Beauty On A Budget: The Men’s Products That Work For Everyone

Making these swaps could save you hundreds on your beauty bill, says Bethany Reitsma.

Whether you’re on level 4 of Mecca’s Beauty Loop rewards programme or prefer to stick to supermarket budget buys, many of us spend a fair amount on beauty and grooming products each month.

There’s a chance that at least part of your beauty bill is down to the “pink tax” on such products, where everyday items like shampoos, razors and deodorants marketed to women are costlier than their male equivalent.

However, many of these products work well across genders, no matter how they’re marketed. That’s why it’s well worth browsing the aisles for men’s products to try them for yourself – or raiding his side of the bathroom cupboard.

Here are five to try that don’t come with pink packaging or influencer marketing and could save you hundreds on your beauty routine.

Razors

It can be difficult to find affordable razors that deliver smooth skin without irritation, particularly if you have dry or sensitive skin – many women’s razors include strips of fragrance or moisturiser that can inflame the skin.

As it turns out, men’s razors do the trick just as well, if not better. Perhaps it’s because they’re designed to use on the face and are thus gentler on the skin. A men’s disposable razor from a packet of three, bought at the supermarket for $9, gives me smoother legs than my inevitably pink razor that cost more than twice as much.

Try Gillette Sensor 3 Disposable Razor Comfort, $9 for 4, or Schick Xtreme 3 Sensitive 4 Disposable Razors, $6.

After Shave Balm

Applied after skincare and before foundation to create a smooth base layer for makeup, primer is an important step in many people’s daily beauty routines.

While there are plenty of priming products on the market, a good one can be something of an investment. Back in 2016, YouTuber NikkieTutorials and beauty mogul Kylie Jenner revealed that they use Nivea Men Sensitive After Shave Balm, $15, in place of a primer. Jenner’s influence in particular led to the product selling out in many US retailers at the time.

Designed to smooth the face and soothe irritation after shaving, it’s formulated for sensitive skin and forms a protective layer, though it’s important to note it may not work for all skin types.

Ranging in price from $11.59-$15 at supermarkets and pharmacies, it’s also far cheaper than many popular primers. Benefit’s Porefessional Matte Primer will set you back $66 at Sephora, while M.A.C.’s Prep + Prime retails for $100 from Mecca. The beauty retailer’s own brand Mecca Max Skin Filter Blurring Primer goes for $28.

Moustache Wax

Giant, fluffy soap brows may be going out of style, but whatever brow dimension is in vogue, one thing is for certain – we want our brow shape to last the day.

There are countless products on the market, from pomades to waxes to gels, promising to tame our eyebrows. But a pot of men’s moustache wax and a clean spoolie might just get the job done for cheaper – try Capt Fawcett’s Moustache Wax, $29.99, or Milkman Grooming Co. Moustache Wax, $24.

By comparison, among popular brow products, Glossier’s famed Boy Brow retails for $43 at Mecca, while Benefit’s 24 Hour Brow Setter Brow Gel will set you back $51 for a full-size product from Sephora.

Beard Dye

The credit for this beauty hack goes to Herald columnist and beauty journalist Lucy Slight.

If you have lighter eyebrows, getting them dyed regularly can save you valuable time in the morning, but it can be an expensive undertaking. There are many home brow-tinting kits on the market, but as Slight writes, “In my experience, they often throw warm, which doesn’t give the most natural finish.

“That’s why many at-home brow aficionados now reach for men’s moustache and beard dye to get the job done – myself included. Not only is the process more straightforward than a specific brow kit, but you get more product in the pack and it’s cheaper too (thanks, pink tax).”

Slight’s pick is the Just for Men Moustache & Beard Dye – don’t be fooled by the name – which retails for $17-$21, while an appointment to dye your brows can cost anywhere from $30 to $50 or more.

Cologne

If you’ve run out of your favourite perfume, why not try a spritz of your boyfriend’s cologne?

There are countless scents marketed to men that smell good whoever is wearing them.

It all depends what you’re looking for in a fragrance, whether that’s citrus, woody or vanilla notes. Some of the most popular colognes marketed towards men that could be worn by anyone across the gender spectrum include Le Labo’s Santal 33, $174; Dior Sauvage, $190; Prada Luna Rossa Black, $110; Versace Eros, $145; or Issey Miyake Pour Homme, $100.

Even if you’re both wearing the same scent, you won’t necessarily smell the same. Fragrances will vary in smell depending on the individual pH, hormones and body temperature of the person wearing it.

When it comes to fragrance, there really are no rules.

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