SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2018 07 are not just for woman

Online beauty stars form an enormous industry in China, with internet celebrities known as “wang hong”, or online stars, blurring the line between entertainment and e-commerce.

Lan Haoyi doing make up before recording video at his home in Beijing

on the latest balms and blush allow viewers to purchase on the The male beauty market is ex- Male beauty for hundreds of live viewers, go while watching videos. And pected to grow 15.2 percent in • who can simultaneously buy the cosmetics brands pay big mon- the next five years in China com- market is expected to products he reviews. ey for online celebrities, almost pared to an 11 percent global grow 15.2pc in the next “This colour is not that out- always female, to review their increase over the same period, five years in China rageous that men can’t wear it new products. according to research firm Eu- safely even in a conservative But now the market and gen- romonitor. Companics like environment,” he explains to der norms are changing, with • his fans. cosmetics no longer seen as ex- ‘Little Fresh Meat’ Alibaba and JD.com Online beauty stars form an clusively for women and male Increasingly, foreign firms like have launched live- enormous industry in China, celebrities showing that it is La Mer and work with streaming platforms with internet celebrities known okay for men to dab on a bit of video bloggers such as Lan as “wang hong”, or online stars, blush. Haoyi, known as Lan Pu Lan blurring the line between enter- Jiang says a firm that man - AFP | Beijing online, to promote their prod- tainment and e-commerce. ages bloggers pays him around ucts to his nearly 1.4 million fol- Companies like Alibaba 5,000 yuan ($730) per month to lowers. Jiang Cheng preparing for a live at his home in Beijing. hen Jiang Cheng first and JD.com have launched feature products from cosmetics The 27-year-old spends up to tried a bit of conceal- live-streaming platforms that companies. 10,000 yuan ($1,460) a month on Wer during his first beauty products and says Chi- him from picking up the make- year of university in China it na’s “Little Fresh Meat” -- a term up brush in front of them. gave him self-confidence and he referring to young good-look- “I don’t want to have conflict was instantly hooked. ing men -- is spearheading this with my parents. We don’t see Now he is among hundreds trend. eye to eye, our values and con- of Chinese men sharing beauty “We’re seeing more men in the cepts of life are different. tips online and cashing in on media wearing make-up. This “I’m not saying that they don’t the booming male cosmetics in- will naturally become the norm,” think me putting on make-up is dustry. Lan said. Despite what appears bad or what, but they are just “I found that putting on make- to be social progress in many unable to accept the daily make- up is actually quite easy,” the of the country’s cosmopolitan up routine for a man,” he says. 24-year-old said as he gently cities, the video blogger says he brushed his face with some still receives hate messages and Internet strategy . criticism for appearing in smoky But Mo Fei, the executive direc- “Women may not fully grasp red eyeshadow. tor for Chetti , a Chinese the concept of male make-up. “’Why would a man look like cosmetics company targeting If a girl puts on my make-up, that? Why does a man need to men exclusively, says that will they may not be able to achieve wear make-up?’ These are some change over time. the effect that I really want,” of messages I get,” Lan says, add- “There will be more and more Jiang said. Every weekend, Jiang ing he has been called a “sissy” men who take more care in how spends a couple of hours in front and other slurs. they look and the demands will of his iPhone at his cozy make- For Jiang, the fear of being rid- increase. Men in the East are shift studio in Beijing trying Jiang Cheng looking at cosmetics at his home in Beijing. iculed by his own parents stops more accepting,” Mo says. WhatsApp out to make money from business messages

tion for businesses that re - WhatsApp users. WhatsApp Business quire more powerful tools to “Businesses will pay to send • chat on WhatsApp and a new certain messages so they are se- lets companies send way for people to quickly start lective and your chats don’t get “non-promotional” a WhatsApp conversation from cluttered.” content such as shipping an ad on Facebook,” the leading KNOW WHAT Messages will remain encrypt- information, charging social network said in an online ed end-to-end, with people able post. to block businesses if they wish. for confirmed deliveries WhatsApp Business lets com- Facebook planned to gradually panies send “non-promotional” Growth has been the make the new tool available to San Francisco, United States content such as shipping infor- priority at WhatsApp, more businesses, focusing first mation, charging for confirmed which now boasts on companies with strong need acebook on Wednesday set deliveries. some 1.5 billion users to manage customer communi- Fout to make money from Companies will be able to around the world cations. WhatsApp with a scheme to respond free to questions or Facebook shares plummet- connect businesses with cus- comments sent to them on ed last week on disappointing tomers via the smartphone mes- WhatsApp, as long as the re - results. saging service. sponses are fired off within 24 WhatsApp Business lets companies send “non-promotional” content Sentiment was also dented by Facebook said it has been hours. Tardy responses by busi- the downcast outlook for Face- testing a “WhatsApp Busi - nesses will incur costs. WhatsApp help people discover Facebook has long been test- at WhatsApp, which now boasts book, which signaled it expects ness” tool for months with Some Facebook ads will your business, help you engage ing ways to make money from some 1.5 billion users around slower user growth, partly due more than 90 companies in - also feature an easy way to ini- with them to explain your prod- WhatsApp, which it bought in the world. to the effect of data privacy scan- cluding Uber and Singapore tiate WhatsApp conversations uct or service and grow a rela- early 2014 in a deal valued at “You will continue to have full dals. Profits will also likely be hit Airlines. with the businesses. tionship,” the social network’s $19 billion. control over the messages you by costly investments to address “We’re introducing a solu- “Facebook Ads that click to team said. Growth has been the priority receive,” Facebook promised the problems.