Warpaint for Men make-up rolled out across the UK after successful trial
Written by News on 10/02/2020
A make-up brand aimed at men will be available across the country after its trial on London’s Oxford Street exceeded expectations.
War Paint for Men won the backing of two investors on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den and began a trial in John Lewis’ Oxford Street store in January.
The department store brand has now announced it will make the brand available online after demand was more than 50% higher than expected during the trial.
The make-up will also be permanently stocked on Oxford Street.
The department store’s beauty buyer, Charlotte West, said it made sense to make War Paint a permanent fixture alongside other brands, adding that men have been using make-up for “some time”.
Ms West said: “Self-care isn’t just for women – we know that men want to look and feel great too, which is why we continue to invest in products to help them achieve this.”
War Paint founder Daniel Gray said: “We are finally starting to see men’s make-up become the norm and break the stigma that has been around for years.”
Mr Gray impressed during his appearance on Dragon’s Den, with all five dragons jostling to offer an investment.
He eventually accepted a joint bid from Tej Lalvani and Peter Jones for £70,000 in return for a 12% stake in the company.
Mr Gray founded the business after wearing make-up for 20 years, often pretending that he was buying it for someone else.
In January, he told Sky News’ Sarah-Jane Mee that there had been a “massive shift” in attitudes towards men wearing make-up.
Speaking to men’s magazine GQ in 2019, he said: “To walk into a department store currently, make-up is in the women’s section, it’s at the women’s counter.
“For men to walk into a retail space and try make-up, I feel a lot of men won’t have the confidence to do that yet.”
(c) Sky News 2020: Warpaint for Men make-up rolled out across the UK after successful trial
