Men's Grooming Tips

I know you'll find it shocking, but on this day full of political news, I've decided to post almost anything BUT politics. Here's something I just ran into on the Louis of Boston website -- a men's fine clothing store -- about how to look good. You guys are sure to send me a pile of email on this one. Come on, guys, don't you want to go get a manicure with me?

A GROOMING GUIDE
You probably spend hours detailing your car-- so how about spending a few minutes on those nails.

by Pia Schachter

Twenty years ago, grooming meant a fifteen minute visit to the corner barbershop and a splash of Aqua Velva. Today, men realize how much they get from taking better care of themselves, and they are willing to pay for the grooming that suits their lifestyle and their looks. As this trend takes hold, higher-priced hair salons are replacing shave-and-a-haircut barber shops, and cosmetics and grooming manufacturers are flooding the department stores with what can be a bewildering horde of products.

Faced by the onslaught, too many gentlemen have felt turned off by the whole grooming game. Here are a few tips to guide you through the maze of marketing to the goal: expressing yourself while making the most of your looks.

The most important part of a man's appearance is the hair. Your hair expresses your personal style, be it a short-cropped, somewhat fashion forward look, or the more traditional side part that shows the wearer to be a man of style and substance.

According to Mario Russo, owner of Mario Russo Salon and The Salon at Louis,Boston, "A stylist not only cuts the hair, but also teaches you the many different options of styling, be it with a mousse or gel or a different way to part the hair. A stylist is where you go with all your hair questions and problems, knowing that they will give you the right advice."

The price difference you pay at a high-quality hair salon is for the time and attention lavished on you. A good stylist makes sure to understand you and what you are all about before picking up the scissors. A top-notch stylist examines your scalp, your cowlicks and the texture of your hair and asks you questions about your career and hobbies- not to be nosy but to know what you need.

Mario Russo says: "When I meet someone for the first time I always talk with them first, to see what their hair looks like before it gets washed. I talk with them about what the future of their hair will be-- if they need a total reshaping that requires certain areas to grow in the future."

A top trend in men's hair care: subtle color. "Men who are starting to grey have found an upper edge with having their hair colored," says Mr. Russo. "Not an overall color, but something more subtle called lowlights- completely undetectable- where your grey hair is integrated with your pre-greying color, giving a more youthful appearance without the obviousness of roots growing in. The upkeep is very low- twice a year."

Being masculine doesn't mean having a dry face. Central air conditioning, winter weather and shaving all dehydrate your skin , and moisturizer really makes a difference. Hydrated skin looks much smoother, any facial lines are less noticeable, and you look less ashy, tired and lifeless if your skin isn't dry. Clinique, Prescriptives and Kiehl's offer excellent, unscented facial moisturizers for the man who wants his sense of humor to be the driest thing in his life.

In your kitchen cabinet is probably one of the most powerful grooming aids available: baking soda. Don't laugh: this innocent white powder is an ingredient in just about every bodycare product these days, from shampoos to foot scrubs. Baking soda can be used in the shower mixed with your soap or alone to clean and exfoliate your skin to an unprecedented smoothness. It is also a natural deodorizer. Massage about half a cup of baking soda into your scalp while it still has shampoo on it and notice an improvement in the over all texture of your hair and scalp and how much better your conditioner, gel or other hair products work afterwards.

The secret weapons for the closest shave: a Gillette Sensor Excel Razor and Kiehl's Close Shavers brushless shave cream. Nothing makes a chin hair snap to attention like this soothing mentholated spread.

Try not to overpower with your chosen scent. Spray colognes work best when you spray the air, and then walk through the mist of musk, as opposed to drenching your skin with smell.

Leaving a cotton ball sprinkled with cologne in your socks-and-briefs drawer adds a subtle scent that will gently permeate the air around you as your body heat warms your clothes.

One simple step to a perfectly presentable manicure: after shampooing, push back the cuticles of one hand with the clean fingernails of the other. Then rub your hands with a clean towel. Pushing back your cuticles allows the nail to grow with fewer ridges and less scraggly splitting; dead skin is easily sloughed away by the towel.

It is neither affected nor conceited to care about the impression you make. Taking pride in your appearance is a sign of confidence that inspires the respect of others. And good grooming is the key.

Pia Schachter is a beauty columnist in Boston