Suited For: Renaissance Man Common Man
Let's break this down. Based on our highly regarded officially (un)scientific method of going around the office and surveying process, an overwhelming percentage of the respondents said.... yes, absolutely shave or "clean up" in some shape or form. Specifically two-thirds of the office (men and women - thank goodness) said, they shave. And close to half of the office said, they trim their pits. Reasons varied, however. A small percentage of the office said, they shave for athletic reasons - some of these guys are hardcore tri-athletes, swimmers (some shave beyond their armpits and regularly shave their legs and who knows what else). Most of the dudes who shave or trim their pits, also said their primary reason was related to aesthetics. When you break this down further, the core reasons varied even more. Some shaved because their significant other preferred it "clean" (we're talking about wives and girlfriends liking clean pits). Some said, it was more "comfortable" with trimmed or shaven pits. And some said, they've tried shaving because they were curious.... okay!
So whatever you decide to do, we won't judge. As a matter of fact all above reasons are good and hygienic reasons to shave or trim your pits. But if you do decide to shave or trim, how should you do it? 1. Similar to shaving, trim it wet (if possible). Use a waterproof beard trimmer. Water, especially warm water (in the shower) will soften and prevent pulled hair. Your pits will thank you. And if you're going to shave, apply shaving cream jus as you would on your face then shave once with, then against grain of your hair for a smooth armpit. You can always ask your girlfriend / wife about how to do it... they (should) be the experts. 2. For those trimming - keep it (relatively) short, but not too short. The idea is to keep it short and well groomed, but not too short where it can irritate your skin. This of course will depend on the hair type: straight, curly, soft, rough, etc. Experiment with it! 3. Soothe thy pits. After trimming and especially post shave, do remember to clean thoroughly and apply aftershave balm and/or lotion. Your pits are vey sensitive and this will help soothe your skin. Be careful (unless you're a brave soul) not to apply the alcohol based shave balm.... or remember that kid from Home Alone? Let us know how it turned out and what your best practices are for your pits via email, FB, Twitter, etc. We'd love to know. by ManPossible
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Suited For: Common Man
The book was embodied in a navy blue hardcover with the words written in a clean white Helvetica-like font (as one would expect from a grooming book). It's available now for $30 and would make an interesting gift [for your husband, boyfriend, dad, male friend, heck a female friend] just in time for the holidays. As loyal followers of ManPossible, you all know the importance of maintaining and grooming yourself and taking pride in not only how you appear, but in the way you feel. Chris does a good job of dispensing and tailoring grooming guidance to fit a man's daily grooming needs.
Part 2, the meat of the book, details out the grooming needs for five different types of men: - The Modern Gentleman: What it takes to be a polished and on point today - The Hands-On man: How-To's and hacks for the guy who gets things done - The Extreme Dude: Practical advice for the man who pushes limits - The Rebel Artist: A few rules for thriving against the grain - The Renaissance Man: A thoughtful approach to maintaining body and soul In short, it's filled with relatively honest and straight to the point tips all men can benefit from. It also features interviews with real men - that makes it interesting from a practical perspective. One surprising aspect of the book is that aside from Kiehl's visual mention and logo print on the cover of the book, the book does a great job of staying product agnostic (to my surprise, it really did not push for Kiehl's products). Great job! This book is sure to make a great coffee table book... I mean a bathroom countertop read... and is a book that you can actually use, daily... just don't forget to entertain your guests in your bathroom. by ManPossible
