Long before drag queens, and Jack Sparrow and emo rockers painted their faces, men the world over were having a torrid affair with make-up. As far back as 10,000 BC, Egyptian men painted their lips and applied heavy eyeliner. Historians say it was to ward off the evil eye, but was that the only reason? The Romans continued the eyeliner trend (with a finer application) but they, being more vain, brightened their complexions with a chalk foundation. Centuries later, from the courts of Elizabeth I to those of Louis XV, guys adorned their faces with pale, lead-based makeup. The men (and women) kept themselves rouged and pale, even though the toxins contained in the makeup would eventually lead to their demise. And we say beauty hurts?

In the late 1800’s and for quite some time after, aside from those trying to be purposefully provocative, make-up on the everyday man fell out of favor. So why is makeup making a come back? Answer: timing.

Men are more fashionable than ever. They wear tailored clothes and designer shoes, style their hair, manscape, whiten their teeth, and pluck their eyebrows (yes, even the few in the middle count). And with a cultural emphasis on the importance of youth and perfection, what choice do men really have? In fact, a multitude of men from varying backgrounds and professions are already using products to showcase their best features in a natural and, more importantly, indiscernible way. You might be thinking, well, my boy friend is not wearing it, so who is? It's likely that you see male makeup every day and don’t even realize it; applied properly, it’s virtually undetectable. And the right touch can make any guy appear well rested while enhancing his masculine features.

If you are still a naysayer, turn off your inner-censor. Men are wearing make-up and, for the most part, it’s about one thing, confidence. Trust me, there is nothing more powerful than the feel good factor.

The first, and sadly often overlooked, step in male maintenance is proper skin care. Your mom wasn’t kidding when she stressed the importance of moisturizer. For those of you who are already moisturizing, bravo! For those of you who aren't, don't wait for crow's feet as deep as the Grand Canyon; follow these three simple steps to achieve a smooth and even face.

1. Cleanse. Removing the excess dirt and oils from the surface of your skin prevents acne and keeps your skin functioning at its highest level. Choose a gentle cleanser that is sulfate free. Sulfates are cheap, damaging ingredients used by many cosmetic companies as a foaming agent. They are unnecessary and cause more damage than good. After a proper cleanse, your skin should feel supple and soft, not tight and dry. Read the labels!
2. Exfoliate as needed. This unblocks clogged pores and removes dead skin that gives the face a dull, aged appearance. I warn you, don’t exfoliate after you shave, it can cause irritation. The 2-step microdermabrasion by 4VOO is wonderful. Check out www.4voo.com for more details.
3. Moisturize. This nourishes and hydrates the skin as it repairs daily damage. Most guys are lazy; so choose one that contains an SPF of 15 or higher. That way, you will get both steps at once.

Next week, we are going to take a look at the idea of men in actual color products. As much of a shock as this may be, they are doing it…Tune in next week to be sure that your guy (or you) are doing it the right way.