CVS to Start Selling Makeup for Men

Men's makeup enters the mainstream

A sign on the side of the CVS Pharmacy on May 15, 2020 in Carver, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
A sign on the side of the CVS Pharmacy on May 15, 2020 in Carver, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Men’s makeup is officially entering the mainstream, as CVS — the country’s largest drugstore chain — will reportedly begin carrying products from Stryx, a cosmetics brand aimed at men.

It’s good news for men who have been spending much of their quarantine staring at their own faces on Zoom calls and wishing they could zhuzh up their look a bit. But if you’re expecting eye shadow, lipstick and bold colors, you’re out of luck: Stryx’s products, which include a $19.99 concealer and a gel cleanser for $11.99, are geared towards a more natural look.

“It’s not about a full face of makeup or color,” Stryx founder Devir Kahan told Bloomberg. “We’re talking about improving blemishes, fixing up under-eye bags, a zit — all these sorts of things.”

“We didn’t just take a women’s product and slap a ‘For Men’ label on it,” the company says on its website. “Our products are meticulously formulated for male skin.”

Searches for “male makeup looks” went up 80 percent in April compared to that same time last year according to market analytics firm Moz, and CVS is banking on the fact that men’s cosmetics are a growth industry. “Men’s grooming has seen incredible growth during this stay-at-home period,” CVS said in a statement. “Men are a top customer focus at CVS Beauty.”

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