Grooming Tips for Men

Men have never been cleaner. Seriously, our hygiene should be given a round of applause from how far we’ve come. Gone are the times where we bathed once a week between games of Call of Duty, gone are the times we only brushed our teeth before a school dance, gone are the times we only wore shirts and ties to school, funerals, and weddings. Men’s style and grooming has moved on, even the so called “hard men” are immaculate these days. But it pays to be humble, and there is still room for improvement, so here are some grooming tips to for men keep yourself the well-groomed force of nature you think you are. As far as most women are concerned, the cleaner the better, and if you're planning to find and keep a partner, these tips are a great place to start.

Too Much Cologne

Cologne will be the only thing you’re drowning in if you put way too much on. When you’re in the middle of your daily groom, there is a little mental trick that you can use when you’re deciding how much aftershave to put on. Just think of Paul Rudd’s Sex Panther scene in Anchorman. This is a proven method of restraint, and one of the most important grooming tips for men. Women don’t want to be smacked in the face with your musk, just a little dab will do and you will be remembered for the right reasons.

Find your own scent. This one has many layers, due to the fact that aftershave is an expensive thing to collect. If you are blessed financially you have an opportunity to cultivate this pivotal part of your overall image. This is not a mix and match situation, at the most you only need two different colognes that you can go between. Any more than that could be dangerous: If you smell different to your girlfriend multiple times some accusations might get thrown about. Take it seasonally: for spring and summer think lighter scents such as L'homme by Yves Saint Laurent, and for winter something more musky, a smell that suggests warmth, such as Touch for Men by Burberry.

Sometimes you get a scent as a gift. Now this is for the guys that get their colognes as Christmas and birthday gifts (all of us basically). There is quite a bit of research to be done here. If it’s your girlfriend buying you this gift there are a few things you need to find out. Now if she’s just topping up the aftershave you had on when you met then there’s no problem. If she wants to get you something new then the police work comes in. Check that your choice doesn’t clash with the other men in her life (dad, brother, friends if possible), you don’t want to remind her of these people. On the other hand, if she’s insistent about buying you a bottle of her dad’s Old Spice, then you need to have a conversation.

Manscaping is a Must

Gender equality is making progress, but we still need to address the double standard when it comes to shaving down there. When it comes to women, we know what we like, so there has to be some give and take. Sure, a lot of women are turned on by hairy men, but those who aren’t deserve the same consideration they give to what turns men on. Manscaping is about hygiene as well as beauty. You’re not less of a man if you do it, having less hair down there won't make you any better at diffusing a bomb, or whatever is considered manly these days. Whether it’s shaving your chest or your privates, it gives you a feeling of cleanliness, neatness, and is also nice to look at. If you don’t like the forest then why should they put up with yours? The Bodygroom Series 7100 by Philips Norelco ensures a close shave without irritating the skin, because red bumps are sure to be even less attractive to your partner than excess hair.

Maintain Your Beard

Ah, the beard. One of the best parts of reaching manhood is the many stylistic possibilities of having some face fur. Not all women like beards, but all women hate crap beards. If you’re going for the full lumberjack look then you’re going to have the messy in between stage where things don’t look so good. That point between designer stubble, and ZZ Top can be smoothed over if you know what you’re doing. The key thing is patience: The goatee will come first, but it takes a while for the cheeks to catch up for some guys. This doesn’t need to be a problem, just carefully shave around the goatee for the time being until you have trained your beard to even out to the magnificent lower rug you deserve. If you plan to groom your beard rather than shave it, you'll want to use trimmers rather than a razor. We recommend the All-in-One Trimmer by Panasonic Milano for a concise and even trim.

Nail Care is Important

It’s common knowledge that women like a man’s hands, whether they’re strong and workman-like or large and dexterous. Nothing ruins that image quicker than ratty nails. Think of the hand equivalent of a nice suit and tie combo with dirty shoes, it throws the whole thing off. Therefore, one of the essential grooming tips for men is to keep your fingernails clean. Women don’t want to be touched by someone with dirt under them. The best way to remove dirt from under finger nails is with a brush, such as the Heavy Duty Two Sided Hand & Nail Brush by Eppco. Keep them short too, if your nails are too long you might remind them of their own hands, or worse Dracula’s, and that’s not attractive to anyone except Christopher Lee devotees. The same goes for toe nails. There’s a reason you haven’t heard about any fetishes around men’s feet, our feet are not our finest attributes, so let’s not draw any unwanted attention towards them.

Lip Care can Be Beneficial

Any romantic knows that the most crucial point of any romantic encounter is the first kiss. It’s almost like a mini audition for what it might lead too. You can guarantee it won’t lead anywhere if your lips are dry and cracked. You don’t want the person you are romantically pursuing to think she’s kiss a cracked fence post, so use some lip balm. Don’t over use it though because then you’ll be right back where you started. If you're worried about people questioning your manhood for carrying around pastel-colored lip balms, don't fret. Products such as Chapfix Lip Balm for Men are designed to look manly while keeping your lips silky smooth. The best way to approach this grooming tip for men is to treat it as part of your dental hygiene: apply after brushing your teeth and after meals, and you should be on to a winner. If you can predict that the kiss is coming, for the love of God apply it on the sly. You don’t want to give the game away, or risk looking too forward.

Soap Only Goes on Your Face

This one applies more to co-habitation, and is one of the reasons shower gel is so vital. As human beings we all shed hair, it’s one of those things we’re all aware of but don’t want to acknowledge, but if you use soap on your whole body, the jig is up. As Friends so deftly pointed out, while soap is self-cleaning, don’t use it to clean every inch of yourself. Not handing your girlfriend the soap that you were using to clean your balls only minutes before is just good manners. Use body washes, and save your relationship from any disgusting misunderstandings.

Easy on the Hair Product

It’s not the 90s anymore, no one looks good with boyband hair. You know, the kind of hair that takes half a kilo of goo to maintain. These days, go for a less is more approach. You don’t need a tub of brylcreem to make your hair look great anymore, you just need enough product to get your glorious bonnet into the style you desire, then leave it to science to let it stay in place. Wax and gel such as the Smooth Viking Hair Gel for Men work best for guys with thicker hair that’s a little harder to manage, whereas sprays such as American Crew Spray Gel for Men work best for thinner hair. The main goal is for your hair to look as natural as possible. No one will buy the “I just wake up like this” line unless they think you slip with a bucket of bacon grease on your head. If you’re unsure how to achieve your ideal look consult your barber who will point you in the right direction with his own grooming tips for men, or show you examples when you’re in the chair.

Don't Skip Flossing

These days simply brushing your teeth isn’t enough. Look at your dad, your older colleagues, any guy with a good 10 years on you. Their teeth aren’t horrible, but they’re not great either. With the wealth of different accessories you can keep your teeth shiny, and pristine. The secret is flossing, brush, strong mouthwash, and flossing for all the bits the first two missed. Flossing is a sure-fire way to maintain your appeal. Women don’t want you to smile and see a sesame seed from this morning’s bagel in your teeth, so floss.

Wash Every Day

This seems like a no brainer but it’s a common misconception that this cleanliness lasts for more than 24 hours. Grooming tips for men are like using reading glasses: the more you use them, the more you need them. It’s the easiest thing to backslide on, but grooming is a process that has to be maintained, half-measures don’t apply. If that happens be prepared for a lot of people asking if you feel alright today, or if you’re ill. Being well groomed isn’t hard work, but it is very rewarding.