There is no denying that men’s grooming has become the norm in today’s world.
If the man in your life denies using or wanting to use grooming products, I think he is kidding himself, especially ladies when you go to use your products in the shower and they are suddenly less full than you remember, sound familiar?
Why shouldn’t guys be able to put their best face forward, just like the ladies? They too have concerns, or ageing fears, but they just don’t tend to voice them like women can and a lot of guys ask me in private about what they should be using to keep them looking up to date and fresh!
Just last night, my Über Driver asked what I did for a living… Once he knew, he straight away asked if he could ask me a ‘work’ question and it was about his shaving rash, which of course I explained in detail what he should do…
In my experience, most guys would love great advice in terms of grooming, but they are not confident enough to walk up to a cosmetic counter or even ask their ‘lady’ friends, so its online or supermarket shopping, but are they getting the right advice?
Here are my men’s grooming guide and some fab Fathers Day gift ideas to go with it.
When talking to guys about men’s grooming, I always start with subjects they know and understand. So, no talking to a bloke about a serum, say what? The words cleanse, scrub and shave come to mind when thinking of men and grooming, most will understand these words and will not run away when they are discussed.
With that in mind, first up is…
Shaving
There is a huge trend in facial hair, BUT that doesn’t mean bushy beards, unless your dad is a hipster, but a clean lined, trimmed facial growth can be quite the look of the moment.
Guys with facial growth need to make sure the look is still presentable for all occasions, from casual day to a formal affair at night.
Using a beard trimmer can make sure the hair growth does not get too wild and keeps the look groomed, but still allowing growth for the on tend masculine look.
It can be a great face shaper too, especially if there is unwanted roundness around the jaw as the hair growth acts as shading around the area to recede the size of the jaw.
MB PRO TIP: Always have a gap between upper chest hair (if any) to neck… If it all joins it can appear ‘un-groomed’ and too casual for the office or a formal function.
Men who wear collars, should at least have a gap between facial growth and the collar, but my trick is – When looking forward into the mirror, anything visible under the jaw should go, then leave everything you cannot see like under chin etc, this shapes the face very well. If it is more a clean shave your guy loves, then it is important to have a good quality razor, a shaving product that suits his skin type and use of both warm and cold water.
Shaving cream is better for a dry or sensitive skin as it is soft and nourishing. Foams and gels are better for an oily or normal skin.
Step 1: Pores need to be open – use quite warm water, either in the shower, or straight after, so the pores are open before you apply your shaving product. This will release hair follicle so you get a closer shave.
Step 2: Apply shaving product thoroughly over the shaving area. Circular movements allow the product to coat and lift hairs from the skin.
Step 3: Using your razor in vertical strokes, shave the face – if you are sensitive or prone to ingrown hairs etc, go with the grain, not against. The more strokes you apply to one area, the more likely you will get redness… A slow more concentrated stroke will get a better shave, allowing for less strokes on the same area.
MB PRO TIP: Redness mainly comes from over use of the razor sweeping over bare skin. If you’re re-applying the razor over and over, with no shaving product to protect the skin, sensitivity occurs, re-apply shaving product if you need to go over the same area to avoid this redness.
Step 4: Rinse skin and shaving product with warm water…
Step 5: A very important final step is to then rinse the skin immediately with very cold water; this cools the skin, reduces redness and closes the pores.
Rescu. Recommends: The VS Sassoon Lithium-Pro Face and Body Trimmer is a professional grade cord/cordless trimmer with lithium-ion technology. With five interchangeable head attachments for all over trimming and grooming for profesh results and a customised shave.
RRP $ 89.95 available from the Shaver Shop, Myer, David Jones, Harvey Norman, Betta, Bing Lee, The Good Guys
Skincare
As mentioned earlier, guys have a no fuss way of thinking, so the quicker and easier skincare can seem, the more they will jump on board. 2 in 1 products to me (s skincare junkie) are not as good as separate product, but if it means your guy will use something at least, then do it.
