Make up for men?

Fonze07

I know it's a bit of a weird one.

I am very pale and blonde. I was looking at a recent thread about it and it got me thinking. I would just love to have a bit of colour in my face. Also have a few blemishes especially around my nose area that I would like to cover up to at least give me a bit more confidence when going out. You think it's alright for men to do this?

Do I use concealer, foundation? What? And I wouldn't even know where to start about getting the right colour for my skin. Would feel embarrassed asking at the counter in a shop. Would just love to use a bit for my confidence but don't know where to start.

La_Gordy

Hi Fonze,

I would recommend checking out some reddit threads like makeupaddiction. There are a lot of lads wearing makeup (though granted, fairly wild lewks. But from there you can see what products people are using as most will give a list.
Fwiw, I think you should try a light BB cream. That's basically a tinted moisturiser. And wi a very pale one, it's not going to be noticeable.
If you're nervous about talking to someone at the counter (and I get it, but I do think many counters are going to have understanding people and male and female staff!), there are a lot of pharmacy brands such as Maybelline etc that you can just pick up wi nae chat necessary.

Fonze07

La_Gordy wrote: »

Hi Fonze,

I would recommend checking out some reddit threads like makeupaddiction. There are a lot of lads wearing makeup (though granted, fairly wild lewks. But from there you can see what products people are using as most will give a list.
Fwiw, I think you should try a light BB cream. That's basically a tinted moisturiser. And wi a very pale one, it's not going to be noticeable.
If you're nervous about talking to someone at the counter (and I get it, but I do think many counters are going to have understanding people and male and female staff!), there are a lot of pharmacy brands such as Maybelline etc that you can just pick up wi nae chat necessary.

Thanks for replying. I just want an even complexion and think it will boost my confidence somewhat. Is there any light BB cream you would recommend or any maybelline products I could pick up to give them a try. I'm very pale but have a lot of redness on my nose with large noticeable pores so this stands out a mile away and just want to have a even complexion all over

Ajsoprano

If you start wearing it and it becomes so commonplace everyone wears it and only brave people go out without it and we all have to spend 70 quid a week on it.
Your face is your face do you think painting it so people can’t see it will give you confidence.
Girls will tell you the more make up they have on the more insecure they are.
Imagine everyone is in a nightclub and you are walking around with make up on your face. Will that exude confidence or low self esteem?

December2012

How about starting by going for a facial for men? Then looking at your skincare. Maybe the right skincare can help you get a more glowing complexion.

That can help you get more confident in your skin. You can also use lip scrubs and lip balm to make your lips look better, which could help with variations in your face.

Do you need your eyelashes tinted or shaped? How pale are they?

And how’s your haircut?

Of course you can get make up if you want, but make sure you’re working on your own confidence too.

Twee.

I think starting with skincare is a great idea, it can make a massive difference your complexion once you start looking after it properly. Do you use anything at all at the moment?

La Roche Posay is an excellent pharmacy brand that you can get in Boots, and it's often on offer so won't break the bank too much. https://www.laroche-posay.ie/face/skin-concern you can filter the products here by "skin concern", and it tells you what products you should use together.

jeonahr

Ajsoprano wrote: »

If you start wearing it and it becomes so commonplace everyone wears it and only brave people go out without it and we all have to spend 70 quid a week on it.
Your face is your face do you think painting it so people can’t see it will give you confidence.
Girls will tell you the more make up they have on the more insecure they are.
Imagine everyone is in a nightclub and you are walking around with make up on your face. Will that exude confidence or low self esteem?

Not sure what girls you're referring to when you mention insecurity correlating with the amount of make up they wear. I love wearing make up because I love the colours you can use and the shimmer and sparkle of it all. A lot of girls love the aspect of getting ready for a night out or a special occasion that may include going for a glam makeup look.

I used to wear it out of insecurity at the start because I have cystic acne and whatnot, but I learned that it doesn't define who I am and being a teenager today with social media I can tell you that people are starting to not care either.
Nowadays I only wear makeup just for the process of dolling up and to get the vibe of a special occasion.

Either way the OP is experiencing insecurity and if makeup can give him a boost of confidence then why not?

Confidence is for one's own self, not for the people around them. It's something that should improve your own self image and who gives a damn what anyone else thinks, so long as the OP is happy with himself. Sure, makeup could be the stepping stone for confidence and next thing you know he might be so confident to not even need it and will just enjoy it.

Fonze07

jeonahr wrote: »

Not sure what girls you're referring to when you mention insecurity correlating with the amount of make up they wear. I love wearing make up because I love the colours you can use and the shimmer and sparkle of it all. A lot of girls love the aspect of getting ready for a night out or a special occasion that may include going for a glam makeup look.

I used to wear it out of insecurity at the start because I have cystic acne and whatnot, but I learned that it doesn't define who I am and being a teenager today with social media I can tell you that people are starting to not care either.
Nowadays I only wear makeup just for the process of dolling up and to get the vibe of a special occasion.

