Manity Case

Men spend longer getting ready to go out than women, it was revealed today.

The shock study commissioned by Superdrug shows men dedicate 83 minutes of every day to their personal grooming - which includes cleansing, toning and moisturising, shaving, styling hair and choosing clothes.

In contrast, women have their beauty regime down to a fine art, and manage to get hair, clothes and make up done in 79 minutes.

And men are also starting to see the benefits of spending their cash on grooming products such as lip balm, hand creams and whitening toothpastes.

The average gent spends just 19 pence LESS on grooming products than women, splashing out £25.22 a month, or £302.64 over the course of a year. And the most popular beauty products to make it into a man's bathroom include hair wax, moisturiser and shavers.

The research has been commissioned to highlight Superdrug's new entry into the highly profitable men's 'preening' market. Preening, seems as one step on from basic grooming includes body sprays, eye creams, and scented shower gels.The preening market which includes brands such as Lynx and L'Oreal Men Expert is worth millions each year. Superdrug's new range of scented body sprays, shower gels and deodorants sell at just 99p each.

Simon Comins, Superdrug's Director of Toiletries, which conducted the poll of 3,000 people, said: "Once upon a time it was cool for men to appear rough and ready, looking like they hadn't spent more than a couple of minutes getting ready in a morning.

"But these days, everyone appreciates a man who takes care of his appearance, smells nice and looks like he has made an effort.

"In the past rugged celebrities such as Liam Gallagher, Brad Pitt and Russell Crowe were the favourites because they couldn't be bothered to shave, regularly headed towards the bathroom and threw on any old outfit.

"But now, the likes of David Beckham, Zac Efron, and Christiano Ronaldo are well known and well loved for being unafraid to experiment with products and always look like they've spent hours getting ready to go out. While David, zac and Chris have the millions to throw at their grooming routine our new range offers the average man the chance to become a preener for less than a pound."

The study reveals on an average morning men spend 23 minutes in the shower, compared to 22 minutes for women.

Men take 18 minutes on their shaving regime, compared to 14 minutes for women despite them having to attack legs, armpits and bikini line.

Interestingly, men take longer - 10 minutes - on cleansing, toning and moisturising.

And choosing an outfit is also a timely operation for blokes who want to look their best - taking 13 minutes compared to 10 minutes for women.

In addition, hair and make up takes a further 17 minutes, compared to a woman's 22 minutes, and men spend another couple of minutes checking and touching up their appearance during the day.

The poll also shows a third of all men regularly consult reviews and magazines to see what grooming products they should be using, and 29 per cent always make sure they buy designer brands.

The average bloke shops for clothes and beauty products at least once a month, and 66 per cent admit they like to take care of themselves as much as possible.

Two thirds of men are proud of the fact they take care of their appearance, and 34 per cent say they don't see whythey shouldn't take as long as women getting ready

Simon Commins of Superdrug continued:"Perhaps the reason men spend longer getting ready than women is not vanity but because they're still beginners in the fine art of being groomed."