The F Words From the Fall Winter 2021 Grooming Trends - Men's Folio
Grooming, Fragrance, Hair, Skincare

The F Words From the Fall Winter 2021 Grooming Trends

  • By Bryan Goh

The F Words From the Fall Winter 2021 Grooming Trends
The sixth letter in the English alphabet, the symbol gamers humorously use to pay respect to fallen comrades and a recurring element in our September 2021 issue informs the exciting grooming trends of Fall Winter 2021 — the Faithful Familiars revisited time and time again, the Fancy and the Frivolous, Fantastic new ideas from the global Fashion shows to the Fares modern men are adopting now. 

It is a Fresh new season and Men’s Folio graciously welcomes you aboard.

THE FRESHNESS OF NATURAL HAIR: Like the adaptable side part, there is no finicking when it comes to one of 2021’s easiest grooming trends. One simply has to ask for textures instead of layers (his stylist is doing it right if said stylist is cutting textures from the “inside” of his hair), then leave it be for six to eight weeks. However, should one decide to style his coif for the day, the product is dependant on the type of hair he has. For oily hair, Christvian Wu of CINQ Studio recommends using a dry shampoo like Kevin.Murphy’s Doo.Over or if he has dry hair, a leave-in conditioner like Kevin.Murphy’s Young.Again Leave-In.Repair. “Just spray once because it looks very unnatural if you’re too heavy-handed,” shares Wu.  

The F Words From the Fall Winter 2021 Grooming Trends
THE NON-FAKE LOOK OF A DARKER TINTED MOISTURISER: It is easy to go from “triumph” to “trump” with this trend because of an “I” — a reference to one’s disregard for the importance of using sunscreen. While easy to achieve, the beauty is in the balance like any of the 2021 grooming trends listed here. “All you need to do is to use a tinted moisturiser that has a slightly warmer tone to your skin. It can be one to two tones darker than your skin or two to three if you have unevenness,” shares makeup artist Larry Yeo. He recommends using sunscreen with an SPF rating of 50 over one’s face and neck for a minimum of three months to balance out the skin tone before trying this trend. If he has an uneven skin tone due to genetics, Yeo recommends using a tinted moisturiser with a shade in between the darkest and fairest part of his skin before blending it down to the front of his neck. 

“I recommend the Chanel Boy De Chanel Foundation that comes in warmer shades that can give a sun-kissed look on most skin or the M.A.C Lightful C + Coral Grass Tinted Cream that balances out the skin tone well while giving a fresh look. You have to know, though, that a tinted moisturiser offers minimal coverage, so it can even out your skin tone slightly but it will not conceal heavy discolouration.”

(On Spencer) Valentino Wool jacket; Gucci Silk-blend kimono blouse

HEURE AGELESS NIGHT TREATMENT
Enhanced with SPHR™️, each key active ingredient in this dense cream — Vitamins C and E, retinol and sodium hyaluronate — penetrates more quickly within one’s dermis for instantly soothed, smoother and brighter skin in the morning.
BSKIN ANTI-ACNE 3C SPOT TREATMENT
Everything this product does is fast, from clearing blemishes by killing bacteria, instantly calming the appearance of redness to making sure one does not have scarring and pigmentation.
RE:ERTH MULTI-TARGETED ELIXIR
Absorbing within 10 seconds, the benefits of this gel are aplenty (its key ingredient is Japanese White Turmeric) — reduction in pore size, lightened pigmentation, increase in smoothness and evenness in skin tone. It can also be applied around one’s eyes.
ONLYSKIN PMS
The product’s name is an abbreviation of pigmentation, marks and spots — three issues that will progressively lighten with the diligent use of the product — it can even be used on one’s body like his limbs, stomach and rear.
DERMA LAB AGEDEFY LIPO FIRMING SERUM
An advanced lipolysis technology rapidly breaks down one’s excess facial fats — particularly around the jaw and cheek area — while reducing the appearance of deeper wrinkles around the eyes; it is also friendly for use on sensitive skin.
PORCELAIN ESSENTIALS REVITALEYES CONCENTRATE
The two-in-one product allows one to dispense a lightweight gel (Matrixyl — a matrix of five peptides — lightening caffeine and gene-stimulating Revitalin amongst others) and apply it with a built-in high frequency micro-vibration function for deep penetration and instant relief.

THE FANTASTIC PRODUCTS FROM SINGAPORE SKINCARE: Interestingly, Singapore does not have a rich history of producing skincare as compared to fashion. The latter sees visionaries like Thomas Wee or the late Tan Yoong, but the point of context for this page would be the 1970s with its brash modern heroes, high-rise buildings and even higher-flying aspirations. Departmental stores like Robinsons and John Little were in full swing, ushering in a boom of European and American brands like Clinique, Helena Rubenstein and Revlon. All of a sudden, it was no longer cool to use products like the old but steadfast Hazeline Snow cream. “New, new, new,” the public proclaimed and demanded.

