Leading Men – good grooming part one!
We thought it was about time here at BBHQ, that we brought some leading men to Beauty Bombshells. So, here they are! And for all your leading men, we’ve compiled an ultimate boys guide, over two posts – today and, well, another day, to good grooming. You think Hollywood’s finest like Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, and Paul Newman were naturally handsome? Well, okay, they probably were, but these days guys have a whole heap of products to help them achieve movie-star looks.
Today we’re starting with shaving, cleansing and moisturising. Next time, we’ll focus on body care, and fragrance. And we’ve enlisted Grooming Expert Jason Shankey’s help. Jason has endorsed the fabulous Boots No7 for Men range.
From left; James Dean, Alain Delon, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift all loved a good shave...
Shave it off.
There was no room for beards in old Hollywood. Clark Gable’s finely coiffed moustache was as much facial hair you’d see on a movie star from the 1920s right through to the 1970s.
These days, stubble and beards are de rigueur, but shaving is an important part of a man’s daily grooming. To get that perfect shave, you should do it in the shower, according to Jason Shankey “Shave while you’re in the shower and shave with the grain that’s in the same direction as the hair grows. The
heat and moisture from the shower will give you a really close and comfortable shave, and shaving with the grain helps to avoid
ingrown hairs, razor burn and razor bumps.”
Products we love: Origins Easy Slider Pre-shave oil, £16, www.origins.co.uk – turns the toughest stubble into Mr.Softy; No7 For Men Anti Friction Shave Gel, £7, www.boots.com - hydrates and protects skin and helps your razor glide more easily.
Al Pacino, Cary Grant and Gregory Peck are exceptionally clean...
Cleanse and Scrub
Soap and water just isn’t going to cut it. Gregory Peck might have looked clean-cut and handsome on it, but these days men, you owe it to your skin to make a bit more effort. We’re talking facial scrubs once a week, and cleansing products every day.
Products we Like: Scrub up with up with Boots No7 For Men Energising Face Scrub, £8, www.boots.com or try [ comfort zone ] Man Space Scrub Performer, £21.95, stockists, call 01827 280 080, which is a revitalizing purifying scrub gel.Or Japanese brand Kyoku who have a fabulous Kyoku Exfoliating Facial Scrub, £19, www.harrods.com, whcih contains Volcanic ash whcih works to provide a deep exfoliation while Japanese rice bran smoothes and tones.
Men's products, clockwise from top left, Origins, Kyoku, Man Space, Origins, Kyoku, Man Space...
Cleanse the skin with Kyoku’s Daily Facial Cleanser, £19, www.harrods.com, which contains ginseng and peppermint revive and refuel the skin or try Clinique’s Liquid Face Wash in Regular or Extra Strength, £14, www.cliniqueformen.co.uk, to get your skin move star clean.
[ comfort zone ] Man Space Splash Performer, £20, stockists as before, is a facial cleansing equalizer. The innovative re-balancing mild cleansing gel actively removes impurities and helps to control excessive sebum.
Gary Cooper, Tab Hunter, Warren Beatty and Jimmy Stewart...lovely soft skin!
Moisturise – soften that skin
Why do men think they don’t have to moisturise? Yes, even Gary Cooper and Warren Beatty would have the odd dry patch now and then, despite men’s skin on the whole being a lot oilier than women’s. But as we bombshells know, there is nothing more delightful than putting on our face cream, and our skin feeling all soft and refreshed. Men, it’s 2010 – join us please! And after shaving, when you skin may burn use a special after-shave moisturiser, not a splash of Old Spice please! And then more of you might look as adorable as Jimmy Stewart….
Jason Shankey advises: ” “Apply a pea-sized amount of moisturiser onto your hands and rub over your face, particularly on the areas you have shaved. This will put moisture back into your skin and help protect your skin from the environment.”
Ranges: Boots No 7 For Men, Lierac Homme
Products we like: Post shave we’d go with Liz Earle For Men’s After-Shaving Moisturiser, £16.50, www.lizearle.com, which contains natural Vitamin E and hydrates, calms and soothes. Or Boots No 7 For Men Post Shave Recovery Balm SPF15, £8, www.boots.com. And then for really treating your skin, try Origins For Men Save the Males, Multi-benefit moisturizer, £26, www.origins.co.uk, which take a firm stance against lines and wrinkles! Or Boots No7 For Men Anti-Ageing Balm, SPF15, £12, www.boots.com. However, our leading men who are testing a few of these products for us are currently in love with Kyoku Facial Moisturizer, £43, www.harrods.com. With and SPF15 and anti-ageing bamboo and pea extract, it’s an advanced facial moisturiser that hydrates, softens and protects. And coming a close second is Lierac Homme’s Anti-Fatigue Revitalising and Moisturising Gel Cream, £23, www.lookfantastic.com
