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Under the Influence

L'Oreal changed its slogan for the first time since 1971

The growing market for men's makeup made cosmetics brand L'Oreal take a second look at its long-standing slogan.
The logo of cosmetics group L'Oreal is pictured with a zoom effect during a visit at L'oreal Headquarters in Clichy, north outskirts of Paris, France, Monday, Nov. 3, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Francois Mori (Francois Mori/Canadian Press)

L'Oral is the world's largest cosmetic company.

Since 1909, L'Oral has marketed over 500 products exclusively to women. But a few years ago, L'Oral began marketing beauty products to men with its Men Expert line.

The company said it knew that more and more men were using makeup and it wanted to acknowledge that change. To do it, L'Oral took the long-standing slogan it had established in 1971 "Because You're Worth It" and changed it to say: "Because We're All Worth It." Then for the first time in its 113-year history, L'Oral featured a man in its mass market cosmetics campaign:

L'Oral says male cosmetics have seen a surge in demand. Some reports say it has been growing faster than women's sales since 2020. And it's not just skincare and bodywash. Men are using beauty balm and colour corrector creams, mascara, foundation, bronzers and concealers. A recent Ipso study found that roughly one-third of all men are open to using cosmetics. And there's an interesting split.

While men over 50 are more hung up on gender roles, they also want anti-aging cosmetics. So this age group opts for male-branded products, and they buy mostly online. The 18-34 age range is not worried about aging and is focused on looking good. They are more at ease with the evolution of masculinity and have no problem shopping for cosmetics in person.

In the 2019 Super Bowl, L'Oral signed singer Adam Levine to be its spokesperson for its line of male "anti-fatigue moisturizers."

Newer cosmetics brands like MMUK and Milk Makeup cater to a male audience. Both want to break down the stigma of men wearing makeup.

The worldwide market for men's beauty products is around $32 billion. It is expected to double by 2030.


For more on Gender Bending Brands and other stories from Under the Influence, click or tap the play button above to hear the full episode. Find more episodes on the CBC Listen app or subscribe to the podcast.