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Post in Men Who Makeup
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First Sephora experience as a man

Just wanted to post here and tell my story for any guys like me lurking and wanting to jump into this.
I am 47 and have always had an interest in makeup.
For as long as I can remember I have found it fascinating, watching girlfriends and wives put it on was enthralling to watch the transformation.
But I have always been afraid to jump in and try it.
Sure, I've had those times where a girlfriend put concealer on me to hide a zit, or a black eye (true story on that one)
But I never have been able to summon the guts to really explore it.

Well, that changed last week when I decided to stop raiding my girlfriend's concealer to get my own.
Her complexion is more olive/tan than my light with warm tones.
I had taken her to Sephora for Mothers day and watched how they matched her skin and applied a Tarte Amazonian clay foundation to her skin and it matched perfectly after a few swipes of a brush to blend it in.
I couldn't tell she had anything on and I watched them put it on her.

What was this magic?
How could I watch that go on her cheeks and see how exactly it blended into her face and not be curious how I would look in my matching color?
Could I cover my dark circles without people knowing?
Could I clean up this light redness and balance my face out and clear those shiny spots?
I think I can do this,  is exactly what I thought.

Well, I took the plunge and went into a Sephora on my own a few days later and got a near exact match for a Bare Minerals BarePro pressed powder and concealer in Natural Light 09.
I was nervous as hell but was quickly set at ease by my advisor, she was so welcoming and free of judgment.
In fact, she was downright encouraging, told me that she has at least 1-2 guys a week coming in for help with big dates.
We joked and said it was her job to be an enabler, hahaha!
Told me nearly all of the men come back once they are hooked, said I need to be careful, I match well...lol

I can barely tell I am wearing anything so I doubt most people will see it.
I love the boost in confidence and I wish I had done this a long time ago.
I feel like I need to come out to her and tell her, I've worn it a few times very lightly around her but I don't think she noticed.
That was all the proof I needed.

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

Thank you for sharing this @Skatingaway. 💖

Congratulations on stepping out of your comfort zone and jumping into makeup! It is a fun ride, buckle up 😁

 

Reading this made me feel like I need to get color matched in store, I want my foundation and concealer to disappear into my skin like they way your describing 🤩it sounds liner yours is lovely!

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

I posted this 5 years ago.

hahahahaha

i am an evolved man, I love being a dude….however.

I really do have well integrated feminine energy in me.

most women like it…some….hahah not so much.

 

I look like a typical pretty good looking 54 year old guy…nice hair and well kept

 

normally I do not do too much these days

but 5 years later I can easily pull off a full face, masculine contour…just clean and polished and nobody would ever guess unless a makeup person

 

and most women just smile if they see it

 

however…I could probably do eye makeup better than most women, and I do mean all of it.

but it’s totally out of context for most spaces and places I frequent so I do not.

 

I am not trans, nor am I femme…at all.

i just dig the stuff…it’s fun and sometimes I’ll bust it out with some under eye

maybe some shadow and extra defined on my cheeks (which I like, a noir look in a suit or something)

 

Whatever a person does they have to own it

it’s the energy that makes the look more than people realize 

 

 

 

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

Hello, did you have makeup done to even your skin or were you more interested in having a full face makeover with your lips and eyes as well? Does Sephora do both for men? 

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

5 years ago was when this post happened?

 

it was just foundation then 

 

I’ve experimented with all of it 

and I do mean all of it

maybe pulling off a Bowie look a few times

 

it freaks people out…hahahha

cause I am not trans.

but some people like it and I don’t really care anymore

 

about all I really do these days is clean myself up and I might use bb cream if my skin is upset

 

bit I take care of my skin mostly these days and at 54…I probably look 44

 

these days if I am doing something I might do nails in a blue

and something like a touch of eye depth

just enough for people to wonder.

 

I experimented and integrated what worked 

 

time and place matters

so does context if trying to still be “male” as far as society goes these days

that is not going to change anytime soon..fine by me.

 

if society was different?

yeah….I’d probably go all out more and do all the crazy things I can do like cut creases and all that.

even lips maybe.

I don’t feel limited by it at all or anything

i know what I like now.

 

this post was over 5 years ago now.