Either way the OP is experiencing insecurity and if makeup can give him a boost of confidence then why not?

Confidence is for one's own self, not for the people around them. It's something that should improve your own self image and who gives a damn what anyone else thinks, so long as the OP is happy with himself. Sure, makeup could be the stepping stone for confidence and next thing you know he might be so confident to not even need it and will just enjoy it.

Well said and thank you for your kind words. Just don't know how to go about finding the right product for my skin tone. If you have any tips, would love if you sent me a PM. Thanks again for taking time to post.

Ajsoprano

jeonahr wrote: »

Not sure what girls you're referring to when you mention insecurity correlating with the amount of make up they wear. I love wearing make up because I love the colours you can use and the shimmer and sparkle of it all. A lot of girls love the aspect of getting ready for a night out or a special occasion that may include going for a glam makeup look.

I used to wear it out of insecurity at the start because I have cystic acne and whatnot, but I learned that it doesn't define who I am and being a teenager today with social media I can tell you that people are starting to not care either.
Nowadays I only wear makeup just for the process of dolling up and to get the vibe of a special occasion.

Either way the OP is experiencing insecurity and if makeup can give him a boost of confidence then why not?

Confidence is for one's own self, not for the people around them. It's something that should improve your own self image and who gives a damn what anyone else thinks, so long as the OP is happy with himself. Sure, makeup could be the stepping stone for confidence and next thing you know he might be so confident to not even need it and will just enjoy it.

I’m glad your happy but on another thread I might discuss how self esteem and make up are kind of like a chicken and an egg in some ways.
This probably isn’t the forum to discuss it though.

GingerLily

Ajsoprano wrote: »

I’m glad your happy but on another thread I might discuss how self esteem and make up are kind of like a chicken and an egg in some ways.
This probably isn’t the forum to discuss it though.

The forum is right - the thread is wrong!

Airyfairy12

Not weird at all, youd be surprised how many men wear makeup. I also think skincare is a great place to start but if youre just looking for something quick id recommend a light BB cream or tinted moisturiser, for concealer go for something really natural like Catrice liquid camouflage concealer -can be purchased in pennys or Nars radiant creamy concealer - bit more pricey but its really nice. For general individual spot cover up Mac studio finish concealer is excellent. Mac face and body foundation is another great option for adding colour to your face without noticeably wearing makeup.

Fonze07

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Not weird at all, youd be surprised how many men wear makeup. I also think skincare is a great place to start but if youre just looking for something quick id recommend a light BB cream or tinted moisturiser, for concealer go for something really natural like Catrice liquid camouflage concealer -can be purchased in pennys or Nars radiant creamy concealer - bit more pricey but its really nice. For general individual spot cover up Mac studio finish concealer is excellent. Mac face and body foundation is another great option for adding colour to your face without noticeably wearing makeup.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer purchased in Penneys too?

Mac Face Foundation can be purchased where?

How do I know which one to get? I'm extremely pale. Just redness on nose with large pores and some redness on forehead but extremely pale elsewhere so looks awful.

I got a BB cream today. Haven't tried it yet. Was going to post here for opinions before applying. Do i just wear the BB cream on its own. Sorry for so many questions. Just new to this and you have no idea how much it would help me out to find something that works. Money isn't an issue at this stage.

Fonze07

This is what I got

Airyfairy12

Fonze07 wrote: »

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer purchased in Penneys too?

Mac Face Foundation can be purchased where?

How do I know which one to get? I'm extremely pale. Just redness on nose with large pores and some redness on forehead but extremely pale elsewhere so looks awful.

I got a BB cream today. Haven't tried it yet. Was going to post here for opinions before applying. Do i just wear the BB cream on its own. Sorry for so many questions. Just new to this and you have no idea how much it would help me out to find something that works. Money isn't an issue at this stage.

Nars and Mac can be purchased in Brown Thomas or Arnotts, you can buy them online but if youre able to id really recommend having a look at the shades in the shop so you know if they'll match your skin.

Mac concealer and face & body in shade N1 and Nars in shade Chantilly are the lightest shades in each brand and are both quite neutral (Neither too yellow or too pink toned)
If redness is an issue you want to avoid anything with pink tones and go for something as neutral as possible - You want the shade to match your neck and jawline so that should be your guide when choosing colours.

For large pores you might want to try a good primer - porefessional by benefit is known for being very good but again its a very individual thing so may or may not workout for but it could be worth trying out (Dont get the shimmer one) - you can get this in debenhams, arnotts and I think boots sell benefit cosmetics too.

You can wear the bb cream on its own or put a powder over it if you find it too dewey (shiny)

There are green tinted moisturisers you can get which claim to reduce redness (green neutralizes red) personally I dont think they work but thats just me, its something you could try as everyones different.
Try rosewater - this is great for toning your skin, minimising pores and also evens skin tone. RoseHip oil is also great for evening skin tone and reducing redness - as a rosacea sufferer I found these products a great help.