Houston Community News >> China's Metrosexuals Snap Up Cosmetics

12/5/2006 BEIJING - Urban Chinese men spend 8.6 minutes a day gazing at themselves in the mirror and shell out 80 yuan ($A12.50) a month on beauty products, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday, citing a survey.

Men in Beijing and the financial centre of Shanghai were neck-and-neck on whose residents were most vain.

Those in the capital spent the most money on cosmetics - an average of 119 yuan a month - but those in Shanghai looked in the mirror the longest - about 17 minutes a day.

The survey of men aged 18 to 60 in seven major Chinese cities was conducted jointly by Horizon Research Consultancy Group and a Shanghai fashion and media company, Xinhua said.

Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly image conscious as they grow wealthier, with plastic surgery and sales of beauty products booming.

(Contributed by Reuters)