Blessed as I am with innumerable male cousins [did I say Blessed? the word is Pestered!], I'd found very early in my teens that any talk of makeup or beauty or shopping would just make my brother & cousins go -
"Yuck, Gal talk!booo" This insensitive but standard Macho attitude has been the norm for such a long time, that I was thrown off balance, when a few years back my 1st cousin asked me what he should do to look good for his marriage. I didn't know he cared as much for his face as he did for his 6-packs!
Since then, I have been like Agony Aunt for my male cousins when it comes to all things skin care & beauty. These are some tips and tricks that I have collected over the years; feel free to share them with the men in your life & let me know what they think of it.
Shopping - Avoiding embarrassment & wrong products
Some men find shopping hard cos of all the teasing and the possibility of losing their macho status. Some men are clueless when they go for shopping - skincare is a scary world for them. My suggestions are:
- Best & Easiest: Get your wife, girlfriend, sister, friend -whomever you trust- to buy what you need. If you don't know what you need, get suggestions from them. Girls have this magic power of being able to talk to Sales girls and read labels...
- Online research: Check out Men's website like askmen, esquire, GQ etc for suggestions. One of my cousins had this problem when he didn't know where to start and what to trust. Well, you gotta search dear.
- Online shopping: Many websites have Men's special area now. Sometimes, Beauty section is listed under Women but they have Men's products listed.
- Men's Saloons: Ask at your fav saloon. They might carry some products or they might be able to help you to find what you need.
How to find what I need or what should I get for him?
Its sometimes difficult for us ladies, who are so immersed in the world of skincare & beauty to understand how complicated it all looks to most guys. My brother once asked me - what the heck is the difference? I was trying to explain what cleanser, soap, exfoliant, toner and astringent are. And he just got more and more confused.
So here are some basic stuff that every guy can use and some tips on finding it:
Cleansers:
Guys need as much pampering of their skin as girls do. But the differentiating factor is presence of chemicals that can cause facial hair loss or bleaching. As a general principle, it is good to avoid any harsh or whitening cleansers. Go for products with labels like "Gentle" or "Soap Free". If you read in the directions that the product does not have to be washed off with water, that is yet another good indicator that it is a gentle enough cleanser.
If you still find it hard to buy a good cleanser, head to the babies section and get a pack of baby wipes.
Exfoliants or Scrubs:
This is something most guys need - a good exfoliant to remove all the dead cells and make skin look good again. Key to finding a good scrub is to look for good natural exfoliants like Apricot or Walnut.
St.Ives is a brand that has some good scrubs.
Sunscreens:
All guys - well all humans - need this. Go for a higher SPF factor - i.e. SPF 30 or above. For most guys,this is the only cream that they need.
Apply this after your cleansing and exfoliation.
Acne Treatment:
If you have a teenage cousin or brother, you can be sure that they are going to need this. Since most guys prefer a one-step acne fix, my suggestion would be get them a good acne face pack or acne cream. Another option is to get them Tea Tree oil which they can apply directly on their face. The Body Shop has one which I've tried and liked.
Under Eye Darkness:
Many guys have this problem - while we know that a good eye care regime will help it, I found that it is no use to expect guys to apply more than 2-3 products at a time. Since most of the above products are applied at day time, go for an eye cream that can be applied at night. If you can get a good face cream, gentle enough to be applied under-eyes, that can also help.
I find it best to use a gel formula for night-eye-care as its fast absorbing. If you cant find anything, here is a quick fix you can do.
Cut a piece of a raw potato and rub it gently under your eyes at night.
Lip Care:
A good lip balm is essential for everyone. However, make sure you're getting an un-tinted one. Many lip balms nowadays are tinted. So if you are checking a lip balm, check if they mention any 'color' or 'shade'. If no clue, Also, I found that guys prefer to use lip balms in a jar as I guess, a lip balm tube reminds them of lipstick :)
Makeup:
If you said "What???? No way", I would say you're behind the times. Guys, like us, need makeup - just not the same stuff. So here are some stuff, you can get or suggest:
- Foundation: Most guys prefer the powder format, since it is easier to apply. If you're a newbie, then buy a low or medium coverage powder foundation. Go for a matte effect foundation for a cleaner finish. Lucky for you, most drugstore powder foundations are low-medium coverage, so pick any that you like. Rimmel has a Stay Matte powder foundation that is a fan favorite.
- Bronzers: Okay, this is probably more useful for really pale guys in Summer. Make sure you get a matte non-shimmer bronzer like NYC bronzer in Sunny
- Concealers: This is probably the most important item a guy would need in his makeup stash. My suggestion is to get an exact skin color match and not go for the highlighting concealers. Revlon's PhotoReady concealer is a good creamy medium coverage concealer that can cover those tired under eyes, any pimples and may be that shaving scratch.
As for other makeup products, I have not yet seen any guys needing or using blushes, lipsticks or eyeliners. I am not judging you, so if you need one, go for it :)
Some Tips on Grooming [ Espl for guys who don't care for the above stuff]
Here are some simple tips for guys on looking well groomed:
1. Clean Hair, Clean Face and Clean Fingers [and toes] - adds a universal appeal to any guy's looks. A dirty finger nail can detract so much points from your looks, so even if you didn't go for that manicure, make sure you get everything out of your fingers.
Also if you apply any hair products, make sure its not super visible or sticky. After applying any hair products, run your fingers through it before styling it. If stuff sticks to your fingers, you've too much of it in your hair. You can use a towel to remove those extra gunk.
2. Trim those facial hairs - there is a difference between adorably cute in a day old beard and looking like you've slept for 2 nights in a local bus station. This is especially important if you've a job or if you're newly onto a job.
If you're into beards, keep it trim and neat.
If you're into moustaches, again keep it trim neat and shapely. You don't want to look like Charlie Chaplin or a local bandit.
If you're into clean shaved look, well - that's the safest look for any professional guy.
3. Apply some lip balm on those chapped lips; wetting your lips is not = kissable lips. In fact wet lips are ugggghhh. So if you're meeting your girlfriend or going for lunch with you boss, massage some lip balm into those dry chapped lips for 2-3 mins. Do it softly and you get nice looking lips.
4. Hairy like a Gorilla? If so, either shave if you want to wear short sleeves or shorts, or wear long sleeves to make sure that hairy arms don't scare people. This is especially true if you;re working in a multi-gender work place.
5. Pimples?Acne? Scratch marks? - Cover it up. If you've an open pimple, make sure it is clean and non-puss-y. If you don't wish to apply any powder over the pimple, a cleaner way is to apply a band-aid over it.
6. If you've dandruff, either take care of it by using dandruff treatment or avoid wearing dark single color shirts where the flakes may be more visible.
Hope these tips help you and let me know if you have any suggestions too! :)
Disclaimer: This is based on my experience and when I say "Most guys" or "Guys" I mean guys I know or have known. I am not saying this applies to everyone, so if you feel this is nonsense, feel free to
