Small UK player hits new heights as view of make-up for men shifts
MMUK MAN is one manufacturer already reaping the rewards of the new found relaxed attitude towards make-up for men in Britain.
The small firm, established less than five years ago is already reporting an annual turnover of £62,000 and predicts upwards of £750,000 next year.
Young entrepreneur, Alex Dally noticed a gap in the market back in 2011 while having to resort to secretly using his girlfriend’s concealer to cover up acne.
Now, he says more men are willing to invest in colour cosmetics that match their own skin tone rather than settling for brown splodges of whatever’s to hand.
Breaking down barriers - #makeupisgenderless
With the explosion of demand for grooming products in recent years, it has mainly been Asian men that have been so open about their use of foundation and mascara.
“[UK] Men are no longer intimidated by the thought of wearing make-up,” Dalley had said back in 2014.
In 2016, he reports to newspaper, The New Day that; “Men are much more relaxed about anti-shine products and even beard filler.”
However, the 27-year-old added that the stigma still remains as some men still request products be sent in plain packaging.
“Twenty or 30 per cent of our customers still want their names removed from parcels and their products put in plain packaging. It’s definitely a journey to acceptance.”
Taking inspiration from Asian men
Male grooming continues to lead the way in South Korea, which has seen personal care companies step up their marketing efforts.
While men in the West are still getting to grips with colour cosmetics or lengthy skin care routines, more than 10 per cent of South Korea's domestic beauty sales are coming from male products.
In 2015, the Washington Post reported the country's cosmetics industry boasted annual sales of US$10 billion and men are literally "boosting the nation's cosmetics business."
“A lot of men don’t choose their own products, they just take what their girlfriend gives them," Innisfree marketing executive, Lim Chae-dok had told the publication at the time.
