When I was sitting in the studio makeup chair the other day and speaking to our stylist—said nobody ever in local news. One of the biggest misconceptions of the (local) TV news industry is that we have all the bells and whistles of a network setup equipped with a catered greenroom. Ha!
I say this because there is one thing I wear every single day whether I’m on-air or not—my face. Other than shaving, there isn’t much else men focus on when it comes to the ol’ mug. As I’m learning past 30—we should. I’m starting to. It’s easier than you think.
Let’s begin with the obvious—facial hair. For those like me who need or prefer a clean shave look, know this: Men will spend 3,000 hours shaving over a lifetime. Let’s be better than using a 19-blade razor with micro-beaded hydro-goop that smells like a car air freshener.
Men began shaving around 330 BC by using sharpened stones and clamshells—ocean fresh! Those men who were unshaven were called “Brooklynites”—I mean—“Barbarians” because they were un-barbered. Our manlier grandfathers likely did it best. Using shave soap or cream, lather with warm water in a mug or bowl and use what’s called a double-edge safety razor or Merkur. I use a cream called Proraso ($10 Amazon.com) with a Merkur razor ($30 royalshave.com or antique shops for vintage).
It takes a few tries and nicks to the skin to get used to it. But, when you do, it’ll give you the closest shave at home. Double-edge razors can be found on eBay for $10 for a 100-pack. That’s a fresh blade twice a week for a year! Compare that to $10 for 5 Mach 3 blades.
Since this month is “Movember,” make sure all of you barbarians check out Chops Barbershop in Midtown for beard products, soaps and aftershaves that’ll make you smell like Ron Burgundy’s apartment.
Between scraping your face with steel, sun exposure, workout sweat and all those dehydrated mornings from a previous night’s indulgence (shout out to those reading this in Zeroday’s bathroom), a man’s face gets beat up on a regular basis.
Most women in my life have face regimens that rival a NASA checklist before launch. For men, just like dancing, the safest moves involve two-steps.
A daily face wash and moisturizer with SPF is the best way to go. But, here’s the thing—the cheaper the creams, the more money you’re losing. The best product I’ve used is “SOOTHE” from Rodan + Fields. This is the only stuff that’s helped me battle razor burn. I was skeptical, but my wife convinced me.
I know men get the benefit of being called distinguished as we age. However, there’s something to be said for not looking like a leather Shar Pei later in life. As a self-trained stylist, novice makeup artist and person who wants to keep an on-air gig, it doesn’t hurt to pay more attention to the moneymaker. There’s always groom to grow.
Now, in the spirit of a good groom, here’s my cocktail of the month:
“Close Shave”
2 ounces bourbon (Booker’s)
1 ounce ginger liqueur (SNAP)
Dashes of orange bitters
Stir over ice, strain into glass, garnish with orange peel—feel the burn.
Author: Dave Marcheskie
