Male beauty: moisturiser?

It seems odd to write about male beauty. Even the phrase seems flawed. Men aren’t beautiful. They are handsome, rugged or just plain ‘good looking’. To describe a man as beautiful could easily be considered an insult, like saying he is a touch effeminate.

Yet the male beauty industry is booming with new men seeking out all sorts of products that are historically more closely associated with women.

Moisturiser is something often used by men. However, admitting this is to invite jokes from other men. The cosmetics industry recognises this and tries to get round it by producing aftershave creams, which somehow seem more manly. This is ironic, because conventional aftershave isn’t actually for use after shaving, it is really just a way of branding perfume for men. However, aftershave cream is suitable for use after a shave.