In full economic crisis, our men give up their passion for cars and discover the joy to be…a woman (just kidding …). The phenomenon is older than the crisis and has nothing to do with effeminacy.
Once upon a time…It was a time when men who shown increased interest for their image were considered to be gay. On that time, they were (and wanted) to be tough, self confident and quite negligent (see movies with Charles Bronson or Jean-Paul Belmondo) and any concerns related to skin, hair or beauty was presenting the risk to affect their name. But, as the years passed, our dear partners began to be increasingly attracted by our bathroom cupboards, manifesting their interest for the tempting bottles from our toilet table. They also started to be interested in trends and to our happiness, to show an increasingly large concern for their exterior appearance.
They understood gradually that a cream box or body oil doesn’t put in danger at all their masculinity and that the concern for fashion, skin care or fragrance increases their charm. The emergence of this new male type (the metro sexual) opened a new market for cosmetic companies: care products designed exclusively for men. Currently, no one wonders when a man has more cosmetic products than a woman or when he makes an appointment to a beauty center for a cosmetic treatment or for coloring his hair.
Nearly all female cosmetics on the market have an alternative for men: perfumes, face cleaning products, tonic lotions, creams for men, deodorants and shaving products with beauty care ingredients, makeup created exclusively for men … and who knows what the future will bring. Briefly, men start to accept their feminine side and want to explore it. They wish to look impeccable, whether they go to a business meeting, a gala event or a romantic dinner. That’s why the share of cosmetics for men becomes the most promising beauty industry.
The oldest cosmetic products known date from the time of the first Egyptian dynasty. Somewhere in the middle of 19th century, French researchers have begun to study more detailed the active ingredients in cosmetics for men, skin differences between women and men, the necessities of each, and they started to create products exclusively for them. Initially, the skin care products for men were available only in the luxury segment; then gradually, they started to be developed for the mass market.
This “revolution” was initiated by Nivea, which, with the launch of Nivea for Men range, attracted most of the young generation of men who understand that taking care of their image doesn’t compromise in any way their masculinity.
But, even so, launching a cosmetic collection addressed to men requires an additional effort, compared to cosmetic products for women. Manufacturing companies must find ways and formulas by which to determine men to buy. Although they use them in the privacy of their homes, men believe (yet) that it is shameful to go into a store to buy cosmetic powders, lotions or creams, even if those were designed for them. They are afraid to show a too feminine behavior. Instead, they look for quick solutions at reasonable prices, easy to use and multifunctional. Maybe that’s why they are so crazy about tanning lotions- with a minimum of effort; they gain a healthy appearance, which hides their age and imperfections.
Because they are used to evaluate things on their performance, whether we’re talking about cars, mutual funds, tennis balls or cosmetic products, they want that the information on the packaging to be more clear, without poetry, short and brief. Men expect that the cosmetic products they use to really do what their name and advertising claims. If women look for pleasure in their care ritual, then men want results.
Sources: www.shopmania.co.uk/shopping~online-men–cosmetics.html, www.askmen.com/daily/austin_60/95_fashion_style.html, www.menscosmetics.com, www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/34851/cosmetics/new__trends_in_men_cosmetics.html
