Men’s makeup goes mainstream on TikTok, Ulta, and Sephora

It often starts small.

Apply one coat of concealer. Colored moisturizer. Perhaps the eyebrow gel will go from being borrowed to being purchased. For many men, like Daniel Rankin, makeup has gone from being taboo to a tool to feel less tired and look more put together.

“I remember thinking, ‘Are we really doing this?'” Rankin, 24, an ad agent in New York who likes to shop at Sephora, told CNBC. “But once I tried it, it became normal.”

More men are adding makeup to their routines, whether in front of the bathroom mirror or in the gym locker room, industry experts tell CNBC. The men’s makeup market currently represents one of the most lucrative and largely untapped growth opportunities remaining in the beauty industry. ulta beauty Sephora and major companies such as target and walmart I see everything as an opportunity.

“Men’s beauty is one of the last remaining categories that still has the potential for easy double-digit growth just by introducing brands,” said Delphine Horvath, professor of cosmetics and fragrance marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

According to market research firm Nielsen IQ, sales of men’s grooming in the United States will exceed $7.1 billion in 2025, an increase of 6.9% from the previous year. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global market was valued at $61.6 billion in 2024 and is expected to exceed $85 billion by 2032, with the skin care sector driving the biggest growth.

Much of the momentum is coming from Gen Z.

In the U.S., 68% of Gen Z men between the ages of 18 and 27 will use facial skin care products in 2024, up from 42% just two years ago, according to data from market intelligence firm Mintel.

“This is no longer a niche,” says Linda Dunn, CEO of Scosi, an Asian beauty retailer based in Canada. “Men are forming routines, usually starting with skin care and then expanding. They’re no longer just buying random products. That’s what makes this market so valuable.”

Unlike one-time purchases of grooming products, makeup products encourage repeated use and experimentation. Farah Jemai, global marketing associate lead for beauty brand Unleashia, says men often start with concealer, then add on primer, setting powder, and tinted SPF over time.

“Men discover makeup that works, but once they use it, they never use it again,” Jemai told CNBC. “Restocked.”

According to Ipsos, market researchers estimate that by 2022, about 15% of straight men in the United States between the ages of 18 and 65 will already use cosmetics or makeup, and an additional 17% will consider it. Industry experts say this number is likely to be even higher by 2026.

According to survey data from Statista, openness to cosmetics is increasing, with the percentage of U.S. men who say they don’t wear makeup dropping from more than 90% in 2019 to about 75% in 2024.

Beauty conglomerates and startups alike are responding to the growth in men’s beauty.

ulta beauty And rather than having a “men’s” aisle, Sephora has begun integrating men’s complexion products into gender-neutral, skin-care-first displays. Horvath said such gender-specific language can be intimidating or prejudiced to some men.

like a major retailer walmart and target We also expanded into men’s cosmetics and grooming products.

For example, in 2025, Target partnered with online streaming collective AMP and Any Means Possible to launch TONE. The men’s personal care brand debuted in Target stores nationwide in July, leveraging AMP’s massive Gen Z male following across YouTube and Twitch.

Online — where much of the growth and discovery is happening — many beauty brands are pouring money into TikTok Shop and partnerships with influencers to increase engagement and sales on TikTok Shop. Amazon.

“So many brands are now putting most of their marketing budget into influencer marketing to meet people who are already online and make it easier for them to click ‘buy,'” said Janet Kim, vice president of K-beauty brand Neogen.

Some are leaning towards digital education to teach men the role of different items.

The brand War Paint sells makeup products such as concealer pens, tinted moisturizers, and anti-shiny powders with QR codes on the packaging. Scanning these launches a video tutorial that explains each product’s features without forcing customers to ask questions in-store.

“The biggest barrier is not price, it’s uncertainty,” Dunn said. “Men want to know what a product does and how to use it comfortably.”

But the path to mass adoption is not guaranteed.

Industry analysts warn that social prejudice remains high and inflation threatens to curb spending on experimental and non-essential goods. Retailers also face a steep learning curve. It’s difficult to expand your market if your key customers don’t know how to use your product.

Men have been wearing makeup for centuries, from ancient Egypt to Elizabethan England, but the roots of the modern commercial men’s makeup movement date back to the mid-2010s.

In 2016, CoverGirl made history by appointing then-17-year-old YouTuber James Charles as its first “Cover Boy,” making him the first male face for a mass-market cosmetics brand.

Still, the beauty conglomerate until recently focused primarily on women, Scosi’s Dunn said. FIT’s Horvath said there is currently a broader cultural reset around masculinity, and companies are racing to monetize it.

Dunn said social media is the biggest accelerator.

On TikTok and Instagram, male creators post step-by-step makeup routines, product breakdowns, and before-and-after results, often emphasizing subtle changes over dramatic looks. Hashtags related to men’s grooming and makeup have garnered billions of views, with #mensgrooming alone receiving over 26 billion views on TikTok.

“TikTok has democratized the ‘how-to’,” Dunn said. “No more asking your sister or guessing. Just scroll down, find men like you who are getting rid of acne in under 30 seconds, and click (buy). It’s eliminated the gatekeeper.”

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 said.

At the same time, makeup is increasingly being incorporated into a broader culture of wellness and optimization (also known as “lookmax”), which includes fitness tracking, supplements, hair loss prevention, longevity routines, and more.

“Many men now view grooming and makeup as maintenance rather than vanity,” Horvath says. “Revisiting this framework removes bias and enables spending.”

Celebrity influence is further accelerating adoption, with stars such as Harry Styles, Brad Pitt and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson launching their own skincare and makeup brands, reflecting the celebrity saturation trend seen primarily in spirits.

Johnson’s Papatui brand, launched at Target in 2024, spans skin, hair, body and tattoo care, and was created in response to ongoing questions about his personal appearance. It now competes directly with traditional brands such as Clinique, L’Oréal and Kiehl’s.

As the market matures, a debate is emerging over whether men want “men’s makeup” or just wear makeup.

Horvath said there is a “watershed moment” in how companies market their products.

Brands like Warpaint and Strix argue that men need products designed for thick, oily skin and packaged in masculine, tool-like containers that would look at home in a gym bag.

However, Gen Z consumers are increasingly drawn to gender-neutral brands such as: LVMH Co-owner of Fenty Beauty, The Ordinary, and Haus Labs. To them, Horvath says, a label that says “for men” can feel outdated or patronizing.

“In 10 years, I don’t think we’ll be talking about ‘men’s makeup’ anymore,” Horvath said. “We only talk about makeup. The gender binary in beauty is dissolving, and sales data is finally catching up to that culture.”