Men use cosmetics these days. Okay, fine. "Do you!" as we always exclaim, followed by a Z-shaped pattern of finger snaps. Unfortunately, guys seem to have a bit of a problem owning up to their makeup fetish.

"There is a little bit of that stealth makeup thing going on, where you're not slapping foundation onto your face but as part of your other routines - it sort of creeps in" ...

"Men use cosmetic products in order to cover up or correct imperfections, not to enhance beauty." ...

"I don't think any of these products in any way makes the user look less respectable, or foolish, or less manly." ...

"The concealer makes me look less tired when I have had just four hours' sleep, as I have had today."

These are just a few of the squirrelly quotes from Andrew Adam Newman's exploration of the male makeup category today. Excuse me—"please don't call it 'makeup' - cosmetics marketers pointedly steer clear of the term, which men tend to find emasculating."

Just "own it," guys! How insecure do you have to be to fear that someone might make fun of you because your personal fashion choices don't fit some Neanderthal ideal of "masculinity?"

[NYT. Photo of Michael Buffer, for no particular reason via Getty]