A sign of the times: male cosmetics means a more equal society

Once upon a time, masculinity was characterised by traits such as restricted emotions, self-reliance, aggression and a general disassociation from all things "feminine". However, the 21st century male has moved on from this traditional model.

Indeed, gender roles of both men and women have shifted greatly over time. For example, some traits that are considered feminine today such as wearing makeup and jewellery, were once part of the man"s domain, but cultural shifts and the development of femininity as a concept contributed towards a change in what was deemed to be "acceptable" traits in men.

And the most significant shift in gender roles in recent years has been the emergence of the image-conscious male, where it"s now deemed socially acceptable for a man to take pride in his personal appearance and spend time grooming themselves.

This change is reflected in the many male-orientated cosmetics that are now available, with role models such as David Beckham contributing significantly towards this cultural shift, appearing in countless cosmetic commercials and changing his image frequently.

Although grooming products for men is nothing new, it"s the commercialisation of them, the acknowledgement that it"s now "okay" for a man to care about his appearance that has changed. Indeed, entire

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