Lab Series for Men is the men's
line from Estee Lauder and Aramis formulated to cleanse, moisturize and protect your skin. Choose from several shaving products like Max Comfort shave Cream, Razor Burn Relief Plus and Electric Shave Solution to prep, soothe and moisturize that sensitive beard area. Use Super Lift Off AHA/BHA Face Lotion with SPF 15 to moisturize, exfoliate and protect your skin. $11-$37.50

                                                                                             

Launched in 1976, Clinique Skin Supplies for men has an extensive line that is very popular. Based on a 3-step skin care system the products are allergy tested and fragrance free. This line is formulated a little tougher to meet men's special skin care needs with face soaps in 2 strengths, Scruffing Lotion in 4 strengths from sensitive to very oily skin, an invigorating face and body scrub, M lotion for both home and travel and a non-streak face bronzer. Shaving can be very drying to the skin and so they developed Shave Cream and Post- Shave Healer to deal with painful ingrown hairs that make the process a smooth daily activity. All the products are moderately priced from $8.00 to $24.50

American Crew offers a full line of hair and shave products with natural ingredients like Rosemary & Thyme, and all pH balanced. With several shampoos, hair gels, conditioners, Pomade, Texture Cream, Grooming Spray, Scrub, soaps, and a newly launched larger shaving product line, these products are a must. They've been in my makeup kit for years now. And I love the Thickening Lotion! $6.50-$12.50

Sebastian International has made a hit in the salon market with products like Performance Active Texturizer, (for taming very curly hair or adding texture without the heavy product feel), Performance Active Treatment, (a shampoo great for active men to strip hair of sweat, chlorine and excess product), Xtah Twisted Taffy (creates soft moveable texture with little hold) and Xtah Shampaste, (great smelling, deep cleaning shampoo that leaves in a little conditioner in a toothpaste like package). The packaging is as innovative as the products. I love the Collection Dry Clean Only - an in-between shampoo hair refresher for those lunch hour work outs when there's no time to shampoo, but you want the look, feel and fragrance of freshly washed hair. Priced moderately you can look good and take your lady out on the town. All the Sebastian products are winners and their promotional photography is terrific too!

Dermalogica:  Celebrity makeup artist Beate Petruccelli used Dermalogica’s Shave products, including Close Shave Oil and Post-Shave Balm, to care for Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges’ skin in the Oscar buzz Western adventure, ‘True Grit.’ Bridges also “loves” Active Moist and Special Cleansing Gel. “I also used Solar Defense Booster as a base on our exterior days,” said Petruccelli. She also told us, “As you know, we use a wide variation of products every day... but I must say when it comes to basic skin care Dermalogica is still everyone’s favorite.”

o   Post-Shave Balm cools skin after shaving and helps prevent ingrown hairs. This product is also a fave of the vampires and werewolves on the set of ‘Twilight’!

o   Active Moist is oil free, leaving skin hydrated but not shiny. Working outside for the day, like the ‘True Grit’ cast? Add a drop of Solar Defense Booster SPF30 to your daily moisturizer for instant sun protection!

 

·         UltraCalming Cleanser is a must-have on the set of the newest X-Men movie, ‘X-Men: First           Class.’ Makeup artist Clarice Gill calls the products “amazing!”

  This creamy cleanser is ideal for calming skin after a long day of makeup application and environmental assaults. Since this unique cleanser doesn’t require water, it is a convenient go-to choice for Hollywood makeup artists.

 

·         ‘No Strings Attached’ makeup department head Tracey Levy said “everyone loved using [Dermalogica] on the movie.” Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF30 and Antioxidant HydraMist were among the Dermalogica products on the set of this film, starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman.

o   Antioxidant HydraMist gives skin an instantly youthful appearance with its flash-firming properties. And no need to worry about spritzing on top of your already-made-up face – it leaves skin hydrated and dewy without destroying makeup! Stash a travel size of this mist in your clutch and you’ll stay refreshed all night long, whether you’re walking the red carpet or going out with friends.

Some men have had a question regarding in-grown beard hairs and blemishes. We zapped that with Judith August Zit Zapper, pencil which also has healing ingredients $12.95. You can use concealer pencils, wands or sticks to hide redness, dark circles and age spots. Be sure to find a shade very close to your own skin tone. Just dot it on and blend with your finger.

Use a bronzer on your cheeks, temples, nose-bridge and chin … anywhere the sun might hit you. They come in roll up stick form, pressed compact powder, liquid and gel. Dot in on and blend it in with your fingers. You'll look tan without the sun damage. Get in the habit of using SPF 15 or higher sunscreen, purchase your face lotion with the sunscreen as part of the ingredients, so there's no extra step. Keep your razors sharp, exfoliate dead skin cells with Alpha Hydroxy (AHA) lotion as an ingredient in your after shave, use shave creams, oils, balms or gels for razor burn, or to get a smoother shave. Spend a little more to get good quality. And ooh, use Clubman Talc, it's divine! L'oreal sells Colorspa for men hair color so look for that on the store shelves. Also check Zihr Skin Care for Men, MD Formula, Dr. Murad, DDF, and Bare Minerals for skin care and some cover-up.   So, that's the skinny on men's grooming.

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