CHATCHARIT TAECHAKESARI — “WONDER BOY”
>> Before going to bed, Chatcharit Taechakesari, aka Wonder Boy, spends about 40 minutes to complete his 10-step skincare routine, from double-cleansing and slapping on a sheet mask to dabbing eye cream and applying a berry sleeping mask on his lips.
The numerous products involved in the process, are shown in a two-part video by the bubbly Wonder Boy uploaded in November.
“It’s a K-beauty [Korean] practice to extensively revitalise the skin at night with all those products. While I’m at it, like when waiting for the sheet mask to work in, I also watch YouTube to update on what others have reviewed,” said Chatcharit, one of the country’s few male beauty influencers.
He’s a relatively new kid on the block, and over six months has quickly made a name for being a skincare specialist while having an education background in finance and accounting.
“I always get asked, “Which products do you use? What do you eat to have good skin? My friends urged me to share that on social media. Also, not many men are in this female-dominated realm,” he said of what drove him to be a YouTuber.
After years of watching beauty videos, the Bangkokian has his own ideas for making his own, with an aspiration to get people, especially men, to look after their skin.
He began taking i nterest in beauty products in his late teens, after the darkening of his skin due to sun exposure during military training at Khao Chon Kai army student camp in Kanchanaburi.
Afterwards, he sought sunscreen, brightening and other products that have become a staple in maintaining such a fair and youthful complexion even though he’s now in his 30s.
His debut video creatively discusses the danger of UV radiation, the need and how to apply sunscreen, with the Wonder Boy portraying three characters: a sunscreen user, a friend of his neglecting sun protection, and a bespectacled skin expert.
In the latter part of the video, he’s himself in comparing 14 sunscreen products regarding their advantages, disadvantagess and cost-effectiveness.
“As a consumer, I was overwhelmed by the number of sunscreen products, and didn’t know which one to buy,” he said.
“So I have tried many and selected them for my sunscreen wardrobe. Which one to use will depend on the degree of sun exposure, following the activity of that day, all of that is explained in the video clip.”
Some of his videos specifically cater to men, including one on how to use makeup to address oily skin and cover flaws such as oversized pores, dark circles and redness.
“Makeup is not only a women’s thing,” he said. “Men can use complexion products to improve the appearance of their skin, without people not knowing that they are wearing cosmetics. It doesn’t need to be a daily thing, and they can do it to look their best, such as for photos or special occasions such as weddings.”
Around 70% of his followers are men, and Chatcharit keeps his videos short and simple, often amusing, so that males can easily follow the steps, and familiarise themselves with the must-haves such as primer, foundation, concealer and cushion compact in women’s beauty bags.
At the end of the day, Chatcharit wants to help both men and women smartly buy and use cosmetics, with his beauty tutorials helping them become a better version of themselves.
“I consider the audience my friends, whose beauty concerns become a topic for my videos. In product reviews and comparisons, I frankly say what I like or don’t like in a product. Credibililty is important, and consumers look for this amid the myriad commercialised content,” he said.
One has to be flamboyant in order to stand out from the crowd. I have my own personal style, not typical of a transgender woman. AMORNTHEP WITTAYAPASIT