This article appeared in the May 8, 2002 edition of the Chicago Tribune.
A cosmetic change: Men belly up to makeup bar
Kelly Yamanouchi
Tribune staff
reporter
Doing that requires some sensitivity to men's ideas about makeup. Unlike women, most men don't want to talk about makeup, don't want to go out in public to shop for makeup and don't know how to use makeup.
It has become a daily routine for Glenn Cooper. He rubs on an exfoliating facial scrub, then eye gel to take away the dark circles. The final touch--a fluff of powder to keep away the shine.
"I'm addicted," said the Arlington Heights business owner and husband. "It's definitely a confidence-builder, and that certainly can't hurt."
Cooper, 43, thinks more men who are concerned about their appearance for personal and professional reasons will be adopting a similar morning ritual. Some companies are betting on that, too.
The men's market is particularly tempting to large cosmetics companies, which have seen sales at department stores plateau in recent years. Although still a niche market, retailers say men's cosmetics can only grow, given an aging population with the money and motivation to keep their youthful looks.
"There are a lot of people who believe this category is on the verge of expanding," said Lisa Hawkins, executive director of global marketing for Aramis, a men's fragrance and skin-care line owned by Estee Lauder Cos.
Euromonitor International forecasts that the market for men's grooming products in the United States will grow nearly 8 percent between 2001 and 2006, to $3.55 billion, with premium shaving products and more male-specific toiletries fueling the growth.
"It's a dirty little secret that a lot of men grab their girlfriend's products," says MAC Cosmetics President John Demsey. "We've seen increasingly more and more men--regular guys--coming to MAC locations."
As with other trends, media exposure will only broaden the market, observers say. Demsey, for one, says he is looking forward to fall, when fashion magazines are planning to feature men's makeup.
"People actually talk about this now, so it's sort of an evolution," Demsey said. In Chicago, MAC's two stores, featuring sleek black counters, attract as many as 10 men a day. They buy everything from shaving cream to foundation, powder, concealer and blot powder.
Still, manufacturers acknowledge that they've got hurdles to overcome, particularly in a culture that spawned the Marlboro man. They say the first step is education--showing that men can improve their looks, too.
Doing that requires some sensitivity to men's ideas about makeup. Unlike women, most men don't want to talk about makeup, don't want to go out in public to shop for makeup and don't know how to use makeup.
About two years ago, Aramis launched a line of cosmetics for men called Surface, with products to "even skin tone and create the appearance of an `air-brushed' complexion." Products include Optimizing Skin Cream, Healthy Look Gel and Instant Correcting Stick.
Gaining an edge
Such products, the manufacturers say, can give older men a competitive edge when they're competing with women and younger men. After all, Richard Nixon's defeat in the 1960 presidential election has been attributed in part to his five o'clock shadow, which made him look sinister compared with the youthful John Kennedy.
"There is a tremendous vanity issue in the Boomers particularly," said Barbara Breindel, author of a report on drugs and cosmetics for Baby Boomers published by Business Communications Co., a Norwalk, Conn., market research firm. As is the case with many fashion trends, gay men are some of the early adopters, she adds.
Cosmetics are often made and used differently for men's thicker, oilier skin, and bigger pores.
"You have to really understand what makes men handsome," said Ben Coler, owner of Boulder, Colo.-based Studio5ive Skin System, whose products include concealers, shading powders, and brow and eyelash gel for men. His Web site explains how to get rid of dark circles and razor nicks. Coler plans to launch a nighttime kit with eye shadow, eyeliner and lip gloss for a "club scene" look.
Marketing cosmetics to men also calls for a different approach. The first barrier is getting men to department stores or specialty shops.
When men come into MAC's Oak Street store in Chicago, "sometimes they're more nervous, but that's understandable," said Jason Wagner, a makeup artist at the store.
Showing men how to apply makeup can help to put them at ease. And the more they are exposed to it, the more comfortable they become, Wagner said.
Midnight purchases
Some have found it easier to sell cosmetics to men in places like hairdressers or dermatologists' offices, or on the Internet. Michele Probst, founder of Menaji, a Nashville men's cosmetics company that sells facial masks and concealer among other products, said 70 percent of her orders online are made after midnight.
Many retailers have found it easier to simply sell to women-- Clinique, for example, gives women "pass-along samples" of men's products.
Men often send women to buy their cosmetics, and are most willing to use products packaged simply. And don't call it makeup-- "cosmetics" is pushing it; "skin care" and "grooming products" are preferred.
Even the directions for the products are tailored for men.
"On the eye gel, we have to put `Close your eyes' on the directions," Probst said. "They truly do not know what to do."
But men also like to research their purchases, and many retailers have Web sites with information on products and how to apply them.
Roger Forrester, who lives in Nashville and owns a medical billing business, said his girlfriend bought him eye gel and moisturizer. At 32, he wants to keep wrinkles from forming and has tried facial moisturizers. Still, he isn't ready to start using concealer or makeup.
"I'm a little bit more concerned about my skin that some of my friends," he said. "I think that maybe some men are not aware of how simple it is to put something on like that--you know, like brushing your teeth at night--to keep your wrinkles down."
Cosmetics-makers also hope to figure out how men's cosmetics have done better overseas. In Europe and Asia, many have found that men are more willing to spend on primping products.
"The U.S. male is probably going to be my toughest client," Probst said.
