Are Men Stealing The Spotlight?
By Kelly England.
Do any of the following questions apply to the man in your life...
Does he spend more time in front of the mirror than you and your
girlfriends? Does he have the best skin care products and really enjoy
using them? Does he often give (uninvited) advice on your looks? If the
answer is 'yes' to any of these questions then you are officially in
trouble. Read ahead for the full story.
I remember the good old days when all a man had to do to get out of the house was to shower and
shave, and if he wore aftershave then everyone knew that it was a special night. Women were lightly
cursed for taking so long to get ready, but secretly men loved being made to wait. The dressing room
was a labyrinth of mystery objects that somehow managed to beautify the female of the species from
plain and rather useful individuals into powder puffed, glossy ladies who carried themselves elegantly
on towering heels and wafted around in hazes of intoxicating scent.
But hey ho, I am sure that I am not the only one to have noticed that those charming days are gone.
Today, girls that are lucky enough to have a dressing room (if it hasn't been converted into a slick suit
and tie filled male domain) are likely to have a fight on their hands for the mirror. Those former
caveman now have all the products, and worse still, they have our secrets!
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They know how we
exfoliate before a meeting to look extra alert and polished. How to calm blemishes so that our
colleagues can focus on our work rather than the rebellion on our faces. Damn it, they have even
figured out how to use concealer for a more touched up look. I dread to think what is next?
So, are we just being misery guts regarding this improvement in men's vanity? Surely we should be
pleased that our other halves have begun to explore the wonderful world of beauty - after all why
should we have it all for ourselves? The upside is that the other sex do look better (perhaps too good
between you and me), and also there is something to be said for the joy of borrowing the new bounty
that has found its way into their bathroom cupboards. Rather worryingly many men's products that I
'borrow' seem to work better than my own - I am fighting my first instinct to scream the words
'conspiracy theory'.
But while we are on the subject, exactly how is it possible that men's face masks
seem to be so much better given that beauty companies have relatively recently launched them
compared to the women's formulas that have been in development for decades? I suspect that the
beauty biz has discovered that men are more discerning customers and that they actually expect their
products to work, not just look good on their shelves - which is something that we women are still
struggling with.
Regardless of the science part and as petty as it sounds, I just cannot help but feeling
totally jealous that my boyfriend has got longer eyelashes than me with or without products!
Last night I met an old male friend who has been in LA for the last year and he immediately reviewed
my look, 'Great eyebrows - who did them? You got whiter, did you try the latest Shiseido collection
yet? Girl you have great pores, how do I get some of those - which astringent actually works?'
The
worst thing was that he wasn't gay, and if he were then I would have enthusiastically exchanged info
with him without a second thought. In fact, he used to be my type but after this conversation it soon
became glaringly clear to both of us that some things were best left unspoken between the opposite
sexes. There just seems to be no more privacy anymore, even in your own face!
Guys used to think
that we were naturally this beautiful, that we woke up in the morning rosy cheeked, bouncy haired, and
simply slapped on a bit of lip balm. Ha! They had no idea of the transformations that we make on a
daily basis out of sheer necessity simply in order to avoid scaring people. However, now the game is
truly up.
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