The Rise of the GIRLY MEN
More men here using cosmetics but Singapore still ‘too conservative’ on make-up for men
By Shree Ann Mathavan
November 23, 2009
THEY wear make-up, have complex grooming rituals, and if you don’t look close enough, you might mistake them for women.
Yes, we’re talking about some men here.
According to a report in UK newspaper The Times, two phrases have been coined to describe such men in Japan: Soshokukei danshi or ‘herbivorous males’, and Ojo-man, or ‘girlie men’.
There is a growing number of such men in Singapore too, those in the beauty industry told The New Paper on Sunday.
Mr Tan Seng Hwee, 32, general manager of WhatHeWants, a speciality male beauty store with outlets at The Cathay and Suntec City, has seen more men dolling themselves up since the business started three years ago.
His client base has grown by 30 per cent every year, he said.
‘The numbers of men using cosmetics have definitely risen as men get more and more concerned about their appearance,’ he noted.
Items like bronzing powders for the face and concealers are popular with his customers, he said.
But the store has yet to carry items like mascara, lipstick and eyeliner.
Singapore society is still too conservative to accept feminine looks on men, Mr Tan pointed out.
‘Most Singaporeans can accept concealer but mascara and lipstick is something not many can accept yet,’ he said.
INSPIRATION FROM STARS: (Top) Korean actor Bae Yong Joon is The Face Shop’s beauty ambassador while another Korean actor Lee Min Ho (above), of TV drama Boys Over Flowers fame is the face for Etude House.
‘I guess in Japan, make-up for men is something that is accepted because it tends to be more on the cutting-edge of trendiness there.’
But, Mr Tan believes, more radical make-up for men would be the natural progression for men here over the next few years.
When that happens, he would be open to carrying a wider range of cosmetics.
‘If it makes men feel better and more confident, that’s a good thing,’ he said.
The ‘girlie man’ look isn’t just a Japanese phenomenon.
Just take a look at the celebrity brand ambassadors for Korean skin care and cosmetic brands, The Face Shop and Etude House.
Both have stores here.
The Face Shop’s current face is Korean actor Bae Yong Joon, who first rose to fame in the hit 2002 drama Winter Sonata.
Korean actor Lee Min Ho, of TV drama Boys Over Flowers fame, is Etude House’s face.
Both celebrities, with their longish locks and doe-eyed features, sport feminine looks.
DRAWS STARES: Karin Tan (above) says strangers often come up to him to ask if he is a girl or boy. –TNP PICTURES: JONATHAN CHOO, KUA CHEE SIONG
Ms Sylvia Heng, The Face Shop’s marketing supervisor said the recent ads which feature Yong Joon with long hair are aimed at projecting a ‘fresh, clean and healthy’ look for the brand.
She said the company has received feedback that the ad made Yong Joon look feminine.
But, ‘there is more positive feedback on the whole,’ she added.
On whether pretty boys can take off in Singapore like in Korea, Ms Heng was not certain.
She pointed out that only 15 per cent of the Singapore stores’ customers are men.
In Korea, the percentage is higher, though she says she does not have exact figures.
Ms Heng said: ‘In Korea, both men and women are into using cosmetics and taking care of their looks so there are naturally more male customers, but in Singapore, it’s different.’
Not just a pretty face
Choosing a brand ambassador isn’t a matter of selecting a pretty boy face over a masculine one either, she noted.
‘We picked the celebrity who is suitable for our brand image, someone who is healthy-looking,’ she said.
Mr Bhakt Yap, in his 40s, the chief operating officer of Quest Model Management, said he has noticed more men styled in an androgynous manner.
He said: ‘Now the look that is popular on the streets is someone very lean, with features that are a bit feminine.
‘But most guys may not go ‘Hey I wear make-up’ because they may fear being stereotyped as gay.’
And for commercial models, the demand for the pretty-boy look is still limited, Mr Yap said.
Less than 3 per cent of his male models fit into that category, he said.
While pretty boys are good for advertisers who want to market products targeted at young customers, the type that is more in demand for his agency tends to be older – in their late 20s – and sports a more corporate look.
The NewPaper