Male models must have skin of the gods right? Some have amazing skin but the majority have skin just like any other mere mortal, namely, a bit dehydrated, the odd spot (try twenty) and great big shiny patches (hurrah!)
Here are the 3 things I look out for when I'm doing male grooming.
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| Happy as Larry with my own makeup station at the Gieves & Hawkes show at Christie's recently (it's got LIGHTS and everything :) |
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| Official skincare sponsor |
If you pay even a little bit of attention to the following 3 things I guarantee you'll feel and look on top form:
- Skin
- Under eye area
- Brows (and other hairy bits)
1. Skin
A person's skin is one of the first things I consciously (or perhaps subconsciously?) notice about someone. When do you notice a person's skin? When it's looking great or when it's looking not so great?
I believe that the skin is as much a window to the soul as the eyes. Our skin speaks volumes about our lifestyle, diet and general stress levels so it's worth thinking about how you can take better care of yours. Us girls, well, we're lucky given it's arguably universally accepted that we will turn to makeup to hide signs of tiredness, a hangover, or illness. But what about guys? What can you do?
The best starting point is to work out your skin type*.
I believe that the skin is as much a window to the soul as the eyes. Our skin speaks volumes about our lifestyle, diet and general stress levels so it's worth thinking about how you can take better care of yours. Us girls, well, we're lucky given it's arguably universally accepted that we will turn to makeup to hide signs of tiredness, a hangover, or illness. But what about guys? What can you do?
The best starting point is to work out your skin type*.
Next time you spot a mirror in a room with good natural light take a good look at your skin (and I mean a GOOD look). A great time to do this is during the middle of the day and preferably not after a shower (water strips the face of its natural oils).
Ask yourself:
- Does my skin feel tight anywhere? (you are probably dry or dehydrated)
- Do I have a shiny t-zone? (forehead, nose, chin)
- Am I oily all over?
- Does my skin feel/look quite sensitive or congested?
Once you know how your skin behaves it's far easier to choose the right product to treat it.
Ever wondered what the differences are between men and women's skin? Click here to read what skincare specialists Dermalogica have to say.
* If you're unsure, ask a female and they should be able to tell you.
Ever wondered what the differences are between men and women's skin? Click here to read what skincare specialists Dermalogica have to say.
* If you're unsure, ask a female and they should be able to tell you.
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John from Next models was my first model on the day.
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My Top Skin Tips
- Guzzle water. Like, all the time. It's without a shadow of a doubt the best thing you can do for your skin (I'm talking to the girls here as much as the guys).
- Invest in a decent moisturiser that is appropriate for your your skin type (think oil-free for oilier skins, hydrating for dry etc). Also, look for moisturisers with built in SPF/broad spectrum. Some of my favourite skin ranges for gents include:
- Cowshed Bullocks range (my soon-to-be brother in law has been requesting the Bullocks moisturiser 2 Christmases in a row now. I think he likes it)
- Kiehl's (super impressed with their new liquid SPF 50....it's like a milk and is so easily absorbed. Perfect for guys!)
- Aveda
- For the more adventurous among you why not take a look at some of the tinted skin products now available for men:
- Energizing Bronze Cream from Recipe For Men (£30, available from yes-sir.com)
- Sheer Tint SPF20 (£33 approx, comes in 3 shades, for women and men)
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| Highlight of my eve: having my photo taken with |
What's your concern? Puffiness? Dark circles? Dryness?
For puffiness:
- Choose a cooling eye gel or roller ball (like this one by Clinique or Mazorin's aptly titled Working Late Eye Serum £21). Any eye cream that has caffeine as an ingredient will also help with puffiness as caffeine boosts circulation.
- Home remedy: Lots of makeup artists swear by cold used green tea bags kept in the fridge. Wrap them in cling film to keep the air/bacteria out. When you want to use one unwrap two and place one over each eye for 5 mins.
For dark circles:
- Don't be afraid of a tinted eye cream/product (like this one by Recipe For Men). Orange cancels out blue on the colour wheel so a peach tinted eye cream/concealer will give your under eye area a bit of a subtle lift. Strike the right balance and no one will know. When I'm doing grooming or prepping a gentleman to appear in front of the camera, if he has really dark circles I only conceal a little bit. Guys aren't meant to look flawless but you can certainly dabble ;)
For dryness:
- For dryness an eye cream is best (rather than an eye serum). Be careful not to overload the eye area. Take a tiny amount and apply it using your ring finger to the outer edge dabbing inwards. Pat, pat, pat until it's absorbed. Do not wipe (waste of product).
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| Declan from Elite. 22 and has had a beard since he was 19. He told me he doesn't actually know what his adult face looks like without a beard! (bless) |
3. Brows (and other hairy bits)
The key thing here is subtlety. Personally, I like a guys' brows to be groomed but not preened.
Top tips:
- Thread much? If your brows are bushy or you've got a bit of a mono brow going on it's worth asking your barber if they offer a threading service. Or you can pay a visit to one of the Blink bars where an expert threader will subtly (and discreetly) give you a bit of a tidy. Decide ahead of the appointment what you want tidied (a good threader will know how to thread men's brows versus a woman's brows).
- Watch out for the rogue brow. Gents, even I get these every now and then...a brow hair that seems to triple in length overnight and can awkwardly catch the light the next day in your business presentation or date if you're not careful.
Other hairy bits:
- beards should be well maintained no matter the length. Consider investing in a beard oil (Tom Ford's launched one!) or one of the fabulous beard products available on yes-sir.com.
- beards should be well maintained no matter the length. Consider investing in a beard oil (Tom Ford's launched one!) or one of the fabulous beard products available on yes-sir.com.
I'll leave you with some more images from the show...
Hope you found that useful/interesting and thanks for reading :)
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| Minutes after this shot was taken someone managed to stream *a live football match* from their laptop. You should have seen these 6ft 4 adonises suddenly become goofy smiling kids! |
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| The guys are briefed by the brand's creative director. Lots of talk about being the creme-de-la-creme, how they need to ooze confidence...etc. |
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| Check out the pony-skin coat |
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| The show took over two of the great rooms at Christies with each model stood on a plinth. The centre of each room was devoid of light so that the lights streaming down onto each model were the primary focus. It looked FANTASTIC. |
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| I should have called The Hat Appreciation Society whilst I was there....you've never seen so many fabulous hats! |
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| Fellow makeup artist Angus and I enjoying a rather lovely glass of champers |
Hope you found that useful/interesting and thanks for reading :)
Please continue to write more because it’s unusual that someone has something interesting to say about this.
ReplyDeleteWill be waiting for more! I have some relevant information you can review below.
mens grooming