Why Men's Beauty Products Are Booming in Popularity
By Kerri Winick, GalTime.com
One look in Scott Lazerson's bathroom and you might think his wife has taken over: Crème de La Mer, a Clarisonic skincare brush, and Burt's Bees face scrub are just a few of the items vying for precious counter space. (It's enough to make any beauty junkie swoon!) But these get-gorgeous goodies are actually his!
"Every day I am cleansing my face. Once a week, I'm putting on a clay mask. I'll shave, I'll put on after-shave and put on a moisturizer," says Scott, an A-list media strategist.
Scott isn't alone. According to research firm Mintel, sales of men's grooming products are expected to hit more than $3.2 billion dollars by 2016, up from an estimated $2.6 billion this year alone.
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Why the spike in popularity? Jesse Ashlock with Details Magazine says that men today simply want to put their best face forward.
"Men care about how they look and feel. You can gain a personal and professional advantage by paying attention to these things," says Ashlock.
From the drugstore to specialty and department stores, men's beauty brands are flying off the shelves - everything from anti-aging potions, moisturizers and scrubs, to lip balms and shaving oils.
Shiseido, Clarins, Clinique, MenScience, Jack Black, Kiehl's, Eshu, Menaji Skincare, Elemis, Anthony Logistics For Men, Peter Thomas Roth, Nivea, Lubriderm, Neutrogena, L'Oreal, C.O. Bigelow, 4VOO, Malin + Goetz, Ahava, The Art of Shaving, Lab Series, and Bath and Body Works are just a sampling of what the boys are scooping up.
Some are even reaching for cosmetics: think tinted moisturizer, concealer, and anti-shine powders and gels.
"They're not like makeup in the way that women use makeup. They'll do something to smooth skin tone, obscure a blemish, get rid of tired eyes, in a way that nobody out there will know you're wearing makeup."
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And over at retail-giant Macy's, Men's Fashion Director Durand Guion says Clinique Non-Streak Bronzer is a top seller!
"A lot of the great bronzers out there don't turn your skin orange. You have some control over it."
For many, the beauty of these made-for-men products is that the word makeup is never actually used. Instead, you'll find more masculine names like Kiehl's Facial Fuel, Menaji Skincare's Urban Camouflage Concealer, and Jack Black Electric Shave Enhancer. The packaging is also tailored to the opposite sex, with brands ditching traditional, "girly" hues like pink and gold.
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"What we're really seeing is a shift toward packaging that is black, matte, silver. We're seeing terms like bold or platinum being used, so certainly there is a marketing angle to make men feel more comfortable," says Guion.
Scott says his skincare regimen is nothing to blush about!
"I really believe that doing something daily for my skin has definitely made me look younger," he says.
(PS: Scott's wife doesn't seem to mind his obsession either…she gets to dip into his stash of beauty products!)
What do you think about the made-for-men grooming trend?
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