Men's Makeup Goes Mainstream: Gen Z's $85B Beauty Revolution
How Gen Z Is Making Men's Makeup Mainstream (And Why Beauty Brands Are Finally Paying Attention)
You know that moment when you notice something's changed... but you can't quite pinpoint when it happened?
That's where I found myself a few months back, standing in the skincare aisle at Target. There was this guy, maybe early twenties, wearing a hoodie and sneakers, comparing two different concealers like he was choosing between phone plans. No hesitation. No looking around to see who might be watching. Just... shopping.
And honestly? Nobody batted an eye.
The share of U.S. men who say they never wear makeup has fallen from more than 90% in 2019 to about 75% in 2024, according to research from Statista. That's not a trend. That's a tectonic shift in how an entire generation thinks about grooming, masculinity, and what it means to take care of yourself.
But here's what makes this interesting, this isn't really about makeup at all.
The Real Story Behind Men Wearing Makeup
Let me back up for a second.
If you'd told someone in 2015 that men's grooming sales in the United States would top $7.1 billion in 2025, up 6.9% year over year, they probably would've assumed you were talking about beard oil and electric razors. And yeah, those are still big sellers.
But something fundamentally different is happening now. In the U.S., 68% of Gen Z men ages 18 to 27 used facial skin-care products in 2024, a sharp jump from 42% just two years earlier. And once you're already moisturizing, exfoliating, and using SPF... adding a dab of concealer or tinted moisturizer doesn't feel like crossing some sacred line anymore.
It feels like the next logical step.
Why This Generation Is Different
Here's where it gets interesting. Gen Z men aren't approaching makeup the way previous generations did, they're not making a statement or challenging norms in some loud, theatrical way. They're just... using it.
Think about it. These are people who grew up watching beauty tutorials on YouTube, seeing male influencers on TikTok normalize skincare, and following celebrities who openly talk about their grooming routines. French TikTok star Bách Buquen, a 20-year-old straight influencer with 9M followers, is earning $500K annually from sponsorships with MAC and Charlotte Tilbury by "normalizing makeup for men".
But here's the thing, Buquen's not doing dramatic looks. He's not contouring for the gods or wearing glitter. His approach is subtle: light foundation, a bit of blush, nothing dramatic. He treats makeup like a real-life blurring filter, something to cover blemishes and boost confidence.
And that approach? It's resonating with millions of young men who just want to look... less tired. More put-together. Better.
Daniel Rankin, a 24-year-old from New York, put it perfectly when he told reporters: "I remember thinking, 'Am I really doing this?'" about buying his first concealer. Now? He shops at Sephora regularly.
The Numbers Are Kind of Wild
Let's talk money for a second (because that's where things get really interesting).
The global men's grooming market was valued at $61.6 billion in 2024 and projected to surpass $85 billion by 2032, with the biggest growth driven by the skin-care sector, according to Fortune Business Insights.
That's not a typo. $85 billion. By 2032.
But wait, there's more. Overall, 15% of heterosexual men ages 18–65 in the U.S. currently use male cosmetics and makeup; an additional 17% would consider using it in the future, an expansion that would double the size of the market, according to research from Ipsos conducted in 2022.
If you're doing the math... that means roughly one in three men is either already using cosmetics or thinking about it. And industry experts believe those figures are even higher now in 2026.
What They're Actually Buying
So what products are we talking about here?
The top sellers aren't what you might expect. Forget about bold eyeshadow palettes or dramatic lipsticks. The men's makeup movement is built on subtlety and function:
The "Starter Pack" products:
- Tinted moisturizers - Combines skincare with light coverage
- Concealer - For under-eye circles, blemishes, redness
- Brow gel - To groom and define (without looking "done")
- BB/CC creams - All-in-one coverage with SPF
A 2025 Social Media Today report indicated that 45% of men under 35 have tried tinted moisturizer after seeing it online. And here's the kicker, retail data from Sephora indicates that sales of men's tinted moisturizers rose by 65% year-over-year in 2025.
Sixty. Five. Percent.
That's not a niche market anymore.
The Looksmaxxing Factor (And Why We Need to Talk About It)
Okay, this is where things get a bit more complicated.
You've probably heard the term "looksmaxxing" floating around TikTok. Looksmaxxing is a term referring to a process of maximizing one's own physical attractiveness, which originated on male incel message boards in the 2010s. In the 2020s, it went mainstream, particularly among Gen Z men.
Now... there are two sides to this coin.
On one hand, many men have started framing grooming and, for some, makeup as maintenance, not vanity, according to professor Delphine Horvath from the Fashion Institute of Technology. That reframing actually removes stigma and normalizes self-care for men who previously felt like taking care of their appearance was somehow... weak?
But on the other hand, and this is important, looksmaxxing protocols have been criticized for contributing to body dysmorphia, according to a 2024 BBC report. Some corners of the internet take this optimization culture to unhealthy extremes (we're talking cosmetic surgery, dangerous techniques, obsessive appearance-checking).
The healthier version? Softmaxxing, a form of looksmaxxing, is a practice in which people perform fairly common body care routines in an effort to improve physical appearance, such as clearing up facial acne, going to the gym, getting a new haircut, or moisturizing.
The bottom line: Using concealer to cover a pimple before a job interview? Totally fine. Obsessing over your facial structure and believing your worth depends on achieving some impossible standard? That's where things get problematic.
How Retailers Are Actually Responding
Here's where the beauty industry gets smart (finally).
