Story at a glance
- Makeup has long been gendered as a feminine product, but as beauty standards become more inclusive, beauty marketing is shifting as well.
- In Japan, the men’s beauty industry is rapidly expanding, according to a recent report by The Associated Press.
- The market is growing and profiting off of the insecurities that arise from staring at your image for long periods of time.
The latest trend in selfie magic is the inverted filter, which flips the reflection you usually see in a mirror to reflect how others supposedly see you. Some people have been pleasantly surprised, while others — less so.
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@es3iii #duett med @its_joe_momma #invertedfilter
But as more and more people are spending their time staring at their camera on Zoom (be honest, you’re not looking at everyone else), many are seeing their face in a new light — and lighting. This can be terrible for your self-image and confidence, but it’s great news for the beauty industry, which is profiting off of your insecurities.
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For those subjected to female beauty standards or who suffer from dysmorphia, this isn’t new. In Japan, however, The Associated Press (AP) reports many businessmen are entering the beauty industry for the first time just as their society’s entrenched gender roles are beginning to loosen their hold.
“I think the coronavirus has created a certain condition that urges businessmen to be more aware of their skin condition,” Yoshiyuki Matsuo, the assistant branding manager for Uno, Shiseido’s men’s care brand, told AP. “We have seen double-digit growth even amid the pandemic.”
The global men’s skincare market alone was valued at $11.6 billion in 2019, according to a recent analysis, and is only expected to keep growing, estimated to reach $18.92 billion by 2027. Brands like Tribe Cosmetics, Faculty, MMUK and War Paint are “manning up” the commercial image of makeup — without the Pink Tax applied to women’s cosmetics.
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