More men use makeup to their boost confidence, hide blemishes, or accentuate their features than you may think
A new YouGov Omnibus survey shows that one in thirty (3%) of men wear makeup either once a month (1%) or less (2%).
One in fifty men wear it on a weekly basis, and one in a hundred (1%) wear it every single day. An additional 1% puts it on between two and six days a week.
That means that one in twenty British men (5%) now wears makeup, to some extent.
One in ten 18 to 24 year old men have worn makeup in private
YouGov ran a follow-up survey to explore when and why men are choosing to wear makeup.
One in twenty five have worn it in private, such as at home. This rises to one in ten men aged between 18 and 24.
One in a hundred have worn makeup to look more professional at work, in a job where it’s not specifically required - for instance, they were not models or TV presenters.
One in twenty five (4%) have worn it when going out with friends in the evening. One in fifty (2%) have worn it when going out with friends during the day, and the same proportion (2%) have worn it on a date.
Perhaps the most common reason for men to wear makeup is in the context of fancy dress. One in six men have worn makeup for a fancy dress event (15%), one in eleven (9%) for an amateur performance they were acting in, and one in twenty five (4%) for a specific themed performance they were seeing (like a drag show or Rocky Horror).
Some wear makeup for fun - for others, it’s a confidence booster
When asked why they would wear makeup, men are most likely to state they simply “find it fun” (15%).
Another one in eight (12%) say they wear it to express their personality and creativity.
Still, a considerable proportion wear it for similar reasons as women: to hide blemishes (13%) or a feature of their face they are self-conscious about (9%), or to generally boost their confidence (8%). One in nine (11%) wear it to make them feel good when dressing up for a special occasion. And for one in fifty (2%) it’s simply a habit.
Photo: Getty
