Beauty Industry - Starting on Men Now!

Recently I have noticed that the beauty products industry has started the same tactics on men that are used on women. After all, why exclude 50% of your market?

The internet is suddenly awash with "I was a fat slob, get ripped in 4 weeks" type adverts and the TV has "get this new moisturiser with added Turbo-booster". We have an obsession with celebrity and want to be like them.

There are many young men in the UK now with silly orange tans, plucked eyebrows and over-white teeth. Many of these are using steroids to achieve the look that has become necessary in our society. All of this is driven by the beauty industry. "Tired of those teeth that are less white than gloss paint? Simply grind them down and stick on these fakes. Trust me, it wont look stupid."

Men are being emasculated by our society and are starting to become obsessed with their appearance which is traditionally and probably inherantly a female trait.

Men, what are your views? Do you feel a need to moisturise and want to look like some movie star? Are you interested in what a celebrity has done to their hair?

Women, do you like a Metrosexual man? Or do you prefer a traditional man?

The chemicals these women are putting on their skin daily is truly shocking. Millions of them getting cancer and proclaiming "omg how could this have happened to me.. I'm just one of the unlucky ones..cry". Uh no that crap you've been rubbing all over yourself for 10yrs has over 500 carcinogenic chemicals in it so.. you do the math. I do not use and will never use any form of 'beauty product' but I think this has all started with "Lynx" products and their clever advertising. The "Lynx" effect.. it's now cool to use body wash and moisturizers.. it' get's ladies! You can see the evolution of aftershave, to aftershave creams.. now they are easing into moisturizers and makeup -gruff voice- "Because dude, I'm worth it". lol what a crazy world we live in.

[edit on 15-11-2009 by reasonable]

reply to post by LightFantastic

---

I don't think that the 'need' is new, the beauty industry is, in many ways, tapping into an existing market. I have envountered many men over the years who used facial products, usually those of the females in their lives. Celebrities such as David Beckham have exploited this and tried to make it 'manly', but really, men are as concerned about their physical appearance as women are, and always have been.

To state that such vanity is inherently female, is to totally disregard the example set by nature. It is, invariably, the male that puts on the flamboyant display, not the generally drab female.




[edit on 15-11-2009 by shamhat]

Ive noticed a trend towards it for many years. But recently I saw some commercial of some skin cream for guys with a guy saying "because you're worth it". Made me laugh out loud, but Im sure this will work specially on younger men. They are no more confident than woman were/are today.

I will refrain from going on and on about how much I dislike this world and what the TV programming makes people do to themselves and others.

Vanity is not a good quality in a person.

And about what women prefer... they prefer what they have been programmed to prefer. Their daughters will love superficial guys because they will grow up with that being the norm in their magazines, TV shows etc.

People are becoming more and more hollow, and I find them less and less interesting to be around to be honest. But thats just me.


[edit on 15-11-2009 by Copernicus]

That is a good point but I am not sure if this is the case in most higher mammals, where size and strength is more important.

Also, I am not concerned about my physical appearance beyond being clean and smart and most of the men I know are the same. Then again I am a Yorkshireman!

Im off shopping now in my big flash car


[edit on 15/11/2009 by LightFantastic]

Oh, I've seen this one a long time coming. I always hear girls talk about how "It's just expected for us to do..." and then they start to name off the trivial things they have to do.

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret - Girls don't care what we look like, and, girls - we don't care what you look like.

Okay, maybe I lied. We definitely DO care. Some of us, anyway. I myself, don't really care, per se, how pretty a woman is. I can tell the difference though, between someone who gets up in the morning - showers, puts on make up, plucks some eyebrows,volumizatize lashes, blush cheeks, lipstick... actually, I find it abhorrent. I stated in a previous topic about how unhygenic I am. This is nothing new anyway - men are all 'supposed' to look fairly monotonous anyway. It's been like that for a long time, and only recently has this upsurgence in trying to look different really come on. It's ridiculous. Great way to make money off people who feel terrible towards themselves though - Remember, misery makes money!

Well, this is hardly something new, men have been using cosmetics for as long as women have been... This whole "metrosexual" fad is indeed pushing things too far nowadays, but luckily there are enough men left who don't look all orange and with plucked eyebrows.

A little care doesn't do any harm though. I see nothing wrong with using face moisturiser or hand cream. But the moment my partner would start using my mascara or even worse, buy his own, man, we'd have a problem

To the poster before me who pointed out to the dangerous chemicals in cosmetics... To some extent, i think you're correct, and i personally try my best to avoid using those products, and use alternative options. But you can't blame cancer and other diseases on cosmetics alone. Diet, genetics, environment, viruses or simply bad luck play a much bigger role than cosmetics.

