Makeup for men has come a long way since you surreptitiously borrowed a dab of your sister’s concealer to cover a zit. Today, you can get cosmetics specifically engineered for guy’s skin because – guess what? – men get those spots just before a date, too. And the dark circles because we thought one more drink wouldn’t kill us. And the creases in the skin after working a 50-hour week.

Debate what it means for masculinity if you like. We’re not going to. We don’t think it’s really a revolution, or feminisation gone berserk. It’s just an option – one you can take or leave as you see fit to fine-tune your appearance. And if you do, below you’ll find everything you need to know about the products to get with expert advice on how best to use them.

How Male Makeup Became A Thing

One in five men of men said they now use make-up, according to a survey for grooming brand Wahl. So, who’s slapping it on? Millennials aged 25-34 are the age group who tend to use it most, with 39 per cent saying they use make-up – that’s more than a third of blokes on the street.

Unsurprisingly, cosmetic brands have been quick to jump on the growing trend for male makeup, part of a grooming industry worth $57.7bn (£43.6bn) in 2018 and expected to top $78.6bn (£59.5bn) by 2023. Boy de Chanel and Tom Ford for Men are two recent designer launches that are flying off the shelves and into men’s weekend bags and office drawers, but budget options are increasingly available too.

Despite becoming a zeitgeisty talking point recently, makeup for men is nothing new. As far back as ancient Egypt, kings and pharaohs blackened their eyes with kohl (sort of the OG eyeliner) to ward off evil spirits, a practice that eventually reached Native American tribes who used body paint to psychologically prepare for war. Male beautification remained prevalent even up until the 1600s when it was common for Englishmen to sport powdered faces as well as rouged cheeks and lips.

In more recent decades, subcultures like goths and new romantics disobeyed the gender norms of their day and now, it’s no secret that Hollywood leading men use makeup artists to help them look their best for the red carpet and TV appearances. Take Daniel Kaluuya, who set the internet alight when it was revealed he wore Rihanna’s Fenty beauty brand to the 2018 Oscars, spurring the business to create a series of online make-up tutorials specifically for men.

When it comes to men’s makeup for the everyday guy, it’s not so much about going to town with a whole Crayola box of colours as more of a fixer for a problem like dark circles or a spot. “For me, men’s makeup should hide imperfections and look believable, a bit like they’ve had a good night’s sleep,” says Soh.

Assuming you’re not immune to the occasional late night or unwanted flare-up, these are the male makeup products worth investing in and experimenting with. Blusher not included.

Must Have Men’s Makeup Products

1. Primer

Even if you’re no oil painting, you still need a good canvas to work with. A primer prepares the skin for everything else that follows, allowing it to go on easier and last longer. It’s not an essential step, so can be skipped in a pinch, but the right formulation can also have additional benefits, like controlling oiliness or hydrating dryness. A double skin win.

2. BB / CC Cream

The bloke’s more accessible alternative to foundation, BB and CC creams are essentially part moisturiser and part make-up, meaning they’re great at achieving a natural but healthy looking complexion. BB stands for blemish balm and is ideal for spot-prone skin or those in need of a little colour boost. CC stands for colour correcting and provides light coverage while also reducing the appearance of redness or age spots.

3. Concealer

Pre-date breakout? Boardroom presentation on three hours’ sleep? This is where concealer comes in. Often a guy’s first dabble with men’s makeup (usually stolen from a sister or girlfriend), this miracle invention is similar to foundation, but is thicker and comes in a stick or liquid wand form (the former being far less messy). It works by blending imperfections into the surrounding skin, so use it for hiding under-eye shadows, or spot coverage, or a death-by-hangover-day.

4. Blotting Sheets

No one wants a shiny schnoz, which is why most women use pressed or loose powder to keep excess oil at bay. However, men typically have larger pores, which can make this appear obvious. Blotting sheets sort the oil slick without leaving a layer of cakey product on your skin. Plus, they’re small enough to keep in your wallet, so they’re ideal for touching up on the go.

5. Brow Gel

Men’s eyebrows tend to be fuller and hairier than women’s, which means they need maintaining. After all, if your eyes are the windows to your soul, then your eyebrows are the curtains. Brow gel, fix or definer – they have multiple names, but basically all do the same thing. Stick to clear formulations and use sparingly (with the included brush) to keep unruly arches in check.

6. Lip Balm

No guy wants to be called thin-skinned, but when it comes to your lips, that’s literally the case. More prone to damage than almost anywhere else on the body, it’s important to look after your smackers, and that starts with a lip balm. Avoid anything that says ‘gloss’ like the plague. Instead, opt for a manly option: a matte formula that’s moisturising but doesn’t give too much shine when you smile.

7. Colour Corrector

You may not think of a bunch of coloured crayons as male makeup, but this is where science comes into it. In the same way some colours work for your skin tone, while others work against it, certain shades can be used to your face’s benefit. Green, for example, counteracts redness (see ya, spots), orange counteracts deep-blue (bye bye, eye bags) and lavender counteracts sallowness (have that, hangover.) Apply the appropriate corrector before concealer or foundation and watch your sins disappear.

8. Foundation

This is where things get a little scary for some guys, so allow us to mansplain. Like on a construction site, a foundation is usually the load-bearing part of a make-up routine. Thicker than BB or CC cream, foundation is ideal for masking imperfections, evening out skin tone and generally just making you look more youthful and healthy. Opt for a liquid version, which doesn’t require a brush, in a shade that matches your skin colour. If you’re not sure what tone to get, test it on the back of your hand or get matched at a beauty counter.