French men are breaking out of the unforgiving confines of heteronormativity to wear more stylish clothes and engage in grooming. But as their appearance begins to play a bigger role in their everyday lives, what is the impact on behaviour? And how can brands speak to grooming-averse consumers?

In China, the desire to be perceived as marriageable and successful has long driven men to adhere to a rigid (and largely unrealistic) model of masculinity – but societal shifts have sparked changes in attitudes. What does the ’modern man’ look like and what does he value in life?

All sorts of stigmas are being broken in today's beauty industry, but the needs of menopausal women are often ignored. Absent in ads and lacking products for their changing skin and hair, these women are now pushing brands to step up and address this ‘last taboo’ without any sugar-coating.

Catering to middle-aged and older women, Better Not Younger’s approach to haircare has cemented them as the leaders in “gray” beauty. Historically overlooked, brands are stepping up to offer female Gen Xers, Boomers, and Seniors what they want: representation and products that work.

While many brands still position themselves to dictate of-the-moment make-up looks, Depixym’s Cosmetic Emulsions are championing individuality and self-expression by rethinking the multi-use product, encouraging beauty junkies to think outside the box and paint their faces however they wish.

Beauty guru Julie Schott’s Starface pimple patches are leading the charge in the skin acceptance movement. Designed to cover up and heal spots, yet remain visible, these cute yellow stars are lighting up social media and tapping Gen Z’s desire to resist ‘perfect’ skin ideals.

As Britons increasingly look to limit their consumption of single-use plastic, they’re turning to plastic-free ways to stock their bathroom shelves, which means the once-maligned bar soap is making an unlikely comeback. With eco values on the brain, what does today’s solid soap shopper want?

Beauty and identity are intrinsically linked, meaning that people make numerous considerations to ensure the grooming and cosmetics goods they buy are right for them. Canvas8 polled 2,500 Britons and spoke to eight people to identify the factors that determine their path to purchase.