Men's Grooming 101

For my clients (female or male), fresh and natural is my go-to signature look. Because I have a softer hand with makeup & tend to love a “No Makeup” makeup technique, I frequently get booked with jobs for male clients primarily in film and commercial.

In today’s world, men are far more aware of how they look and are perceived. I think most of us appreciate men who are groomed, yet very natural looking.

When working in film, cameras can accentuate skin flaws, wrinkles, & may wash out your natural skin tone and produce more shine under those bright lights.

I believe makeup application is used to bring out natural features while concealing any skin flaws, blemishes and shine.

Before you see some of your favorite male actors step in front of the camera, their first stop is my makeup chair.

Throughout the years, I’ve been put on various projects with some incredibly talented men. Clients ranging from Golden Globe award winning actor/comedian/badass Charlie Sheen to comedian, writer and producer, Paul Rudd to CEOs for some of the most top elite companies around the globe to iconic fashion designer Alexander Wang to Knick’s popular basketball player, Carmelo Anthony to just to name just a few.

So, how do you make a man look flawless but appear to have no heavy makeup on?

SKIN

With any client, skincare is imperative. In order to achieve a natural makeup look, it starts with one’s skin. Clean, fresh skin goes a long way.

For my men, I like to prime the face with Philosophy’s Renewed Hope For Men; Mattifying moisturizer. Philosophy has a line designed specifically for men.

Mac has a matte-ifying gel that acts like a powder. The texture is sheer, it adds a no-shine matte look in one smooth layer.

I then use an under eye patch from Karuna Skin. They have a great Renewal + Eye Mask. These eye masks are made to hydrate, depuff and treat fine lines in the eye area.

Kiehl’s “Facial Fuel” No-Shine Moisturizing Lip Balm for Men is then applied. Hydrated lips with a matte finish is a must.

Grooming

Have small scissors ready to remove any long nose hairs, ear hairs, or random neck hairs. You’d be surprised how many nose hairs I’ve had to remove while working onset. Being a makeup artist isn’t as glamorous as one may think!

Eyebrows should be groomed as well. Have tweezers available to clean up any stray hairs or unibrow. Do not over pluck or over trim. My pet peeve is overly plucked brows on men.

Don’t forget about Men’s haircare products and a mustache comb! My favorite product to use is Orbie “original pomade.”

Camouflaging

In this case, less is more. Apply makeup with very light pressure. Gently pat product into the skin and blend.

I like to use a light tinted moisturizer to even out the skin. I typically apply this with my beauty blender, to really buff and blend. Check over eyebrows, stubble or beard for any excess product.

Next up, I grab my concealer. We want to stay away from the “light reflective and highlighting” concealer colors when working with men. Warm colors are best for video. Guys tend to have thicker skin around the eyes, so any product that is too thick will be extremely visible. Use a sheer concealer. A good product is Glossier’s “Stretch Concealer.” This product contains nourishing oils that give a softer finish opposed to a stiff and flat finish. This is a build-able formula which is great to camouflage dark circles or redness.

To finish, I use Cover FX blotting powder lightly on face. This powder contains good ingredients and controls oil and minimizes shine. Again, you want to be sure to buff this out properly, so you can’t see the powder on screen.

If your client has a bald head, powdered makeup is required all over their head to prevent the light from bouncing and reflecting off of them. Again, less is more. A small amount of powder can significantly reduce any shine.

Have fun Grooming! Xx