You wont think its a problem when most men are doing it. Your opinions come from what is being painted as normal in the magazines and TV shows you view. Once you get some celebrities doing it and they look fine, you will see lots of females wanting their guys to put on mascara. It may sound crazy to you now, but I can guarantee that is how it works. But they may not call it mascara, they will name it something else and sell it to guys with the same content.

The human mind is very simple to manipulate. You just need to get a certain amount of people doing something and then it becomes accepted, whatever it is. Everything can become normal because we constantly compare ourselves with others and most have a need to fit in.


[edit on 15-11-2009 by Copernicus]

There is very little in the way of sexual dimorphism in humans, we are comparable in size and relative strength, so that doesn't apply either. Not really. Women tend not to be judged on strength because evolutionary our role as child rearers has been more vital to survival due to breast feeding. This is applicable to most higher mammals. We don't select our mates along those lines anymore, but taking the examples of lions and apes perhaps, it is the skill in the fight and general stamina, that ensures receptive females. And age of course. Which is perhaps what is most applicable to this OP, doesn't matter how big and strong you are, if the younger guy can keep going that little bit longer than you, you're out. In nature of course, we humans are aware that age has other strengths to offer the wider group.

No... It won't me called "mascara"... it shall be dubbed "Mancara" with a ", dude!" added at the end for added masculinity.

"Yo, lets go to the bathroom and apply some Mancara, dude!"

elvis wore mascara!!

when was it exactly that men didn't take care of themselves?



[edit on 15/11/09 by pieman]

reply to post by Copernicus

---

That what you say is unfortunately completely true for many people, but only partially true for others. We can't help but being influenced by what is sociably accepted or fashionable, it's in our nature as social beings.

But, there are limits. Not everyone is as easily influenced, and not everyone partakes in all the latest trends and memes.

That is the reason why, when i leave the house, i don't look like a peacock during mating season, although that is considered socially acceptable or even required (if you listen to glossy magazines) for females my age.

reply to post by Wallachian

---

Thats true, there are some exceptions. And people who can think for themselves and have inner confidence despite going against the crowd are very attractive in this day and age.



[edit on 15-11-2009 by Copernicus]

reply to post by LightFantastic

---

Somehow there's something not quite normal about taking the hoof of dead zebra and the active ingredients of round up and spreading it on your face.

Are we so insecure that we now have to start doing this ?

Makes me wonder if cosmetic surgery were free would we all be walking around looking like the cast of Thunderbirds ?

Perhaps it would be smart to look at results, if were not getting laid then use these products and we start getting laid then they have to be worth using if their safe.

If we're married, well what the hell's the point ? they marry us because they love us not because what we look like, or do those evil women lie LOL?

reply to post by Copernicus

---

Thank christ for that, there's hope for me yet then ?

"Love" is an addiction to the combination of appearance and personality of a person. If personality OR appearance changes dramatically, love can fade quickly.

If your wife one day was not attractive to you anymore, your love for her would also vanish.

Dear men,
Now I am only one woman and perhaps not all woman share my opinion, but I want a man who is a MAN! I'm a sucker for the rugged look. I don't want a man who has softer skin than me, who gives more though on which shampoo to use and is cleaner than I am, or plucks his eyebrows. It detracts from my own femininity. With out getting to sexual her, and man with working man hands is well more, um ya know, feels better. BTW on another forum go to of all women we all finally admitted that the smell of a man working in yard all day is a secret turn on, man sweat and all, in comparison to the smell of made for man styling products and colognes.
So please I am begging you for the sake us women out there, leave the beauty products to us, we like you men just the way you are.
Sincerely,
A woman

Oh and one more thing before i go. I notice lately where i live (could also be my imagination, don't know) a lot of pretty and young women who are very natural actually. No dyed hair, no overplucked eyebrows, no excessive makeup (or no visible makeup at all), no fake tans and so on.

And the men are pretty natural too

Gotta laugh.

The Beauty industry has been conning men for a long time but now they are stepping it up.

There was a hilarious episode of Friends where over-whitened teeth freaked everyone out.

I say try and stay fit and healthy and do not obsess about your looks - this goes for both men and women.

reply to post by shamhat

---

I'm curious,(serious and polite Mods note) why is it do you think really gorgeous women hang in with ugly looking blokes, I seem to see quite a few of them about.

I sometimes wonder, "what the hell does she see in lardman there ?" (no offence I'm no stick insect) women seem to be some dorkey choices leaving one baffled and concluding the dude must be hung like a baboon can be the only explanation.