Hitting 2011 with style and fashion

Happy New Year to all you Grooming Guy readers!

After the Christmas break we are back and ready to expand into the new year by offering more than just product reviews and advice. Stay tuned for our new fashion and style channels!

So, a brand new year equals a brand new hair cut. Check out the fresh trim below.

To get this style use TIGI B For Men Matte Separation Workable Wax  (also known as Bed Head) – £9.95 for 75g. Perfect for getting maximum hold with a natural finish. Very pliable which makes styling easy.

The Grooming Guy becomes Poised.co.uk’s Online Grooming Editor

Over the next few months I will be writing a second blog for Poised.co.uk, a new online store dedicated to providing premium grooming, fitness and wellbeing supplies for men.

I will be offering tips and advice on what products can help you to look your best, protect you from the harsh weather, kick the signs of tiredness, beat the effects of ageing, defeat the hangovers and stay looking young.

You can read my first post here http://www.poised.co.uk/blog/news/our-new-grooming-guy/

Grow a Mo for Movember

It’s that time of year again when it is acceptable to grow a handlebar, a Dali or an English moustache. Why? Because it’s Movember and all in aid of prostate cancer.

Movember is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The Movember participants, known as Mo Bros, have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their Mo, raising money for prostate cancer. You can register as an individual or as a team.

The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia. The plan was simple – to bring the moustache back and do something for men’s health. But behind the fun there is a serious message – 36,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.

The initiative has grown globally with official campaigns running this year in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, Finland, The Netherlands, Czech Republic and Australia. Over 253,000 participants raised more than £25.9 million for Movember’s global beneficiary partners in 2009.

Bedford Blues rugby star Sacha Harding, the face of leading shaving brand The Bluebeards Revenge, is an official ambassador for Movember. He told The Grooming Guy:

“It’s that time of year again where I grow a big thick hairy Mo to help raise awareness and funds to help fight prostate cancer,” said Sacha, officially Britain’s manliest man.

“My aim is to raise £10,000 this year and with the help of my team-mates and supporters at Bedford Blues and Bluebeards all over the world, I really think I can meet this target.”

So, grow a Mo for Movemeber – you and your mates can register at http://uk.movember.com Twitter – @MovemberUK

Greed is good…..

With the release of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Gordon Gekko is back on the scene.  The Grooming Guy takes a look at his grooming routine.

Remember…“lunch is for wimps”.

SHAVE

The Gekko probably uses a cut throat razor with a splash of lime juice for lubrication. The Grooming Guy recommends using a double-edge safety razor – check out this handmade razor from The Art of Shaving ($65) http://www.theartofshaving.com

You’ll also need a badger brush ($55 from The Art of Shaving) and a good shaving cream like Truefitt & Hill http://www.truefittandhill.com

FRAGRANCE

If you ask Gordon what fragrance he wears he would probably look you straight in the eye and tell you, “that sweet scent you’re smelling, is the smell of success”. The Grooming Guy recommends capturing the 80s with Antaeus by Chanel (1981), Versace l’Homme by Versace (1984), Trussardi Uomo by Turssardi (1983) and Portos by Aramis (1985).

HAIR

As much as braces were a key component of 80s power dressing, so was an unflappable hair do. Check out Lost Stock & Barrel’s The Daddy Classic Wax (£7.20) http://www.groomingmen.com

SKIN

Mr. Gekko probably uses sandpaper or a cheese grater to exfoliate with and he more than likely moisturises with a mix of Caviar and Dodo juice. The Grooming Guy recommends Jack Black Face Buff Energising Scrub (£16.50) www.getjackblack.com and Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisturiser (£30.50) http://www.kiehls.co.uk to keep your skin looking sharp.

Pomade is back!

If you are a fan of the hit TV series Mad Men, then you will know Don Draper has become a style icon. Razor sharp suits, clean shaven, ‘businessman’ hair cut and ‘woody’ fragrances, complete the retro 60s look. And with the resurgence of retro hairstyles comes the resurrection of old school hairstyling products.

Pomade is making its way back, but with a ‘modern’ twist. Most Pomades are water based, so they wash out easily and there’s no more unwanted wax build-up. So, if you’re going for the retro look, then here are some products to help you create the ‘businessman’ hair-do:

If you want authentic, then reach for Baxter of California Pomade. This is the stuff they actually use on the set of Mad Men. It’s a blend of wax and oils, which gives hold and shine to hair without weighing it down. BoC’s grooming line was developed in Los Angeles back in the fast paced world of advertising in the mid 1960’s. http://www.baxterofcalifornia.com

Black and White Genuine Pluko Pomade is a barbers favourite. It is a firm but pliable dressing that allows you to mould and style, whilst giving strong hold. It’s lightly fragranced with coconut oil, so it smells great too. http://www.blackandwhitewax.com

Grant’s Golden Brand Pomade harks back to legendary old school pomades. The packaging looks like it’s just stepped out of a 1960s barber shop. It’s a medium weight, water based pomade that gives hair a high gloss with a very strong hold. http://www.grantsgoldenbrand.com

And of course, your retro styling armoury is not complete without a comb. Check out this handmade, fine toothed folding comb from Kent. Kent’s handmade combs are saw cut, and then hand polished and buffed to create soft rounded teeth that will not damage your hair or scalp. http://www.kentbrushes.com