Male Grooming

[Raistlin]

Hi Guys,

I've been trawling the web looking for some good sites that give advice on male grooming: products, how-to's, hints and tips, style guides, practical advice etc.

Sad as this may sound, I realise that over the last few years I have sort of let myself go a bit and haven't been paying as much attention to my grooming regime / presentation as I should have been.

The only site that is even remotely interesting that I have managed to find so far is www.sharpman.com , can anybody recommend any others?

Cheers,

Raist.

[Russ]

Try the forum areas of www.menshealth.co.uk

[Raistlin]

Originally Posted by Russ D

Try the forum areas of www.menshealth.co.uk

Nice one Russ, looks like loads of stuff in there - I'll spend some time wading through it (not too much though, wouldn't want to neglect CF ).

[greencreeper]

I use Nivea stuff - exfoliator, moisturising anti-grease facial wash, and moisturising balm for after I've shaved (and look like I've had my face in acid).

Few people can tie a tie these days - some of the efforts I see at work make me want to weep. Jeans that are all ripped at the bottom and are clearly soaking up water - by the end of the day, the tide mark has reached knee height. Buy a decent pair, please, preferably ones that fit and don't show your underwear or have a foot long crotch. And don't have the belt hanging down the front - yeah, like we believe you're a big boy when you do that Trainers - look awful and no good for your feet. Hair - do you really have to plaster it in industrial-strength goo? Some of us like to play with a guy's hair without needing a pair of marigolds. Aftershave - strong aftershave is a big no-no with me. It makes me sneeze. During the day you want something light - not something that'll put people on life support. Facial jewellery - you don't look cool: you look like you've fallen in a bag of assorted nails and bolts. Mobile - yes it cost £300 and yes it looks lovely but give over playing with it. Again, you don't look cool - you look sad. And people will think you have size problems. Interesting facial hair in strange patterns - it's not interesting: it looks awful. Have a shave and put your creative energies into something else.

I think that's it. Oh - brush your tongue front to back.

[Raistlin]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

I use Nivea stuff - exfoliator, moisturising anti-grease facial wash, and moisturising balm for after I've shaved (and look like I've had my face in acid).

Know what you mean about the "acid" look. I've tried some of the Nivea stuff and it seems to be ok. I have quite sensitive skin which gets accustomed to any new product after a while so I have to keep switching though :-(

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Few people can tie a tie these days - some of the efforts I see at work make me want to weep.

Luckily that's not something I have a problem with, pretty good with ties (or so I've been told. In fact I actually take quite a lot of time over it making sure it's right.

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Jeans that are all ripped at the bottom and are clearly soaking up water - by the end of the day, the tide mark has reached knee height. Buy a decent pair, please, preferably ones that fit and don't show your underwear or have a foot long crotch. And don't have the belt hanging down the front - yeah, like we believe you're a big boy when you do that

Jeans, now there's a sore point. Over the last couple of years I've been pretty miserable most of the time so I've been comfort eating. This has meant that I've put on a few extra pounds and I'm slightly between waist sizes. If I go for somthing the "right" size I end up feeling like I'm being cut in half 'cause they don't seem to fit right. If I go up a size they always seem to feel like they're falling down Any thoughts on makers / styles? I tend to go for boot-cut jeans as I don't like trousers that get caught up in the tops of my shoes.

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Trainers - look awful and no good for your feet.

So would you suggest shoes on every occasion then? I wear shoes to work but have to admit that I prefer trainers with jeans (although I will admitt that shoes sometimes look better. I used to wear boots a lot but got tired of them. Again, thoughts on styles / occasions etc?

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Hair - do you really have to plaster it in industrial-strength goo?

Hmm, I do use product in my hair. I have fairly unmanageable hair and don't like to look scruffy. I would rather have something in there that at least keeps it a little neat. I try not to go overboard but I know what you mean.

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Aftershave - strong aftershave is a big no-no with me. It makes me sneeze. During the day you want something light - not something that'll put people on life support.

Any recommendations?

As for the rest. I don't have any "facial decorations", I don't play with my mobile all of the time, and I like to be clean shaven.

I think my biggest problem at the moment is styling and the need to lose a bit of weight. Once those things are sorted I may start to get some of my confidence back (which has been slowly erroded over the last few years by destructive relationships / habits).

Originally Posted by greencreeper

I think that's it. Oh - brush your tongue front to back.

I'll try to remember that

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'm seriously starting to think that I might need the assistance of a sympathetic girl (or man) when I next go clothes shopping (or probably whenever I'm tempted to leave the house ) in order to get myself back on track.

Cheers again mate.

Raist.

[Raistlin]

WoW, just realised how long that reply was - sorry

[SMHarman]

CFs own Queer Eye team needed here?

I think the answer is ^ what Greencreeper said.

