My Love of the Barbershop
As a man, I find a certain magic to the barbershop experience. There is something very satisfying about it, and I always look forward to going to get my hair cut.
The Skincare Regimen
Since I started shaving live on Twitter in the morning, many have asked about my whole regimen. It’s pretty simple.
Don’t Forget the Sunscreen
For me, a skincare product must have four characteristics. It should be:
- effective,
- not tested on animals,
- fragrance-free (or at least undetectable), and
- attractive on my bathroom shelf.
For a good face moisturizer worn in daylight, I’d add a fifth essential quality: it must have a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
Having a Shave in My First YouTube Live Video
Like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club, I had nothing better to do.
The Wonderful Shave Cream from Cremo
I’ve tried just about everything under the sun over the decades. Cremo just might be my favorite.
Sean Penn’s Face
I recently caught the first two episodes of The First, the new Hulu series starring Sean Penn as a respected astronaut who’s under pressure to lead another mission to Mars after a previous attempt ended in tragedy. The show, in my humble opinion, is actually pretty good. Unlike a two-hour movie, a television series offers the chance to go slowly and take more time with story, characters, relationships and nuance. The First, which was created by House of Cards (U.S.) creator and show runner Beau Willimon, looks like it’s in no rush. I am, thus far, engaged.
As I started to watch the show, Sean Penn immediately grabbed me. Not just because of his performance, which is good. He’s always been an actor who delivers, even in sub-par projects. What initially struck me most was his face.
The Horrible Fragrance of Men’s Grooming Products
The marketing directive for the fragrance of most men’s grooming products would seem to go like this:
“Team: The men in our target market have absolutely no discernment or taste, and we need to pander to that. When it comes to scenting our product line, we need something obnoxious, something that makes eyes water and nostrils burn – the perfect olfactive complement to a Jersey Shore or modern ‘bro’ look. If our customer tries to wear a more refined scent of his own, our products should totally overpower it and really dominate any room he enters. Anyone who shares an elevator ride with our customer should smell like us for the rest of the day. (A fun fact about the line: our deodorants and hair gels also work as insect repellent, but we can’t legally market them for that. That said, something that actually smells like Bug-Off or even a super sweetened sundae topping is not off the table.) Our sampling meeting is in four weeks. We’re looking for options that really melt our faces off. Dazzle us!”
If you’ve ever smelled any Axe product, you might conclude that the satirical memo above is not too far fetched. In terms of how they smell, most grooming products give men a raw deal. The scent is way too heavy and, to make it worse, simply horrible to begin with.
The Post-Shave Soothe
A few readers and social media followers have asked about my post-shave ointments. After trying so many things over the years, I’ve settled into a very simple and effective ritual: moisturize.
You Need to Have Good Teeth
We have to take care of our teeth. Our enamel grill is both an essential part of digestion and also a vital component to how we present to others socially, romantically and professionally. It’s like our shoes: On both conscious and subconscious levels, people notice.