Face of change
Asian women aren’t the only ones looking to put their best face forward, writes Euan McKirdy.
Back in the day, all a man needed when he stepped in the bathroom was a bar of carbolic soap and some no-nonsense shampoo. But the past decade has seen a remarkable change in men’s attitudes towards taking care of their skin, hair and general appearance – and nowhere more so than in Asia.
The term “metrosexual” goes back to the early part of the 2000s and ushered in a new era of grooming care for men.
Famous faces – including metrosexuality’s unofficial ambassador and soccer icon David Beckham – allowed legions of men to embrace a side of their personality that might otherwise have remained hidden.
“I believe there’s a great deal more competition generally, whether it be at the workplace, for love or something that is more deep-seated and sub-conscious, and therefore any edge helps,” says Olivier Bonnefoy, founder and owner of Gentlemen’s Tonic, the men’s spa in The Landmark.
The growing social acceptance of men’s grooming – hand in hand with the multibillion dollar cosmetics industry – has led to an upswing in consumer interest across the board. And, with the release last month of documentarian Morgan Spurlock’s film, Mansome, men’s grooming finally has hit the mainstream.
“I think what you start to realise is that men have been made to feel just as insecure as women have for decades,” the director told Time magazine when promoting the film.
