L'Oreal predicts next big change in department stores: men's makeup counters

Makeup counters for men could hit department stores within the next five to seven years, cosmetics giant L’Oreal said.

In an interview with the Daily Telegragh, L'Oreal UK managing director Vismay Sharma said the demand for a men’s line of makeup has been growing in recent years, pushing the cosmetic giant to start thinking about shelf space.

"Today you have a very small proportion of men who want to use make-up products, but that proportion is growing and it will continue to grow," Sharma told the newspaper.

Another driving force, Sharma said, is that the idea of men wearing makeup is no longer taboo for the “selfie generation."

"I think it's just awareness - two things are happening: men know they can use make-up, and they know what it does when you use it. The second thing is that the taboos are going, so between my generation and my son's generation the taboos are very different,” he said.

The news comes as UK-based online retailer ASOS announced last week it's extending its male-only makeup line called MMUK (Men’s Make-up UK) from foundation to mascara and beard/brow fillers.

ASOS’ co-founder Alex Dalley said in a statement that he hopes the move “places make-up for men on the radars of thousands of guys out there who simply want to look their best everyday.”

In 2013, high-end fashion designer Tom Ford was one of the first to announce a collection of male grooming products that included an eyebrow maintenance kit and a concealer set.