Hair and Grooming #1 - The Chronicles of The Concealer

Men have always been preoccupied with asserting their masculinity in front of  members of the opposite sex, other men and to themselves. Modern culture is not devoid of examples of this practice as men are often seen in drinking competitions, fighting championships and other activities of this sort.I have always believed that the men who time and time again try to prove their supposed manhood are actually the ones that are most insecure of all. So then the question becomes what do they have to gain from it when we our world is fortunately not an alpha-male dominated one anymore?!

The reason for this short divagation represents the foundation for most of the posts that will be written under this category. We as a species are finally coming to terms with what defines us and are less and less driven by what society seems to have deemed as the norm, without any basis whatsoever, and following what we feel instead.

It is a fundamental right for each of us to pursue our own vision of happiness as long as it does not negatively affect another's. Drawing an analogy to this, even though a little far-fetched, why has it been frowned upon for men to wish to look their best while it has been alright for women to do so since times immemorial? How did society come up with the differentiation that women are allowed to dress-up in so many interesting ways, put make-up on for aesthetic purposes and always play the ingénue part, while men doing the same things be bowdlerized into ridicule?! In response, what has been dubbed as Metrosexuality is actually the balancing of these two worlds, whilst keeping all doubts of non-heterosexual behaviour at bay. Again, through the creation of this word and category of people subscribing to it, we see the insecurities of many men surfacing. They need to retain the masculine image that has been so pressed onto them since birth, that when wanting to do something that is normal, yet frowned upon by a heteronormative society, they need their metrosexual umbrella to serve as their deus ex machina.

Coming back to the topic at hand, it is true that most of us have not been blessed with perfect skin or have not yet found the best skincare solutions for our problems. Women have been hiding these defects for thousands of years and it is finally time for men to be able to do so whenever they please. 

As I see it, there are two main categories of blemishes that could pose as a source of distress for a modern man.

1. Dark Circles

Living in our fast-paced times, sleep is a premium not all of us can afford. Besides its negative effects on concentration, metabolism and other health aspects, the most visible effect that lack of sleep has is the appearance of dark circles under the eyes, also known as eyebags or raccoon attacks.

Dark circles appear because the skin under the eye is the thinnest in the body and the proximity of blood vessels and capillaries to the surface gives the areas under the eyes a dark blueish tint..

2. Scars, Razor Burns, Freckles and other blemishes

These types of blemishes are either permanent and a source of angst or temporary and may appear in the most inopportune of times. Either way they are an unwanted presence on anybody's face.

While the prevalence of dark circles is mostly hereditary or age-related and the other miscellaneous blemishes are usually hard or impossible to remove there are a few cosmetic solutions to help mask them.

Women use three main types of cosmetic products when they wish to mask certain imperfections on their faces or even their overall skin tone: foundation, concealer and powder. Using all three can be a little overwhelming for many girls, so for guys who only want to conceal smaller parts I would only advise using a concealer.

Applying concealer is not very hard and it only takes up to a minute, depending on how many spots you wish to use it on. The following video will help you understand concealer better:

Ross does a great job explaining all the intricacies of concealers and also provides us with a few good products to stick with:

Moisturizer/Concealer Base:

- F.A.B. Ultra Repair Cream from Sephora - $28

Concealer 

Select Moisturecover  by MAC Cosmetics - $16.50

- comes in 15 shades

- very affordable

M Cover by Clinique Men - $14.50

- Pro: If you're afraid your girlfriend, parents, roommate or anybody else might think less of you for using concealer, this product has Clinique for Men written on its products to aid in your defense (in reality the product is identical to a woman's)

- Con: only comes in 2 shades

Concealer Applicators

Professionnel Platinum Stippling Brush #44 from Sephora  - $35

- a little pricey, but if taken care of properly will last a lifetime
- wider tip means less accuracy for spot concealment but larger area of application

194 Concealer Brush by MAC Cosmetics - $19

- affordable and practical

Hints

- Remember to always CETM (cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturize) before applying concealer as it helps the concealer particles stick to the skin better without giving your face a cakey make-up look.

- Less is always better. Lighting conditions in the bathroom are usually very different from natural light, or indoor artificial light. Always check your appearance in a second mirror.