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Society Borderless beauty: male cosmetics

thomas

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14 Mar 2002
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This is a question for the gents: how do you feel about using cosmetics? So-called 'genderless' beauty products seem to be one of the latest trends in Japanese cosmetics.

Isetan Shinjuku and other department stores will feature both male and female models on the cover of their cosmetics catalogues in 2022. The theme was "borderless beauty."


borderless-beauty.jpg


"Times have changed," said Yuki Ishikawa, 36, a male hair and makeup artist. Men looking at cosmetics for sale is a sight more commonly seen over the past few years, according to the staff at retailer Loft Co.'s store in Osaka's Kita Ward. An advertisement for lipstick on a store shelf features both male and female models. Koki Yamamura, 23, a company employee, picked out one of the lipsticks. "Makeup makes me feel good," he said. Yamamura began using beauty products such as concealer about two years ago, when his favourite hair wax company began selling cosmetics for men. He said his male friends use lipsticks marketed for women. "I can become the person I want to be with makeup," he said. "I think the stereotype that makeup is only for women is old-fashioned."


 
Male insecurity has been woefully unexploited, but no longer!

This manages to feel like both progress in equality AND a backwards slide. There are use cases for makeup, but on the whole people just needs to take care of their skin: moisturize and wear sunblock. Everything else is just manufactured need.

I actually had a friend in Korea doing grad work regarding male cosmetics ten years ago, so this isn't exactly anything new, but nothing like a little op ed to insert a budding market opportunity into public discourse.
 
If a male wants to have a pleasant facial skin here in Japan. That male should ask his grandmother for advise or even great grandmother.
The answer would always be the same... put cucumber slices on your face.
That method has been around since I've been in Japan for nearly.... well, never mind LOL
I think it has to do with the Asian sun.
I do highly recommend if your high school son is playing baseball 7 days a week after school, have him put some cucumber slices one his face.
 
If a male wants to have a pleasant facial skin here in Japan. That male should ask his grandmother for advise or even great grandmother.
The answer would always be the same... put cucumber slices on your face.
That method has been around since I've been in Japan for nearly.... well, never mind LOL
I think it has to do with the Asian sun.
I do highly recommend if your high school son is playing baseball 7 days a week after school, have him put some cucumber slices one his face.
But he might get teased. Plus it seems like they might fall off while he's playing baseball.
 
This is a question for the gents: how do you feel about using cosmetics? So-called 'genderless' beauty products seem to be one of the latest trends in Japanese cosmetics.

Isetan Shinjuku and other department stores will feature both male and female models on the cover of their cosmetics catalogues in 2022. The theme was "borderless beauty."







I think it looks beautiful! Of course I'm a female. It's been arounf for a long time in these east Asian countries i think it's because it's just now started to become a trend in more countries that people are starting to recognize it more.
 
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I keep reading this thread , I'll have dreams I'm on that TV show...Queer Eye for the Stright Guy. I guess it's true , you can't teach an old dog a new trick.
 
I've got no issues with other men wearing cosmetics, but I hope that this trend does not catch on - most young people are already under too much pressure to look a certain way while dealing with other social, personal and financial issues. As a generation X cis male, my beauty preparation before going out will remain a shower and a shave.

PS Jhopestrawberry - o-kaeri nasai!
 
Hey guys, its the cucumbers, don't you know that.
I was serious though. Cucumbers have the natural skin conditioner for both male and female.
I sometimes wonder if the cucumber would help those boys with acme problems, something to check into I think.
 
I've got no issues with other men wearing cosmetics, but I hope that this trend does not catch on - most young people are already under too much pressure to look a certain way while dealing with other social, personal and financial issues. As a generation X cis male, my beauty preparation before going out will remain a shower and a shave.

PS Jhopestrawberry - o-kaeri nasai!
Lothor you are from the UK right? I just changed companies but where I was for the last several years as a UK company. The guys from London who kept coming over wore makeup. Mind you this is upper management types and not too old.
 
Lothor you are from the UK right? I just changed companies but where I was for the last several years as a UK company. The guys from London who kept coming over wore makeup. Mind you this is upper management types and not too old.
What industry?
 
Lothor you are from the UK right? I just changed companies but where I was for the last several years as a UK company. The guys from London who kept coming over wore makeup. Mind you this is upper management types and not too old.
Yes, I'm from the UK.

The guys from London ... That explains it - they're a bit strange down south!
 
I've got no issues with other men wearing cosmetics, but I hope that this trend does not catch on - most young people are already under too much pressure to look a certain way while dealing with other social, personal and financial issues. As a generation X cis male, my beauty preparation before going out will remain a shower and a shave.
Couldn't agree more on all counts.
To each their own, but I think there is something fundamentally incompatible between me and the type of guy who would get really serious into using cosmetics.

That said, I guess it's a good thing if it's being de-stigmatized for those people who genuinely feel like they need or want to make use of it to gain confidence in their appearance.
 
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I've not heard that for 30 years! A song that namechecks so many places in my early life - I was teaching in Cheadle Hulme (mentioned about 5 mins in) before I came to Japan. Not the finest moment of the KLF, but I like their take on 'Jerusalem' at the end.
 
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