It’s no surprise that the power of makeup for men products have enjoyed some great exposure on TV, in the press and on social media over the past 12 months or so. By doing a quick Google search, you’ll see dozens of men’s makeup before and after photos, with even more being found on Instagram after searching the makeup for men hash tag. Today, we’ve put together a checklist of men’s makeup essentials, for every newcomer to follow, if you’re looking to give your complexion a natural and enhancing makeover.


Unfortunately, most guys new to cosmetics aren’t even sure where to begin, when it comes to mastering a perfectly natural look, which is where we come in. If you’re a gentlemen new to the world of makeup, our beginners essentials checklist will steer you in the right direction, as you build a collection fit for a cosmetics king. Once you have your essentials ticked off, you can then start practicing with your products and finding out what really works for you.


One of the biggest tips I give to newbies is that practice really does make perfect. So, don’t be afraid to do a few trial runs and don’t for one second, think that you need to apply an inch thick of product to get your desired coverage and look. The majority of blokes getting to grips with makeup for men actually want a natural ‘no makeup’ look and with guys like ‘The Beauty Boy’ (Jake Jamie Ward) on YouTube, regularly releasing expert tutorials on how to achieve such a look, it won’t be long until you’re looking flawless and feeling confident.

A Men’s Skin Primer

Every makeup bag should contain a quality men’s moisturiser or skin primer to begin with. The idea behind such a product is to appropriately prepare the skin for the application of makeup products. MMUK MAN’s Skin Primer is our bestselling version, but if you wanted to save a little, MYEGO’s Surface Moisturiser adequately primes the skin. Using a skin primer or makeup base leaves the skin supple, even and fresh and creates an invisible barrier between your skin and cosmetics, which in turn promotes protection all day.

A Good Quality Foundation

Investing in a premium quality foundation for men will ensure your skin looks even in coverage, as well as free from most mild to moderate skin imperfections. By providing a blanket of natural coverage to your face, men’s foundation immediately enhances and promotes a healthier looking complexion. If you normally have dry or sensitive skin, invest in a liquid foundation, or mineral foundation respectively. However, if you have oily skin or combination skin, be on the lookout for a matte finish, or cream finish foundation for the latter. Foundation for men will prove to be a stalwart in your new and enhanced cosmetics routine and remember, it doesn’t need to be spread on too thick or even applied all over your face to get the desired look.

Conceal and Reveal

For the coverage of moderate to defined facial imperfections, such as spots, acne scars, wrinkles and even rough/sun damaged skin, you will need to bring in the backup power of a concealer for men. To start off, it’s best to choose a concealer stick for men, as these can be dabbed onto the face using its stick format and blended in gently with a men’s blending brush. A creamy concealer like MMUK MAN’s Concealer Stick provides great coverage and blends in well enough to remain discreetly worn. Every guy should be looking to combine a foundation with a concealer, especially if imperfections vary in definition and are widespread across the face.

Brighten The Eyes

If you’re a guy struggling with dark circles, eye bags and fine lines around the outer eye, then a pen style concealer is your specialist product to call upon in your hour of most need. A pen concealer can be lightly dabbed under the eye and its surrounding areas, to immediately highlight and brighten the affected skin. As the skin under the eye is up to seven times thinner than the rest of your face, a specialist concealer such as MYEGO’s Cover Select must be chosen, to ensure it doesn’t swamp out the skin and end up looking like a cakey mess.

Finish in Style

As men’s skin tends to be typically oily and can also generate some shine, especially if you’re wearing men’s makeup products all day, the use of an Anti-Shine Powder is highly recommended. A quick dusting of invisible blotting powder or face powder (pretty much the same thing), can go a long way to giving you all day long protection against shine. These powders also do a wonderful job at setting your makeup products and ensuring they stay natural, blended and in place for much longer, than if you were to just finish your routine with the application of concealer.

The Accessories

You may wish to invest in some high-quality men’s makeup brushes to begin with. Normally higher quality brushes, like those in the MMUK MAN range, will last you much longer than many lower quality brushes and can be washed and dried much easier. If however, you’d prefer to learn the tricks of the trade first, before investing later, most lower quality brushes do a great job without the extended life span. Invest in a Powder Brush, Blending Brush and Foundation Brush first and foremost and it’s always a good idea to grab yourself some application sponges, which can be used time and time again for the application of foundation and face powder.

The Eyes

Often seen as an added extra, but very worthy of a place on your brand new men’s makeup essentials checklist, eye makeup products for men have been designed to frame this area, conform the brows and naturally enhance your lashes. Invest in a luxury eyeliner pencil, clear brow gel and matching clear mascara to discreetly bulk up your eye area and captivate your onlookers.


Building from the bottom can be costly but also very exciting and its most likely that your first outlay on men’s makeup will be your most expensive. From there, as the months go by, you may want to tweak your product choices and top up your male makeup bag for less. See below our definitive list of what exactly to include in your men’s makeup essentials:

A Makeup Primer/Moisturiser

Foundation

Concealer

Under Eye Concealer

A Concealer Stick

Anti-Shine Powder

Powder Brush

Foundation Brush

Blender Brush

Application Sponges

Clear Mascara

Eyeliner

Clear Brow Gel