The growing popularity of K-pop has paved the way for the continued expansion of the ‘Hallyu Wave’ which refers to the increase in global popularity of South Korean culture since the 1990s. However, this wave is no longer limited to K-pop and K-drama; most recently, there has been a massive growth in the popularity of K-beauty – we have all heard of Korean glass skin and the endless TikToks on how to best achieve Korean beauty looks.
With the adoption of these K-beauty standards, one major transformation has been the beauty industry picking up a growing population of male consumers. For decades, cosmetics, makeup, skincare, and other similar practices have been considered feminine pursuits. However, it would appear that there has been a recent surge in men seeking out cosmetics, which might be attributed to the growing popularity of these Korean influences.
While much of the world’s male population struggle under oppressive patriarchal rules, South Korean culture has adopted a new normal where, as you wander the streets from Seoul to Busan, it is normal to see young men using cushion compact foundations, to see military men buying sheet masks, or teens testing out red tints on their lips.
It is reported that South Korean men purchase 20% of the world’s beauty products, with them collectively consuming over a billion dollars worth of cosmetics annually. South Korea’s transformation into this fine example of democratic beauty standards can largely be attributed to the growth of K-pop in the country.
While today we see Korean men freely expressing themselves, just three decades ago, wearing makeup as a man in South Korea was considered taboo and was grounds for possible imprisonment for going against the country’s strict Confucianism.
Just as the country came free of the clutches of oppressive governments of authoritarian leaders, its youth culture began to blossom, making way for American hip hop-inspired music groups which adopted their own brand of fashion, style, and swagger. The youth embraced these attitudes and this first wave grew into the phenomena that it is today.
Now, for Korean men, outward presentation and self-respect is the ultimate signifier of masculinity. As such, they have no qualms about using cosmetics, be it makeup or elaborate skin care to maintain this outward expression.
Thanks to K-pop
K-beauty brands have managed to capture two markets quite comfortably thanks to K-pop. With Korean pop idols famously using makeup, openly talking about the importance of skincare, and endorsing cosmetic products, K-beauty has managed to cater to men as well.
Male K-pop stars are desired, admired, and much beloved, and they’re considered the pinnacle of male beauty in the eyes of legions of their female fans, leaving other men to also want to look like these K-pop stars who command such adoration from the female gaze. It is no longer taboo or scoffed at when men express interest in cosmetics and make an effort to take care of their outward appearance. Men have begun to go the distance when it comes to grooming.
With the Hallyu Wave reaching the rest of the world, we have started to notice its influence in Western society as well. It has become increasingly normalised for men to wear nail polish and to adopt an elaborate skincare regimen.
East Asian influences continue to grow as K-pop takes over the charts in the West and Western artists have started to notice.
It isn’t entirely a coincidence that the ‘soft boy aesthetic’ has become increasingly popular in the West with audiences choosing to appreciate the more demure and delicate looking male stars as opposed to the traditionally masculine hunks. Famous examples are artists like Harry Styles or actors like Timothée Chalamet, whose fame has skyrocketed despite being relatively fresh acts on stage or screen.
What about Sri Lankan men?
The Sunday Morning Brunch spoke to Sri Lankan makeup artist and hairstylist Dominique Ksacha about her experiences as a makeup artist and whether she has noticed an increase in men using cosmetics, especially makeup.
She shared that personally, she had only ever done makeup on men on occasions when they were modelling for a shoot. She noted, however, that while she was yet to come across anyone who approached her for a makeup look to attend a function or similar event, she had noticed that men were less shy about inquiring about cosmetic products, showing an interest in taking care of their skin, or looking good.
“I have done a few workshops where there have been genuine inquiries from men about certain products and questions about where to buy them. I don’t know how much of that advice and information was followed through, but they had no worries about asking and showing interest,” Dominique shared.
In her personal life, Dominique’s friend circle includes many men who chose to wear makeup in their everyday life. “Often it is queer men who are either bisexual or gay, but as of recently I have seen many straight men also feeling comfortable wearing a bit of makeup,” she said, adding: “It has increased a lot in recent years. On a casual night out you will see a lot of straight men wearing nail polish and it has become a normal thing.”
Dominique stated that much of the growing popularity of this interest could almost directly be attributed to what is popular in the media at the moment, which is the “e-boy aesthetic and these Korean stars,” according to her.
Speaking to Salon Tobe Marketing Manager Christeen Oodugama, The Sunday Morning Brunch learnt that Salon Tobe had certainly noticed a growing male clientele. Christeen shared that while Tobe had largely been a salon for ladies since 2019, they were always unisex and they accommodated their customers’ male partners at their salon.
“We get a lot of inquiries about our services from men and I can definitely say that this growing interest has been seen in more recent times. Especially over the past couple of years, we have seen more and more men showing interest in grooming themselves professionally,” Christeen said, adding: “The majority of requests we get from men is for facials, manicures, and pedicures.”
Christeen shared that although Tobe did not provide male waxing at the salon, they still received certain inquiries with regard to waxing. On such occasions, they help these men find other resources to seek out the service they need. Christeen noted that it was likely that these were budding signs of Lankan men entering this new era of no disparity between men and women when it came to beauty.
The male experience
Aasif Faiz shared his own experience of delving into cosmetics, noting that while he did not specifically wear makeup, he had definitely adopted a deliberate skincare routine.
“I did use certain products when I was younger to deal with hormonal acne, but I didn’t have a proper regimen. I noticed my sister using certain products and I would be curious about those. I am from that mid-way generation where we were sort of breaking away from certain stereotypes but it was still somewhat taboo to express interest in things like cosmetics for men. Gen Z is very comfortable in this regard. During our time there were little to no products catered to men and if you used anything more than a bar of soap for everything you were made to feel less of a man,” he said.
However, he observed that as time went on things had evolved a great deal, especially due to East Asian influences. He noted that he believed that “taking care of yourself does not make you less of a man, it makes you less of a caveman”.
Aasif added that everyone, regardless of their gender, enjoyed taking care of themselves, especially when it came to skincare. He pointed out that it was really more of a ritual than anything: “It takes away the day’s stress and it is a form of self-care. It is not only about the aesthetic benefits – it is about actually taking care of yourself and it is relaxing and soothing, allowing you to unwind.”
It is evident that Korean influence is being felt in the far corners of the world, with K-pop entering mainstream markets and taking over our airwaves. In addition to K-pop’s dominance of music culture, it is also encouraging to see its impact spread into other spheres like the beauty industry.
Male enthusiasm for cosmetics is, of course, a messy topic, because it involves discussions of masculinity, gender roles, and patriarchy, but a journey starts with a single step, and K-pop has certainly helped the world take a few steps towards redefining the male approach to beauty.