Breaking the Taboo: How One Entrepreneur is Revolutionizing Men's Cosmetics

In a world where men's personal care is rapidly evolving, some areas remain surprisingly untouched. While brands have made tremendous strides with products addressing manscaping, hair loss, and erectile dysfunction, men's cosmetics remains largely taboo. That's where Will Barry and his brand GuysMen comes in.

I recently sat down with Will, founder of GuysMen, to discuss how he's tackling one of men's biggest unaddressed insecurities through his innovative Green Stick - a color-correcting product specifically designed to reduce redness and conceal blemishes for men.

From Corporate Success to Entrepreneurial Risk

Will's journey to founding GuysMen wasn't the typical "I always dreamed of starting this business" story. After graduating in 2017, he built a successful career in programmatic advertising, eventually landing at Procter & Gamble. But 2022 became a transformative year for Will.

"I got a sarcoma diagnosis in March of 2022," Will shared. "It was a very aggressive, very rare form of cancer in my arm. Thankfully, it was very short-lived... but I had already been on the edge of saying, what if I were to launch something myself?"

This health scare, combined with turning 30 and reconnecting with his now-fiancée, pushed Will to reconsider his path. "Starting to turn 30, you start to say, okay, I'm very close to mortgage, very close to kids. If I want to take a big shot, now is probably the time."

Creating Products for a Younger Self

What makes Will's mission so compelling is how personal it is. "I'm bootstrapping a premium men's cosmetics brand. I'm making the products for a younger me," he explained.

"I was a kid with horrible acne, went through Accutane twice as an adult, and have nice rosy rosacea on a day-to-day basis. As a 30-year-old, these aren't really things that embarrass me, but as a teenager, maybe into my early 20s, my skin was a huge part of my day-to-day self-confidence."

That resonated strongly with me. At 24, I immediately thought about how transformative a product like this would have been during my teenage years. Will's Green Stick addresses something nearly every guy has experienced - that moment when you have a massive zit and spend the entire day with your hand strategically placed over your face, constantly checking your reflection, and feeling self-conscious.

The Product: What Makes It Work

The GuysMen Green Stick works through color theory - something many of us vaguely remember from middle school art class.

"If you think back to the color wheel, the way that a color corrector works is through complementary colors," Will explained. "Red is opposite of green... so what you're essentially doing is taking the green paint and applying it, and you see the redness gets pulled out immediately. It turns quickly into a brown, and that's what we're trying to do. We're just neutralizing redness through an opposite pigment."

What sets the product apart from traditional makeup is how it's designed specifically for men. According to Will, the three main concerns men have about cosmetics are:

1. Noticeability: "You don't want it to be noticeable. Great. We formulate it to be super blendable, no shine, goes right into your skin."

2. Safety: "We use very safe ingredients. We work with an expert chemist here in LA to make sure our customers feel comfortable with the product."

3. Convenience: "The green stick is intended to look like something you could fit in your backpack, fit in your pocket. Nobody's going to realize what it is."

The Entrepreneurial Journey: Harder Than Expected

Creating a physical product proved significantly more challenging than Will anticipated. "My advice to anybody who wants to create a physical product is you're going to think it's going to take three months. You're going to be told that it's going to take more like nine to 12 months. And those people are right. And for me, it was even longer—more like a year and a half."

Will's honesty about the financial commitment was refreshing too. "I'm well into the six figures with this brand, and it's probably going to take quite a bit more."

The personal sacrifices extended beyond money. "It became abundantly clear within the first six to 12 months of launching the brand, the level of commitment that it was going to take and the toll that it would take on a lot of my relationships," Will admitted. "I was very conscious of where I'm putting my time. And to me, that's my family, my fiancée, my work, and my health. If any of my buds are listening to this, I love you to death. But I haven't had the time the last couple of years, and that's been a big sacrifice."

Early Success and Future Plans

Despite the challenges, GuysMen has sold over a thousand Green Sticks in just a couple of months, with exponential growth month over month. Customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Will's vision extends beyond the Green Stick. Future products may include:

• A tinted moisturizer with SPF

• A peach color corrector (especially helpful for men with darker skin or under-eye concerns)

• Eventually, a full skincare line

Beyond Products: Changing the Conversation

What struck me most about my conversation with Will was how his mission goes beyond selling cosmetics. He's working to change how we think about men's self-confidence.

"I think about those moments, you know, talking to a girl or just getting up and going to class for the day," Will reflected. "I was just so conscious of my skin when I was 12 to 16 years old. The mark that I'd like the product to have is hopefully there's a handful of guys out there who are going through that currently, and this can help them out there."

His advice to his younger self—and to young men today—speaks to this larger mission: "Don't sit back and wait for that moment of genius of saying, 'I finally found what I want to be doing in life.' Honestly, I think the boring moments of journaling, reflecting, what are you enjoying, what are you not in life, and creating something out of those moments is really important."

Basic Skincare for Guys

For men who are new to skincare (as I was until about a year ago), Will recommends starting simple:

"The two things that every single guy should have are a cleanser and a moisturizer. You should be cleansing at night followed by moisturizer. If you're showering in the morning, moisturize again."

For sensitive skin, Will personally recommends Vanicream's cleanser and daily moisturizer (not a paid endorsement). He also suggests Stridex in the red box as an affordable exfoliant that helps break down oil and prevent acne.

Final Thoughts

What Will is building with GuysMen represents more than just a cosmetics brand—it's an invitation for men to prioritize their self-confidence and address insecurities that have long been ignored.

As someone who has struggled with skin issues myself, testing the Green Stick was a revelation. It works exactly as promised, easily concealing redness and blemishes without looking obvious or feeling uncomfortable.

For any guy who's ever hidden a blemish with his hand during a meeting, obsessively checked his reflection before a date, or felt his confidence drop because of a breakout—this product might just be the game-changer you've been waiting for.

Want to try GuysMen for yourself? Will has generously offered GuySet listeners 20% off their first purchase with code GUYSET20 at GuysMen.com.

Want to hear the full episode? Listen to "Breaking the Taboo: Revolutionizing Men's Cosmetics" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow along on Instagram and TikTok @theguyset for more content.

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