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The Bearded Professional

August 31st, 2010

You’re the type of man who wants it all and you’ve always been one to strive for the absolute best. You’re also on the up and up when it comes to looking good. So naturally, as beards continue to race back  into style, you’ll likely be tempted to try one on for size. But, if we know you (and we think we do), you want a badass beard AND a great job. These guidelines will help you achieve just that.

482px-Jimmy_Wales_Fundraiser_Appeal_edit

(Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia Founder, with [allegedly] 2 day stubble!)

1. Symmetry

It’s very important to make sure your beard is even on both sides. Length disparity will make you look sloppy, or worse, crazy.

uneven beard

Photo by Josh.ev9 (via Flickr)

2. Length

Leave long beards to Dumbledore and Gandolf. Keep the crop close to your face, gentlemen. A well trimmed beard will make you look like a man, but a scraggly unkempt mane will make it hard for others to take you seriously in a work environment.

Leonardo

(Great for a famous artist/inventor. Less so for someone with a desk job)

3. Edging

Neck beards are an absolute professional beard no-no. So shave off the neck beard and keep the edging neat, but not Jersey Shore neat (you know what we mean)

neck trim

Photo by HexBlock (via Flickr)

4. Mustache

Never allow your mustache to overhang your upper lip. Trust us, it’s unsightly.

mustache overhang

Photo by Clearly Ambiguous (via Flickr)

5. Sideburns

Keep your sideburns slightly longer than your beard in order to avoid an all over, single length look.

sideburn trim

Photo by gj_TheWhite (via Flickr)

6. Consistency

Some measure of consistency is important. We’re not saying you should be afraid to change things up once in a while, but don’t come in every week with wildly different facial hair.

7. Be serious

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it a million times more: facial hair is not to be used as a source of humor. If you want others to take you seriously, you must first show them that you take YOURSELF seriously. Unfortunately for some, this means no handlebar mustaches, or novelty beards. Keep it classy boys.

beard hat

Photo by Barry.Pousman (via Flickr)

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Problem Solved: Razor Burn

August 26th, 2010

We’re back with yet another lively edition of “Problem Solved.” Today, in a valiant attempt to keep all men looking and feeling smooth, we are taking on the perennial problem of razor burn. And ladies, don’t think we don’t recognize your shaving woes as well – this post is for you too!

Come one, come all and read on for shaving enlightenment.

professional shave

Photo by Benjamin Rossen (via flickr)

Razor burn is a very common shaving irritation that can be caused by one of a few things. First of all there are mechanical errors to account for (a dull razor blade for example). Dull or poor quality blades simply can’t get as close to the skin. They are more likely to create drag or catch on the skin, causing irritation.

Second of all, humans are imperfect creatures so we must consider the human error that contributes to razor burn. A classic example would be shaving against the grain. Doing so is a serious shaving no-no. Always shave with the grain to reduce irritation. More on this later.

So, you want tips you say? It would be our pleasure, dear reader.

  1. Use a quality shave cream. A good one will lubricate the face and hydrate the skin while providing glide for your razor to prevent drag.
  2. Consider investing in a shave brush. These are pretty old school, but there’s a reason the professionals use them: they work. Shave brushes lift beard hairs from the face and allow the razor to get closer to the skin.
  3. As mentioned above, shave in the direction of hair growth. Shaving against the grain may give you a closer shave, but it also carries with it a higher risk of nicks, cuts, and razor burn. Avoid irritation – shave with the grain.
  4. Wash your face thoroughly before shaving, with either a face scrub or a facial cleanser. After shaving, rinse your face to remove excess shave cream left behind.
  5. Follow up your shave with a moisturizer and a soothing after shave balm. These will work together to hydrate skin after the traumatic process of shaving and will help prevent any inflammation or razor burn that may be brewing.

shave creamface scrub

Shave Cream | Face Scrub

shave brush

Whisker Lifter

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Go Back to School with Free Shipping

August 24th, 2010

With labor day fast closing in, school days nostalgia is heavy on our minds here at Anthony. Maybe it’s because everything was so much simpler with a Transformers lunchbox in hand. Even multiplication quizzes don’t look so bad when compared with mortgage payments and protruding nose hairs. Or maybe it’s because back to school reminds of us of tender (embarrassing?) moments like our first shave or regrettable (but now hilarious) hairstyle choices.

