Who's Grooming Who: Makeup And The Modern Male

How does the modern-day peacock navigate our post-metrosexual age? If the men's collections are any indication, with a full face of makeup. Painted faces turned up at shows including Thom Browne (glitzy gold lips), Yohji Yamamato (Casper-inspired ghostly visages) and Dior Homme (dewy pink pouts). Catwalk theatrics aside, it's clear that men have moved way beyond just borrowing their girlfriend's moisturizer. A recent article in The New York Times reported that men's grooming products had reached sales of $5.6 billion in 2009, up from $3.8 billion in 2004. That's a lot of nasal hair removers.

As a man who works in cosmetics, it should come as little surprise that I have my go-to products. After cleansing and shaving, I use a skin serum, a primer and occasionally a bronzer. I use my Camera Finish powder to stay matte and even a lick of clear mascara on the lashes. A little dab of concealer under the eyes can take years off, so why wouldn't you? The aim is to look healthy, energized and youthful, and, unlike the runway boys, not like you're actually wearing makeup. Little fixes such as these--not to mention tweezing unruly brows--can even give men a professional edge. Here are some more grooming tips.

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