Don't let yourself go or you may bemistaken for your dad

I SPENT the last week in such a sorry state.

It was horrifying because I lost all will to groom. Everywhere I went, I had to apologise for my lack of hair product.

I looked and felt like hell.

It seemed that all I could do was muster enough strength to shower, shampoo and wash my face.
Even brushing my teeth felt like a mammoth task.

Squirting cologne took determination too.

My friends think I'm a drama queen (although I was looking more and more like a serf) but, be kind, even fabulous takes the occasional holiday.

The slide started the week before and I was determined to put down my final pack of candy and do something about it because I refuse to give in.

I am now at the stage in my life when a few shots of Botox is no longer for vanity but for courtesy's sake.

And at this point, you've got to make an effort.

So I started looking around at products to beautify myself.

Confidence

Some men think they are exempt from beautification but really, no one is because it does wonders for your self confidence.
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I once chatted with two men who were of the same age. But looking at them, they might as well have been father and son.

And true to conventional thinking, the younger looking guy was confident and had a swagger, while the friend looked and acted like the lowly sidekick.

It seems to be an automatic response.

When you feel you look good, things will happen for you.

Don't be so vain that you'll force your spouse out of her sink-top space. And if it takes more than 20 minutes to complete your regime, you have crossed the line from being aware to being obsessed.

Still, if you're curious about new discoveries, you'll spend a pleasant afternoon trying out new products and learning how to use them.

It will be perplexing for first-timers but it will be worth it.

And when you feel as good as you look, everything should fall in place, fingers crossed.
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DON'T BE SCARED TO USE THESE, GUYS

1. The Vichy Homme Purifying Cleansing Gel is one of my favourite new discoveries. This soap-free non-drying cleanser ($19 now, usually $21.90) has Vichy's signature thermal spa water, which is of volcanic origin and rich in rare minerals. The range has been tested on Asian male skin and has been found suitable even for sensitive skin. I like it too because it smells great. The skincare range is affordable because all items in the range are under $40.

2. If your skin is dull because of stress, try L'Oreal's Hydra Energetic Turbo Booster ($27.90).

It has Vitamin C, pro-Phosphore (which stimulates the production and storage of 'energy fuel' for the skin) and peppermint leaf extract, which helps to reinforce your skin's natural resistance to stress.

3. Later this month, Clinique will launch a new whitening range called Derma White, with five new products. There is one that men might want to use. Although the term 'whitening' might scare you off, these lighten dark spots due sun damage. So if you've been doing sports without sunscreen, you might want to think about this.
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The Derma White Brightening Moisture Mask ($79) is easy to use: Apply thrice a week for 10 minutes, then rinse your face.

4. The Good Skin Labs range of products is fast becoming my go-to brand for affordable skincare.

It is also the brand that introduced the Tri-Aktiline eye product, which is helpful in reducing lines around the eyes,

The latest product is Smooth-365 serum ($82) is an anti-aging treatment that provides almost instant improvements to the skin.

5. Never underestimate the appeal of nice feet.
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Discoloured toe nails are a real turnoff, and with Singapore being such a slipper nation, maintaining your toes should be a priority.

Scholl's Discoloured Toenail Treatment ($15.50) combines remedial toenail healthcare and it'll pretty up your toe nails.It reduces yellowing and discolouration, but does not treat fungal nail infections (which is something your doctor should look at anyway).

6. Come on guys, admit it - you worry about that spotty nose too.

The Men's Biore Black Pore Pack ($4.95) removes blackheads, and we know how a noseful of blackheads can ruin your day.

It also contains oil-absorbing powder to help control sebum and the menthol provides a cooling sensation. And, really, the black is pretty cool too.

By Yeoh Wee Teck
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg

Real Men Exfoliate

Michael Slater's skincare regimen goes way beyond shaving his facial fuzz.

The 50-year-old retired police officer uses only soap-free cleanser and alcohol-free toner, he slathers on moisturizer with sun block, and he dabs on eye cream to keep his skin looking youthful.

In the evening, he performs a similar routine, replacing the moisturizer with a night repair cream for wrinkles. He exfoliates every week and gets monthly facials.

"If you look good, you feel good," says Slater, a Palma Ceia resident who uses a men's line from Derma Swiss. "Taking care of your skin is another way of taking care of yourself, like going to the gym. My mother and my sisters always told me, 'Take care of your skin, your hair and your nails.' It's become a way of life."

Slater, who works out regularly and shuns red meat, says it's not uncommon for friends, men and women, to ask him what products he uses to keep his skin looking so good.

"A lot of men are intimidated by beauty products because they don't know what to look for. No woman wants to be with a guy that looks like Shrek. I want to look good for my wife. She appreciates it. I think they call it 'metrosexual.' But I don't like sticking labels on myself. I just want to look the best I can."