We may be adults now but we can still celebrate the little things right? From now until August 28th get free ground shipping on any purchase over $50. Go on…you know you want to…

And while you eagerly await your new purchases in the mail, pass the time by sharpening your pencils, reminding yourself that 12 x 12 is 144, and preparing  for a shave so smooth that teen-aged you could barely have imagined it.

back to school

Photo by curtsm (via flickr)

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Problem Solved: Oily Skin

August 19th, 2010

We are halfway through the devastatingly boring and hot month of August, but don’t think you’re out of the woods yet. Oily skin still has plenty of time to strike. If you are naturally predisposed to oily skin, it is likely a constant problem that is exacerbated by humid weather in the summer months. If you don’t ordinarily have oily skin, you may notice that you are more prone to a little shine when the weather is warm.

So, since it’s still only August, let’s talk about ways that you can combat oil and shine when you encounter it. Also, feel free to share any good tips you have for managing oily skin!

face mask

Photo by a.drian (via flickr)

Oily skin is caused by overactive sebaceous glands (glands in your skin that secrete sebum – commonly known to the layman as plain old oil). If you have oily skin, it means that your sebaceous glands are producing more oil than strictly necessary to properly lubricate your skin.

It is extremely important when dealing with oily skin to follow a twice daily cleansing routine. Though intuitively you might think that the best product for your skin is an aggressive scrub or cleanser, excessive oil production is often a bodily response to a lack of moisture in the skin or to some sort of irritation. So while you should certainly be using a facial cleanser to wash your face every day, the key is to be gentle and not choose a product that will cause your skin any added stress.

washing face

Photo by madmolecule (via flickr)

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Grooming Trends to Avoid

August 17th, 2010

We hope you don’t  fall prey to one of these unfortunate grooming trends:

Excessive Tanning

Sure, none of us really wants to look like a character from the Twilight series, but you should also try to avoid looking like you just walked off the set of The Jersey Shore. Go for a healthy bronze instead of an overdone tan and you will turn heads for the right reason. We’ve got a self tanner that will do the trick.

tanning man

Photo by felixrothuizen.nl (via flickr)

The “wet hair look”

Excessively sculpted or otherwise gelled hair is a trend that simply will not go gently into that good night.  There’s nothing attractive about a crunchy head or hair spikes that are sharp to the touch. Don’t get us wrong, maintaining your style is a noble endeavor and there are plenty of men’s hair care products out there that will keep you looking sharp, but natural.

spiky hair

Photo by a.drian (via flickr)

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Trend of the Moment: Bicycle Suiting

August 12th, 2010

The bike is an object of beauty –  a relatively simple machine that has the convenient attribute of taking you places in a hurry (Well, not as hurried as a car, but more hurried than walking.)

As NYC and many other American cities are becoming more bicycle-friendly, we’ve been noticing a trend among male cyclists. We’re calling it “Bicycle Suiting” It seems these men have foregone the spandex of old for their everyday work clothes. Might not really be the best idea for hot summer days in the city (of which we can all agree there have been way too many this year) but it looks sort of snazzy, don’t you think?

suit bike

Photo by miz_ginerva (via flickr)

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Problem Solved: Ingrown Hairs

August 10th, 2010

Got a skin care problem? We’ve got solutions. Feel free to leave comments with problems you’d like to see addressed in this section!

shaving

Photo by gcfairch (via flickr)

Today we’re talking about ingrown hairs which, you might know, are  a nasty little problem. Many a brave man lives in fear of his razor blade because of the irritating ingrown hairs shaving is apt to cause.  At Anthony for Men we want you to live without fear – shaving doesn’t have to be torture, and it certainly does not mean condemnation to a lifelong battle against ingrown hairs.

The only way to really solve a problem is to first understand its causes. An ingrown hair is a hair that is trying desperately to break free of the skin but simply can’t. The hair curls and gets trapped below the skin’s surface and it grows back under the skin instead of above. Naturally, this rogue hair is bound to cause not insignificant inflammation and irritation to the surrounding area. To make matters worse, ingrown hairs often become infected. And we probably don’t have to tell you that infected ingrown hairs aren’t exactly the main components of an appealing complexion.