 

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

I’ve been in a Sephora twice in my life, I’ve been researching new moisturizers to help with my skin(acne prone). The ladies at the San Francisco Embarcadero store were super helpful and suggested I change up my skin care routine to cleaning my face twice daily - and recommended a few things to try out last week. 

 

I went back to that store today and bought Farmacy’s Green Clean cleansing balm and got more samples to try out. I liked Kate Somerville’s Dry Skin Saver but I wanted to see what my options are. I’m a believer now - I swore by Bath & Body Work’s cleanser when I was a teenager and I’ve used Kiehl’s in the past. I’m not giving up my “cheap” AHA scrub I buy at a subsidiary of a certain company named after a river in South America but spending the $ on quality skincare is worth it. I’m adding to my arsenal and I’m already seeing results. 

 

Sure, many guys wouldn’t be caught dead at Sephora unless it was their partners or female friends bringing them along. But there were men working at the store and I felt comfortable shopping there. I’m sure my future girlfriend will appreciate that fact when she makes her monthly Sephora runs. 

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

I am so, SO happy for you!! xoxoxo

 

My husband works in a forward-facing department of a major, major tech company (the one that's constantly in the news about information privacy), and he has to go to a LOT of meetings. I finally got sick of him stealing my concealer ("dude, this is NOT EVEN your color!"), and I finally took him to Sephora to buy his own concealer. I felt super, super blessed that we were met at the entrance by a male employee, who immediately took my spouse under his wing and helped color-match. Woohoo!

Now that my spouse has been wearing makeup on the regular for a couple years, he can tell when his coworkers are also wearing makeup -- turns out, a lot of guys do wear foundation and concealer! -- and he can even tell when they're wearing it in a way I actually cannot, their makeup is so natural. I had to quietly ask him if a friend of ours -- the groom! -- were wearing makeup at his wedding in Malta. ("Yes," my husband whispered to me. AH!! His skin looked so good that it was actually a little bit suspicious!!)

Makeup can offer a profound amount of confidence. My husband and I enjoy Korean "pop-star" makeovers on YouTube (husband says he wants to learn to contour), and I personally swear by every YouTube video by a makeup artist called Wayne Goss, who personifies male "natural" makeup but also intrinsically "gets" female "natural" makeup. (Recommended.)

Keep it up! Makeup is for everybody! It can make you look older (eek!) or younger (yay!), and men are increasingly wearing it every day. So you're all good. ❤️

I personally recommend concealer, tinted moisturizer, and Benefit's tinted lash primer -- make those lashes dark so your eyes pop, like young Ray Liotta, hehehe -- plus a good brow pencil. Everyone can benefit from a good brow, plus you can use the same pencil on your hairline. Enjoy!!

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

@jennatarI did mention to my girlfriend one day that I was using some products to clean up my eye area for video calls.
Her response was maybe you need to change the lighting in your work area instead. That shut me down a little.

I felt a bit put off by that, it made me reconsider talking more about it to her.
I really do want to tell her how much I am enjoying using these products and I am working on sharing that with her. I am very hesitant to go much further than I have gone already without including her if that makes any sense at all. 

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

@Skatingaway  Congratulations on taking the first step! Makeup can be so much fun. And there are many of us on here who play around with makeup at home before wearing it outside, or even (speaking personally) playing with makeup that I will NEVER wear outside. LOL

 

Your comment about telling your girlfriend sounds like a bit of a cri de coeur to me, which I completely understand. My thought on this is that it's vitally important to be with people with whom we can be our authentic selves. I can't promise you that you'll get a happy ending if you tell your GF, but it's clear that wearing makeup is something important to you and that you feel a strong need to explore it. Sometimes (speaking from experience) we're better off being on our own than with someone who won't love us just as we are.

 

Good luck!

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

@Skatingaway I’m so happy for you! It’s so nice to hear that the Sephora staff member was encouraging and helped you feel at ease. 

