The term "typical man" is rife with implications, and it's important to remember that the typical man is not the "stereotypical" man. He doesn't necessarily have a hard time asking for directions, going to the doctor, doing housework, or eating vegetables. Likewise, the typical man is not a slob: he wants to look good when he goes out, wants to impress the ladies, and wants to appear professional at work.
The "Axe" brand has tapped into this: its commercials for deodorants, body washes, and even bodywash scrubber poofs are getting the message across: a clean, good-smelling man is more attractive than a hairy, smelly, sweaty, "manly" man.
So who is the "typical" man? Age is an important factor: typical young men can be very different from typical older men. Young men, who pay more attention to popular culture and entertainment, are likely to be more outlandish in their choices, following experimental trends as they search for a stylistic identity. Older men, who in many cases are more conservative and traditional in their appearances, will make different choices.
The following list, then, covers both older and younger men. Because of this, not every listed cosmetic item applies to all of the typical men out there - although some of them do. On with the top eight!
Exfoliants and Cleansers
Part of looking clean, professional, and sexy is having as few pimples as possible. Many younger men use special soaps, usually liquid, to help minimize blackheads, pimples, and discoloration. Exfoliants have little bits of stuff, like peach pit crumbs, in them to help scrub away dead skin and unnecessary oil. Cleansers are geared more toward washing oil away, and are less abraisive. Exfoliating cleanser combinations are available too.
Most men don't really want to bother putting on makeup in the morning, especially since it can be tough to reconcile a concealer with a stubbly face. In such cases, it's best to attack blemishes at the source, in the shower, with cleansers and exfoliants geared either toward the whole body, or toward the face specifically.
Aftershave, Deodorant and Cologne
Aftershave is a method of avoiding razor burn and rashes after shaving, which can be a particularly taxing thing to put a face through day after day. Cologne is, basically, men's perfume, and usually has more "manly" scents: nothing that smells much like flowers or food.
Deodorant comes in sprays (the aforementioned Axe is especially popular) and sticks. The benefit of the spray is that it can be applied wherever needed on the body in a very short time, but isn't particularly strong. Sticks are stronger, but might not be great to apply in areas other than under the arms.
Tanning Supplies
Tans are in for both men and women - they give the luxuroius glow of someone who spends time outdoors for fun. Of course, not everyone has the time to actually get a natural tan. For this, some men use fake tanners, which are risky: many aren't sure how to do it, and come out of the bathroom with heads that look like oranges on a stick.
Men who want a good fake tan should either read the directions on a storebought bottle of spray very carefully, or go to a professional tanning salon to avoid negative backfire. In either case, tanning should be used sparingly - get a second or third opinion to avoid overtanning and ending up with unhealthy skin or an embarassingly unnatural look.
Eyeliner
Eyeliner is popular for men in the modern music scene, and for good reason: it looks good. Now, it's true that eyeliner looks very unnatural and costumey when applied too thick, but just a little bit along the rim of each eye, inside rather than outside the lashes, can really make the eyes pop in a way that's both attractive and far from girly. And hey, Egyptian men lined their eyes back in the day, and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who thinks they looked unattractively girly.
Men don't need to bother buying "special eyeliner for men" - that's just a gimmick. Get a hand-me-down stick from your mom, friend, sister or girlfriend, and give it a try. If you borrow, sharpen the pencil before and after using to avoid spreading anything that could start an eye infection. First-timers can always look up an eyeliner application tutorial online or ask for help - I myself have applied eyeliner along the lashes of many men, with attractive results.
Chapstick/Lipgloss
Lots of men wear chapstick - it's not just cosmetic, it's slightly medical, especially in the winter. Any man who wants to be kissed should pay attention to the state of his lips - are they dry, cracked, or peeling, even a little? If so, using chapstick will help, and won't be visually noticible: the noticible part will be the healthy look of the lips themselves.
Some men do find they want to amplify the effect, and will use a less subtle, more shiny gloss, just enough to catch the eye. Men wanting to gloss it up should avoid putting it on too thick, using much color, and should avoid sparkles like the plague. Of course, it's arguable that women should avoid sparkles in the same way, but you get the point.
Eyebrow pencils
Sometimes it seems every other person you meet has a scar through the eyebrow or some other visible unnevenness. Every face, male or female, looks better the more symmetrical it is, so filling in the eyebrows with a bit of pencil can really help a man look great - even modelesque.
Hair Removal
Oh, body hair. On some men, it's everywhere - underarms, chest, back, legs, bottom, etcetera. Present day trends of atractiveness lean toward only moderate hairiness, and a lot of men's bodies don't fit expectations.
Some break out the razor, others the wax, and sometimes, in extreme cases, lazer hair removal, which is permanent - it's especially good for hairy backs and bottoms. Smooth skin is in, and for large areas like the back or the natural chest rug, waxing is often the best option. Wax and razors are marketed based on gender - and since men usually have coarser hair, it's better for men to grab men's brands.
Men also tweeze: it's highly recommended to tweeze the eyebrows a little, keeping their natural thickness while removing stray hairs, unibrow middles, and extra-long hairs.
Concealer
This is a really makeuppy option, not used by a whole lot of men, but once in a while, it's just necessary to grab a concealer stick and cover up the black eye from last night's fist fight at the bar, a razor cut, or an unsightly pimple. Men usually avoid using cover-up on the whole face, but spot treating with a stick is common, especially in emergencies.
Honorable mention
While typical men aren't likely to take advantage, almost every makeup option available to women i now marketed to men, too. Eyebrow gels, blushes, powders, foundation, lipstick, bronzers, and more are marketed to men, but realistically, very few men use all that stuff.
For men, the concern is more on cleanliness and neatness than decoration - a natural look is more important than much color or flare. Men who are looking into cosmetics should remember that, unless going for a punk rocker or Bowie look, it's best to be subtle, smooth and clean, with only slight visual accents.