What is a Man Bun? This week, Groupon's promo [re]stirred the "man bun" craze. So for those who aren't exactly sure what a man bun is, let's start with a definition. A bun is is a type of hairstyle wherein the hair is pulled back from the face, twisted or plaited, and wrapped in a circular coil around itself, typically on the back of the head or neck... according to Wikipedia. A man bun, therefore, is a man who sports such hair do. Here are some historical and celebrity figures who have sported man buns: 1. Terracotta Worriors 2. Samuri Worriors 3. Buddah 4. Chris Hemsworth (pic) 5. Leonardo DiCaprio 6. Brand Pitt 7. Wannabe Hipsters (aka interns) at ManPossible etc. etc. We try to bring you interesting grooming (and lifestyle) stories from around the world. So when we ran across this article, originally appeared on NPR, we had to share it with you.... especially since MP loves our 4 legged K9 friends. The original article can be found here at For Taiwanese Dogs, Being Square is Stylish. In Taiwan, it's not enough just to get your dog groomed regularly. These days, owners are asking for their four-legged friends to become geometric shapes, like spheres and squares. I first saw the trend this spring, when adorable creatures with heads styled into perfect squares started showing up across my social feeds. So to really see the square cut done right, I had to see it for myself. With the help of local producer Fanny Liu, we went to the man who made it a viral sensation. He's Mo Ming Fung, or Xiao Mo. And he runs a grooming shop that's become ground zero for special-request cuts. On this day, we have a front-row seat as he styles an 8-year-old Bichon Frise named Tang Xiong Xiong. If done right, her head will go from a white puff of fur into a precisely shaped square. "I've just given her a blowout and am about to design the head shape," he says. Xiao Mo takes his work seriously. He uses eight different kinds of shears and scissors to make the square shape. One of his special grooming scissors costs about $3,000. So getting your dog groomed by Mo will cost you, too — about $75 a cut. He didn't become a master groomer overnight. Mo has spent the past 13 years perfecting his skills, grooming dogs' heads into squares, spheres, triangles, flowers and, lately, pushing for even more possibilities. "I want to improve my skills," he says. "These days, I'm working on cut in the shape of an [old model] Apple computer monitor, which looks round from the back. I want to perfect it, so I won't start teaching others until I think the style is ready." Why did canine topiary become such a thing in Taiwan? Mo suggests it has to do with the country's low human birth rate — Taiwan joins Japan and South Korea as having some of the world's lowest birth rates — and the power of social sharing. "Groomers have tried geometric shape styles before. But it started to attract people's attention this year, mostly because people posted photos on social media paired with interesting headlines," he says. After a nearly 45-minute cut, our Bichon Frise's new 'do is done. Her owner, Paul Chiang, is here to pick her up. Xiao Mo carries her out with a giant pink bow on her collar. "To be honest, I was a little afraid at the square design, that it might make her look odd," Chiang says. "But this is great, actually. I'm very impressed by the artistry of the groomer." But what does the dog think? "She's getting used to it, I think," Chiang says. Her human friends certainly approve. Photos of Tang Xiong Xiong's new 'do end up fetching hundreds of likes on social media. [Let us know your thoughts via comments below.] by ManPossible Photos used under CC from Paul Stevenson WomanPossible? JustPossible! Very interesting. If Shiseido can transform these high school boys into "girls", imagine what amazing possibilities it holds for you?... minus the 50 entourage of world's best makeup artists... Lol.
So, what the heck is it? Loofah or luffa is that dry mesh like sponge substance you may have seen in your girlfriend’s bathroom and/or at a spa lounge. We’ll come back to it’s use (mostly scrubbing) in a second, but let’s tackle why it’s called a loofah / luffa? According to Wikipedia, it’s a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the cucumber family. When the fruit is fully ripened it is very fibrous. The fully developed, then dried fruit / vegetable is the source of loofah / luffa. It usually requires around 150 to 200 days to dry the fruit / vegetable. You then, simply peel the skin. Then abracadabra – you now have this magical scrubbing sponge for your grooming needs… Essentially the scrubber is meant to exfoliate and lather suds around your body making it ever so soft. A few tips – This all natural scrubber is biodegradable and is such a wonderful grooming product. BUT, it is also a perfect home for the bacteria…. If not taken care of properly after each grooming use. Here’s why. Your loofah / luffa scrubs dead skin cells off of your body. Likely, when you’re done scrubbing, most of you would leave it sitting in your bathtub or shower until next time. Unfortunately, this is also the opportune moment for bacteria to party on your “love sofa”.
So here’s what you should do in order to minimize your luffa from becoming the “love sofa” for the bacteria:
There you have it ladies and gents. You now know what loofah / luffa is, how to make one, and maintain its healthy use. by ManPossible
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