War Paint, the first men’s makeup store in the world, opened in London in July with a goal of making history and providing wellness.

War Paint, a leading makeup brand for men, is sold in 80 countries across the world. Founder Danny Gray wanted to provide his customers an immersive experience which led to the opening of the War Paint store at iconic Carnaby St. in London. Aside from selling an array of products, War Paint will have a variety of innovative features for advanced customer service along with a barber station from The Lions Barber Collective. All funds from the hair station will go to the charity, whose mission is to prevent male suicide. 

“We’re all about giving men more confidence, so having the War Paint store in such a public place signals to people that there’s nothing to be ashamed of and to be confident in your choices,” Gray said.  “The store is helping to normalise something which a few years ago was fairly unheard of in many parts of the world.”

At the War Paint store, customers can find products like Beard and Brow gel, primer, concealer and more. Gray explained that what makes War Paint’s products unique is that they are formulated to be more lightweight, matte and natural-looking than women’s products so that they aren’t noticeable on the skin. Tea Tree Oil in their Concealer helps calm blemishes and Kaolin in the Anti-Shine Powder mattifies the skin. 

Technical features at the store like the “Ask Danny” Q & A interactive digital along with the “Designed by me” are innovations that enhance the shopping experience. “Ask Danny” shows Gray on a screen with pre-recorded answers tailored to any customer questions about War Paint. The “Designed by me” feature is a machine that makes a tinted moisturizer or foundation unique to the customer’s skin tone and will be available on War Paint’s website soon. 

In addition to the retail experience, Gray explained that he wanted to provide a relaxed setting for men to have a conversation about makeup and open up about mental health. 

“Someone has to lead the way, and we’re the ones to do it,” Gray said. 

With the aspect of mental health, Gray liked the unique approach The Lions Barber Collective took with its mission. He was introduced to the charity through a mutual friend of Tom Chapman, the founder of The Lions Barber Collective. 

Gray and Chapman saw that their values aligned and knew they had to work together. The Lions Barber Collective launched BarberTalk, where barbers can listen to their clients offload and recognize signs of mental health issues. The barbers aren’t meant to be counselors or psychiatrists, but are here to listen and provide plans and resources to look after clients. The Lions Barber Collective is located throughout the world, but the first non-profit salon is at the War Paint store. 

“The relationship between a barber and the client is really unique and can become very close over time. They’re in a unique position to be able to listen and have open conversations with clients and signpost them to support that already exists. I think for many people, the most difficult part about finding mental health support is knowing where to go for help,” Gray said. 

Gray is ecstatic with the positive response the store is receiving and to keep watching the store has for the future. 

War Paint’s store is located at: 29 Carnaby St, Carnaby, London W1F 7DH, United Kingdom 

To keep up with War Paint, you can visit their website or follow them on social media: 

Instagram: @warpaintformen

Facebook: War Paint For Men

Twitter: @warpaintformen

YouTube: War Paint For Men

Holly is a college broadcast and print journalism major at DePaul University. She is originally from New York City, but has lived in Chicago and is now based in Los Angeles. Currently, Holly works as an Editorial Intern at The Argonaut, where she serves its communities by writing articles on business features, special events, health and wellness, food spotlights, amongst other topics. She’s also a Staff Writer at her university’s newspaper, The DePaulia, and served as a news director at their award-winning radio station, Radio DePaul. Holly has written on a plethora of topics but her favorites are global events, travel, and health & wellness. When she’s not writing, she enjoys swimming, hiking, exploring, and reading. She’s also fluent in French. Follow her on Instagram @holly_jenvey