John Lewis to stock make-up for men: Store unveils male bronzers and concealers and eyebrow-threading treatments for teenage boys to meet soaring demand
- John Lewis to sell War Paint for Men to customers online and in its flagship store
- Company said demand for the brand 50 per cent higher than expected in trial
- War Paint for Men launched by Daniel Gray with investment from Peter Jones
John Lewis will stock a Dragons’ Den-backed make-up brand for men to customers across the country after a trial at its Oxford Street store beat expectations.
The company said demand for War Paint for Men was more than 50 per cent higher than expected when it ran a trial at its flagship site in London last month.
It will stock products including foundation, powder and bronzer at the store permanently, and customers elsewhere will be able to buy the beauty essentials online.
The top seller is an £18 pot of concealer which can be used to cover up spots and blemishes or dark under-eye circles. An in-store exclusive ‘daily essentials’ kit will also be available, including tinted moisturiser and concealer.
The retailer is also expanding its range of specialist beauty services for men, with treatments such as eyebrow threading for teenage boys now available at its Oxford Street store.
John Lewis will ship Dragons’ Den-backed make-up brand War Paint for Men to customers across the country after a trial at its Oxford Street store beat expectations
Charlotte West, a beauty buyer at the department store, said men have been using make-up ‘for some time now’, so said it would make sense ‘to position War Paint as a permanent fixture alongside other male grooming brands and services’.
‘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’, she added.
‘We are delighted to have War Paint permanently on board at John Lewis & Partners following its extraordinarily successful trial.’
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.’
The company said demand for War Paint for Men was more than 50 per cent higher than expected when it ran a trial at its flagship site in London (Pictured: Products from the brand)
The brand was founded by Daniel Gray (right), who shot to prominence when he hit the small screen on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den
Mr Gray shot to prominence when he hit the small screen on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, a show where investors bid to support small entrepreneurs.
All five dragons bid for a stake in the business when it appeared on the show, with Mr Gray accepting a joint offer from Tej Lalvani and Peter Jones to invest £70,000 for a 12 per cent stake in the business.
Mr Gray has spoken of founding his business after wearing make-up for 20 years, sometimes pretending it was for someone else when he bought it.
‘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,’ he said in an interview with men’s magazine GQ last year.
All five dragons bid for a stake in the business when it appeared on the show, with Mr Gray accepting a joint offer from Tej Lalvani and Peter Jones to invest £70,000
John Lewis will stock products including foundation, powder and bronzer at the store permanently (pictured: a War Paint for Men counter at John Lewis), and customers elsewhere will be able to buy the beauty essentials online
John Lewis has now permanently adopted the brand as the retailer continues to add more beauty and grooming services for men to its stores.
In-branch pop-up barbers Murdock and Jack Rabbits have been installed in its Oxford Street and Southampton branches, and customers can also indulge in manicures and personal styling services.
In the last year, John Lewis has opened a dedicated style studio for men in its Southampton shop, a new VIP style service ‘The Ultimate Menswear Experience’ in his flagship store and a ‘walk and talk’ style service in select shops.