 

I think men of all walks of life underestimate just how supportive most true makeup/beauty enthusiasts will be. Honestly, there’s nothing I personally enjoy more than to help a person of any identity feel happy, confident, and creative with beauty products, both in-person and online. I don’t think I’m alone in this sentiment 😊

 

Thanks so much for sharing, @Skatingaway ❤️

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

Not alone in that sentiment at all -- makeup is for everybody! I love when boys learn of "our ways," and I actually feel blessed anytime I can teach my own husband something about makeup and self-empowerment. People from ALL walks of life deserve to be part of that conversation.

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

I'm so glad to hear you had a great experience @Skatingaway! Move at your own pace and only do what you're comfortable with.  Makeup and skincare are a fun world to play in. 🙂

 

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

I have been loyal to Sephora for years, but this is the first time I actually explore the community to see what people are talking about. I'm so glad I came across this post. My bf has been asking me questions lately about his skin and the possibility of using foundation to even his skin tone and hide the dark circles. I wasn't sure how to responds since I myself hardly wear make up and everything I know about make-up is from what my younger sister suggests for me to do. From your story, I feel more at ease suggesting he come to Sephora with me...after all the last thing I want to do is make him feel uncomfortable, but knowing there are other men out there that are doing the same will probably make him less self conscious about it. Thanks for sharing @Skatingaway

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

@JAMIEMAY24

I’m very happy this was of value to you.

im replying as I am about to walk into a meeting wearing concealer and a light bit of powder at the eyes and a few spots to lock it in.

I was blown away how invisible it can be.

less is more for guys and it doesn’t take much at all.

 

Spoiler
 

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

Thanks for sharing your story @Skatingaway! I'm glad it makes you feel good about yourself! And it's so true that you can get hooked. You can start with one thing but then move on to other stuff too like skincare, body care,whatever! 😄 I'm glad you enjoyed your experience!

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

i Wash with cleanser in the AM and before bed and have done so for years.

jack Black makes a great scrub too that I’ve used once a week for a long time.

oh, and moisturizer too

face and feet....every day without fail

(different stuff for my feet....haha!)

 

Jury is out on if I will do the colorful stuff anytime  soon though.

not sure it will look “right” to me, societal programming such as it is influences all of us.

glam on to the guys that can though, I support it.

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

@Skatingaway I can appreciate your concern about looking “right.” Even as a female, I felt nervous about looking “too creative” in my business casual office and even just in public. Social pressures exist for everyone. Now I feel confident enough to wear pretty much whatever I want. 

 

But it took me a long time of dipping my toes into the water to reach that place of comfort. I also practiced a lot at home (on my own and with YouTube tutorials) so that my makeup is quite polished and I feel proud of it. 

 

Enjoy experimenting in the comfort of your own home to begin with, and let the rest evolve naturally 😊

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

@PinkEvergreen

 

Thank you.

i can appreciate that feeling very much.

As a guy, feeling such an interest in makeup creates a lot of feelings in me.

 

the fear an apprehension of “is anybody going to notice and say something” can shake you a bit.

 

the beauty advisor was really kind to me.

it was great to feel accepted, when I left that store I felt really good about my choice.

i made sure I used the code on the receipt to write a hell of a review, she totally deserved it.

 

the BarePro concealer and powder matches my skin so well that once I’m done I can barely see it myself.

We worry so much what people notice about us.  Keeping the focus on how it makes me feel is what is important, nobody really cares.

those that judge and say something are really projecting their own fears.

 

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

 

i do wish it was more acceptable to be more creative.

i do love when my girlfriend spends a bit of extra time to go a bit dramatic on her eyes.

i can appreciate the effort and I love the look.

 

if it were more widely accepted I bet I would be deep into eyeshadows, mascaras and liners. I just love the look itself on her.

but me pulling that off and feeling good about something like that in public would be a whole different matter. That would be very hard to do.

Even blush and bronzer would feel hard for me. 

 

For me less is more for now

And it does make me feel confident when I do a good job.

makeup and cosmetics are not inherently feminine, they are just marketed as such.

 

and it’s the marketing that affects us all deeper than we realize.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

I also had a full makeover at a local Sephora recently and the experience could not have been better. Glad to hear you had a great experience as well.

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

@Skatingaway  That's great! Skin care is so important. 🙂 Do whatever makes you happy! I'm glad things are changing though.  

Re: First Sephora experience as a man

yay @Skatingaway glad you had such a great experience and welcome to the community!

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