However, this turn of the tide came in 2007 when Skin Inc became the world’s first skin supplement bar that offered personalised and paraben & fragrance-free serums. The local industry stood up and took notice. Was there really an appetite for a Singapore-made skincare label? While the Global Financial Crisis from 2008 to 2009 (especially impactful were the losses from Lehman Bonds and AIG Policies) did not help, it was a sliver of a silver lining — a way for a Singaporean to rally support for a Singaporean brand. 

DrGL launched in 2008 to great public and media fanfare, Skinlycious (a game-changing line specifically developed to combat acne) hit the stores in 2013 and Allies of Skin launched in 2016 with just one product — the 1A All-Day Mask — to fantastic sales. In 2021, while the list of brands can quite literally go from A to Z, there has never been a better time to try out a Singapore skincare brand. 

Frankly speaking, they are fantastic. Efficacious in their results, meticulously produced (it is a feat to find a founder who has not personally tried them) and beautifully designed for all genders. 

The F Words From the Fall Winter 2021 Grooming Trends
THE FLAMBOYANT APPEAL OF AN ADAPTABLE SIDE PART: One of the quickest 2021 grooming trends might be indubitably overlooked, but it is also the most sustainable in spirit. Firstly, it only needs a visit to the salon once every three months — an immediate decrease in one’s carbon footprint. Secondly, it requires no products ­— saving one from plastic use. Thirdly, according to Christvian Wu of CINQ Studio, one just needs to be exacting in his brief to his hairstylist. “Ask for texture instead of layers with textures coming from the inside of one’s hair. The shortest you can go is above the eyebrows if you choose to have a fringe.”

As for the styling, just towel dry and brush one’s hair parting into the centre of his temple. “All you have to do is blow-dry in different directions which creates a natural volume that doesn’t look overdone. You can even do flip your hair to the right or left depending on what you’re going for,” shares Wu.

(On Jonathan) Givenchy Wool-blend ribbed tank top, wool pants

FREDERIC MALLE MUSC RAVAGEUR BODY BUTTER / escentials
Deeply hydrating (best used after shower), ultra smoothing (Cyclopentasiloxane, a smoothing silicone ranks second on the ingredient list) and wonderfully smelling (the perfume was a Grooming Awards 2021 winner), this body butter could even replace the perfume with its powerful sillage.
FRESH BLACK TEA INSTANT PERFECTING MASK
Whipped like a meringue and heavy on hydrating like a butter-like product, this ten-minute-maximum mask instantly nourishes and smoothen the skin out with a black tea complex and hyaluronic spheres. It even works across all skin types, which all will appreciate the cooling effect this mask has.
LANCOME EYE CREAM ADVANCED GENIFIQUE YEUX
Not to be confused with the Advanced Génifique Serum that launched in 2019, the off-shoot product bears the same moniker albeit protecting the specific microbiome of the undereyes. The true difference would be its blend of mannose and two in-vitro fermentated ingredients that protects and lifts.
FENTY SKIN BUTTA DROP WHIPPED OIL BODY CREAM
The concentration of oils (of which there are seven tropical derived ones) is a whopping 25% compared to its peers (they range from 10 to 15%), which means all one needs is less than a finger length for each ligament. Unlike other oil-based body creams, the Fenty Skin version dries down with a non-sticky glow.
DRUNK ELEPHANT LALA RETRO WHIPPED CREAM
Six African oils, a plant ceramics complex and a sodium hyaluronate cross-polymer (a chemical bond that intensely hydrates) provide instant hydration and if one is diligent enough in its usage, will have skin trained to continuously retain moisture. Its handy pump also dispenses just the right amount for use on two limbs.
KIEHL’S CRÈME DE CORPS BODY MOISTURIZER
The classic moisturising ingredients like softening cocoa butter and barrier-health-improving squalane are present in this best-selling creme, but how does it fare differently from other creams? It is richer, heavier and even more buttery than others — to be even more factual, it is 82% gluten and allergen free.

THE FANCINESS OF A BUTYRACEOUS CREAM: As moisturisers have thinned out in texture and in some cases, sold in (shudder to say) plastic pump dispensers, it is apparent that a butyraceous cream cuts through the crowd on shelves. If one is unfamiliar with what butyraceous means, the word “Tyra” (as in Ms Banks) used in the term should shed some light on its texture — full-bodied, fun and a shot of glamour in a bleak street of products with serif-fonts on their label (the Merriam-Webster definition is more clear-cut: butter-like). 

