrote, Christine. And makeup IS for everyone. I know some guys that wear awesome makeup and they look fresh and natural.
I wish more guyz would be confortable wearing makeup. My buddy has acne scarring and he hates it, but whenever I suggest a serum or concealer he aks like I’m certafiably insane. To me if he’s upset about his scarring he might feel better if he could correct/fade it or cover it up. But he doesn’t want to be girly its like buddy who cares. Do you !
Moisturizer is most definitely your best friend. My boyfriend’s favourite is just your good ol’ trusty Olay.
And if you’re going to do eyeliner, be sure to be clean shaven! Scruff makes your face a confusing mess if you’re trying to draw attention to your eyes. It’s the same principle ladies follow with their lipstick… if they’re glamming their eyes, they keep the kissers simple.
This is a little OT but this made me think of how Tom Cruise gets into Katie’s stash sometimes. If there is anything to learn from that it would be stay out of your wife’s makeup or get your own boys.
**This depends on whether it’s a man who wants to enhance their looks or transgender.**
**enhance: stay subtle. a tinted moisturizer is probably a good start but IF you can get a shade match I had an awesome male Dior rep once who used the Airflash and you really could not detect the makeup. MUFE HD, Estee Lauder DW and very well applied MAC studio sculpt do a nice job of not looking like makeup on. I recommend having brows done professionally if they’re heavy because there just aren’t good tutorials etc.. always shave closely before using any foundation & be prepared for touch-ups if you have 5 o’clock shadow which won’t look good at all. Stick to natural looking mascara & not more than 1-2 coats. Match your lips for the most natural lip definition and use a lip liner so it doesn’t bleed and give you away.
ABSOLUTELY– either category, invest in good skincare. Use MU remover all over your face for water resistant makeup like those listed. Then a cleanser like Ole Henriksen On The Go which has acids to improve turnover. I’d invest in something like Estee Lauder’s Idealist, Advanced Night Repair and Daywear or Hydrationist–look for a kit. Idealist will go some way in softening skin and smoothing to help makeup go on better over time. ANR will heal and make skin look younger and clearer. Both will help reduce the normal male thicker and more rough/rugged skin to be thinner, more pliable etc so makeup applies better.
**Transgender: ditto on the skincare and add in a good scrub and mask. (for a rec–I’ll try to give recs by skintype if anyone wants so put my name and your skintype as a reply — I’ll try for budget if you ask) Definitely do brows, shave as close as possible. You’ll probably want to go with EL Doublewear or MUFE HD foundation– you’ll want good coverage and a natural finish. Set your foundation with powder. Use concealer as needed, I recommend the thick-liquid consistency of Maybelline Age Rewind Double-Ended or Estee Lauder Doublewear because it adds smoothing effects not in thinner liquid concealers and won’t slide as much as creams. Don’t overdo the makeup– biological women don’t use every product every day. You probably won’t need brow powder/pencil. I’d get brows done professionally but you can probably maintain them with stencils IF you consistently dress female. Don’t remove too much if you wear male attire for work or family. Do use eye primers and well-pigmented shadows that are easy to work with. I strongly recommend something like thebalm’s Shady Lady vol 2 palette if you can grab it. Sephora and ecotools have some nice brush sets to start with. A lash curler makes a HUGE difference– get one! Buxom and Loreal Voluminous are excellent mascaras. I strongly recommend Buxom lip products for adding fullness to make lips look more feminine. Korres makes great natural looking blushes and so does MUFE HD. If you’re trying to pass for female and have safety concerns– pass on the sparkles which might draw attention to your makeup and give you away. For a really amazing example of male using clothing and makeup check out Peacock. It may be a poor example of transgender but the makeup application is really amazing. If you’re out there as a statement/activist and comfortable wear what you want but aim for flattering shades etc. I’d take a look at the Korres 10 liner set as an incredible value and easy to apply if you want to wear eyeliner.
Hope that helps.
Uhhh, not just transgendered women wear ‘out-there’ makeup. Heterosexual cis-gendered males often enjoy some blue eyeshadow and red lipstick too. Just sayin’. Such assumptions could be taken offensively…
I didn’t say they didn’t. I attempted to offer some advice broken down by possible intentions & I said very clearly natural look/transgender. I didn’t offer any advice for heterosexual men trying to look manly in blue eye shadow and red lipstick simply because I figure I don’t have any useful advice there. So I limited my advice giving to where I thought I could offer useful suggestions.
The best I could suggest for your suggestion would be… maybe some old Twisted Sister videos? But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say if a straight man wants to wear blue shadow and red lipstick they probably don’t need my advice and already know the look they want and how to achieve it. I really think if that was the question being asked it would have been stated more specifically though so I stand by my original answer as relevant to the question, not every man in the world.
I love a man in makeup, gives us something to talk about. 😉 My advice is screw the peanut gallery and do what you want; this goes for ALL genders. If you never want to wear a spot of makeup in your life then don’t do it. If you want to go to the office with lids carefully constructed to look like a peacock’s feather and blue lipstick GO FOR IT! Don’t let people’s expectations squash your creativity, or your you-ness. You might get pushed around and called nasty names (usually by members of the same sex) but it’s only because unfamiliar things send panic signals to their tiny underdeveloped brains. Be strong! Makeup is fun, and has no age, race, or sex requirement! Have fun with it!
I Couldn’t agree more! Makeup should be fun and personal! Some people should start thinking outside of the box more.
I agree! Make-up should always be about fun and expression for anyone who wants to use it. And a smile is always your best beauty accessory! 🙂
personally i got for a lightly concealed eye, eyebrow fill with a powder and a very fine blended line on the middle lower lash line, not all the way to the middle or to the outer corner. this just makes your eyelashes look alittle fuller without looking like liner.
another great tip is put some mascara on your finger tip and run it through the lashes to give them a hint of colour without looking like full on mascara!
each to their own! and if you dont like men in make up, dont go for him!
Please wax your eyebrows gentlemen if they become unruly and start to resemble chewbacca and please wear some chapstick…for fun activities 😉
Dusty’s going crazy on this post lol! ^^
Anyways, my advice would be DO WHATEVER THE FUDGE YOU WANT. There’s alot of tips I would give to both men and women, guys and girls so that I would think it looked good, but that’s just ME ~
You should do what YOU want to do, not try to only please others! 😀
Moisturize! My male friends never moisturize, but one did after I made him while on vacation (he complained about itchy, dry skin, now he uses the whole Clinique system!).
Also, I’m all for men in makeup, so have confidence! It definitely isn’t just a female thing. In fact I think it’d be pretty awesome to have a connection like that, another thing in common! I just would hope they wouldn’t be prettier than me! ;-D But go for it with confidence!
too many close minded comments here.
i am a guy, and i am gay, yes, so what? and i have str8 friends using concealers and bronzers, it’s all about being confident.
i love tint moisturizers, light foundations and concealers. my purple dark circles changes my baby face. when people has seen me without makeup (and i do not wear “masks”) they’re like: you look tired today, you look like s*it… i do not want dat! i have a reputation dahhhhling!!