3 male face cleansers and serums from Tom Ford, Dior Homme and Le Labo – made from avocado, liquorice and mango extracts – reviewed
Recent cultural shifts have resulted in the growing acceptance of male grooming without undue stigmatisation. As a stark contrast to attitudes only a decade earlier, countless men are taking pride in the way they present themselves – starting with their complexion.
With more upscale pharmaceutical companies catering to the male market, men have been gradually warming to the idea of beautifying themselves. After field testing an array of serums, we whittled it down to three that claim to elevate routine face cleanses and moisturising regimens. While we recognise that skin types vary from person to person, the experiences I had were based upon my drier skin.
Ever the pioneer, designer Tom Ford was inspired by his own grooming and felt compelled to share his secrets. As one might suspect, his skincare brand comes in a muted taupe-grey packaging, which exudes a quiet sophistication much like the designer’s clothing line. The scentless range has a lighter viscosity compared to its female counterpart with a focus on calming the wearer’s skin while avoiding any unwanted shininess, therefore suitable for delicate follicles.
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The skincare has an emphasis on fatigue-fighting products, which comes as no surprise given that the founder likely has a full workload as chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
I tried the exfoliating energy scrub, which was refreshing, thanks to the crushed apricot seeds that remove dead skin cells, and followed up with the anti-fatigue eye treatment and avocado extract infused hydrating lip balm. The most curious item is the brow gelcomb, which uses small droplets to tame my admittedly unruly brows, which results in them looking neat but not too groomed.
For men who are newcomers to skincare and looking for an all-in-one option, the Dior Homme Pore Control Perfecting Essence is a decent choice.
Ecdysone and vitamin E phosphate help to sooth and strengthen, and the proprietary Skin Energizer technology, consisting of licorice, ginseng and pepper extracts, effectively conceals pores without too mattifying the skin’s lustre. Statistically, a large percentage of Asian men combat oily skin. Thankfully, my pores behave relatively well but I nonetheless found this cream imparted a satisfyingly robust texture ideal for nighttime.
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While Le Labo is best known as a perfumery, the brand has also quietly launched a curated assortment of products aimed towards men with a distinctly non-fussy outlook. Housed in tinted glass vials, the line consists of a long-lasting roll-on deodorant and paraben-free face lotion among other offerings.
The latter agreed with my preferences for denser balms and is a particular favourite – formulated with shea butter to nourish, ginger root to smooth, and mango to moisturise. The most enjoyable aspect of this experience, unsurprisingly, was the woody top notes and floral bouquet. The fragrance across the range is a subtle mix of bergamot and lavender, seldom overpowering any other scent worn on the body.
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In this space, marketing to men takes a soft approach. Packaging across brands for the most part largely adheres to the same sombre tones, despite the products themselves becoming increasingly adventurous. Whilst strides have been made, bolder steps can be taken to convince target audiences to test new releases.
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As more men embrace grooming products and reap the benefits of better skin, STYLE put 3 trending serums – that claim to elevate routine face cleanses and moisturising regimens – head-to-head