While the texture of these products has not changed in years (albeit no longer made with leftover grease unless one is a radical survivalist), it still provokes passion. Thousands of social media comments concerning an upgraded formulation, a tabletop testament to one’s design tastes and objectively, a solution to scorched skin — slippery and soothing till one’s last use. 

The F Words From the Fall Winter 2021 Grooming Trends
THE FLICK OF A WINGED COLOUR LINER: The English glam rockers and punks have fabricated this radical look over 40 years ago but to dial into the year 2021, the industry insiders (marketers in particular) have filed it as “Male Beauty” — an industry worth USD$55 billion. However, makeup artiste Larry Yeo thinks it is something “fun that gives a burst of subtle colour” — a flashy way to express oneself if he is feeling fancy. “Cerulean, forest green and royal purple are my favourites but most Asians have brown eyes so any shade is possible.”

The subtlety of this trend can be achieved if one feathers his lash line and smudges it. A more funky look would be the flick, using a cotton bud to swipe and clean for a hyper sharp line. “The SEPHORA COLLECTION Retract Waterproof Eyeliner and 12HR Contour Eye Pencil come in many shades — the former has 15 shades and the latter, 18 shades in three different finishes (matte, shimmer and glitter) — or the DIOR Diorshow 24H Stylo Waterproof Eyeliner in 176 Matte Purple is my favourite too,” shares Yeo. 

(On Kevin) Givenchy Leather and down-feather puffer vest

HERMÈS HERMESSENCE AGAR ÉBÈNE
A true grown-up gourmand — silky whisper-like note of smoky agar wood, green elegance of balsam fir and on its dry down, a velvet cloud — that has stellar sillage, its linearity also means one will constantly be pleased with it.
LA COLLECTION PRIVÉE CHRISTIAN DIOR VANILLA DIORAMA
Reminiscent of Monsieur Dior’s favourite cake and a collaboration with French Michelin Star chef Julien Dugourd, the flavour of Vanilla Diorama is pure vanilla with smooth cocoa and warm patchouli.
ACQUA DI PARMA VANIGLIA / escentials
The scent of fresh cookies out of the oven upon first spritz, Vaniglia (Italian for vanilla) like its moniker takes the saccharine sweetness of the flower pod and mixes it up with the masculine appeal of musk and zestiness of mandarin orange.
CHANEL LES EXCLUSIFS DE CHANEL JERSEY
Everything the Roaring Twenties stood for — the sweetness of bourbon-like vanilla, aromatic quality of lavender and sweetness of jasmine — has been finessed into this bottle. The modern touch? A hint of aldehydes upon dry down.
TOM FORD BITTER PEACH
The genius of Bitter Peach lies in the scent’s ability to take on different profiles despite the same person using it. At times, woody (vetiver) and sweet (cognac) or bitter and powdery (cashmeran), the constant is a sweet and luscious peach note.
SISLEY IZIA LA NUIT
The flanker of the 2017 original is still as sweet (it retains an earthy and dark rose note) but the addition of vanilla and green Spring-like notes of freesia and magnolia makes it appropriate for all-day wear — despite its moniker that is French for The Night. If one has the right body chemistry, expect to enjoy warm base notes of patchouli and ambroxan.
LOUIS VUITTON CONTRE MOI
One of the earlier comeback of a gourmand fragrance is Contre Moi (French for against me) that tempers the dense, sweet smell of vanilla with the masculinity of tobacco and amber. Interestingly, hidden white floral accords like sweet magnolia are present during hotter days when the humidity is dialed up — a scent all genders can enjoy.

THE FRIVOLITY OF GOURMAND PERFUMES:  Over a decade ago and with one heavy sentence, Dutch trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort urged beauty conglomerates to “stop making perfumes that smell like cake”. In the same conversation, she interestingly forecasted the act of “vanities” (the real-life translation would be taking selfies) alongside the comeback of facial hair and hair buns for men. Perhaps she was right about how there would be no more public interest in smelling like a confection. Thierry Mugler’s 1992 Angel, Rochas’s 1999 Man, and Chopard’s 1997 Wish were legendary for their time, unlike their modern counterparts.

What explains the sudden resurgence of a gourmand perfume, then? Firstly, it could be said that the biggest trend of the early noughts — hyper florals, aquatics and the boom of generic celebrity launches — was smelling stale. Secondly, and this could be an assumption, but perfumers seem to realise that a gourmand perfume need not necessarily smell like sweet vanilla or luscious honey. It could also offer the tobacco-like smokiness of tonka bean or the boozy green-like scent of cognac. In the case of some of these fragrances, sticking true to a pure gourmand-like scent is well worth their designer price tags for a new generation of fragrance aficionados. 

