“Men's makeup” has been commonplace for 1000 years? | NHK

“Men's makeup” has been commonplace for 1000 years?

August 29, 18:55

Those words surprised me.

Because the professor says

"Men don't wear makeup... Historically speaking, there are very few times like that.

"

The day may come when the word “men’s” disappears from here.

Today is like a turning point in the history of makeup.

(Reporters Yudai Suzuki, Tatsuro Imono, and Saisato Suzuki, Network News Department)

If you don't, "it will float backwards"

Ki no Tsurayuki wrote it long ago.

He might have written,

``Men look at diaries, women look at them, and

look at them.''

not.

Men's make-up is a word we hear and see a lot these days.

It's a topic because it's men's makeup.

But do you really wear makeup?

I don't see it around me (reporter).

Even my co-workers wear no makeup.

I went to check.

The location is Harajuku, Tokyo.

From the conclusion, it was a feeling of "normal".

(Reporter) What do you think of men's makeup?

19-year-old

man: “Ah, all the men at my part-time job wear makeup.”

(Reporter) Everyone?

19-year-old

man "I work at a bar, but if I don't wear make-up, I'll lose my mind."

The man I was with...

18-year-old

man “I started wearing makeup when I was in high school because I was worried about my skin.

Many young people took it for granted.

Yes, the department store noticed there.

Generation Z and 1.5x

Takashimaya Osaka store in Osaka city.

On the 24th of this month, we created a corner for men's cosmetics for the first time for a limited time.

The target audience is the younger generation known as “Generation Z”.

In addition to basic cosmetics such as milky lotion, there are about 200 products such as makeup products.

The Daimaru Tokyo store in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo had already expanded the size of the men's cosmetics section by 1.5 times.

1.5 times is amazing, but there was also a figure of 6 times related to men's makeup.

Increased opportunities to look at oneself Boost makeup

That is the size of the market for men's makeup products.

A private marketing company estimates that sales of makeup products will increase fivefold to ¥2.0 billion last year, compared to ¥400 million four years ago, and more than six times to ¥2.5 billion this year. increase.

There are many reasons for the expansion of the market.

With the spread of social media, the need for cosmetics to express oneself through photos and videos has increased.

It's even more new corona.

It was an analysis that there were more opportunities to see oneself on the screen due to remote work, and more people were interested in cosmetics.

Some people say that this move is "back in history".

There are only a few times in history when people don't wear makeup.

“It was after the Meiji Restoration that men stopped wearing makeup.

Tohoku University Graduate School professor Tsuneyuki Abe told us about men's makeup going back more than 1,000 years.

Professor Abe is conducting an interesting study of thinking about makeup from a psychological point of view.

He also knows a lot about the history of makeup.

Professor Abe

: “Even in Japan, it has been common sense for both men and women to wear makeup since ancient times.

(Reporter) “Speaking of which, there are some pictures from that time that look like that.”

Professor Abe

: “Even if you go back to the history of the world, both men and women have been wearing makeup since the time of Tutankhamun.

When the reporter asked, "Why do people wear make-up?"

Professor Abe

: “Make-up gives you confidence. My research has shown that applying make-up to men 'makes them more confident and more active.'”

It's an attraction

Will I gain confidence or will my heart change?

I went to the men's cosmetics section of the Daimaru Tokyo store and interviewed myself to find out.

It was the first time in my life that I visited a cosmetics department.

Enter the corner on the 7th floor.

The store has a calm atmosphere with black and wood grain rather than glittering.

Still my heart is not calm.

Because I don't know what will happen to me.

I wonder what will happen to me.

First, remove dirt with a cleansing lotion to improve makeup adhesion, and condition the skin with functional products such as lotion and milky lotion.

I haven't had my face touched like this since I was a baby.

I was upset.

Next, I applied a concealer to make the dark circles under my eyes less noticeable.

After that, have your eyebrows drawn, and finally apply your own lipstick.

It's been about 20 minutes since I've had a professional do it so far.

My state of mind was as if my heart was pounding after experiencing some kind of attraction.

Something special is possible...

I feel like that mentality will last forever.

Before and after pictures of makeup.

You can see the change in the eyes and complexion.

It seems that the complexion has become brighter with concealer and powder.

“My skin has become clearer and my impression has improved,” said a senior who accompanied me.

To be honest, I can't say I'm confident, but I've come to think that I can do simple makeup to change my mood from time to time.

On the other hand, I also thought that doing it every day would take a lot of time and effort.

Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store Public Relations Kaori Miyagawa:

“Since the spread of the new coronavirus, more and more people in their 20s and 30s have visited our stores.

“The products that sell well are products that make your skin look beautiful.

"Corona and idols", even in the field of cosmetics, I analyzed the triggers for people who were interested.

one way to be confident

Some people thought that if they knew the effects of makeup, they would be more interested.

Hiroki Takahashi, who is familiar with "men's makeup" and works as a lecturer at a vocational school while also focusing on video distribution.

Seven years ago, when I started streaming, it didn't attract much interest, but when I started streaming videos of before and after applying makeup, so-called "before and after" videos, the number of views gradually increased. It is.

Now, we have received requests such as "I want to make the area around my beard look beautiful and white" and "I want you to tell me the recommended blush".

Ms. Takahashi:

“I myself was originally worried about rough skin, but I was worried because I was in a world where people felt uncomfortable when using cosmetics, but I think things are changing now.”

“Whether or not you wear makeup is, of course, up to you. However, I would be happy if people knew that makeup is a way to gain self-confidence and express yourself.”

Will "men's makeup" eventually become "makeup"?

Finally, Professor Abe predicts whether men's make-up will continue in the future.

Professor Abe

: “We have entered an era in which diversity is respected. It may be that we are no longer in an era where ‘makeup is for women.’”

“I believe that the use of makeup by both men and women will continue, so that diversity is not a temporary thing.”

In the history of makeup, now is a big turning point.

Just as the term "women's makeup" has disappeared, the term "men's" makeup may soon disappear.