increased the number of [men’s] brands that we have, and we’ve also been experimenting with how we present the category on the site as well as creating more targeted content that speaks to the male consumer,” said O’Shannessy. “Our holistic approach to beauty is very inclusive, and I think one of the trends we’re seeing in the space is to move away from a gendered view of beauty. So we want our approach to be one that is inclusive and encourages our customers to be comfortable being themselves.” One of these initiatives, O’Shannessy said, was a subset of the marketplace’s beauty podcast, Beauty I.Q., which focuses purely on entertaining and educating male audiences called Mr. Beauty I.Q. The male-focused podcast ran for four episodes, and focused on being a beginners guide to skincare for men who likely haven’t got a beauty routine to speak of, in an effort to break down the stereotypes around beauty and make it easier for men to jump in and out. What’s so different about the men’s market? That’s not to say that male spending in the beauty space is likely to eclipse spending by women anytime soon.  According to Allied Market Research the global men’s personal care market is tipped to hit $166 billion this year. Compare that with the $500 billion brought in per year by the industry overall, according to McKinsey, and you can see the difference in spending: at the moment, women are spending about twice as much as men are. One of the major obstacles is engaging with the target customer base, which tends to shun beauty products, according to male beauty brand Brutal Truth’s marketing manager Samantha Moriarty. “Covid-19 has helped in that regard, since more guys have been at home and have had time to look in the mirror and try some personal care routines,” Moriarty told Inside Retail.  “That’s spurred more growth in the last few years, which has been good. But while it’s a challenge engaging guys [with] skincare, it’s also an opportunity to engage with women. It’s often the ladies that surround the men that get them to buy the product.” As a result, men are far less likely to want to buy multiple, more expensive single-purpose products than they are to buy one item that can serve multiple needs, Moriarty added. For Brutal Truth, one of the most popular items they sell is a 3-in-1 face, hair and body wash.  “We’ve seen multifunctional products like these do really well in our brand, and other brands, over the last year, because they speak to what guys want,” said Moriarty.  “They can grab one item and take it with them to work, to the gym, to wherever, and they don’t have to think twice about what they’re using.” So what’s the opportunity? According to Mortiarty, the opportunity in the space is massive, with a CAGR of around 14 per cent.  And while she points to the US and UK as examples of markets that are a little further on from where Australia is, they pale in comparison to some Asian markets. Over the past decade, sales of male skincare products in South Korea grew 44 per cent, driven by male celebrities such as K-pop singer and actor Rain. China, however, is seeing the male beauty space grow at a rate around two to three times faster than even South Korea. “I think [locally] it will definitely continue to grow, particularly in the natural space,” said Moriarty.  “Hopefully, as we return to normal life, more guys will think about what they’re using on their body rather than just soap.”