MEN'S STYLE: Make-Up For Men? by Brett Singer Overheard Conversation: Woman: "John Cusack was wearing eyeliner in the film 'High Fidelity'." Extremely Macho Man: "Eyeliner? What do you mean? Cusack's a man! A REAL man! He wouldn't wear eyeliner. His CHARACTER wouldn't wear eyeliner. That's impossible." It is true that Cusack's record store-owning character was using some cosmetic assistance. And John isn't the only one. Men of all shapes and sizes are blushing – not because they are embarrassed, but because they are, well, wearing blush. No longer confined to women and cross-dressers, mainstream men are starting to own up to their desire to look good with a little help from the cosmetics counter. The term "Male Cosmetics" is a broad one. The category encompasses the traditional shaving cream, cologne and even facial scrubs ("exfoliate" is no longer a word exclusive to women – look it up). Now, however, men can purchase items such as a Camouflage Angle Brush – "for concealing." If your idea of "concealing" is to tuck in your shirt, you are not alone. Many men wouldn't be caught dead (well, maybe dead) wearing makeup of any sort. Hollywood, of course, sees things differently. Stars from Kevin Spacey to King-Of-The-World heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio are getting themselves touched up before heading out into the harsh lights, not of the stage, but of Spago's. So why do they do it? Well, razor burn, apart from being painful, is unattractive. So are under-eye bags. Acne is no longer cute once you pass sixteen, and paparazzo's lenses are far from kind to even the most beatific of faces. Hence the touching-up of Hollywood's Hunks. So that's lovely for Duchovny, but how does this apply to me? Will my boss's eyelids be the same color blue as his pinstripes? Will I soon be required to "put on my face" before leaving the house? Simply put: No way. As Studio5Live, a new web-based e-tailer offering cosmetics for men says, "A man's look must be masculine and natural. The cosmetics should accentuate his maleness… He must feel confident, knowing that he looks great and no one can tell he's wearing makeup." So, if you do decide to take the plunge and get pretty, do yourself and anyone who has to look at you a favor and get some help. Studio5Live offers not only cosmetics for men, but tips on how to apply it. There is even an "Applying Masculine Cosmetics" CD-ROM that will help you learn that toner isn't just something that you put in your printer. So bury the bags, nix the nicks and tweeze your monobrow within an inch of its hairy little life. But don't let anyone KNOW that you did it. Where can one get all of this stuff? It's still not that easy to find. Hard Candy has a men's nail polish line, Studio5live has a generous offering and many men use regular MAC. cosmetics. In general, most experts suggest that men use their own goop and not their ladies' -- male skin is different, the colors are different, and besides, hell hath no fury like a woman who had her touch-up stick lifted by her boyfriend. So go forth and get pretty, guys -- you may not be going for the Boy George look, but John Cusack? You could do worse. Surf at Work: Planet Pretty, Guy Section: http://planetpretty.com/ http://planetpretty.com/guy_form.htm British Politicians Wearing Makeup: http://www.canoe.com/CNEWSPolitics0001/28_harder.html Real Men Who Wear Makeup: http://www.beautyscene.com/bsc/content/content_detail/0,1775,139,00.html back to writing samples