Whether guys are getting more in touch with their feminine side is up for debate but one thing is clear - men are certainly in touch with women's beauty care products when it comes to their own personal grooming.
According to groominglounge.com, 70 percent of men use products intended for women as part of their grooming regimen.
Pirooz Sarshar, co-founder of groominglounge.com, told Forbes, "That's one of the most frequently discussed topics on the question and answer forums on the site. Contrary to what most people think, men use women's beauty products, and they like it."
So what attracts men to women's beauty products? Experts offer a variety of answers, including availability (it's there, why not use it), packaging and scent.
Andy Cohen, a strategic marketing adviser, is a strong believer in the power of packaging to induce trial.
"Guys aren't any different from women, in the sense that they are attracted to interesting packaging," he told Forbes. "If something looks useful or it promises results, they will feel inclined to experiment with it."
Among the everyday women's beauty care items that men like most are Secret deodorant and Biore pore strips.
According to Mr. Sarshar, 70 percent of men use antiperspirants/deodorants and five percent use women's products. Men, in the case of Secret, are said to be attracted to its floral scent.
Men, according to a USA Today report, are going to greater lengths to improve their appearance. The paper, citing the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, reports that men are increasingly turning to non-surgical procedures such as Botox injections, microdermabrasion and laser procedures to look younger.
Males are also more willing to undergo surgery to improve their appearance. Surgery to deal with hair loss is up in men between the ages of 20 and 39.
"Guys are always scoping out other guys, saying, 'That's a transplant, that's Propecia, that guy's wearing a wig,'" Brian Boye, fashion and grooming director at Men's Health told USA Today. "Whether in the locker room or restaurant or while watching TV, they've got one eye on what everyone else is doing, on what looks good and what doesn't look good."
At Beauty.com, high-end anti-aging creams and other products are among the items bought most frequently by male shoppers.
Kathleen McNeil, a spokesperson for the e-tailer, told USA Today, that men gravitate to online merchants because the "environment is less intimidating than going into a department store and talking to a commissioned sales associate." Men also can feel out-of-place in stores, she said, because "beauty counters are very feminine."
Retailers and brand marketers are looking for ways to better communicate with men. While men's grooming has long been seen as an untapped opportunity, many believe that a tipping point may be here. According to the NPD Group, men's grooming and fragrance category sales now top $1 billion.
Karen Grant, senior beauty analyst, NPD Group, told the magazine, "Getting men through the door is difficult. Men's products tend to be relegated to a small area, and that can diminish visibility. On the other hand, I don't know if men are ready for an all-male cosmetics store."
Discussion Questions: How big an incremental sales opportunity does men's grooming represent for HBC/GM? Has men's grooming reached the "tipping point" stage where it is now ready to really take off? What can brands and retailers do to drive sales in this area?