Grooming is indeed a game of inches in which little in often brings the biggest pay-offs. Follow our 9 genius grooming moves to ensure you always look your absolute best!
1. Know your skin type
If you donât already know it, find out now – Like, ASAP!
Using the wrong products wonât just fail to get the results you crave (a clear and fresh face), but it may also cause irritations and other facial issues that otherwise wouldnât even be a problem.
Your skin needs balance in order to look on point â and a basic understanding of your complexion is the only way to achieve this.Â
A very relevant, but absolute no-go is, for example, using a product designed for dry skin if you have an oily complexion and struggle with impurities. This will then only result in congestion and breakouts.
But⊠Wait a minute â how, then, do you actually determine what camp you fall into? Well, guys, thatâs actually the easiest part:
Wash your face and then wait two hours.Â
If your skin feels uncomfortably tight, youâve got dry and possibly even sensitive skin.
If, in contrast, your face becomes shiny and greasy, youâre on the oily side.
– A mix of the two? Your skin is most likely of the combined type.
Once you got your skin type locked down, reading the labels of your lotions and face washes is all you got to do to find out what suits your skin â and what doesnât!
2. Keep it simple, bro
Yes, we know⊠Right now, your skin probably looks pretty good all by itself â and it actually doesnât require an extremely technical skin-care routine to keep it that way â so donât overcomplicate things, bro.
Instead, we recommend you to build an extremely streamlined three-step âcleanse, tone and moisturizeâ grooming routine. Consequently, helping you spend less time grooming and more time looking sharp (Now weâre talking, right?)
3. Stick with your hairdresser through thick and thin
A good hairdresser is a straight up gift from the gods of grooming!
As Emil explains: âOne of my absolute best advice is to find a hairdresser or barber who you like and trust to cut your hair and then stick with them â then youâve got a friend in need in case of a serious hair crisis!â
However, a world class friendship with your hairdresser takes time. It may require trying different kinds â and not being afraid to ask friends and family with a similar hairstyle for advice.
Choosing a hairdresser and sticking to him or her means theyâll be able to learn specifically how your hair works, what you like and, finally, recommend new hairstyle trends and tendencies to try in the future.
4. Go hit that gymÂ
Guess what â the secret to looking fresh and groomed to perfection isnât strictly at the bottom of a $70-dollar facial cream. Itâs at the end of your legs!
Exercise is one of the absolute best ways for looking- and feeling great!
Besides the obvious health gains from a regular workout routine, hitting the gym also benefits your face as youâre boosting your facial skin with a dose of oxygenated blood, whenever you workout.
For your face to benefit from you hitting that gym, you need to combine high-intensity exercise with steady state cardio 30 minutes at least three times a week.
5. Watch your mouth
Yellow teeth will forever be a deal breaker. No doubt there.
However, no amount of teeth whitening will make your mouth healthier nor cleaner.
Whatâs vital here is looking carefully after your teeth and step up the technique to doing so: brush in circular motions and for at least 2 minutes, flossing daily and swilling water around your mouth after you’ve drunk a cup of coffee.
6. Always invest in quality products
For economic reasons, it may be tempting to lean on cheap products.
Nevertheless, this is not always a good idea in the long run â as the cheapest products usually are packed with harsh chemicals, such as parabens and phthalates, which do more harm than good.
In this case, our pro tip â and this includes both skincare – and hair products: Seek out a small number of favorites and vow to spend that little extra on those. Trust us, itâs going to be totally worth it!
7. Always use protection
We love sunshine! Sadly, our skin isnât such a big fan⊠On top of increasing the risk of skin cancer, UV rays are also one of the main causes of premature aging.
While the sun provides us with essential D-vitamin, it also forces the collagen of the skin to break down at a much higher pace than normal, ultimately resulting in wrinkles and an uneven skin tone (and thatâs just not coolâŠ)
Ultimately, protecting your skin against the sun is single-handedly the most important step to keeping your skin in tip-top shape and to looking younger for longerâŠ
And, since we know you donât wanna look like a mix between a sharpie and a raisin, you need to start slathering on SPF moisturizer every single morning.
–Â Yes, all year round, and yes, even when youâre extremely hungover…
8. Fight thinning hair
We know â itâs NOT cool and maybe even kinda embarrassing: No man likes to admit that his hairâs not as thick and voluminous as it once was.
Even though it might be a bit tough at first, youâre actually better off acknowledging the fact that the top of your head is thinning and focus on tailoring your haircut to work around it.
As you may already know, your hair starts thinning on to before the sides and itâs the difference in density that will make it look thinner than it really is.
Pro tip: Go for a buzz cut â with traditional short back and sides â as it evens out the two density and makes your hair seem thicker.
Use a matte styling clay that adds texture and absorbs the light to make you look thicker up top!
9. The right beard chooses YOU
Even the best groom can get spoil with the wrong beard. True story!
But… How to pick a style that suits you and your face?
Itâs the golden mixture of hair growth, facial shape and lifestyle. Got a long face? Grow a bit more hair on the cheeks to fill out your face. In contrast, a round face needs to watch the width.
Essentially, itâs all about rebalancing the proportions of your facial structure to achieve a fit, groomed look.
A rule of thumb is settling with short styles to help accentuate bone structure and hide odd features like chubby cheeks or weak chins. Or… Maybe even try out a prominent mustache, surrounded by long stubbles?
BONUS TIP: You are what you eat
Lastly, watch what you put in your mouth!
You might not be aware of this, but only a single percentage of how we age comes from genetics, the rest is down to external factors such as the above-mentioned sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, pollution and⊠Youâve guessed it: DIET!
Accordingly, we recommend you to especially eat food high in vitamin A such as kale, spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots â all of which are superfoods perfect for increasing your resistance to bacteria and improve the overall health of your skin.
You donât have to ban sweets, alcohol and junk food altogether â a few indulgences is an important part of living the sweet life, but a continuously bad diet will hurt you, your body and looks in the long run.
Ultimately, in this case, our #1 pro tip is as follows: Consume less salt, drink more water and stock heavily up on vegetables.
Ready to get groomed? Let us know in the comments below what’s your favorite grooming move!