HOUSE 99 BY DAVID BECKHAM

Men of the world, David Beckham has one message for you: Moisturize. “It’s the biggest thing,” he says. In London where he is launching a grooming brand, House 99, in partnership with L’Oréal SA. Beckham will pitch face creams, beard oil, and pomades designed to help buyers nail his slick backs and pompadours. While men in the past might have balked at using, say, a $26 eye-brightening balm, “now it’s so accepted,” he says. “The majority of guys I know do look after themselves.”

“If there’s a guy who can convince men to use more cosmetics, it’s Beckham. “He’s multifaceted.” - says Gachoucha Kretz, a marketing professor at the HEC business school in Paris.

Men’s grooming isn’t new - but the category is gaining in importance. Euromonitor predicts global sales of men’s toiletries, shaving products, and fragrances will top $50 billion this year as big companies expand their offerings and newcomers jump in. With upstart skin-care brands such as Aesop and Scrubd attracting more men, L’Oréal has introduced tattoo cream and beard cleaner under its Men Expert label.

For House 99, L’Oréal plans to follow the playbook of its women’s cosmetics units, which build communities of YouTube and Instagram influencers who film tutorials and swap tips and tricks. With the soccer star said to weigh in on everything from product formulas to package design, House 99 could offer the authenticity and credibility younger consumers crave.

“I’m not always going to be able to be the face of things, so we want to create businesses where I don’t have to be,” he says. “Owning a business feels a lot better than just being the face.” And even behind the scenes, it’s good to keep that face well-moisturized."