1 month old This article is more than 1 month old As sales of cosmetics for men soar, book reveals industryâs first boom was in 1700s Male beauty bloggers Jeffree Star, left, and Manny Gutierrez. Photograph: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images Male beauty bloggers Jeffree Star, left, and Manny Gutierrez. Photograph: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images Sun 28 Feb 2021 04.45 EST Male cosmetics are no longer the preserve of rock stars, with data showing sales are booming. But a new book by a historian at the University of Exeter reveals that far from being a modern trend, grooming products for men were popular centuries before being advocated by the likes of Russell Brand, David Bowie and Prince.