Torfaen business aims to break the stigma of make-up for men

Carl Gough, 30, from Griffithstown, is the managing director of office design company Cargo Interiors, but decided to set up BUG for Men after the pandemic hit last year.

Mr Gough said he has “always wanted” to set up a company providing cosmetics for men, as there was a real gap in the market for it. However, he knew he would need to overcome the stigma around men using make-up.

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“We started researching it when the pandemic came around,” he said. “We were up to our necks with design work with Cargo Interiors but that all went away when the pandemic came.

“Cosmetics was always something that I wanted to be to do but I needed to understand what that would actually look like.

“There isn't anywhere in Wales doing this at the moment and there isn't many places in the UK either.

“We wanted to bring something to the marketplace that men could wear. It's natural looking and it's designed for men.

“A lot of men feel self-conscious about wearing make-up but would still like to. They don't want to go out with their faces caked in make-up, they just want to cover some redness or conceal a spot.

“I get really red cheeks and redness on my forehead, especially when I have been in the sun. The tinted moisturiser takes that redness away.

“We’ve added oats and hops to the product so it's not just make-up, it's good for your skin too.

A range of BUG for Men products. Picture: Matthew Horwood/Development Bank of Wales

“It was just over 12 months from start to finish. Creating the formula for the make-up products was very difficult. Working with the chemist is one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but I wanted it to be perfect.”

Mr Gough said he hoped to challenge the “outdated” stigma around men using beauty products by normalising it in a similar way to how moisturising is now viewed.

“What we want to try and do is make sure men actually feel comfortable to purchase it and use it,” he said. “They can go out wearing it with confidence.

“There is a stigma about men wearing make-up. These are conversations I've had quite regularly as it's the elephant in the room.

“The stigma around it is just so outdated.

A BUG for Men product. Picture: Matthew Horwood/Development Bank of Wales

“Guys might already be sneaking some make-up from their girlfriends or mums or buying some of themselves. This is created and designed especially for them.

“It's about taking talking openly about it. Just because you're going out hiking for example, it doesn't mean you can't go and put some concealer on to cover a spot. You can wear it and still go out and do what you're going to do.

“Everyone I know moisturises now most days. It wasn't so long ago men would be like: ‘I don't moisturise’.

“It's about normalising it.”

Mr Gough secured a £50,000 micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales to support the cosmetics launch.

“I conducted research and developed our product, but needed support with marketing and stock purchasing – that’s where the loan from the Development Bank of Wales really helped,” he said.

“I was able to secure the finance I needed to get BUG for Men out there to our new customers.”

You can find out more about the compnay at bugformen.com.