War Paint and John Lewis launch first ever men's make up counter

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 14, 2020

A make-up specialist has linked up with John Lewis to make the latter the first retailer to host a men's make up counter.

War Paint For Men has launched as a concession at the department store retailer’s Oxford Street flagship in London and offers products specifically targeting men, including foundation, bronzer and a range of powder brushes. It’s located in the store’s recently revamped menswear section as a pop-up until early next month.

The make-up company said it’s “seen as a potential tipping point in male cosmetics. With the men’s make-up industry set to boom from $1.14 billion to $70 billion in just four short years, War Paint For Men is leading the way for the one in four men who are expected to be wearing make-up by 2023". It added that "this could be the logical next step for a generation of image-conscious men who already executing basic grooming routines”.

The brand was originally born out of founder Danny Gray’s suffering from BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder) and launched in November 2018. It then gained a £70,000 investment from Peter Jones and Tej Lalvani after appearing on the BBC’s TV show Dragons’ Den last autumn.

While the counter is only in John Lewis for a few weeks, there are suggestions it could be expanded to other branches if there is demand. The company said sales in week one were “amazing”.

John Lewis’s beauty buyer Amelia Kendrick said the development of male make-up is the next natural step after the growth of the male skincare market in the past decade.