Japanese businessmen in their 40s, 50s and 60s who had little interest in cosmetics before the pandemic are increasingly visiting Tezuka's salon, Ikemen-Works, hoping for a better look in online meetings.
“Men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s come to our salon because they feel they must wear makeup,” he said. Tezuka said that's because businessmen who work from home have more opportunities to see their faces during online meetings and have thus started to care more about their looks. One customer, Yoshihiro Kamichi, 44, recently came to Tezuka's salon to buy makeup for the first time.
Shiseido, one of the world's oldest cosmetics companies, released free online makeup filters last month that let male users look like they are wearing men's beauty products such as blemish balms and foundation.