8 Chinese male idols who became the face of beauty brands: from Xiao Zhan and Hong Kong’s Jackson Wang to TFBoys’ Roy Wang and ‘uncle star’ Huang Bo, repping for Nars, Mac, Shiseido and more

Jul 10 , 2023

(Left to right) These days Chinese idols including Xu Kai, Jackson Wang, Gong Jun and Jackson Yee are all the faces of major global beauty brands. Photos: @chaoyao84505944/Twitter; Handout; @charlottetilbury/Instagram; @jacksonyeeth/Twitter

The female fans of China’s biggest male idols’ are willing to spend money on the products they promote, making the likes of Xiao Zhan, Gong Jun and Bai Jingting sought-after brand ambassadors

Got 7’s Jackson Wang may rep brands like Cartier and Louis Vuitton in the fashion space, but joining Blackpink’s Lisa as brand ambassador for Mac has proven successful for brand and star alike

“Pretty boy fever” isn’t over in China.

In fact, it is becoming more widespread. International beauty industry giants are increasingly choosing fresh-faced male stars for their marketing campaigns.

Chinese male idols have legions of female fans across the country. Photo: Xinhua

These male idols come with a sizeable young female fan base who are especially attuned to spending money on the brands and products they promote. Fans see themselves as responsible for their idols’ commercial values, as a result, these brand appointments usually bring about immediate business results.

Young heartthrobs who rose to fame via popular talent shows and TV dramas become the go-to media strategy for big-name brands and nowhere is this more evident than the beauty industry.

Customers shop for cosmetics in Sanya, Hainan, China. Photo: Getty Images

So which Chinese male idols became “Kings of Beauty”? Here are eight handsome-faced, and extremely lucrative, stars:

1. Xiao Zhan – L’Oréal, YSL Beauty and Nars Cosmetics

Xiao Zhan has been a global brand ambassador for French beauty brand L’Oréal since last year. Photo: @lorealpro/Instagram

Xiao entered the entertainment industry only a few years ago and rose to fame after his role in TV series The Untamed. The singer-actor is known as China’s “King of Luxury” and that extends to the beauty industry too – he is the face of three leading brands, including L’Oréal, YSL Beauty and Nars Cosmetics.