These days, it is not uncommon to find men who wear make-up. Men in their 20’s and 30’s who have grown up in a digital environment are the main characters in this issue. Sociocultural gender images are being changed by this demographic. Men who wear make-up and pay a great deal of attention to their faces have become very natural in Korea today. Recently, the BBC, the United Kingdom’s largest broadcasting company, profiled Korea and reported that more men put on make-up here than anywhere else in the world. The questions we want to ask are: why did men start putting on make-up and how does the society at large feel about it?

Korean men lead the world in make-up sales

Korea is the No.1 country in men’s skin care product sales in the world. The global market research institute “Euromonitor International” reported this statistic last year; Korean men spend roughly 5.53 billion won on cosmetics which accounts for 21% of sales worldwide. It also reported that Korea men’s cosmetic market has grown by 10% in spite of the economic recession last year. A well known cosmetics company, “AMORE PACIFIC” has benefited from this market growth and increased its revenue by 14% in 2012. Its market value recently reached 9.8 billion won. Euromonitor pointed out that Korea is unique because the male population is only 19 million but the men’s cosmetic market is the biggest in the whole world. Actually, 20% of Korea’s young men reportedly use foundation cosmetics. Newly coined expressions are a result of this phenomenon. “Mr. Beauty” is one of the most representative examples. This refers to a man who wants to be beautiful. Nowadays, the number of men who pursue beauty seems to outnumber women. They take skincare treatments and invest in their wardrobe and appearance. Moreover, there are beauty blogs for men. For example, a blog “The little prince’s cosmetic star” was selected as a power blog by NAVER in 2009. The blogger is a man and he posted about how men could use many beauty products made for women because of the lack of male specific beauty products. Recognition of this demand for men’s cosmetic products has caused the market to grow 14% annually, and this year, its market sales will go over 1 trillion won.

Why men started to put on make-up

The fruit of a competitive society
Due to an increased awareness that appearance is related to competitiveness, the demand for men’s cosmetics has increased rapidly since the second half of 2011. It is an increasing reality that appearance has a strong effect on getting a job. A United States news magazine “Business Work” reported Korea has experienced a meteoric rise in men’s cosmetics and observed that “Korea is a country of keen competition as the phrase ‘appearance is competitiveness’ demonstrates.” They also concluded that one of the primary causes of the phenomenon is job survival, competition, and the deepening difficulty of getting a job. The result is that men are now using cosmetics as part of their survival strategy. The UK’s BBC reported on Korean men’s unusual love for make up on December 3, 2012. In this broadcast, they also observed that Korean men’s use of cosmetics was due to competition in getting a job. In the interview, one male Korean student said “Men are putting on make-up for giving a better impression to human resource directors, not for looking like women.”

The appeal to women
Feminism scholar, James Turnbull had this to say about Korean men’s make-up fever, “After the foreign exchange crisis, Korean men’s social and financial level became weak relatively. Women who have risen in position started thinking about the appearance of their spouse more importantly in this process.” Moreover, you can assume that the psychology of men who want to appeal more attractively to women has been affected.

Self-satisfaction
Both men and women can gain a sense of self-satisfaction when they take care of their looks and it brings confidence. In addition, if one obtains self-satisfaction, it will have positive effects to many things. We cannot ignore the pretty man syndrome that Lee Jun Ki once caused. When pin-up boys appealed to many people and gained a positive image, many men wanted to have this image and started taking care of themselves. This was also an effort to achieve self-satisfaction.

The Observer did an interview with a cosmetic shop worker to check the present condition of men who put on make-up.

Interview with cosmetic shop worker at Sinmae Olive Young

Q) The men’s cosmetic market has been growing recently. What has driven this phenomenon?
A) The number of men asking for information regarding products is increasing. Although there are still fewer men looking for cosmetics than women, there are now men who come in alone. Moreover, some male customers who put on make-up perfectly and they come in looking for BB (Blemish Balm) cream or eyebrow pencils. They put on make-up very well compared to some women and they know about make-up products very well.

Q) How many men come in looking for BB cream or foundation?
A) I would say about 3 to 4 out of 10 men who come into the store. Actually, male customers in their 20’s account for the largest number of customers, but even many boys in their teens buy BB cream too. I think those in their 20’s usually buy products on the Internet more than in stores.

Q) What is the age of most of your male customers?
A) I think the boys and men in their teens and 20’s. As for those in their 20’s, I think there are more in their early 20’s. Those in their mid to late 20’s usually come in with their girlfriend rather than alone.

Q) Why is the number of male customers’ increasing?
A) It is just a time when men putting on make-up has become acceptable. We can easily see men who have white faces downtown. If they put on make-up naturally, they can look neat and upgrade their image.

People’s awareness regarding men who put on make-up

How do university students think regarding men who put on make-up? The Observer interviewed a male student who puts on make-up and a male student who doesn’t put on make-up.

Interview with a male student who does not put on make-up

Q) What do you think about male students who put on make-up?
A) I think it is not particularly good. Women should put on make-up, so people think it is natural, but when a man puts on make-up, many people think he is strange.

Q) Do you think make-up is needed to be a man?
A) No, only if you are a male entertainer. Men don’t need to look beautiful like women.

Q) If a man puts on make-up, how much is OK?
A) If they must have make-up, I can understand a little BB cream. Because it is for better skin texture and skin dullness.

Interview with a male student who puts on make-up

Q) Why do you put on make-up?
A) It’s because I want to make my skin look nice. If I apply BB cream, my skin tone will change gorgeously and make me look neater. Also, I apply BB cream lightly, so I only correct my skin neatly and naturally.

Q) When did you start wearing make-up?
A) I started during my first year of university. After I entered university, I started paying attention to my appearance. Recently, many male university students have BB cream even if they don’t use it. Because men’s BB cream has been developed well and many people use it now.

Q) What changed after you started wearing make-up?
A) I think my self-satisfaction is the only thing that changed. I feel more confident and I think it gives me a more dignified appearance.

Q) What do you think about people’s thinking of you when you wear make-up?
A) Maybe I think some of my female friends know I am wearing it, but they don’t speak about it. It is only for my self-satisfaction. I think those who have a negative opinion just have a closed mind.

For a long time, make-up was considered to be only for women. However, now it is not only the exclusive property of women. Men are changing their attitude about cosmetics consumption. In addition, men’s work, women’s work, and job separation based on gender is also vanishing. Appearance is becoming prime point of competitiveness and for some men make-up is a way to represent themselves regardless of others’ attention or assessment. Therefore, men’s make-up can be recognized as a form of self-regulation. I consider maybe men who put on make-up and self-regulate will become even more common in the future. Perhaps one day, we would not notice it at all and we will see beauty men everywhere.