Keeping clean, tidy with manscaping: No more furry beast

Everyone jokes about it. Merely mention it and people will giggle. But "manscaping," a term used to define the grooming of male body hair, is a reality.

For those who missed the metrosexual wave, guys have caught on to taking care of themselves by having their nails manicured, eyebrows waxed, relaxing facials and even body hair removal.

Movies like "American Wedding" even bring the idea to the big screen when Jason Biggs' character trims himself for his bride-to-be. With Web sites like manscaping-101.com, dedicated to helping guys stay in top condition, the art of "manscaping" has become a household term that's ever more present in today's society.

"I am a very well-kept person," junior Tommy Dennis said. "I believe there is such a thing as having too much [body hair] and if you do it right, there is such a thing as having enough."

Dennis said he comes from a family of hairy men and that, as a teenager, he tried to let his body hair grow. But, it got out of control, becoming a nuisance. Now, Dennis said he shaves his chest and trims his underarm hair to keep things in order.

"In my early teenage years before I started trimming and manscaping; I went to the bathroom and my zipper kind of caught some of the hair," he said. "And it wasn't a very pleasant feeling. It hurt like hell."

"As a personal preference I do trim my private areas. I feel a lot cleaner doing it," Dennis said.

Senior Max Henscheid said he trims his torso hair because it can get grizzly at times.

"I feel that you should trim it much as if it were the hair on your head," Henscheid said.

While some men choose to tidy up their body hair for themselves, others do it to become more attractive to the opposite sex.

Freshman Desarae Valdez said she appreciates well-groomed men and encourages the practice.

"I've come to the conclusion that all men have ass hair," Valdez said. "There's really no getting around that. When I see certain men with excessive amounts of body hair, it makes me believe in the theory of evolution."

Even though she accepted the inevitability of male body hair, she prefers a guy who keeps himself trimmed. Although Valdez claims to have friends who like chest hair on men, she is not one of them.

Valdez also said since women spend time shaving their legs, underarms and other regions, guys should put a little effort into maintaining their body hair, as well.

"I think it should be trimmed at the least," she said. "If there's a lot of hair down there I feel like it's dirty. It would be a huge turnoff if they never trimmed it. If I really liked the guy, I would probably just point it out like a joke and tell him I'll help him shave it or wax it for you, or [tell him] we can go get a wax together."

Freshman Toni Monette said body hair on a man is attractive, but looks are only a small part of what attracts her.

"I would probably still date him, though." Monette said. "And tolerate it if all of the other areas were good. If he shaved all of his hair off, it would be kind of strange."

For those who do "manscape," Dennis feels that only a certain amount of time should be spent on keeping things trimmed.

"There are too many things to worry about rather than 'did I shave properly today?'" Dennis said. "Women like a little ruggedness, and a girl doesn't want to feel like she was touching a baby."

Others feel that not enough time is devoted to "manscaping" for most men.

Valdez said she was at a party when a guy decided to moon the camera as a picture was being taken.

"Everyone was just so mortified by the amount of butt hair that he had that no girl would talk to him for the rest of the night," Valdez said. "It was really unattractive. He was a pretty attractive guy, too."

Whether lots of hair is your thing or a modest trim suits you better, the idea of "manscaping" is a debate for both sexes to compromise on. One thing is for sure: it will be a topic of discussion for years to come.

Jared Spence
http://www.unogateway.com/

Bangalore’s one-stop halt to dress up stylish men

Today, dressing up and looking good is no longer a female domain; the urban male too knows how to get the killer look. After all, men have become more style savvy. The Collective, located on Vittal Mallya Road in Bangalore is a place for you .

A ONE-STOP shopping destination for the urban Indian man, The Collective, located on Vittal Mallya Road in Bangalore is a place that will elevate your soul and rejuvenate your mind. It has everything that modern man needs. This all-men’s luxury lifestyle store by Madura Garments Lifestyle Retail Company (MGLRC), an arm of the Aditya Birla Group is a fashion temple for all-male brand bhakts.

