Say hello to Male 2.0 transformations we like to see

Since the Covid-19 lockdown, everyone’s been talking about “healed earth”, “simpler lives” and other good things that happened in the process; perhaps, now it’s safe to add “groomed men” to the list of post-lockdown effects we like.

Even trendy Bollywood actors like Ranveer Singh, Kartik Aaryan, Tiger Shroff and Ayushmann Khurrana are all over social media to promote their new body and hair goals.

Looks like the transformed and spruced-up versions of men who care about the way they look are here to stay.

Surprisingly, as the women’s beauty industry saw a considerable dip in the wake of the pandemic, the male self-care segment, including DIY grooming, home fitness, and makeup products, saw an upsurge. It looks like, while spending more time by themselves, men have become more self-aware and are paying more attention to themselves.

As most people continue to avoid gyms, salons, and outdoor eating places, it is expected that more men will join the transformation bandwagon in the coming weeks to feel good.
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Dad bod to rad bod

Because of the restrictions on going outdoors, most men turned to home workouts and controlled diet plans to keep fit.

Men have also become more aware of the condition of their skin and hair. Shankar Prasad, grooming expert and founder of Phy, points to an increased demand for body and skincare products for men. “People have come to realise that taking care of body is not something that’s left to happen by default, but is more a conscious activity.

Moisturisers for men have become more mainstream, as men become aware of their skin condition and ways to care for it. Trimmers and grooming devices of course have seen skyrocketing demand, and beard care continues to be strong. Products like face washes, scrubs and body washes are doing especially well.”

Boy oh boy!

The new wave of “fem boys” on the Internet, who wear makeup and/or spend time looking after their wellness, is actively boosting male grooming, health, and beauty. “Menicures” have reportedly become popular, as men are wearing nail paints and experimenting more with beauty products even as they spend more time with women indoors.

To tap this segment, French beauty giant Chanel recently expanded it’s ‘boy de Chanel’ cosmetic range for men and introduced nail paint, eye products and a natural makeup range.

Speaking about the trend, Swati Jain, marketing director at Avon India, says, “We have witnessed that men have become  more conscious of their grooming and hygiene needs while spending most of their time at home. We have seen a considerable shift in the sales of our fragrances due to the lockdown.”

It is also reported that men are increasingly investing in cosmetics that are available online and are easy to use, to get rid of the “zoom fatigue”. They are using natural makeup to look camera-ready sans eye bags, patchy skin, and dark under eyes.

Hello, DIY grooming

Since the pandemic, multiple male influencers are posting about beauty hacks for men or basic tutorials to look good without going to a salon.

According to Mrunmay Mehta, Category Leader in Beauty and Luxury Beauty at Amazon India, online sales have gone up in the DIY category as a cumulative impact of better awareness, social acceptance of male grooming, and brand innovations.

He says, “An interesting trend we have observed post the lockdown is the DIY behaviour in categories otherwise consumed at salons whether doing a haircut with a hair clipper or hair colouration and facial at home. Products such as razors, epilators, trimmers, shavers, hair removal, and hair clippers have seen a surge in demand. Hair care product categories too have seen a significant spike.”