For years, brands tried the whole "men's section" approach, you know, dark packaging, hyper-masculine branding, products shoved into a corner like they were contraband. And you know what? Those gender-specific displays can feel intimidating or stigmatizing to some men, Horvath noted.
So retailers changed tactics.
The Gender-Neutral Approach
Ulta Beauty and Sephora have begun integrating men's complexion products into gender-neutral, skin care-first displays rather than having "Men's" aisles.
Genius move, honestly. Because when you walk into Sephora now and see foundation displayed by skin type and coverage level instead of by gender... suddenly the barrier to entry drops dramatically.
Big-box stores jumped on board too. In 2025, Target partnered with online streaming collective AMP, Any Means Possible, to launch TONE. The men‑forward personal care brand debuted in Target stores nationwide in July, leveraging AMP's massive Gen Z male following across YouTube and Twitch.
That's brilliant marketing. You partner with creators who already have the trust and attention of your target demographic, then you make it dead simple for them to try your products.
Celebrity Influence Matters
Can we talk about how celebrities basically fast-tracked this whole movement?
Celebrity influence has further accelerated adoption, with stars like Harry Styles, Brad Pitt and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson launching their own skin care and makeup brands.
When The Rock, literally one of the most traditionally "masculine" celebrities on the planet, launches a grooming line and talks openly about his skincare routine? That sends a message. It tells guys, "Yeah, it's cool to care about how you look."
Johnson's brand Papatui, which launched at Target in 2024 and spans skin, hair, body and tattoo care, was created in response to ongoing questions about his grooming regimen.
People were literally asking, "How does he look like that?" And instead of being coy about it, he said, "Here's what I use. You can use it too."
What Makes This Different from Past Attempts
If you've been around beauty long enough, you might be thinking: "Haven't brands tried to sell makeup to men before?"
And you'd be right. This isn't the first rodeo.
In 2016, CoverGirl made history by appointing then 17-year-old YouTuber James Charles as its first-ever "CoverBoy," placing a male face on a mass-market cosmetics brand for the first time.
But here's the difference: That was treated as a novelty. A headline. "Look at this boundary-breaking thing we're doing!"
Now? It's just... normal product development.
Gen Z men are also more comfortable rejecting rigid gender categories and more skeptical of marketing that frames products as inherently masculine or feminine, Horvath explained.
They're not looking for "makeup for MEN" in aggressive all-caps with charcoal packaging and names like "WARRIOR CONCEALER" (okay, I made that up, but you get the point). They want effective products. Period.
And brands are finally listening.
The Challenges That Still Exist
Let's be real for a second, this isn't all smooth sailing.
Education Gap
The biggest barrier isn't actually stigma anymore. It's knowledge.
Most guys have zero idea how to apply makeup. Like... genuinely none. They didn't grow up watching tutorials or learning from friends. So when they walk into a store and see 47 different shades of concealer, panic sets in.
As one beauty industry insider told reporters: "Men want to know what a product does and how to use it without feeling awkward".
That's where TikTok and YouTube become crucial. A 2023 study by Influencer Marketing Hub found that 70% of Gen Z men, born between 1997 and 2012, follow beauty or grooming influencers.
Economic Pressures
There's also the money thing. Beauty products aren't cheap, and inflation makes people think twice about experimental purchases.
Will a 23-year-old guy who's never used concealer drop $30 on one when he's not even sure how to apply it? Maybe. But retailers need to make that first purchase as low-risk as possible.
Lingering Stigma in Certain Demographics
While Gen Z is all-in on this trend, older generations? Still catching up.
There are pockets of resistance, geographic, cultural, generational, where the idea of men wearing makeup still feels foreign or taboo. And that's okay. Cultural shifts don't happen overnight, and they don't happen uniformly.
But the momentum is undeniable.
What Happens Next
So where does all this go from here?
Industry experts have some fascinating predictions.
One beauty marketing professor told reporters: "In ten years, I don't think we'll be talking about 'men's makeup' anymore. We will just be talking about makeup".
That tracks. Because at the end of the day, the "men's makeup" category is kind of... artificial? Skin is skin. Dark circles are dark circles. Blemishes don't care about your gender.
What to Expect in the Next 5 Years
More Innovation Around Male Skin Needs Products formulated specifically for thicker skin texture, oil control, beard-area compatibility. Not because skin is fundamentally different, but because different people have different needs, and those needs should be addressed.
AI and Personalization Virtual try-ons, shade-matching technology, personalized routines. The tech is already here; it just needs to be normalized for male consumers.
Continued Blurring of Gendered Marketing Expect more brands to drop the "FOR MEN" labeling entirely and just... sell good products to everyone.
Education-First Content More how-to content, more beginner-friendly tutorials, more "yes, this is for you too" messaging.
Here's what this all comes down to.
The men's makeup movement isn't really about makeup. It's about control. About options. About rejecting the idea that taking care of yourself is somehow less masculine.
According to market research firm NielsenIQ, men's grooming sales in the United States topped $7.1 billion in 2025, and that number's only going up.
As professor Horvath noted: "Men's beauty is one of the last categories left where brands can likely still see easy double-digit growth potential simply by showing up".
So if you're a brand? Show up. Make it simple, make it accessible, and for the love of all that is holy, stop with the hyper-masculine marketing.
And if you're a guy who's curious about trying concealer but feels weird about it?
Remember what Daniel Rankin said about his first purchase: "I remember thinking, 'Am I really doing this?'"
Turns out, yeah. He was. And now he's not alone.
Not by a long shot.