BeautyLONDON

THE LONDON MAGAZINE February 20141234567890

GROOMS MEN Once upon a time, eyeshadow, concealer and waxing were for girls.

Not anymore. Tabitha Lasley on the new male order

R emember when everyone thought David Beckham was evolved, just because he moisturised? Back in the benighted 1990s,

all you needed to do to qualify as a ‘metrosexual’ - that exciting new breed who combined the muscle definition of a man with the sensitivity and meticulous self-maintenance of a girl - was slather on some Crème de la Mer, and hint you wore a thong. It was a simpler age.

These days, night cream no longer signifies emotional intelligence. Even unreconstructed blokes look after their skin. Treatments are sold as an essential part of the modern man’s armoury. At the Ministry of Waxing, 30 per cent of customers are men, a shift illustrated by the salon’s recent ‘optional inch’ campaign (illustrated with a carrot, and the exhortation to: “Upsize in 40 Minutes!”). Meanwhile, Murdock, the London chain of barbershops that offers manicures and facials alongside wet shaves and haircuts, has doubled its turnover in the last year, to £2.5 million.

So male grooming has moved up a gear. But

are men ready to cross the final frontier of peacockery - make-up? Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford clearly think so: both launched their own ranges last autumn. Unsurprisingly, male celebrities have embraced the move. Harry Styles has been spotted in lipstick, Russell Brand in eyeliner, Johnny Depp in nail varnish. Whether ‘real men’ - as opposed to people who preen onstage for a living - will be sold is quite another matter.

“I don’t see make-up for men taking off now or in the near future,” says trend analyst Marian Salzman. “Grooming products and light cover-ups, yes. But not colour products. Male mascara and lipstick aren’t easy translations.”

Salzman, by the way, knows what she’s talking about. Ten years ago, it was her benediction

that popularised the term ‘metrosexual’. Her predictions often come good, and cover-ups are already in men’s wash bags, disguised as skincare.

“Many of the best-selling eye creams are tinted or have a subtle level of coverage”, explains Liz Hambleton, Grazia’s beauty director. “Not to mention the army of BB creams that enhance the skin tone as they hydrate. Men have always been curious about the secret beauty tools women have at their disposal, they’ve just never felt comfortable using them. Now, aspirational brands like Tom Ford are bridging that gap between masculine and metrosexual.”

Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs aren’t the first to try and flog men concealer. Aramis, Clinique and Superdrug have all launched similar products, only to shelve them when they failed to sell. Will these lines succeed where others have flopped?

“Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs have huge financial backing, so adding a capsule range of men’s make-up is no big deal,” says Kathy Phillips, founder of This Works. “It’s also a clever marketing ploy to get blanket coverage. Tom Ford can have his girl’s make-up in Harrods and his boy’s range in Debenhams without getting pinned down for exclusivity. And it’s a way to buy into the brand. Using a Tom Ford product that costs £50 is one small step towards owning the suit.”

It helps that Tom Ford (the man, not the menswear) is a brand in himself, one whose values other men are keen to emulate. And that his line, packaged in streamlined black, feels so like an extension of his own standards: good grooming as a courtesy to others. It’s also worth pointing out that while it’s his make-up that has snatched the column inches, the bulk of his collection is skincare. The face wash, the eye cream, and (of course) the moisturiser are sure to shift plenty of units. Even if the bronzer gets left on the shelf.

Clockwise from top left: Marc Jacobs Brow Tamer Grooming Gel; Tom Ford For Men Purifying Face Cleanser; Murdock Anti-

Ageing Eye Serum

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