Famous Men in Beauty

A common misconception is women alone have shaped the beauty industry. In actuality, several notable men have acted as pioneers in launching wildly successful beauty brands. The following is a spotlight on men who have made a name for themselves in beauty.

Max Factor

Max Factor is one of the earliest male pioneers in the makeup industry. At the turn of the 20^th century, he built his business around the idea of color coordination. He was the first to use skin type, hair color, and eye color to match women with their ideal makeup combinations. His company was responsible for introducing essential beauty products to the public including eye shadow and brow pencils. ( any links to add here?)

Eugene Rimmel

Eugene Rimmel’s humble beginnings were as an apprentice in his father’s successful perfumery. However, he would later become responsible for launching the first line of commercially sold cosmetics. Although he developed hair pomades and mouthwashes, Rimmel is most well known for being the first to release non-toxic mascara. The Rimmel cosmetics brand continues on today—130 years after Rimmel’s death.

Charles Revson

For many of us, Revlon was one of the first brands we purchased when we finally were allowed to wear makeup. Charles Revson founded Revlon and presided over the company until his death in 1975. Revson’s major contributions included releasing the first comprehensive selection of nail polish shades to choose from. Due to the popularity of the nail polish, he soon developed matching lip color to allow for perfect color coordination.

Patrick Starr

Although the previous names were trailblazers, many of them made their mark fifty years or more earlier. A new sensation in the beauty industry is Patrick Starr, a transgender YouTube star who began his successful business by posting wildly popular makeup tutorials. With millions of followers on social media, he has turned his love for makeup into a lucrative career.