Male grooming products are still a mixed appeal for many a man. Some of us swear by a good arsenal of products to look our best, whether it’s going out on the town or just making sure we still look full of energy at the end of the working day. Others don’t see the appeal and feel a high standard of grooming is a threat to their manly, errr, manliness. Many men think of male grooming and style as going to an extreme by wearing makeup and fake tanning with no middle ground in between. Not to say that isn’t an option for those who dare go that extra mile but most male grooming products on the market are simple, effective, unnoticeable, easy to use and come in packaging no less manly than your Lynx shower gel or Adidas Deodorant.
Whether you’re already aware of the great male products out there and just need some advice or you need converting to the idea as a whole, this is a list of the 10 items I personally could not be without in my bathroom and on my drawer cabinet.
1. Moisturiser
Not only does dry skin make you feel unclean and less appealing to the opposite sex, but it can sting and make the task of shaving excruciating. Avoid this with just a splash of moisturiser after shaving and feel fresh until that 5 o’clock shadow reappears later on.
2. Chapped lip stick
Although less of a grooming product than it is medical, chapped lips can cause the same problems as above and is fairly common from being outside in cold, windy conditions.
3. Hair Putty or wax
When I was in school the only option for hair sculpting was that thick, gloopy neon stuff in a pot known as “Gel”. You had two options; buy the normal stuff and look like your hair is made of tin when it dries or buy the wet look and look like you haven’t washed it in weeks. Luckily for us new products over the years have introduced stronger holds that last longer, look subtle and can even be reworked after the wind’s blown it all out of place, which leads me onto my next item…
4. Hairspray
Just a quick spray on the key areas more prone to get messed up (long parts or fringes for example) and you can make it to work with all the morning’s hard work still in tact.
5. Tweezers
There was a common misconception that owning tweezers or plucking your eyebrows means thinning and shaping them as is done in female beauty and fashion. For me, it’s simply about getting rid of the hair that grows in between the eyebrows above the nose. They’re also quite handy for digging out ingrown toenails but that’s a different story.
6. Aftershave (preferably a selection of)
Although expensive aftershave is like a sporting trophy to display in your bathroom cabinet, cheaper aftershave still does the job if you look around for the right fragrance and it also means you can buy more than one type if on a budget. The key to aftershave is moderation. Even with the most expensive smell in the market, use too much of it for a night out and you’ll get the wrong compliments from across the bar as opposed to the right compliments up close.
7. Conditioner
Assuming that Shampoo is such an obvious must-have for anyone with the slightest hygiene standards I won’t mention it, but conditioner often gets over looked. Age has been unkind to some of us men and the hair has started to thin on the top. A shorter style and some conditioner to thicken it up (or “bounce” as the adverts say) should help avoiding the clippers or the hats for a few extra years.
8. Clippers
This comes down to personal preference for me as I have a beard all year round. A decent set of clippers helps keep a beard at a desired length and looks tidier than the kitchen scissors. And even if you don’t have a beard, clippers can also come in handy for down below when it gets a bit out of control for the same reasons.
9. Face wash
For the simplest reason on the list; no one likes having spots! And finally…
10. Good Quality Shaving Razors
Nothing feels worse, takes more time and irritates the skin like cheap, single blade razors. Going that extra mile on Razors is well worth getting two or three shaves out of a single blade as opposed to cheap disposables that need changing half way through financially and physically.
If you were not convinced by male grooming before reading this, chances are you’ve already bought in to one or two of the above already without realising it. Male grooming is not about damaging your inner alpha male persona, but simply taking care of yourself and looking your best with minimal effort. Besides, you can always go down the pub and down 12 pints to prove your manliness instead!
If you have any of your own grooming tips please feel free to share them in the comments below.