The F Words From the Fall Winter 2021 Grooming Trends
THE FASCINATING LOOK OF LED-LIT SKIN:  “Simply put, the trend is one where the skin is highlighted in such a way that it looks like it has LED panels beaming on it — a dimensional and fresh look,” says makeup artiste Larry Yeo. The fascinating thing about one of the most daunting 2021 grooming trends would be that it does not require great skill. “All you need is your daily skincare, sunscreen, concealer and a touch of colour correcting primer — lilac for fair skin, pink for light-medium skin, yellow for medium-honey skin and peach for rich-toned skin. It is about placing it on the higher planes of the face like the temple, cheekbone, T-zone, cupid bow and chin. People with uneven skin texture however have to apply a lesser amount of product as it highlights the unevenness.”

While the trend can most certainly be finessed with one’s fingers (“using the fingers gives the product more translucency and the application sheers it out”), one also needs to factor in the finish of his sunscreen before application. “Oilier and sweatier skin types should use something mattifying like the LAB SERIES Oil Control Daily Moisturizer and for the primers, I’d recommend the MakeUpForEver Step1 primer that comes in a variety of shades with a semi-matte finish or the ByTerry Brightening CC Serum, four different shades that are great for dry skin types which can look tired.”

(On Hakiim) Celine Leather biker jacket

ÉST.LAB LUMIWHITE 10% PHA RESURFACING GLOW SERUM
The particular PHA used in this product is gluconolactone, a high-performing and water-soluble one that penetrates more efficiently into the skin. It is combined with Kakadu plum, a fruit containing 100 times more Vitamin C than oranges.
PURPOSEFUL SKINCARE BY ALLIES GOALS MULTI ACIDS & PROBIOTICS PERFECTING NIGHT SERUM
Besides the use of PHAs, a 12% dose of glycolic acid and BHA is also added to rapidly exfoliate one’s skin overnight. It does not cause overt sensitisation (unless one is applying too frequently) due to the use of niacinamide that hydrates and retains moisture.
OLEHENRIKSEN DEWTOPIA 20% ACID NIGHT TREATMENT
The high percentage of this acid can be split equally — 10% AHAs that reduce the size of enlarged pores and acne, and 10% PHAs that provide mild peeling for discolouration; everything else added is non-sensitising with no synthetic fragrances or paragons used.
GLOW RECIPE WATERMELON GLOW PHA+BHA PORE-TIGHT TONER
Applied on a cotton pad, this liquid becomes a toner. Applied with one’s hands, it becomes a refreshing lotion. Regardless of one’s method of usage, expect hydrated skin and the instant tightening of pores with just one use.
SULWHASOO HERBAL CLAY PURIFYING MASK
The iconic soothing and brightening “Korean Traditional Herb Complex” from the Korean brand is still present in this wet, gel-cream mask hybrid (a benefit of this texture would be that it does not dry uncomfortably) but the addition of PHA means that one’s dead skin will be softly exfoliated off.
OHIOHOO RE’JUICE WASH OFF BLUE TANSY MASK / KSISTERS
Blue Tansy Oil — an extremely rare flower from Morocco — is used in this gel mask to soothe any potential irritation that the 12% of PHA used in this product might produce; scientific studies have also shown that obvious results are visible with just one use.

THE FINESSE OF NEW GENERATION PHA PRODUCTS: When the surge of PHA (short for polyhydroxy acids) skincare first happened in 2019, it was none other than the Koreans who pioneered this movement with products like the Dr. G Brightening Peeling Gel or the COSRX PHA Moisture Renewal Power Cream. While the naysayers scoffed at a trend born out of the Hallyu wave, others could understand the appeal of PHA. It was less sensitising than AHAs or BHas (it only promotes mild peeling on one’s skin surface and is compatible with rosacea or dermatitis-stricken skin) and rectified the viswual look of sun damage more efficiently than AHAs. It could even attract and retain moisture, a feat not possible with the use of other acids. However, the caveat was that it worked less slowly. 

These products here have taken the properties of PHA and made it even better. They now counter blue light, combat oxidation and work even faster. While most experts would claim that they do not cause sensitivity, it would not be a Men’s Folio story if the use of sunblock is not preached.

Photography Natsuko Teruya
Art Direction & Casting Izwan Abdullah
Styling Manfred Lu
Casting Production Petra Natasha
Grooming Larry Yeo using BY TERRY/escentials
Hair Christvian Wu/CINQ Studio using Revlon Professional
Models (In order of appearance) Arif, Spencer, Jonathan, Kevin, Hakiim

This story about the biggest grooming trends from Fall Winter 2021 first appeared in our September 2021 issue