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Home / Lifestyle

Trial and Error: What happens when men 'mansplain' beauty products

NZ Herald
19 Sep, 2018 08:54 PM5 mins to read

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The Trial & Error guys mansplain some beauty products.

What happens when you take three guys, bribe them with ice cream, shut them in a studio and ask them to explain some of the strangest beauty products on the market?

Let's just say the result involved some electrocution, waxing and good vibrations.

We asked the brave panel of Max, Jio and Nathan to delve into one heck of a beauty bag and explain to the good people of New Zealand what a variety of popular beauty products do.

Now we know by definition to "mansplain" is to explain something a man considers complex to a woman in a manner regarded as condescending. But on this occasion, we mean "man explain" in the way that only a true Kiwi bloke could.

Here's what happened

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THE TEST

Headband or ankle weight?

A fluffy makeup headband. Photo / Alibaba
A fluffy makeup headband. Photo / Alibaba

Max came in hot with his first guess, describing a fluffy item as an ankle weight that you
use at the gym to tone up your thigh area.

Actually, Max: In order to start any good beauty routine, you must first get your hair out of the way. So this item is, of course, a headband.

Max claimed he has seen this item before "at the gym".
Max claimed he has seen this item before "at the gym".

Sponge egg, dabber or beauty blender?

A beauty blender. Photo / Sephora
A beauty blender. Photo / Sephora

Pulling the purple bouncy item out of he bag, Jio reckons he's seen one of these "sponge eggs" before. Max agrees with Jio's description, adding that it's used for the "application of face make-up".

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Nathan wonders if his pals might, in fact, be incorrect and the item could be an infamous "dabber", the hottest trend of 2018.

Answer: It was, in fact, a beauty blender, used to seamlessly blend foundation into the skin.

Vibrating facial exfoliator or personal massager?

Sonic facial cleanser. Photo / Amazon
Sonic facial cleanser. Photo / Amazon

Upon realising this device has a button that makes it vibrate, Jio and Max question why such a personal item would be included in this test?

But Nathan took things back to PG status, guessing maybe the item gives a nice little back massage?

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The faces say it all.
The faces say it all.

Answer: This handy little device is actually a vibrating facial cleanser which helps give your skin a deeper clean.

Make-up setting spray or water?

Mac Prep+Prime spray. Photo / Amazon
Mac Prep+Prime spray. Photo / Amazon

After reading the bottle's label Max announced, if he wasn't mistaken, the item was "just water".

Jio believed he'd seen this one before too. After testing the powerful nozzle on the side of Max's face, he suggested it was "face mist".

Answer: Jio pretty much nailed it with this one. The item doubles as a face mist and makeup setting spray, used to finish and refresh makeup.

Blackhead pore strips or a sneaky disguise?

Biore charcoal pore strips. Photo / Makeup Alley
Biore charcoal pore strips. Photo / Makeup Alley

On seeing the packaging Nathan believed this item would be "great for oily skin". However, after opening it, his mind suddenly changed.

Placing the item on his upper lip, the fellas agreed this was a disguise. Maybe you weren't able to grow a moustache, but wanted to a try and fool your pals?

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That's not quite right. Be we will take it.
That's not quite right. Be we will take it.

Answer: The black strip was actually a blackhead pore strip, designed to pull impurities from the nose.

Primer or under eye concealer

Clarins SOS primer. Photo / Supplied
Clarins SOS primer. Photo / Supplied

"I know what this is actually," said a confident Max, who took a guess: "Primer, isn't that when you put it on before you do the thing to your face?"

Well... Kind of.

Answer: The item was in fact a primer that you apply before your foundation to help colour correct the skin and give a silky finish.

Glitter nail polish

Essie glitter nail polish. Photo / Amazon
Essie glitter nail polish. Photo / Amazon

No mucking around here, all the panellists knew exactly what this shimmery item was, and immediately took to applying the glitter nail polish to a rather Nathan's finger tips, making him feel "pretty good ay".

Answer: Of course this was nail polish.

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Nathan felt "pretty good ay".
Nathan felt "pretty good ay".

Facial toner or torture device

NuFACE trinity. Photo / Mecca
NuFACE trinity. Photo / Mecca

Proving why you should always read the instructions, Max immediately took the electrical device to his carefully manscapped face.

This resulted in him getting zapped after turning the item up to full strength and then guessing this maybe a "torture" device.

Answer: The device was in fact a facial toner which helps with wrinkles and skin toning. It's supposed to be used on a hair free area, and only after a special primer is applied to the skin.

Brow mascara or eye mascara

Wet n wild mascara. Photo / Amazon
Wet n wild mascara. Photo / Amazon

Max was quick to take on the job of chief mascara artist, and took to Jio's eyebrows. A move he immediately regretted as Jio reminded him that makeup expert Nathan had said it was for eye lashes.

Quickly changing area of attack. Max applied a thin layer of mascara to Jio's lashes.

Answer: Despite popular belief on the panel, eyelashes and brows are very different and this particular item was actually mascara for the eyelashes.

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Wax strip or feminine hygiene product

A wax strip. Photo / Amazon
A wax strip. Photo / Amazon

"That time of the month ay," Nathan announced when pulling the final item out of the bag.

"That time of the month ay."
"That time of the month ay."

Jio and Max saw fit that Nathan be punished for his silly guess and took to removing 90 per cent of his arm hair, which all took place before Nathan could process the error of his ways.

Answer: The item was in fact a wax strip used for hair removal.

So after the guys covered a wide variety of products, were they any better off?

Jio and Max felt that the primer did wonders for their eyes and Nathan was left feeling oh so pretty with his one glittery nail.

So I guess you could call it a success?

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