Getting the “average” male to use one beauty product — let alone four — is no easy feat. Until I introduced him to Living Proof Shampoo and Conditioner, my boyfriend relied on soap to clean his hair! He claims it’s the best for “preserving natural oils”….Needless to say I have a slew of men’s products lining my bathroom that have gone virtually untouched. However, when I was introduced to Organic Male OM4 and their tagline “4 Products – 4 Steps – 4 Minutes – 4 Men”, I was intrigued.

“Maybe, if you give a man a clearly outlined system, he’ll be more prone to using it”, I thought.

Cleansing and treated skin is so vital and it pains me to see when people suffer from breakouts, clogged pores, blackheads, and the likes, because they are often times avoidable. What I like about Organic Male OM4 is that they’re male-focused, which very few brands are. Most beauty lines are created with female skin in mind and while there are some products both genders can share, skincare products typically aren’t one of them. Men need gender-specific skin products because their skin is oilier, thicker, and warmer (more blood vessels), and shaving heightens some of these differences by regularly removing surface oils, causing micro-inflammation and dehydration. Men’s skin ages differently than women’s, too, and it can be more vulnerable to external aggressors.

OM4 is a type-specific range (think a four-step system for oily skin, one for sensitive skin, one for normal/combination skin, etc.), and all products are free of harmful chemicals like parabens and sodium lauryl sulfate. They’ve also got an Encore Collection which includes supplemental products designed to provide targeted solutions for common shaving-related conditions and male skin concerns.

I received a sample of the four-step OM4 Oily Collection and asked my brother, who has oily skin, to try it out. It’s designed for those with blemished, problem-prone, and other sebum related skin issues, which are common concerns for men of all ages, particularly those who lead stressful lives (nothing like stress to cause an awful breakout!). It took a while for my brother to get geared up and carve out the time to use the four-step system but, after trying it out, he told me he loved it. He said it felt great on the skin and the second step in the line,  the Purifying ph Balancer, had an invigorating scent. He did note, however; it would be more effective to only use the Vitamin A Regulating Serum or the Weightless Equalizing Moisture Complex because using both caused the product to feel like it was sitting on his skin rather than absorbing into it. I’m guessing my brother applied too much of both and, given that there is only so much product the skin can absorb, he encountered this problem.

The collection is formulated with eucalyptus, lavender and willow, among other carefully chosen ingredients, to thoroughly cleanse, regulate oil production, nourish, and lightly moisturize skin. Check it out here and pass it along to the men in your life!

Image: Organic Male OM4

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He canÂ’’t, for the life of him, understand why I would endure the time and pain of plucking my eyebrows. This matter was recently settled, when I had to do some creative manscaping on my husband’Â’s mangled brow (i.e. “the mistake factor“), in a futile attempt to make him look human again.

The bottom line? ItÂ’s better to pluck than to shave. It’Â’s your duty as a wife to show him the error of his ways, before it’s too late.

The Mistake Factor

WeÂ’’ve all seen those unfortunate folks who look like their eyebrows went through a shredder, have one side longer than the other or have no choice but to shear the entire thing off after a shaving experiment gone bad. Let’s face it, taking an electric or bladed razor to your brow is just asking for trouble. One false move (or an unexpected cough) and you look like something from a horror flick. Plucking may take longer and be more uncomfortable, but by removing a single hair at a time, you are eliminating the risk of a major disaster.

Shaping

My husbandÂ’’s eyebrow hair grows like a weed and is about as unruly. If he lets it go for any length of time, it begins to look like a forehead afro. The idea of plucking one hair at a time to create an attractive eyebrow shape is preposterous when he can just “trim” the hairs with a swipe of his electric shaver. Little does he know, this actually nurtures the bizarre landscaping of his mega-brow. When a hair is plucked, youÂ’re pulling it out from the root and it grows back in roughly the same direction. When a hair is cut through shaving, you leave a portion of the hair and it may no longer grow with the grain. Instead of growing into a well groomed brow, you have a renegade hair sticking straight out with several of his rebellious cousins nearby.

Five OÂ’’Clock Shadow

Beard stubble on a man can be sexy. It‘’s rugged and manly. When that stubble is on an eyebrow, it just looks weird. Electric shavers donÂ’t get as close as necessary and you can get little black spots where the hair used to be (a.k.a. eyebrow stubble). On a good day, it looks strange and every other day it looks like a bevy of blackheads riding on your eyebrow. If he tries to cuddle or nuzzle you, the stubble acts like Velcro and a smooth act can quickly turn into a game of snag-the-sweater. The other downside is as this hair grows back, it looks like he had eyebrow hair plugs NOT sexy.

Next time your husband or significant other goes for the razor or electric shaver to take care of his eyebrows, grab it and offer to pluck it for him. He will protest, but itÂ’’s always up to us women to show men the error of their ways.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/russelljsmith/3750019

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We always think immediately of ourselves or our mothers whenever we talk about beauty, luxury, and beautifying gifts. In the spirit of the holiday, let’s talk for a second about giving health and beauty themed gifts appropriate for your father!

