Stephen DOIG
With the world set to reopen, take this chance to get grooming again, says
Proof, if proof were needed, that my descent into “living in a hedge” territory has spiralled drastically came when a friend let out a startled yelp as I happened to bump into them on a run. “Your hair, it’s … enormous. And so grey, I didn’t recognise you.” Excellent; I had gone from presentable style editor to Wild Man of Borneo in the space of our most recent lockdown.
Almost every male acquaintance I talk to bemoans how far he’s fallen in terms of presentability as we shut ourselves away indoors and wait things out. But with the “roadmap out of lockdown” tentatively laid before us, and the promise of outdoor socialising in some form from April 12, it’s time to get cracking with the ablutions.
A trade publication noted this week that, understandably, sales of razors, blades and shaving products have taken a seismic hit, and that men’s skincare sales in general have plummeted. Sales of deodorants are down, which shows how far we have slipped in terms of self-respect. But various outlets are reporting changes in how men are spending and how their faces will be taking shape post-lockdown.
Let’s start with shaving. Chops are undoubtedly shaggier on Zoom, and while a return to a sharper jawline might be appealing, many men might have become more au fait with their beardy look. Which is where beard maintenance comes in. It’s been a growing category in men’s grooming, with products focusing on trimming, oils and even colouration to cover grey stubble. If you are tempted to keep things a little fuzzier, don’t go the Prince Harry look – aim to look sleekly Tom Fordesque, instead of fluffy and unkempt.
Of course, skincare for men is no longer the confines of the earlynoughties metrosexual. Moisturisers and eye creams are commonplace, but what’s telling from stats released by John Lewis is that tinted moisturiser sales have blossomed in the third lockdown, rising 136 per cent. With winter breaks cancelled and a dreary few months spent indoors, men are searching for ways to look healthier and more full of vim. They are also less afraid to reach for the make-up. It’s been a rising trend for the past few years, with Chanel’s cosmetics department debuting a make-up range for men in 2018, and with tinted moisturisers on the up, it makes sense to try skin concealers to mask tired eyes from lockdown anxiety, or sallow skin from lack of holidays.
For the even more brave, expect an uptick in facial procedures. A study at the end of last year found lockdowns and pressures of 2020 had led to an increased consideration of procedures like Botox and non-invasive treatments.
Last month, the Karidis Clinic in St John’s Wood reported a 37 per cent increase in men investigating “tweakments”, minor cosmetic procedures to dial back the ageing process, which denotes that men want to feel youthful and competitive.
The past year has shaken up many things, and one of them is going to be how men approach their grooming routines for the foreseeable.