“How can I help you Sir?” was the first thing I said to the young confused-looking man at my beauty counter. The man then turned to me and said, “I’m looking for a good bronzer because I’m tired of using my girlfriends.” In that moment, I realized that the days of guys sneaking into their mother’s makeup bag to secretly hide a nasty pimple on school picture day are long behind us. In recent years, men have begun to not only put more effort into their sense of fashion but they’ve also openly embraced a more eccentric beauty regimen. But what I want to know is, are men ready for cosmetics? To find out more on the growing surge of men’s grooming, I asked L.A-based Celebrity Makeup Artist (responsible for framing such faces as Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez) Marco Berardini, Creator and CEO of EvolutionMan, a beauty & skincare line developed exclusively for men. He seems to think the answer to my question, is yes…
JP: Tell me what inspired you to create a beauty & skincare line exclusively for men?
MB: Although there are a lot of good men’s lines on the market, I feel like most of them are over-complicated and the packaging does not appeal to my sense of style. EVOLUTIONMAN is presented in discreet black, masculine packaging with formulas designed for men.
JP: What would you say are the prime distinctions between doing a man’s makeup as opposed to a woman’s?
MB: A way to approach men’s makeup is in a much more subtle fashion than women. Products should have lighter coverage, still allowing the skin’s natural texture to show. A flawless look is a little too much on men.
JP: What do you think the future of men’s grooming holds?
MB: I think more and more specialized men’s grooming products will become accessible to the everyday man. We are idolizing younger celebrities than we used to – our male ideal has changed. It’s younger – almost pretty versus rugged and masculine. It’s about Zac Efron instead of Dustin Hoffman.
JP: How can Canadians have best access to EVMAN?
MB: Canadians have a variety of ways to purchase EVMAN – online at shopmasc.com and evolution-man.com. A full list of our Canadian retailers can be found here.
EvolutionMan’s chic and affordable collection includes a facial scrub voted #1 by Men’s Health Magazine, shaving cream, tinted moisturizers, eye gels, lip balm, concealer and even man-friendly nail polish that are all toxin free. So dare yourself to try (or tell your boyfriend to try) something new. Hide those tired under-eyes or how about rocking a metallic man-icure? Who knows, you just may like it! Don’t be shy, men can still put their best face forward without compromising their masculinity or looking like a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race… Hey, if everyone from David Beckham to George Clooney can do it, why can’t you?
Here are some tips: Exfoliate your skin once a week, use a cleanser & moisturizer daily and consult a professional to find the right products and colours best suited to give you the perfect ‘invisible’ finish.
Photos courtesy of: (from left)
1. Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2010, style.com
2. EVMAN nail polish set, $14 each
3. EVMAN Enhanced Skincare System set, $135
4. Mens Health
5. GQ
By: Jonathan Panetta, Montreal
Follow me on Twitter @JonPanetta.
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