First, identify a much-needed beauty, fitness, or health boost in your father’s life, and don’t go for the obvious. If your dad could do well losing a few pounds, don’t buy him a “Weight Loss for Dummies” hand book: get him a smoothie maker and a healthy grilling cookbook. If your dad has more than a salt-and-pepper hair color, don’t buy him a bottle of temporary dye: book him a deep-tissue massage appointment and a nice hair cut and color at a decent salon. Presents are about making your dad feel good about himself, and showing how much you care. Really give it some thought!

Top Five Beautifying Presents for Dad:

1. For the Scruffy Father: Super slick new electric men’s razor with nice aftershave. Mom will be grateful to not deal with the itchy stubble!

2. For the Unibrow Father: Six-pack of imported Hefeweizen craft brew from Europe and an appointment at his favorite barber for a special shave. Tip the barber an extra $20 to take care of the unibrow.

3. For the Pouchy Father: Smoothie maker and cookbook for healthy grilling recipes.

4. For the Greying Father: Deep-tissue back massage at local practitioner, and appointment for cut, style, and dye at his standard salon.

5. For the Cosmopolitan Father: Special cleaning of his Class Ring from his MBA program and a French hand lotion set.

Best of luck, and enjoy the day!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/marcinmoga/4240686102

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I was browsing through the Smarter Fashion Blog archives when I noticed an interesting article about Mantyhose: pantyhose for men. As a girl who believes that tights are the perfect accessory (that make every woman’s shape beautiful), I struggle to think about the following question:

Can men pull them off too?

The Story:

At first, I thought that Mantyhose had to be a joke. I have nothing against “out of the box” styles and preferences, but from a sociological and literary perspective, the word “Mantyhose” just cracks me up. Then, I went to e-mancipate (home of the Mantyhose creators) and realized that this trend is actually for real.

In January 2009, MSNBC actually published an article on Mantyhose and the growing men’s stockings trend. Apparently, the trend has raised more than a few eyebrows. Some people laugh at the trend, and others find the term “Mantyhose” offensive, stating that the term reinforces archaic and sexist classifications of beauty. The feminist debates open a can of worms that I’m not sure that I want to touch in a public forum. Regardless of what the term Mantyhose means for women, the concept really sheds insight into how different parts of the western world perceive men’s beauty.

According to MSNBC, the look is more popular in the UK than in the United States:

“European men have been sporting hose for several years, but the trend has been slow to catch on in the U.S. (It is important to note that the trend has no connection to men who wear hose to cross-dress, since they prefer to wear pairs that are more feminine).”

The Rationale:

Apparently, the look has a very practical purpose of enhancing male physique by creating an image of physical fitness. Hmm… finally, a society where women aren’t the only ones expected to sacrifice comfort to look fit and trim by sucking it in.

I haven’t been to the UK in over a decade, and I’ve never seen a man in Mantyhose, so I can’t say whether the reviews are accurate or valid. Regardless, I post the following question: do mantyhose challenge us to think beyond gender binaries, or is this trend insulting? Let me know what you think. After all, beauty – male and female – is subjective.

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Another product that I tried out was the Axe Hair Wax.  It is like hair gel only a lot better because it doesn’t make your hair all hard and crusty.  Instead it keeps your hair firmly in place, but with a softer look and feel.  You also don’t have to put on a ton like gel, only about a finger tip full is all you need.  This product is perfect for me and I recommend every guy should at least try it out.  I think they will like it better than the gel they are currently using.   Overall I definitely would use all of these products again and will probably keep using them from now on.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for axe hair products.

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Tell you the truth, I actually somewhat enjoy the AXE body spray commercials. You know the ones, geeky guy spritzes this stuff on and Eureka! gorgeous women start going nuts. They amuse me, absurd as they are.

They should make one for women, I imagine it would smell something like sporting events and beer. Ha! 

Well my little brother’s birthday is coming up and lord knows the dweeb could use all the help he can get with the “ladies”. I love the rascal but he smells like a mix of diaper rash, fear and sweat. Not the sexiest combo, that’s for sure.

I was thinking of getting him a care package, chalk full of this AXE stuff. But first – does anyone know if it actually smells good? 

Please let the rest of us know before I spend my hard earned dough. – Muchas gracias!

To shop for AXE body sprays, click here.

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I am big on scent, especially on men. It’s one of my “things” so I tend not to be a fan of “trendy” scents. The way I figure if you are lucky enough to find a scent that does not assault your senses and you like it, you should stick with it.

If you won the nose lottery would you throw away the ticket and not collect your money? Of course not!

Which is why one of my favorite scents for men is – Acqua di Gio Cologne! 

A resolutely masculine fragrance born from the sea, the sun, the earth, and the breeze of a Mediterranean island. Transparent, aromatic, and woody in nature Aqua Di Gio Pour Homme is a contemporary expression of masculinity, in an aura of marine notes, fruits, herbs, and woods.

