Post: #1

For S. Korean men, makeup a foundation for success

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-1...or-success

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Cho Won-hyuk stands in front of his bedroom mirror and spreads dollops of yellow-brown makeup over his forehead, nose, chin and cheeks until his skin is flawless. Then he goes to work with a black pencil, highlighting his eyebrows until they're thicker, bolder.

"Having a clean, neat face makes you look sophisticated and creates an image that you can handle yourself well," the 24-year-old college student said. "Your appearance matters, so when I wear makeup on special occasions, it makes me more confident."

Cho's meticulous efforts to paint the perfect face are not unusual in South Korea. This socially conservative, male-dominated country, with a mandatory two-year military conscription for men, has become the male makeup capital of the world.

South Korean men spent $495.5 million on skincare last year, accounting for nearly 21 percent of global sales, according to global market research firm Euromonitor International. That makes it the largest market for men's skincare in the world, even though there are only about 19 million men in South Korea. Amorepacific, South Korea's biggest cosmetics company, estimates the total sales of men's cosmetics in South Korea this year will be more than $885 million.

The metamorphosis of South Korean men from macho to makeup over the last decade or so can be partly explained by fierce competition for jobs, advancement and romance in a society where, as a popular catchphrase puts it, "appearance is power." Women also have a growing expectation that men will take the time and effort to pamper their skin.

Evidence of this new direction in South Korean masculinity is easy to find. In a crowded Seoul cafe, a young woman takes some lipstick out of her purse and casually applies it to her male companion's lips as they talk. At an upscale apartment building, a male security guard watches the lobby from behind a layer of makeup. Korean Air holds once-a-year makeup classes for male flight attendants.

"I can understand why girls don't like to go outside without makeup — it makes a big difference," said Cho Gil-nam, a tall, stocky 27-year-old insurance fraud investigator in Seoul who starts important days by dabbing on makeup after finishing his multistep morning cleansing and moisturizing routine. He carries a multicolored cosmetics pouch so he can touch up in public bathrooms throughout the day.

While U.S. cosmetics companies report growing sales in male cosmetics, American men are often wary of makeup. "Men Wearing Makeup a Disturbing Trend" was how American columnist Jim Shea titled a recent post.

In South Korea, however, effeminate male beauty is "a marker of social success," according to Roald Maliangkay, head of Korean studies at Australian National University.

Amorepacific Corp. offers 17 men's brands, with dozens of products to choose from, and operates two Manstudio stores in Seoul that are devoted to men's skincare and makeup.

South Korean men are barraged daily with messages in popular media suggesting that flawless skin is a crucial part of any plan to get ahead at work and romance.

"In this society, people's first impressions are very important. A man's skin is a big part of that impression, so I take care of my skin," said Kim Deuk-ryong, a 20-year-old student.

It wasn't always this way. The ideal South Korean man used to be rough and tough.

Things began to change in the late 1990s, when the South Korean government relaxed a ban on Japanese cultural goods, exposing South Koreans to different ideas on male beauty, including popular comics featuring pretty, effeminate men.

James Turnbull, a writer and lecturer on Korean feminism, sexuality and popular culture, said the economic crisis that hit South Korea in 1997 and 1998 also played a role in shifting thinking. Struggling companies often fired their female employees first, angering women who had already seen their push for equal rights take a backseat to protest movements against Japanese colonizers and the autocratic governments that followed.

"The times were ripe for a sea-change in the popular images of men in the media," Turnbull said. Women, as a result, began questioning the kinds of men society told them they should find attractive.

In 2002, large numbers were attracted to a hero of South Korea's World Cup soccer team, Ahn Jung-hwan, who became a leading member of the so-called "flower men" — a group of exceptionally good-looking, smooth-skinned, fashionable sports stars and celebrities who found great success selling male cosmetics. Men everywhere began striving to look like them, with the encouragement of the women around them, and a trend was born.

A decade later, ads featuring handsome, heavily made-up male celebrities are an unavoidable part of the urban scenery.

Kim Jong-hoon, a 27-year-old tech industry worker in Paju, said the endless media exposure to famous men with perfect skin helped steer his progression from soap and water to an elaborate regime that includes as many as eight steps, from cleanser to eye cream and lotion to a small amount of makeup powder.

"My skin wasn't bad, but the media constantly sends the message that skin is one of the most important things, so I wanted to take care of it," Kim said.

Once an oddity, men using makeup is now commonplace.

It's also a good source of conversation, said Kim Ae-kyung, 35, a female office worker.

"I feel like I have more to talk about with guys who use makeup — we have more in common," Kim said.

Post: #2

Post: #3

This is what happens when a highly conformist, competitive society is barraged with advertising. Eventually, it drastically affects behaviour and culture.

I'm sure we'll start seeing this elsewhere - cosmetics companies are some of the most aggressive marketers. They have a lot of cash. Making men wear makeup can almost double their potential market. They're not going to pass up on that opportunity even if it means going against the grain for a while.

That said, I don't think it will ever provide any game advantage in the West.

Post: #4

Gives a whole new meaning to Gangnam Style.

Post: #5

(09-17-2012 10:59 AM)Caligula Wrote:  That said, I don't think it will ever provide any game advantage in the West.

Maybe we're not up to wearing make-up but we do have the male metro-sexual phenomenon going on.

