'I see the change spreading': why men's grooming is booming

Michael has been getting manicures and pedicures for 15 years, ever since he and his wife started going to goth club nights in his southern US state.
The number of treatments Michael undergoes has continued to increase ever since: two and a half years ago, the 65-year-old former forecasting analyst switched to regular hair removal on all the body. Now he's "waxed from fingers to toes and everything in between every six weeks," he said.
“As I was getting used to each step, it made sense to go further because I saw the positive difference each additional step made to my appearance,” he said, responding to a call to Guardian readers. “I didn’t like the way my body hair looked as I got older. I realized that the less hair I had, the more beautiful I was. »
Between waxes, Michael alternates between self-tanning cream and peppermint-scented lotion, uses “a variety of Yardley scented talcum powders to control my sweating and body odor - and I get an exfoliating foot mask every three to five months."
Male grooming is a booming business: a recent survey found that spending on men's beauty products had increased by 77% year-on-year.
The subject was at the center of the columns this week after the former Neighbors actor, Jason Donovan, was photographed emerging from the sea on Bondi Beach in Sydney with black nail polish. “My product is me, maintaining myself is a selfish existence. I like to make myself massage twice a week, I love getting my feet massaged and getting my nails done," Donovan recently told the Times.
Men's nails have had a little harm. recent moment – catching up with Michael's approach a decade and a half earlier – with A-list celebrities, from Harry Styles to rapper A$AP Rocky and Jeremy Allen White, star of the TV series The Bear, dating bombed legs.
It's not just the nails. Perhaps spurred by the rise of male beauty influencers showcasing beauty tips and makeup routines on social media, makeup products dedicated to men have appeared on high streets and in high-end beauty salons. range in the UK and US.
Chanel launched a men's makeup line in 2018. This was followed by VIP men's beauty lines, such as Styles's Pleasing and Idris Elba's S'able Labs, which have already had an effect on the way men in the UK view grooming.
Support Celebrities have also helped on the high street, with the appointment of male celebrities as ambassadors, such as Tom Daley for Rimmel, encouraging non-celebrity men to experiment with their appearance.
L he impact may be gradual in the real world: the majority of spending on beauty products...

Fashion Jan 13, 2024 0 19 Add to Reading List

'I see the change spreading': why men's grooming is booming

Michael has been getting manicures and pedicures for 15 years, ever since he and his wife started going to goth club nights in his southern US state.

The number of treatments Michael undergoes has continued to increase ever since: two and a half years ago, the 65-year-old former forecasting analyst switched to regular hair removal on all the body. Now he's "waxed from fingers to toes and everything in between every six weeks," he said.

“As I was getting used to each step, it made sense to go further because I saw the positive difference each additional step made to my appearance,” he said, responding to a call to Guardian readers. “I didn’t like the way my body hair looked as I got older. I realized that the less hair I had, the more beautiful I was. »

Between waxes, Michael alternates between self-tanning cream and peppermint-scented lotion, uses “a variety of Yardley scented talcum powders to control my sweating and body odor - and I get an exfoliating foot mask every three to five months."

Male grooming is a booming business: a recent survey found that spending on men's beauty products had increased by 77% year-on-year.

The subject was at the center of the columns this week after the former Neighbors actor, Jason Donovan, was photographed emerging from the sea on Bondi Beach in Sydney with black nail polish. “My product is me, maintaining myself is a selfish existence. I like to make myself massage twice a week, I love getting my feet massaged and getting my nails done," Donovan recently told the Times.

Men's nails have had a little harm. recent moment – catching up with Michael's approach a decade and a half earlier – with A-list celebrities, from Harry Styles to rapper A$AP Rocky and Jeremy Allen White, star of the TV series The Bear, dating bombed legs.

ASAP Rocky covers his eyes with his index fingers, which have eyeballs painted on his nails.

It's not just the nails. Perhaps spurred by the rise of male beauty influencers showcasing beauty tips and makeup routines on social media, makeup products dedicated to men have appeared on high streets and in high-end beauty salons. range in the UK and US.

Chanel launched a men's makeup line in 2018. This was followed by VIP men's beauty lines, such as Styles's Pleasing and Idris Elba's S'able Labs, which have already had an effect on the way men in the UK view grooming.

Support Celebrities have also helped on the high street, with the appointment of male celebrities as ambassadors, such as Tom Daley for Rimmel, encouraging non-celebrity men to experiment with their appearance.

L he impact may be gradual in the real world: the majority of spending on beauty products...