Kabuki

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese art performance. It involves elaborately designed costumes, eye-catching makeup, outlandish wigs and exaggerated actions performed by the actors.^[7] Kabuki was originally performed by women but beginning in 1629, only male actors were permitted to perform kabuki. Kabuki actors apply oil and wax to their faces to help cosmetics stick to the skin.^[7] Then they put on a thick white cosmetic called oshiroi that covers their entire face.^[7] Oshiroi is made of rice flour and uses slightly different shades of white depending on the age, type, and gender of the character.^[7] On a cosmetically made white face, red and black lines are used to outline the eyes and mouth. Different shapes are used for male and female characters.^[7]

For certain characters, there is a special makeup style called kumadori. Kumadori consists of dramatic lines and shapes of different colors, each representing a different emotional quality.^[8] The most commonly used colors are dark red, representing anger, passion or cruelty, and dark blue for sadness or depression. Other common colors are pink, representing youth or happiness; light blue or green, representing calmness; purple, for the aristocracy, and brown for selfishness. There are about a hundred different mask-like kumadori makeup styles.

Age group

Aside from traditional use and use in the arts, research shows that young men who are between 18 and 34 years old are more likely to use cosmetics.^[9]

Males using cosmetics

Male cosmetics were originally targeted towards homosexual men, however, market research revealed that only a third of male cosmetic consumers were gay.^[10] Some men use beauty products to cover perceived flaws on their faces, such as acne marks and freckles.^[11] Additionally, some men use cosmetics to boost their physical appearance.^[12]

Makeup is frequently used by male stage performers and movie actors.^[11] Intensive makeup might be used to produce a zombie-effect, aging or other special effects, for a movie.^[11] Although using makeup can be time-intensive, it saves time and cost compared to the use of computer-driven special effects and can be more visually appealing to the audience.^[13]

With the number of aging populations around the world continually increasing, older men are also turning towards cosmetics to slow the appearance of physical aging effects.^[13] Many of these effects include wrinkles, age spots, dry skin, uneven skin tone, and even hair damage; the appearance of all of these can be reduced by the use of cosmetics.^[13]

Gender balance in the cosmetics industry

Although most cosmetics consumers are women, the majority of executives within cosmetics companies are men.^[17] Many large beauty companies have few female representatives on their boards or senior management teams.^[17] For instance, the leadership team of the cosmetics giant Revlon, as well as the leadership team of Bath and Body Works and the luxury goods group LVMH (with brands such as Makeup For Ever, Fresh and Benefit Cosmetics), consist mainly of males.^[17] In comparison, the board of Estée Lauder is almost balanced, but the number of women in administrative positions throughout the company is relatively small.^[17] Overall, women account for 34% of the board of directors of personal care companies and 24% of all executive positions. While this ratio may be more equitable than other industries, it is not yet reflective of the cosmetics market or society at large.^[17]

Male cosmetics bloggers and celebrities

The number of male beauty bloggers on YouTube is also growing.^[18] Makeup male bloggers will evaluate cosmetics and provide makeup tutorials and advertise products. The most famous male beauty bloggers in the United States are Patrick Starr and James Charles.^[11]

One of the most prominent male cosmetic celebrities is a Chinese streamer named Li Jiaqi. Jiaqi tests lipsticks and analyses the colour and texture of each lipstick for a large audience.^[19] On November 11, 2018, Li Jiaqi sold lipsticks live, selling 15,000 units in five minutes.^[19]