| During
the winter months, Michael York, a 36-year-old manager at a Manhattan
law firm, gets weekly massages at the Origins Feel Good Spa after his
workout at the Sports Center at the Chelsea Piers. About once every two
months he gets a manicure. Occasionally he'll spring for a pedicure.
 Afterwards,
"I feel better and I feel better groomed", he says. From May until September
he doubles up his beauty routine, paying special attention to the way
his skin looks and feels. Every guy should do the same.
Summer is fast approaching. And as the weather outside heats up there
are certain grooming rituals that a guy can perform to insure that he
remains cool, calm and collected while out for a hot night (or day) on
the town. Would you like to know what they are? Read on.
Manicures for the Guys
Some guys are very serious about their grooming habits. Rodica Constantin,
a top manicurist for fashion shoots and the manager of the Elizabeth Arden
Red Door Salon on Madison Avenue in New York City (which offers such year
round grooming services at the Sports Manicure, the Fitness Facial, and
the Sports Pedicure as well as several "Just For Men" spa packages), has
a loyal clientele of male customers (from construction workers to Wall
Street Baby Boomers to older businessmen) who appreciate a good facial
plus a nail and toe buff (no polish please!). She's seen her male customers
increase by 35% in the last year. The number goes even higher when the
temperature hits the double digits.
Men Need Pampering Too!
During summer men need pampering just like women do, Constantin says.
Having another woman pampering them makes them feel great. Says Helen
Famularre, an esthetician, at the salon, "as far as summer grooming goes,
men should do the same things that women do - except for the makeup".
Famulare has several general summer grooming tips for men. Men should
cleanse their faces on a daily basis, she advises. They should use a light
exfoliant. Nothing heavy. That will break the capillaries. Fumalare also
suggests using an 8 hour cream for cuticles. Men always seem to get very
dry cuticles especially during the summer months, she says. Their skin
gets very tough on the hands. Always use a loofah pad to get rid of dead
cells, especially after being in the sun all day. Soothe your skin with
an exfoliating body moisturizer. And don't forget strong SPF protection.
To keep your hair in good condition during the hot summer months, its
best to use a good 2 in 1 shampoo. After swimming try a good cleansing
shampoo and conditioner. Got hair on you back? Fumalare will give you
a quick, painless wax. And while were on the topic of hair, what are the
best styles for summer?
Summer Haircuts
One of the best haircuts for summer is a nice buzz cut, says Giannandrea,
a top hairstylist for Garren New York, the hair and makeup agency run
by the world famous hairstylist of the same name. If you're going to be
in and out of the water a lot, you want to have something that is easy
to take care of and that looks great. What cuts does he suggest? If you're
a business guy, Giannandrea, who does editorial work with such photographers
as Steven Meisel and Herb Ritts as well as ad campaigns for such clients
as Calvin Klein, suggests an easy-to-care-for close crop cut. A business
guy should always look well-groomed, he says. You also want to have hair
that, when dry, looks good, without so much volume. You want hair that's
cut very close to your scalp. Before getting a cut men should also take
into consideration the texture of their hair. If your hair is very curly,
have it thinned out to take a lot of the weight off, Giannandrea says.
Thinning out requires the hair to be cut half way between the ends and
the root. This requires a special scissor, so don't try this at home.
If you hair is curly, go short. It's always more convenient for a guy
who has thin and wavy hair to have a short cut that's well proportioned.
Its easy to maintain with the help of some grooming aids. And what about
guys who want to keep their hair long during the dog days of summer? That's
a big trend right now, Giannandrea says. The most popular looks are updated
versions of some of the styles that were popular during the 70s - minus
the flip - Giannandrea is quick to add. Instead of a flip, the ends are
cut choppy. The new versions are more edgy. The hair should be a little
long on top and hang just a bit over the ears. For a more elegant look,
simply slick the hair back and, presto! you have a perfect style for work
or play.
Okay, so not every guy is going to want to spend a lot of time at a beauty
parlor, nail salon or fancy - smancy spa, and its highly unlikely that
any man (except for a self obsessed Hollywood superstar) wants to invest
hour and hours pondering his appearance. But this summer as you shake
hands with a business partner, check out his fingernails. He probably
had his done. He probably looks well groomed - just like you.
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Ricky Lee is a New York based writer noted for his in-depth beauty
and fashion features in leading publications including InStyle, Vanity
Fair, Allure, Interview, Vogue, Rolling Stone and Elle Décor.
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