Men, just like women have different skin types, but most are worried about fatigue and general ageing, rather than the nitty gritty concerns that women can have.
If your guy is a first time user of skincare, start with shaving products first as they can relate to that, from there, work backwards so they are not scared off.
A cleanser, one that can be used in the shower works best, it seems easy and no matter who you are, we all need to clean our face.
A foaming cleanser would be the best for a guy so they feel it is actually doing something as it foams up. A scrub is a favourite with guys, it feels masculine with it’s granules to polish the skin once a week just like when they polish there car after every few washes! Talk in their language!
Once a week, in the shower for a time saver, will be enough to remove dead skin cells and brighten their skin. It does feel so good, so most men want to use it more, but it can dry out your skin if used too often.
Hydrate – this is what all skin needs, hydration. As long as they are using a lightweight moisturizer, it will instantly soften the skin if looking dull, fatigued, or dry/dehydrated. It doesn’t have to be a rich cream – most guys do not like rich feeling products – so a lightweight lotion or gel is a perfect for a daily infuse of water to the skin. A few seconds of application daily cab make the world of difference to the freshness of a guys skin. SPF is great if you can add this to a guy’s routine, a guy does love the outdoors and so much of ageing is achieved by sun damage.
Rescu. Recommends: Clinique for Men Essentials Kit 2. Designed for oil-control this male must-have contains face scrub, face wash, moisturising lotion and anti-ageing eye cream.
RRP: $50 available from Myer, David Jones.
The L’Oreal Paris Men Expert Pure Power collection features the Pure Power Scrub for pesky blackheads. Effective exfoliation with 3 types of different sized beads, yet gentle enough to use every day without irritating or over-drying.
RRP: $12.99 available from pharmacies, department stores and variety stores.
Lifestyle
A guy not only needs to look good, but also feel good and often that feeling can be with a fragrance. I often get asked by all different types of people – women, men, cab drivers, my coffee shop, someone next to you on a plane – about my fragrance! Fragrance can give you personality. It can also match your mood, season or occasion you are dressing for.
When choosing a fragrance, it is important to not just choose a scent that you love as it is not you wearing the fragrance. Think of their personality – sporty – fun – flirty – sensual. Each scent has a feeling or an emotion. I have some for day, some night and some for that Saturday night out. Go water/green fragrances foe a fun, fresh guy or a woody/oriental scent for a sensual guy to create a warm mood.
Lastly, a guy needs to relax, just like women… Yes, they might grab the paper and a beer, but the environment they are in can make all the difference. Like a fragrance they wear, it can either calm or uplift their mood, so can a candle.
In the past candles have been known as a girly gift. But so many men skincare or fragrance brands have a men’s candle to match, with masculine scents and giving a strong aroma that can really change ones mood. If the packaging is right and nothing too floral, sometimes a candle next to his bed for night reading, or on his desk during stressful workloads can be the ultimate calming, or relaxation scent he needs to get through the day! Plus, candles these days are a style accessory for any office or bedroom – get on board!
Rescu. Recommends:
For the dad who loves his coastal getaways Costa Azzurra by Tom Ford is a woody aromatic fragrance with top notes of seaweed, driftwood, oud and cardamom, middle notes of lavender, lemon, yellow mandarin and rounded out with incense, vanilla, vetiver and oak.
RRP: $295 available from David Jones
For the dad who loves a little everyday prestige, the Mercedez-Benz Club fragrance is a woody aromatic scent fusing energising citrus notes with a sensual woody sillage.
RRP: $49.00 from Chemist Warehouse, My Chemist and My Beauty Spot
The Urban Rituelle His Natural Soy Candle. This rugged, masculine and mysterious this candle features fresh notes of citrus and juniperberry, together with spicy nutmeg and rosewood oil strike a smooth balance for the modern man.
RRP: $39.95 available from urbanrituelle.com.au
Keeping it simple, yet stylish is my top tip for this Fathers Day, you never know his secret love for grooming until you give a little nudge in the right direction.
Happy Fathers Day Dads!