Ok, so now that we are all on the same page about what an ingrown hair is, let’s get down to the important stuff: Preventing them!

  • First and foremost, you’ll want to exfoliate. You should use a facial scrub for men 1-2 times a week. Much more than that and you risk over-exfoliating and over-drying your skin. Exfoliating with a face scrub is the best way to remove dirt, oil, and dead skin cells from your face. These are the 3 bad guys that, when left unchecked, are likely to cause ingrown hairs.

facial scrub for men

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Skin Care for Men: What Does it Mean?

August 5th, 2010

doublerainbow

Photo by jermudgeon (via flickr)

Men’s skin care is a pretty sexy topic in the mainstream media these days. And honestly, can you blame them? Men are waxing, plucking, shaving, and de-shining in record numbers. Who doesn’t want to read stories about how men can remove the hair from those hard to reach places on their backs? No, but seriously, these stories are all over the place and we think they’re pretty cool. However,  for the man new to the world of skin care, grooming, and specialty shaving products for men, it can all be a little overwhelming. So we’ve set out on a mission to answer the simple question: What does it mean?

Say What?

confused

Photo by Marco Arment (via flickr)

Ever read a description of a product and find yourself wondering what it is exactly you’ve just read? Not to worry, it happens to the best of us. But if you’re having trouble figuring it all out, check out our skin care glossary – it’s packed with all the terms you will need to know to be sure of exactly what’s in your products and what they are designed to do. Here are a few examples:

Exfoliant

A chemical or abrasive that removes dead skin cells. Think of those tiny beads that are in facial scrub. Their entire purpose is to exfoliate, or remove excess dirt and dead skin from the area.

Hypoallergenic

Any cosmetic formulated to minimize hostile skin reactions and shown in clinical testing to cause fewer reactions than other products like it. Basically, whenever possible, you want to look for products like these as they are far less likely to cause irritation or adverse reactions.

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The Stylish Traveler

August 3rd, 2010

Traveling is frequently exhausting, frustrating, and inordinately time-consuming. More often than not you arrive at your destination looking (and feeling) rumpled and tired. In an attempt to beat the frumpy traveler’s blues, we have some recommendations for how to look like a million bucks even when you just got off a transatlantic flight that included crying babies, pretzels for dinner, and a $5 pair of headphones with sound quality comparable to that of a tin can phone.

Not a Wrinkle in Time

Always seek out fabrics that don’t wrinkle. Wool comes to mind, as does anything made with silk. These days people even design clothes that don’t wrinkle (the marvels of modern technology!) Dockers has a line of pants they claim you will never have to iron, and that’s something we could really get used to. When packing, keep in mind that rolling clothes as opposed to folding will save space and reduce wrinkles. Finally, when you reach your destination, unpack everything and hang important items to allow wrinkles to fall out.

ironfree pants

Products for a Ramblin’ Man

Don’t get stuck on the road without your favorite products at hand. There are few things worse than trying to shave with the soap they give you for free in hotel rooms. By packing your own products you can keep your skin looking and feeling great even when you’re far away from your own home sweet home. Pick up a travel kit filled with your favorite products and don’t even think about taking another trip without it!

grab and go travel kit

Grab and Go Travel Kit

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Decades In Style

July 29th, 2010

What with the hotly anticipated premiere of Mad Men Season 4, we’ve had fashion and style on our minds. As the 1960s march on and the style of the men and women of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price changes, we were inspired to look back at the fashions and trends of the decades that followed. Read on!

Slick 50s

The 1950s were defined by staid suits and slick hairstyles. Men and women were supposed to adhere to strict gender norms and these cultural values were reflected in the styles that ruled the decade.  Facial hair was a definite no-no and haircuts were short and impeccably kempt.

Don Draper

Mop Top 60s

With a lot of help from The Beatles, the Mop Top became a popular hairstyle for men in the 1960s. Feeling liberated from the clean-cut standards of the 1950s, men in the 1960s began to let their hair down, so to speak. Longer styles came into vogue with these boys from the UK and the rise of hippie culture.

beatles

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