Tuxedos & Formal Wear

Makeup for Men: Coming Soon to A Wedding Near You

As New York Fashion Week comes to a close, we’re struck by one trend in particular: makeup for men. Not just a little cover up or lip balm. With a push from brides-to-be (who want their partners to look their best, too), mainstream men are now being sold products once aimed squarely at women, including mani-pedis, bronzers, blushes, concealers, lip treatments, dermabrasion, mud masks, even waxing. It’s a far cry from a shave and a haircut. Call it man-kup.

The proof is on store shelves: luxury brands like Chanel (Boy), DTRT, Clinique and Tom Ford (Men’s Beauty) have been offering serums and “brow definers” and other vials/tubes for a few years now, but the big push seemed to appear at Fashion Week in New York. At the Luar show, for example, you could see men — both walking and watching — wearing makeup. And David Beckham graced the cover of Love magazine wearing green eye shadow.

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From the very first time he set foot on the field, @davidbeckham knew he wanted to be a football player. ‘That’s how my career started and that is where I felt most at ease, most confident and happiest. I turned into a totally different person. Once I was on the field I knew that was what I could do best.’ While his confidence came easily on the pitch, off the pitch was a different story. David Beckham is our #LOVE20.5 cover star, a catalogue of pictures from our first moving image issue – #movingLOVE. #LOVE20.5 goes on sale tomorrow. Photography by @callthis_number @steve__mackey @douglashartfilm Creative Director @kegrand  Fashion Editor @mrkimjones David wears @dior Grooming @sydhayeshair and @mirandajoyce @house99 Thanks to @justinefoord

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This is a serious paradigm shift for grooms who used to worry only about their tux, shoes, and ring. Younger men (grooms and groomsmen) are scheduling wedding prep several weeks before the big day to make sure they lose the weight or get the right haircut—just as women have done for an eternity. This should come as no surprise as we’re in an era when masculinity is being questioned and redefined and everyone admits that, yes, we all look and feel our best when we are put together from hair to toenail.

Some social critics blame/credit Millennial narcissism for the elevation of barber shops, tattoos, and piercings in popular culture. Others suggest that our expectations of physical beauty have grown in direct proportion to the rise of Instagram.

But regardless of the source, this new wrinkle in men’s grooming coincides with a growing acceptance of LGBTQ-targeted ads and the awareness of the transgender population. Tom Ford chose an androgynous model to play both boy and girl for his latest Lips & Boys men’s lipstick campaign.

In the wedding space specifically, we expect to see more bachelor party and groomsmen trips to spas (as opposed to strip clubs or hotel rooms) for hair, skin, and nail treatments. And, ultimately, married couples fighting less over which show to watch, and more over who gets to use the last of the foundation.

 

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