'Male polish' points to lucrative male beauty industry

Fashion designer Marc Jacobs (L) and Char Defrancesco sporting 'male polish' (@themarcjacobs/Instagram)
Fashion designer Marc Jacobs (L) and Char Defrancesco sporting 'male polish' (@themarcjacobs/Instagram)

Fashion Week is traditionally dominated by women, but they may soon have to make way on the catwalk with more men now buying into the fashion and beauty race.

In recent months, designer Marc Jacobs has popularised "male polish". But he's not the only lad sporting colourful lacquer, with celebrities like Johnny Depp also seen with colourful nails.

In fact, entire "aisles of man" are common in stores these days.

Companies like Nivea, Dove and Neutrogena are trying to get guys to paint, prune, wax, pop, clip, trim, tweeze and exfoliate with items like "skin fuel", moisturising soap in the shape of a brick and man-themed products featuring razor blades and even dogs.

In fact, male grooming has become a multibillion-dollar industry. Since 2013, guys now spend more on men's beauty toiletries than on shaving products.

Just a short while ago, the only time a guy was seen in a salon was to pick up his girlfriend - but men now make up nearly a quarter of their customers.

Newshub.