I use the Nivea visage on my face after shaving, a fantastic product. A good sharp rasor blade is also a must, no point hacking your face to bits. A good shaving cream, (or oil), not soap. I like the Body Shop cream, I also like the crabtree one, but cannot afford it.

Hair don't have much so can't comment.

Jeans and Trainers, a very teenage thing, post 21 it ceases to look right. Though I find the chocolate leather timberlands trainer / boot is a nice alternative comfortable, but not these glaring white things on your feet. Something like this
http://www.timberland.com/product/in...entPage=family

Weight, well there are only two ways to change that diet and excercise and realistically both.
First keep a food diary, work out when you eat junk and why and try to change those habits, substitute bananas for chocolate bars, a nutrigrain instead of a kit kat (the nutrigrain is not great, but it's better), then walk, run, workout. I decided I needed to get in shape about 3 months ago and so far I have suprisingly lost 0 weight. I'm eating much better, less ready meals, more home cooked so less salt etc but also I am working with a personal trainer roughly once a week (or less), the weight must have turned to muscle as I have just had 3 in taken off the waists of two of my suits and I look a helavalot thinner, just still weigh the same, and my resting heart rate is down to 59.

Brush your tongue front to back WTF?

And working in the City the half and full Windsor are in my repetoire

[Maggy J]

If it's any consolation men lose weight faster and quicker than us wimmen.Just cutting out beer can have a fantastic effect.

If it's sticking to a regime without someone behind you to nag then Weight Watchers or summat similar are usually very good at helping men lose weight quickly(I think they just want to stop being patronised by the sheer numbers of wimmen that attend).I know it seems daunting to think of all those women but a lot of men attend such meetings these days and do very much better than us frail,weak willed females.

[greencreeper]

Yeah - my skin is sensitive too. I have a mixture of dry and oily skin - the worst. My back looks like Mars I have to keep changing shampoo because my scalp is very fussy, but otherwise I can stick to products used on my skin.

I tend to buy Wrangler jeans - I have lots of them. I once bought a pair of 501s just to try. They rub in a place where you should never be rubbed Awful.

My hair is always short - it saves on shampoo (less hair to wash) and time (no morning styling). Blade 2 on top and 4 around the sides - no fringe.

Aftershave - go along to Boots and they'll spray a sample on a card for you to sniff. Pick something you like. Take a female if you can, for a second opinion.

As for weight - try not to worry about it. You worry, you eat more... I'm a comfort eater too. I just try to be aware of it and think "Do I really need to eat now, or can I wait?" And I tend to snack on healthy, low fat foods, such as a slice of bread with marg.

When clothes shopping it's always best to take a female or gay man. Try stuff on, take your time, and buy things that are flexible - i.e. you can wear it with a range of other clothes. 90% of the time it looks great in the shop and awful at home


[edit]
Nearly forgot - footwear. There's a vast range. Take boots - is that a trainer-style boot, a hiking/sports boot, an ankle boot, a formal/dress boot, a boot without laces... I tend to own just the one pair of boots (I like them for ankle support) and just the one pair of black shoes for work. You can only wear one pair of footwear at a time - how many pairs do you need?

[Shaun]

Metrosexuals on CF!!!! God help us all.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by dellwear

Metrosexuals on CF!!!! God help us all.

Ahem!!

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Ahem!!

I was posting that as you posted.

Sorry Miss.

[Raistlin]

Originally Posted by SMHarman

CFs own Queer Eye team needed here?

Definately

Originally Posted by SMHarman

Jeans and Trainers, a very teenage thing, post 21 it ceases to look right. <Snipped a bit to try to conserve some bandwidth>

Don't like the white trainers either, I tend to go for something that looks less trainery and try to tie the colour into the colour jeans that I'm wearing. Not sure about those Timbys though, they look a bit too much like hiking shoes - maybe this is why I need the advice

I like the idea of the food diary, might try that. To be honest I know when I'm eating badly and I'm taking in less junk these days (I'm just not needing to eat to make myself feel better).

Originally Posted by SMHarman

Brush your tongue front to back WTF?

I had the same thought but didn't like to ask

Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it.

Raist

[Raistlin]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

If it's any consolation men lose weight faster and quicker than us wimmen.Just cutting out beer can have a fantastic effect.

If it's sticking to a regime without someone behind you to nag then Weight Watchers or summat similar are usually very good at helping men lose weight quickly(I think they just want to stop being patronised by the sheer numbers of wimmen that attend).I know it seems daunting to think of all those women but a lot of men attend such meetings these days and do very much better than us frail,weak willed females.

Thanks Incog, had thought of WW but wanted to give it a try on my own first - all part of my New Me transformation.

Don't drink that often so I don't think it's the beer that's the problem - or maybe it is, perhaps if I drunk more I would worry less about my appearance

[greencreeper]

Brushing your tongue keeps it clean and fresh. Don't scrub at it - just firmly brush.