2024 has been an interesting year for the grooming industry; while multiple new trends took over, the year was also about the revival of a few older trends with a modern twist. From men wearing make-up to discussing men’s sexual wellness needs, the year was also about pushing dialogue around topics that were once considered taboo in the industry. As we move on to the new year in a few days, here’s looking at all the trends, dialogues, and moments that defined the shape of the Indian grooming industry.
The Year of Iconic Facial Hair Trends
2024 was all about beards and moustaches; while some of the looks were the revival of the yesteryear trends, some were fresh and new. But what reigned supreme this year is the fact that beards and moustaches look suave and classy. Full face of a bushy beard was one hot trend; Bollywood actors like Vicky Kaushal and Ranveer Singh made a strong case for a caveman beard while Jacon Elordi’s new look in a bushy beard made headlines.
Along with beards, multiple moustache trends came into the spotlight this year. From Trashstache to Pornstache, the 80s came back with these looks. We are talking about actors like Ishaan Khatter, and Vijay Varma and Vicky Kaushal sporting trashstache and pornstache, respectively. Also, who doesn’t remember Hardik Pandya’s moustache look at the T-20 World Cup 2024 which was the season of moustache.
The Cut that Created a Buzz
From side fade to short hair, multiple versions of buzz cut became the flavour of the year. Even the celebrities jumped on the trend with actors like Shahid Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapoor, and cricketers like Hardik Pandya and Surya Kumar Yadav sporting the look. While the haircuts changed during every season of the year, buzz cut remained one of the preferred looks on the runway and red carpet. Going by the popularity of it, the trend is expected to be in vogue for the upcoming season as well.
Focus on Men’s Sexual Wellness
This was the most sought-after discussion of the year. From sexual wellness brands like MyMuse launching selfcare kits and tools specifically for men (the brand recently launched Jack Pro, a men’s stroker, a few months ago) to brands like Bold Care coming out with a campaign (starring Ranvir Singh and Johnny Sins) emphasising on male libido, we saw male sexual wellness becoming a mainstream topic beyond the realms of Shilajit in 2024. As consumers have begun to seek solutions for their problems, it’s likely to become more than a trend and remain an ongoing topic of discussion that requires equal focus from sexual wellness brands and experts in India.
Breaking Stereotype Around Men Wearing Make-up
Slowly but surely, the industry is opening up to the idea of men wearing make-up and owning it. The increasing number of male influencers endorsing the idea and global experts talking about it has made a significant difference to the perception about men wearing make-up. With specific make-up brands like NuNorm and Dundas Beauty launched for men this year in the global market, it’s set to take over the Indian grooming industry soon along with the current batch of Indian influencers who are making a strong case for men who love to maintain a beauty shelf for themselves.
Use of Multi-Use Products and Elaborated Routines
Men are now adapting to the changing rules of skincare–from including serums and under-eye creams in their routine to building a nighttime routine, there was an increase in the level of conversation around this topic with more brands taking it as a hint to launch specific products for men. This was one of the most important points of discussion at the beginning of the year and it remained as one throughout 2024 with brands launching specific products for men to suit their skin needs and routines. We are talking about celebrity brands like 82°E launching men’s specific care range to conglomerates like Piramal Pharma foraying into the men’s grooming space with the launch of body and face care products.
Foray of Sought-After Fragrance Brand into India
One of the most significant highlights of this year was the launch of flagship stores of luxury brands in India. Diptyque, one of the premium and celebrity favourite fragrance brands, forayed in India with the launch of its first store in New Delhi. Similarly, Armani Beauty also launched its first store in India after registering its presence through multi-brand stores and e-commerce websites.
Iconic Celebrity Moments
While our trends get influenced from the West, Bollywood celebrities have a great grip on trends in India. From beards to hairstyles, whatever celebrities do become a trend. This year's noteworthy celebrity grooming moments include Ranbir Kapoor’s clean-shaven look after sporting long and bushy beard for a long time, Varun Dhawan sporting a mullet which became the sought-after look of the year, Aditya Roy Kapoor’s caveman beard with short, textured hair, and MS Dhoni’s hair colour transformation with a quiff. 2024 will always been known for some of the jaw-dropping celebrity transformation when it comes to their grooming looks–Fardeen Khan’s suave shirt, sleek, and back-swept hair and Bobby Deol’s salt-pepper quiff with a side fade will always be among our favourites.
The Year of Man Bun
Man bun became the IT look of the year and leading celebrities sporting the look is testimony to its popularity. From Ranvir Singh’s half bun to Riteish Deshmukh’s low bun with volume and bounce in the front and Prabhas’s messy bun look, man bun look was taken to a different level this year and perhaps the trend is here to stay.
