By Oghenekeno Akpoili
There was a time when the male glow-up could be achieved with a trip to the barber, a crisp shirt and a generous spray of perfume. Look neat, smell good, keep your shoes clean, and you were pretty much done. Today, that list has become considerably longer.
A fresh haircut is still important, but now there is skincare to consider, a signature scent to find, the right beard products, a gym routine and a growing awareness that the fit of a shirt can matter more than the label inside it. Even the smaller details- nails, lips, teeth, eyebrows, hands-are getting attention in a way they perhaps did not before.
Something has clearly shifted. Caring about your appearance is no longer something many guys feel the need to play down. The old idea that moisturiser is too much effort, or that knowing your fragrance name makes you overly particular, is fading. Grooming has simply become part of self-care.
The bathroom shelf tells part of the story. Where deodorant, shaving cream and one dependable bottle of cologne might once have been enough, cleansers, moisturisers, SPF, beard oils and hair products have found their way into the mix. Skincare brands are speaking directly to male customers, barbershops offer increasingly elaborate treatments, and fragrance has become an interest in its own right. The guy who once sprayed whatever bottle was available may now be discussing oud, woody notes and longevity with surprising authority.
Social media has had plenty to do with it. TikTok and Instagram are full of fragrance reviews, grooming routines, gym transformations, outfit inspiration and advice on everything from choosing glasses for your face shape to finding the right trouser length. Style knowledge that once required genuine effort to find is now delivered between funny videos and football clips.
That access has made experimentation easier. You can discover a haircut, save an outfit, watch someone explain a skincare routine and find a new sneaker brand without leaving your sofa. It has also made appearance much harder to ignore. When every scroll produces another impossibly polished person with clear skin, a great wardrobe, an impressive body and a fragrance collection that appears to require its own room, the line between inspiration and pressure can become very thin.
The glow-up, after all, has become an industry.
There is always something else available to improve: another serum, treatment, fragrance, pair of sneakers, watch, gym programme or supplement. What begins as wanting to look a little sharper can easily become an expensive exercise in keeping up. One fragrance somehow becomes six, the basic skincare routine acquires several mysterious bottles, and a perfectly functional wardrobe suddenly seems inadequate after twenty minutes online.
Yet the funny thing about looking good is that the most noticeable details are often the least extravagant.
Ask women what they notice about an attractive, well-groomed guy and the answers are rarely limited to designer labels. It is often that he smells good. His teeth are clean. His nails are neat. His haircut suits him. His clothes fit properly. His shoes are clean. There is an overall sense that some effort has been made without the effort becoming the entire personality.
No amount of luxury can really compensate for getting those basics wrong. A beautiful watch attracts less admiration when the hand wearing it looks neglected, and an expensive suit will still look wrong if the trousers are pooling around the ankles.
Fashion has naturally become part of the transformation too. The dependable T-shirt, jeans and sneakers combination is not going anywhere, but there is more room to play. Jewellery has become more common, loafers are back in regular rotation, trousers are getting wider, colours are becoming less conservative and traditional clothing continues to take on more contemporary silhouettes.
Accessories have become particularly useful. A watch, chain, bracelet, ring or pair of sunglasses can give even the simplest outfit some personality. The point isn’t to wear everything at once, but to build enough confidence to know what belongs to you and what is better left on someone else’s Instagram feed.
That may actually be the best part of the whole glow-up conversation. Personal style is beginning to matter more than simply owning expensive things. A smaller wardrobe of clothes that fit beautifully can look better than a cupboard overflowing with trends. A good tailor can transform an inexpensive piece. One fragrance that genuinely suits you is more memorable than ten bottles bought because somebody online declared them essential.
And despite everything being sold around it, a good glow-up does not have to cost a fortune. Hygiene remains free. Clothes can be clean and properly pressed without being designer. A simple cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen can be enough for basic skincare. Regular exercise does not require the most fashionable gym in town, and nobody needs an entire fragrance wardrobe to smell good.
Maybe the biggest change isn’t the products, clothes, or treatments. It is the disappearance of the idea that looking good should somehow happen accidentally.