Men no longer have to secretly dip into a girlfriend or wife's wrinkle cream, thanks to an expanding beauty market aimed specifically at guys.

Mintel Beauty Innovation, a leading market research company, tracked more than 500 new men's personal care products in the United States last year, a substantial increase from the 375 launched in 2007. Men's personal grooming sales surged from $15 billion in 2005 to more than $17 billion in 2008, with skincare leading the pack.

Mintel's research also showed that 85 percent of men mostly use grooming products designed specifically for them, while 7 percent use unisex products.

Marketers of men's products say there has been a shift in cultural attitudes that makes it more acceptable for men to primp and preen and still feel plenty macho.

"Men's grooming is getting a higher profile," says Patricia Finn, director of marketing and product development for the Jack Black line of men's products. "It's become a lot more visible. Men feel it's not only OK to take care of their skin and look good; they feel they have to do it so they can look better down the line."

With its masculine product names and handsome blue and black packaging, Jack Black's products are simple to use and designed to appeal to the male consumer ( www.getjackblack.com).

"We were among the first companies to specifically target men," Finn adds. "Now we're seeing a new competitor every day."

In the past few years, upscale, guy-specific lines like Jack Black, Anthony Logistics and Zihr have grown in popularity. And brands known to cater predominately to women such as Avon, Lancome, Nivea, and Ole Henriksen have launched lines devoted entirely to men. Even rapper 50 Cent is introducing a men's skincare line.

"Men are out of the closet when it comes to grooming products," says Ole Henriksen, who founded his namesake retail skincare line in 1999.

When Henriksen opened his Face/Body Spa in Los Angeles, most of his clients begged for secrecy.

Taking care of your skin was associated with being feminine or girly," says Henriksen, whose clients include David Bowie, Prince and Hugh Jackman. "That attitude has completely changed. Today a man will walk into a store and ask for a face scrub or mask as easily as he would a shaving cream."

Last year, Henriksen introduced his men's line and put it in a kit aptly called "Men's Kit." It features a cleanser, hair wash, facial moisturizer and scrub ($70, www.olehenriksen.com) and is quickly becoming a best-seller.

"You want your skin in the healthiest condition possible," Henriksen says. "And everyone wants smooth, supple, clear skin - even men."

Men have specific skincare needs. They have to deal with razor burn and ingrown hairs from shaving. Their skin also tends to be oilier than a woman's.

But even if there are special products and tools just for them, convincing guys to use them takes a little strategy. Packaging, for instance, must take the male mind into account, says Valee Gallant, communications manager for ACE for men, a company that began selling men's grooming implements last year.

ACE took popular grooming tools - tweezers, clippers and brushes - and made them larger, added grips and made them more masculine ( www.aceformen.com).

"Men don't want to go to the pink aisle to get tweezers and clippers that are made for women," Gallant says. "They want products that look masculine. They don't want to feel too metrosexual; it's become a bad word. They just want to feel like men."

Scott Braun agrees with that assessment.

The 45-year-old graphic designer's regimen includes products from Aveda Men and a line called aMENity. He also uses pure aloe vera on his face from a plant he grows at home.

"It's foolish for a man not to take care of his skin," says the Ybor City resident. "Your face is the first thing people see. You want to project a nice appearance."

Reporter Cloe Cabrera can be reached at (813) 259-7656 or ccabrera@tampatrib.com. a shift in cultural attitudes that makes it more acceptable for men to primp and preen and still feel plenty macho

http://www.tbo.com/

Garbos in, bankers out

Bankers and travel workers worried about job security may consider rubbish collecting or selling skin care products to men as gloom descends on the employment front.

Other potential losers as job cuts mount include tyre manufacturers, boat builders and - to the dismay of few - real estate agents.

New job openings are likely to become harder to find as the economy teeters on the brink of a recession and employers place new hirings on ice or cull staff numbers.

Glimmers of jobs growth, though, are appearing, according to IBISWorld, a research firm. These include the market for consumer goods touting a ''feel good'' factor for buyers, especially for men in need of a bit of a spruce up (perhaps before that next job interview.)

''The 'manscaping' trend is...growing; with men becoming increasing aware of skin care regimes and products specifically marketed to men will deliver a boost to companies producing male-oriented grooming products,'' IBISWorld said.

''The result will be openings for more cosmetic and toiletry salespeople, as well as laboratory technicians and those involved in the manufacturing side of the business.''

Job losses ahead

Tips on job-hunting are likely to be in demand, as the economy stalls, sending jobless numbers skyward.

On Thursday, labour figures out for December are likely to show a fall of 20,000 jobs, economists predict, nudging the jobless rate up to 4.5%, from 4.4% in November. Most analysts predict that rate to rise to 6% or higher in 2009.

