Male Grooming

The Man-icure While having a great hair, shave and skin care regime has a huge impact on your grooming credentials, it’s the finer details that take you from good to great in the grooming stakes. These added extras are often the things that we neglect, particularly with the hectic lifestyle of the modern man, but if you can take the time and effort to get these little details right then it will make all the difference. Hand and nail care is one of those finer details. Now I know what…

Behind The Brand: King of Shaves With so many products and brands out there, it’s no wonder this booming grooming industry can at times be a bit of a mine field. In an effort to help make a bit more sense of a market that’s growing by the day – I’ll be writing a collection of ‘Behind The Brand’ articles to give you guys the brand information that you can’t fit on the back of a tube of face cream. Typically men are very brand loyal consumers, (which is possibly…

Introduction I write most of my grooming articles based on the fundamental principles of male grooming – skin care, shaving and the like – but occasionally I experience things within my own grooming regime that prompt ideas. Well… I’ve recently started going to the gym again after about a year lay off, and I’ve stumbled upon something that I suspect many of you guys will have come across too. How on earth can I transfer my extensive ‘at home’ grooming regime (seriously, you should see how many products I have…

As style savvy gents, I’m sure you’re all aware of how crucial grooming – and more specifically, your hair style – is to your overall look. A way of expressing your individuality or conform to a trend, your hair is one of the first things people notice about you, so with this in mind it’s no wonder hair loss is so widely feared by men around the world. It’s estimated that two-thirds of all men will be affected by hair loss at some point in their lives – this can…

In a world where we get Twitter updates every 10 seconds from some young lad from Canada who can sing a bit (I’m told his name is Bieber but I’m not down with the kids), it’s clear that we live in a society obsessed by celebrity. Popular culture has become a necessity – we need to know who’s doing what with who, and what they were saying/singing/wearing when they were doing it. It’s no surprise then that “celebrity sells”, and no more so than in the fashion, beauty and grooming…

According to beauty myth, when it comes to ageing skin men have it a damn sight easier than women. Women’s skin ages faster than men and it’s just another thing to add to the ‘life is harder for women because…’ list. In a way there is an element of truth in that, but we are definitely not immune from wrinkles and other signs of skin ageing – let me explain. Where as women age gradually from their late twenties (although they seem to worry about it from the age of…

Summer Grooming There have been a lot of articles gracing the pages of FashionBeans recently focusing on the key summer trends – notably pastels, deck shoes, chino’s and the nautical look. While the fashion forward among us relish the change from the layers of winter to the style freedom of summer, life goes on as normal in the grooming world – or so you thought. While the grooming industry itself doesn’t change dramatically from season to season, and a good product is a good product whatever time of year, there…

Editor Introduction As part of a two article grooming special, we have concentrated on men’s self tanning. Duncan and Ben have concentrated on two different areas for today’s mini series, with Ben concentrating on the range of products available, whilst Duncan gives out his Tan Commandments which all of you should stick by if you are going to self tan correctly. So enjoy fellas… Introduction Men using self tan is something that I believe carries an unnecessary stigma. There’s nothing wrong with using products to accentuate your summer glow if…

Editor Introduction As part of a two article grooming special, we have concentrated on men’s self tanning. Duncan and Ben have concentrated on two different areas for today’s mini series, with Ben concentrating on the range of products available, whilst Duncan gives out his Tan Commandments which all of you should stick by if you are going to self tan correctly. So enjoy fellas… Men’s Self Tanning As we approach Spring/Summer, the days get longer and sunnier (hopefully!), clothes get smaller and layers get thinner. What this means is that…

In 2010 the risks associated with over exposure to the sun and the use of sun beds are as well known as the benefits of moisturiser, yet in a similar way to this skin care staple some guys are still choosing to ignore the facts. As a society it seems that even though we are fully aware of the risks, even with the spotlight of media attention and expert opinion, the subject of protecting our skin can still get swept under the carpet. For this reason, I’ve decided to focus…

With a shift in attitudes and the release of more high quality products, the grooming industry is stronger than ever. But as much as the male market has boomed over the last ten years, it still has a way to go before it can reach the heights of the female beauty industry. Both in terms of the products available, and the mind set of those who use them, I think it’s fair to say that the fairer sex have the upper hand. Now the last thing I want to do…

There are two fundamental grooming basics for anyone new to the world of skin care – know your skin type, and know your products. If you don’t already know your skin type then check out the FashionBeans Skin Type Guide and meet me back here in five minutes. If however you fancy yourself as a bit of a grooming stud and you already know your skin type then you are ready for phase two – Skin Care Products Uncovered. To be able to understand the best ways of improving your…

When you walk into a store, or click online to buy your grooming products, you don’t need to pay any attention to what’s on the label, or the expert advice. It’s all about getting in, and getting out, with the cheapest ‘get the job done’ products under your arm. Your only buying them because that magazine said you should and after all, it’s just a moisturiser and they’re all the same anyway, right? Wrong. If only it was a simple as that. As you all know, grooming is an essential…

Look Great, Look Great, for that very important date I ended up going on a date to see the latest Tim Burton film, Alice in Wonderland, last week and it got me thinking about those of you out there going on dates, especially that all important first date. Luckily I’ve been dating this person for quite some time, and now make just as much effort as I would going to the shops . But I remembered the nerves and the worries, and some of the uncomfortable experiences I’ve had on…

My fellow FashionBeans writer Yvadney recently noted that one of the big up coming trends for spring is taking your look back to simple, no nonsense masculine style. So when penning my grooming article for this week, I thought what better way to compliment this trend than with the most masculine of accessories, the beard. I know, I know, it was only last week that I was championing the advantages of a great shave. But don’t worry, I’m not abandoning my grooming credentials and auditioning for part in Castaway II,…

Industry insiders predict that around 60% of men think they have sensitive skin, and while many men are hampered by hypersensitivity, the number isn’t anywhere near that in reality. The main reason for this misunderstanding is that bad shaving practices can often leave your skin feeling tight, sore and looking less than its best. Because shaving is a fact of life for so many men (like being wrong in arguments with women, or innately being able to read maps), we assume that we all know how to shave correctly. But…

How not to look like a Panda Heroin chic isn’t a great look, especially not for a guy. So don’t let dark circles ruin that outfit you’ve spent so much money and effort on. Nine out of ten people have suffered with dark circles, under and around their eyes. The cause of it can be different for each person, but the result is the same: Tired looking eyes, that look like you’ve gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson, or you’ve walked out of ‘Trainspotting’. Some guys may only get it…

Editor Note: Make-up for men has always been a controversial topic that I wanted to cover but I couldn’t do it justice as I didn’t know much about it or used it myself. However this is a great introduction by our new writer Robert, so I expect it to cause a marmite reaction between you all. We should all be open to new ideas to improve our appearance and self confidence so go into it with an open mind and PLEASE LET US KNOW YOUR OPINION in the comments. Cheers…

Editor Note: This year expect a lot more grooming articles as they have been requested by a vast majority of our readers. Fashion doesn’t just mean the clothes you wear, personal style and becoming a well rounded male means that you need to look after every aspect of your life. This means looking and feeling your best. Your skin and body routine is something that you do not need to spend a lot on to improve radically. It is one thing which is completely dependant on how much effort you…

Editor note: Darren is hopefully going to be our new grooming expert. Having worked in the industry for a while, he know what works and WHY it works. I have neglected our grooming category in the past due to the fact the main interest of the site is fashion, but grooming is an ESSENTIAL part of any fashionable males life. Whether you get manicures religiously each week or you simply just wash and moisturise each morning, you will find tips and latest news here each fortnight in order to help…