Starting from the basics ie underwear, shirt and trousers, socks and shoes; you can also select accessories like tie, cufflinks, watch, wallet, belt and sun glasses to adorn yourself. Want more; pick perfumes, leather goods, electronics and gadgets. The store has best brands for whatever you choose and there are options galore. It has a good collection for all occasions, be it formal, casual or special day like wedding. To name few, you have products from Armani Collezioni, Versace Collection, True Religion, Hugo Boss, Fred Perry, Lanvan, Nooka and etc.

The fashionable store even includes a Paris based unisex salon Jean Claude Biguine, on the first floor, which offers one of the most luxurious experiences. So all you beautiful ladies coming to shop for men, this is the place you too can try out, some of the best hairstylists and beauticians work here. Guys don’t forget to step into the grooming section, it comprises of all grooming goods for the metro-sexual men.
The salon offers a special service ‘Grooming the Groom’ and if the groom goes trousseau shopping in The Collective, the service is absolutely free.

Shopping for your big day, the store has in-house fashion stylist and wedding planner at your service. The wedding section displays designs of leading Indian designers: Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya and Rajesh Pratap Singh. If your wardrobe needs a washing and cleaning, the dry cleaning services are accessible on the ground floor. Once you are done with your shopping, don’t forget to check out The Collective Café, it is worth a try. So folks, if all this doesn’t sound attractive to drive you to the store, here is something one can’t miss: For a limited period customers can treat themselves to a special sale up to 50 per cent. Hurry, before it’s late but mind you be loaded.

http://www.merinews.com/index.jsp

Tried & Tested: Timeless, rugged allure

With its distinctive, subtle scent, Tommy Hilfiger’s Eau De Toilette is one that will surely appeal to all men.

COOL, composed and confident. A man who knows what he wants in life. One with the courage to create new paths to reach his goal. His physique reflects an exciting life. James Bond? Close. Think Sean Connery and Daniel Craig, two icons who inspire the new Hilfiger fragrance collection.

Tommy Hilfiger is a premium lifestyle brand and one of the largest designer apparel brands globally. It markets a broad array of related products including accessories, fragrance and home furnishing.

The new fragrance collection comprises the Eau de Toilette, After Shave Pour, deodorant spray and body wash. The bottle that is the Eau De Toilette in my hand is both modern and vintage in feel, with strong simple lines. The name Hilfiger is boldly engraved on a metal plaque with riveted corners. Cool!

More importantly, it’s easy to like the scent. It’s subtle, always a vital factor in my book. Think first impressions, whether on a date, at an interview or elsewhere.
An accompanying press release says it has a “captivating allure of rugged sensuality”.

I take a few whiffs of its scent and nod in agreement. Hmmm... this I like.

A quick online check reveals that it has “intense notes of suede, sandalwood and citrus infused with papaya, tonka and cashmere wood”, all adding up to a “warm, sexy sensuality”.

So macho and charmingly understated. It should appeal to young men and the young-at-heart. I’m thinking James Dean right now but this seems too retro.

Unsurprisingly, the image long associated with the Hilfiger man is that of classic American style. I almost would want to nostalgically call him the Marlboro Man, but there’s my aversion to cigarettes.

The right focus — and to stay relevant — should of course be on contemporary big-screen action heroes. No matter. It just goes to show that the cool ruggedness of the Hilfiger image is timeless and works, no matter what generation or which era.

The scent is definitely clean, distinctive and masculine. But be forewarned that this is one instance where too much of a good thing will not work.

I find that four squirts may not seem like much initially but the scent turns out to be quite overpowering when I get into the car. I can just imagine what my fellow passengers would think (or are subjected to)!

But the true Hilfiger lover will not mind or worry too much. After all, this is one fragrance that is created for the man who is confident, successful and completely comfortable in his own skin. Think inner strength. I can relate to that!

Meanwhile, my two able lieutenants (my teenage children, no less) have only complimentary adjectives when I subjected them to it. If you know how discerning children are, then you know it has its attractions.