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K-pop, social media fuel male beauty industry in Indonesia
A rising number of local brands are offering beauty and grooming products that cater specifically to the needs of men, with K-pop providing much of the impetus for the change.
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Model Ray Shabir is one of the faces of beauty product company Rollover Reaction. (JP/Courtesy of Rollover Reaction)
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ultural changes have made male grooming more popular, especially in parts of Asia, and what has become a generational trend in South Korea is only just beginning in Indonesia.
Some Indonesian companies are making their products more widely acceptable to both sexes by featuring male models in advertising campaigns. In 2021, BLP Beauty’s campaign featured men wearing makeup, while PT Garland Cantik Indonesia has done the same to market its lineup of foundations under the Dear Me Beauty brand.
Lizzie Parra, who founded BLP Beauty under PT Lizzie Parra Kreasi, said one of the drivers of demand for men's personal care products was that people were no longer boxed into "colored make-up products" like eyeshadow, foundations and powder.
“Compared to 10 years ago, the beauty market is also expanding, and most individuals who work in the entertainment sector wear make-up, too,” Lizzie said.
“Actually, some people purchase BLP's loose powder, since men's skin tends to be oily and they want to decrease their oily complexion when filming or shooting for their job.”
By 2027, the global market for men's beauty and personal care products is expected to generate $183.2 billion in sales, according to a study conducted by GMO Research.
Japan, Thailand, and South Korea accounted for most of the purchases of men's beauty products, Esquire reported, with male consumers in South Korea alone spending more than $1 billion a year on cosmetics.
