Facials, manicures and hair care were once the preserve of women. But now grooming is a growing trend among men.
Words by Sophia Charalambous
The male grooming market is set to reach a staggering $60.7 billion this year.
For the beauty sphere is becoming more gender fluid than ever before.
The UK market value for men’s grooming has increased by nearly £100 million from 2015 to 2017, according to Statista.
And, according to a YouGov poll, one in 20 British men now wears make-up.
Millennials and the Generation Z market are said to be behind the shift away from traditional perceptions of masculinity.
New masculine products
Meanwhile products are expanding beyond traditional shaving, deodorant and wash products.
Chanel has even launched a separate make-up line, Boy De Chanel.
New pop-up experiential space at John Lewis & Partners, The Pitch, is so far the only store to showcase men’s make-up brand War Paint.
Men's make-up
Amelia Kendrick, John Lewis & Partners beauty buyer says: “We know that men have used make-up for some time now.
“So it made sense to position this brand in our menswear department alongside other male grooming products like hair styling.”
Truefitt & Hill, on St James’s Street, says there has been a considerable increase in numbers of younger clientele.
The barbershop, established in 1805, offers manicures, facials and even a hair-tinting service, alongside traditional haircuts and shaves.
Men's facials and manicures
Head barber Wendy Langley says Truefitt & Hill has introduced facials in response to growing demand for male skin care.
Manicure services are also in greater demand.
“Men no longer consider perfectly manicured fingers as somehow detracting from their masculinity,” she says.
“Their grooming choices are indicative of a new lifestyle culture in which being well groomed is an integral part of being a gentleman, a successful professional or a businessman.”
Groom boom
Wendy sees no slow-down in the male grooming boom on the horizon.
“The idea of being flawlessly presented is becoming increasingly important to men,” she says.
“Not only in the context of their professional careers but also from the perspective of their social lives,” she adds.
Unisex fragrance
Over at Liberty's, beauty buyer Emily Bell has noticed a move toward unisex fragrances.
This includes men opting for more ‘female’ scents such a rose.
“Fragrance continues to be a hugely popular category with our male customer base as we endeavour to avoid gendered offerings,” says Emily.
“We’re continuing to see a real trend towards niche fragrance with ‘out-of-the-box’ offerings that can be worn by everyone.”
Find out more:
Liberty's, Regent Street. libertylondon.com
Truefitt & Hill, St James's Street. truefittandhill.co.uk
War paint at John Lewis & Partners. johnlewis.com
Main picture: Truefitt & Hill.
Second picture: Fragrance du Bois's new scent New York Intense. £275 for 100ml. Jovoy, 21 Conduit Street.
Third picture: The 01 High-Performance Moisturiser, £55. Harvey Nichols, 109-125 Knightsbridge.
Fourth picture: Rahua’s Hair Elixir, £93. Liberty London, Regent Street.