Post: #6

(09-17-2012 11:02 AM)Menace Wrote:  Gives a whole new meaning to Gangnam Style.

This piece gives some good insights about South Korean culture and where that song fits in: http://www.theatlantic.com/international...in/261462/

Post: #7

My cheeks could use a little more rouge..

Post: #8

There's a subculture of dudes here that use eyeliner, inspired by rockers like Jared Leto and Billy Joe Armstrong, who regularly use it. That's about it though - maybe soft dudes in a certain sector of the arts might wear it daily, but even they don't use powder or any kind of foundation on their faces. Thickening the eyebrows is one thing, but beyond that...whoa.

Post: #9

Men openly wearing makeup comes and goes in Western culture, but is entirely about men liking what they see in the mirror, and nothing to do with what women like.

The entire Fop movement was men showing they were elite by wearing wigs, makeup, and walking about in high heels, displaying they were above manual labor (while also having plenty of free time to devote to the dueling foil). The fops would purposely age themselves older; Young men would powder their youthful hair white to blend in with their gray locked elders. Further trends within the fop movement seem to have came from both the court and theater.



The next fashion wave, the Dandy movement, became associated with youth, revolution, and raw muscular masculinity. It also was fueled by the new color dyes being invented, resulting in some purposely eye dazzling cotton prints that took peacocking to a level never before possible. Instead of making themselves look prematurely old, the Dandys tried to look everlastingly young, using hair and mustache stains (mostly based on berry juices) to hide gray hair and aging. There was also an emphasis on clothing that allowed horse back riding and other sports. Displaying of a man's "well turned leg" in knee breeches with tight fitting stockings showed one had enough wealth to afford both leisure time and be active in sports.

However, the first men recorded to wear makeup appear to be the Egyptians. And they wore it the same reason why football players put grease marks across their cheeks today: to reduce eye glare.

Post: #10

I don't think I would wear a makeup since girls can notice anyways.

I think having a good/clean skin is important though. To have that, you need use products like masks, moisturizer, cleanser, sunblock and even a chemical peel.

The thing is in U.S culture, guys even using cleanser foam is considered gay.

Having a good skin shows your status/wealth/job character.
Look at the face of the guy at some white trash bar. how does his skin look like?
By refusing to use any skincare products, Is it Manly to look like that?

Post: #11

Awesome, less male competition.

Post: #12

(09-17-2012 05:44 PM)Blackhawk Wrote:  Men openly wearing makeup comes and goes in Western culture, but is entirely about men liking what they see in the mirror, and nothing to do with what women like.

The entire Fop movement was men showing they were elite by wearing wigs, makeup, and walking about in high heels, displaying they were above manual labor (while also having plenty of free time to devote to the dueling foil). The fops would purposely age themselves older; Young men would powder their youthful hair white to blend in with their gray locked elders. Further trends within the fop movement seem to have came from both the court and theater.



The next fashion wave, the Dandy movement, became associated with youth, revolution, and raw muscular masculinity. It also was fueled by the new color dyes being invented, resulting in some purposely eye dazzling cotton prints that took peacocking to a level never before possible. Instead of making themselves look prematurely old, the Dandys tried to look everlastingly young, using hair and mustache stains (mostly based on berry juices) to hide gray hair and aging. There was also an emphasis on clothing that allowed horse back riding and other sports. Displaying of a man's "well turned leg" in knee breeches with tight fitting stockings showed one had enough wealth to afford both leisure time and be active in sports.

However, the first men recorded to wear makeup appear to be the Egyptians. And they wore it the same reason why football players put grease marks across their cheeks today: to reduce eye glare.

Good post. It's easy to forget that make up for men doesn't necessarily mean feminity. Those aristocrats in the 1700s that wore makeup and wigs were alphas.

There are also tribes in Africa were men wear makeup to impress women, but there's nothing gay about it. It's their tradition. It's all relative to one's culture.

Post: #13

Good luck having perfect skin since most of the men appear to be chain smokers. The males I saw over there this summer looked like either 1) intense Korean salarymen who liked to smoke and drink OR 2) guys that gave off a gay Clark Kent persona with big glasses and pants that were an inch too short.

Post: #14

South Korea's an interesting place. It has changed faster than almost anywhere on earth over the last 60 years, with noticeable changes in culture over every period of a few years.

Post: #15

(09-17-2012 09:18 PM)RawGod Wrote:  South Korea's an interesting place. It has changed faster than almost anywhere on earth over the last 60 years, with noticeable changes in culture over every period of a few years.

How would you rate SK compared to Japan, RawGod? Also talentwise.

Post: #16

(09-18-2012 02:39 AM)the_conductor Wrote:  

(09-17-2012 09:18 PM)RawGod Wrote:  South Korea's an interesting place. It has changed faster than almost anywhere on earth over the last 60 years, with noticeable changes in culture over every period of a few years.

How would you rate SK compared to Japan, RawGod? Also talentwise.

I'm not really an expert on SK, my comments on its culture were just from things I've picked up here and there. E.g. as recently as 10-15 years ago its men were notably macho, now they're wearing makeup. And as recently as the 90s its electronic products had a bad reputation, now they're world leaders. And in the 80s it wasn't a functioning democracy, there were riots in the streets on a regular basis and it was basically 3rd world. Now it seems to have caught up to Japan economically and culturally.

The women are hot, possibly better than in Japan, that I can say. And more fiery and better in the sack in my limited sample.