The Beauty Diary by Rebecca Sullivan: Five awesome men’s products women should steal for themselves

This product is designed especially for men, but millions of women have been using it under the radar to keep their make-up flawless.

The beauty industry loves to put men and women into boxes.

According to the clichéd marketing on display at every supermarket and chemist, men and women need separate aisles with their own special products that look and smell different, even though they pretty much offer the same results.

It’s crazy we have been trained to stay in one beauty lane and feel ashamed if we step outside the lines because we’re all missing out on discovering awesome products.

Thankfully, many brands like Aesop, Cetaphil, CeraVe and Skinceuticals have figured out making their packaging gender-neutral and accessible to everyone is actually a genius marketing move.

Plus, more men are finally realising their sense of masculinity doesn’t depend on whether their moisturiser comes in a pink tube.

But for years, enlightened beauty fans have been secretly hopping over to the opposite aisle and buying products designed and marketed for the opposite sex.

There are loads of awesome (and cheap) male beauty products out there that put some of their more expensive female counterparts to shame.

So the next time you’re strolling in the skincare section of the supermarket, flip around to the opposite side of the aisle and see what the boys have to offer.

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NIVEA AFTER SHAVE BALM

Nivea After Shave Balm.

Price: $11.40, currently on sale for $5.74 from Priceline

Available from: Coles, Woolworths, Priceline, Chemist Warehouse

This product went viral a few years ago after YouTube beauty star Nikkie Tutorials realised it also functioned as an amazing make-up primer.

Nikkie discovered this cheap beauty back when she was staying at her boyfriend’s place and forgot to pack her skincare. She slathered this balm on and found it provided the perfect base for her make-up.

This products works amazingly to provide that dewy-but-not-oily base we’re all constantly searching for. It somehow perfects the skin and makes you look glowy AF.

It does have a very strong scent, so have a sniff before you buy and see how much that bothers you. Once you see how good your skin looks, you might suddenly not care at all!

DOVE MEN + CARE ANTI PERSPIRANT DEODORANT

Dove Men + Care Anti Perspirant Deoderant.

Price: Varied, usually between $2 and $4

Available from: Coles, Woolworths, Priceline, Chemist Warehouse

Why is it so hard for brands to create a female aerosol deodorant that doesn’t leave white stains on chic black outfits?

Even the female roll-on ones smell very … female. I just want to smell like nothing, not a flower bed.

Unisex scents are having a moment in the luxury fragrance space, so why not do it with your deodorant, too?

This is the deodorant my boyfriend uses, and I steal it every time I run out of my own. It goes on super easily, doesn’t stain, smells inoffensive and stops me from sweating heaps. It’s brilliant.

KLIM HYDRATE FACE MOISTURISER WITH SPF 15

Klim Hydrate Face Moisturiser with SPF 15.

Price: $20

Available from: Woolworths, Coles, Priceline, Chemist Warehouse

Michael Klim’s men’s beauty line is pretty great — and the packaging isn’t horrendous like many male products.

If getting the man in your life to wear sunscreen is a total lost cause, this could be a good compromise.

Normally, SPF 50 is the gold standard we should be wearing everyday. But if he’s just never going to wear a proper sunscreen, a moisturiser with SPF 15 is an acceptable middle ground.

This is also great if you’ve run out of your own moisturiser and need to steal his.

It’s a great life hack — get your man to buy himself nice products so when yours run out, you’ve got an acceptable substitute!

KIEHL’S AGE DEFENDER DUAL ACTION EXFOLIATING CLEANSER

Kiehl's Age Dendender Dual Action Exfoliating Cleanser.

Price: $21 for 75ml, $39 for 150ml

Available from: Kiehl’s stores and online, Myer

Physical scrubs are where male products get their time to shine.

Men’s skin is thicker, so they can get away with heavy-duty scrubs that might be too tough on delicate lady skin.

This charcoal-looking scrub is both a physical and a chemical exfoliant. It contains phytic acid, a natural AHA, and little granules that eat away at any gross stuff on the skin.

When I’ve accidentally fallen asleep with my make-up on and need to slough away all of my guilt, I scrub my face with this, and everything seems to be OK again.

HUNTER LAB LIP AMMO

Hunter Lab Lip Ammo.

Price: $25

Available from: Hunter Lab online, Adore Beauty, The Iconic

This very chic lip balm has a delicious but subtle minty smell that is very addictive.

Hunter Lab’s beautiful black packaging makes all of their products feel very bougie. They’re a perfect buy for a straight couple who live together and share a passion for skincare. Cute.

KIEHL’S AGE DEFENDER EYE REPAIR CREAM

Kiehl's Age Defender Eye Repair Cream. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

Price: $46

Available from: Kiehl’s stores and Kiehl’s online, Myer

There is truly nothing sexier than a man who uses an eye cream. It indicates a fierce commitment to vanity and anti-ageing that, quite frankly, is a real turn on.

The area under our eyes is thinner and contains fewer oil glands than the skin on the rest of our face, so it needs some extra love and care.

This Kiehl’s eye cream is cheaper than many female versions on the market and it’s quite matte, so it won’t leave that annoying greasy residue left by many similar products.

Your under-eyes can thank me later!

This my last Beauty Diary column. From next Sunday, news.com.au’s Lifestyle Editor Rebekah Scanlan will be taking over.

Thank you for reading every week and for always keeping me on my toes. I truly never thought that writing about beauty could be so challenging, so fun and so rewarding.

To keep up with my new beauty adventures, follow me on Instagram @beck_sullivan. I promise, you won’t regret it.