As in many countries, the financial sector has been among the hardest hit by the economic crisis, with ANZ Bank and GE Money among those announcing big staff cuts, with more to come.

''(C)ommercial banks will be forced to cut jobs, with many of the losses to come from middle management as operators attempt to rationalise their hierarchies,'' said IBIS World general manager Robert Bryant in a statement. A number of foreign banks will also exit the market, ''resulting in major job cuts,'' he said.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/

Serious Skin Care for Men. But Do They Need It?

Women are very interested in the science of skin care, particularly as they age. As those wrinkles and lines form, as they notice their skin starting to sag and look less youthful, they begin to consider the use of good skin care products. But what about skin care for men?

For men, skin care can be something that they never consider. The closest they may come will often be the use of an aftershave so that they smell better. However there are good reasons why they ought to consider high quality skin care for men.

You see skin care isn't just about looking good, although more and more men are also becoming interested in their looks. But skincare for men is also about health. Because our skin is the biggest organ in our bodies, and just like other organs our skin is affected by age, and can become unhealthy.

Often if our skin is unhealthy that's a reflection of our general state of health. Unhealthy skin, unhealthy inside. So serious skin care for men, or for that matter women, doesn't just involve the use of high quality skin care products, though of course that's essential.

Good mens skin care involves a total approach. If unhealthy inside equals unhealthy skin, then healthy inside equals healthy skin. And this is equally true for women. So good diet, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a good exercise regime both contribute to overall health, and good skin health.

And there's 2 things that men should never do if they want to maintain overall skin health. The first is to smoke and the second is to avoid sunburn. Both are extremely damaging to the skin, and both can lead to serious skin problem.

Smoking, for example causes vascular problems, and poor blood circulation is not good for the skin. And sunburn can lead to serious skin problems, including skin cancer.

So men, like women, should take care of their overall health as a part of a good skin care routine. Good skin care for men starts exactly where it starts for women.

And for men, skin care should also involve the use of high quality skin care products and anti aging products. Men also should be able to maintain healthy skin that keeps adequate levels of moisture, for example. And which has good levels of collagen and elastin, 2 essential skin proteins that help maintain skin complexion, suppleness, youthfulness and skin elasticity.

As men age their skin loses skin collagen and skin elastin, and it's essential to replace these. Using a skin care product that has collagen and elastin in it won't replace the lost collagen and elastin as the molecules of these 2 skin proteins are too large to penetrate the skin, so remain on the surface.

But modern science has found a way to stimulate the skin to produce more of it's own collagen and elastin, and the best skin care products in the world contain ingredients that will replace lost collagen and elastin like that. Way more effective than trying to replace them by adding them to the bottle and hoping they go in, which they won't.

So for men, as for women, a total approach is needed to skin care. Serious skin care for men requires a healthy lifestyle, avoiding smoking and sunburn, and the use of the worlds best skin care products.

The worlds best mens skin care products aren't found on the shelves of your local department store, just as the worlds best womens skin care products aren't found there either. You have to track them down, they're made by a small niche skin care company.

So men, skin care is important. Be serious about skin care for men, and you, and your skin, will be healthy and look great, and serve you well into old age.

Skin Care for Them Will Make You Feel Like Flying

It is no secret that traveling since 9/11 has included many extra precautions. I have since started wearing sandals to the airport in order to appease both the security people and the aggravated travelers in line behind me that still find the security precautions and the request to remove their shoes both bothersome and surprising.

Many women have been forced to leave cosmetics behind or mail them home, thus giving men an excuse to take the rugged vacation look to a new extreme. Fret no more ladies, do you miss his soft, supple, fresh skin?

Menscience.com has heard your pleas and created a travel kit that is full of luxurious items for him, very pleasing to her, and appeasing to the TSA. What more can a girl ask for her man? Only that he use the items in the stunning kit while spoiling her on a tropical island.

The kit includes- Travel-sizes of Menscience.com’s most popular products; scientifically developed for men and free of fragrance, dyes and irritants to provide the highest levels of quality and results.

Contents:

• Advanced Shave Formula - 2 oz

• Daily Face Wash - 2 fl oz

• Advanced Face Lotion - 2 fl oz

• Post-Shave Repair - 2 fl oz

• Daily Shampoo - 2 fl oz

• Advanced Deodorant - 2.6 oz

• Advanced Lip Protection - 0.5 oz

• Night Sleep Mask

• Advanced Ear Plugs

• Personal Travel Bag

You can order the kit at MenScience for a reasonable price. In fact it is so reasonable you might convince him to stay away an extra night or two! In addition, to being foot loose and fancy free, in no time at all your man will have chosen his favorite items from the kit, for use all the time. For more about what the TSA allows on a plane visit TSA on the web.

http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/gift-guide-for-men/60176.htm