In non-marketing terms I think it smells fresh, clean and HOT! If any of you ladies  have smelled this on men yet, it smells beyond nice. Yummy.

If you are interested in bargain shopping for Acqua di Gio Cologne, click here!

What is your favorite Men’s Fragrance? 

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Why am I even surprised? It makes sense actually that sooner or later a naughty marketing brain thirsty to tap into a pool of neglected consumers would create a beauty line specifically for the MALE PELVIS.

Man Junk is specifically designed to fight men’s bacteria build-up, unpleasant odor and even skin irritation. You may be asking yourself, what makes this body wash different than just hosing your man’s love stick off with other suds?

Here’s their pitch:

• designed by men for men
• natural and organic ingredients
• fights sweat, odor and odor-causing bacteria
• improves overall hygiene and body health
• increases confidence and sex appeal

Hmmm, almost sounds too good to be true? Pray tell how does it boost “sex appeal”? Well I suppose knowing that your dingle berries don’t smell like sewage would make a man stand a little straighter but that’s a bold statement to make.

As a woman I felt the need to promote any and all beauty products geared toward making a man’s nether regions more fragrant and lovely. Your girlfriend’s and wives will thank me, I am sure.

If you want to check out the full line of men’s beauty products offered by Man Junk, click here. 

Shop for more conventional Men’s Beauty Products at Low Prices, click here. 

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HITS

Ummm, HELLO! Can someone please come over to my desk and help me pick my jaw up off the floor! I don’t know how I will ever get this pool of drool out of my keyboard, sigh. Gotta say that Colin Farrell looks absolutely delicious here. In all honesty he was never really that high on my C.W.L. list (Celebrities-Wish-List) his ratio of scruffy to hot always leaned toward scruffy to me. But I can admit when I am wrong, he just moved up to Number 3!

I have a sick confession to make, I actually thought that Edward Norton was SUPER HOT in the movie “American History X” minus all the Nazi idealism and murder. Nonetheless I think he is able to pull off a goatee? You agree?

Awww, I dub this one “ANGEL” goatee, what a loss! I prefer Heath Ledger clean shaven; looks like the goatee could use more growth and grooming. Still such a cutie though.

I don’t care what you say Johnny Depp can do NO WRONG to me, period! Yesterday, today and tomorrow – still HOT!

Not really sure if this qualifies as a goatee or peach fuzz? Just wanted to throw another hot boy on the barbie! Orlando Bloom is grrr-eat!

Sure, sure, he is growing older. But I happen to think the salt and pepper peeking through in Brad Pitt’s facial hair lends an old school charm and debonair quality. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

MISSES

Michael Moore sporting a “Political Goatee”… he reminds me of my chemistry teacher in high school. The creepy one, not the cute cherubic one…

I like Spock, but come on, that’s a whole lotta LOOK! The pointy ears, the beef bowl bangs, I think the goatee is overkill …

No clue who this guy is but I want to take a hacksaw to his face! I don’t know if its the stupid smirk on his face, or those poorly dyed chin p^bes! Barf!

Lastly, its always a razor fine line to thread if your bald and sport a goatee. Too often the look reads: I WANT TO KILL YOU. (Sorry don’t shank me, I am just being real…)

Granted reading up I realize that celebrities tend to be able to pull off the look with more ease being gorgeous and what not, but still … regular folks should follow their lead. There is a way to rock it and a way to avoid it.

If your interested in buying your man a set of Hair Clippers or Trimmers, click here.

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And in true male fashion his review was concise and straight to the point!

1. Nivea for Men Shaving Cream

Perks - Liked the nice, thick lather, attractive packaging, good smooth shave, even better than my higher end Nutrogena shaving cream.

Vices -  Didn’t like that the can is so full of compressed air that there is always a little ‘left-overs’ coming out of the spout which eventually dries up and has to be cleaned off before the next use (this goes for all shaving cream that comes in this type of packaging basically). Would change the dispense method. It’s effective, but the ‘left-overs’ are annoying as hell.

Overall – Would definitely recommend it to friends and would definitely buy it over the competitor Nutrogena product!

Price – $3.43

If your interested in purchasing the Nivea for Men, Extreme Comfort Shaving Cream, click here or the image.

2. Nivea for Men, Extreme Comfort Shaving Balm 

Perks - Like the packing better than their old bottle, a flip top is easier than unscrewing the cap like the old one. Scent is okay, I actually prefer the scent of the old one.

Vices -  Didn’t like the consistency of the balm (compared to the old). It’s green, which is a little off-putting at first, doesn’t go on and absorb as easily as their old after shave balm. Stick to the white, non-greasy, easily applied, better smelling balm, nothing was wrong with the old in my mind (except for the new packaging, it’s better).

Overall - IÂ’d change back to the old balm, but use the new bottle. If not, maybe just the old scent and the less thick consistency, this felt more like a thick skin cream rather than a light after shave balm.

Price $6.79

If you prefer a thicker, creamier after shave experience and want to give Nivea for Men, Extreme Comfort Shave Balm a try, click here.  

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