Friday, September 3, 2010

Skin Deep Male Beauty

In Miami, it's not that uncommon to run into men of all sexual persuasions with waxed eyebrows. It always makes me wonder, Why on Earth, if you don' thave to!  Once in a blue moon I'll see a guy getting a pedicure at my nail salon. Given that I live in a suburban area, I have to figure that when I'm seeing one here, it means there's a higher ratio in more concentrated, hip urban areas. And the laser salons' brochures show pictures of men lasering away their unwanted hair, although I've never crossed paths with one. Again I would have to wonder, Dude, why? It's never been expected of you. I've come to understand that it's all part of the Metrosexual thing, which I'm not sure exactly what it means but associate with stylish dressing, grooming, and just taking care of your body.

Now comes the New York Times with this article: Men’s Cosmetics Becoming a Bull Market.     (Read it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/fashion/02skin.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=style) Apparently, sales of men's cosmetics -- who knew, but there is such a category -- are showing some significant sale increases. Concealers, face powders, even mascara.

Could it be that the pressure to look young at any age is crossing gender barriers and men are beginning to hate dark under-eye circles and dull skin as much as women? Is it an expansion of self-care with options that until now had only been acceptable for women? Are we now also going to compete on how well we apply makeup?

For my part, I like the clean-shaven, neatly dressed, cologne-splashed type. And far be it from me to get between anyone and a pedicure. I also don't wish dry skin on anybody, so go ahead and slather the moisturizer wherever you need it. Definitely work out. Everybody should. And whiter teeth, sure, if you have the patience for it. Beyond that, I really hope I don't have to see lipstick or mascara, unless you're about to go on a theater stage.

But men, if you decide to go for this trend anyway, fine. Just know you're doing it just for you. The fact that a completely natural look in men is more acceptable and well regarded that a completely natural look in women might be the one inequity that we don't need you to give up.

2 comments:

  1. This post can have so many ramifications. Yes, whatever you do, you are doing just for you. If you felt differently about yourself, you would do something different. Men heed the blogger: don't give up that inequity. And I wonder, why can't women just forget about a lot of the stuff we do in the name of beauty? of being attractive ? etc? Let's go beyond coloring hair, waxing (not to mention laser and Brazilian) and make-up. Diets that kill us, plastic surgeries that have turned us into Barbies, etc. Really, why do women do it, and why are men joining in? Is it, as the blog says the pressure to look younger or are we lacking something else? Recently I saw one of those daily thoughts that said:"I am a soul with a body, not a body with a soul". Hear, hear...

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  2. Nice post, but it will not convince me to go that way! Specially at 52.

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