Grooming tips for the urban Pinoy

There seems to be a conflict between male machismo and vanity in the Philippines. On the scruffy side of the grooming meter, machismo dictates that Filipino men keep their scent, appearance, and everything else in between, natural. On the more polished end, male vanity prescribes more lotions, gels and creams to the Manileno metrosexuals than it does to their female counterparts. However, amid manly mudpack slinging, urban Pinoys can create a basic but balanced regimen to meet their grooming needs from sun-up to moon-up.

• Skin Supplication

Mixing and matching skin products may not only be tedious but hazardous for the gentleman-on-the-go as well. So, for those who want to improve the way they look without the twists and turns of a cosmetic misadventure, they can try out the Clinique Skin Supplies for Men, a fuss-free over-the-counter five-piece start-up grooming kit. It consists of a face soap that cleans without drying; a face scrub that smoothens those roughed up edges; a scruffing lotion that acts as a facial plumber and unclogs pores; a shaving cream that smoothens the glide of the blade; and a moisturizing lotion that doubles as an anti-aging agent. 

• Matis Masterpiece

From the coasts of Normandy to the shores of Boracay, the latest French wave has made an impact on the Philippine skincare market. The Matis line can make your face painting-perfect through a palette of Parisian products. Such paints include a lifting gel to erase signs of fatigue; a purifying mask to accelerate skin renewal and hydration; and a self-tanning cream to tint the skin without aging it.

• From Wood To The Washroom

Cedar wood has come to mean different things over time. In the past it was known as a type of tree. Today, this timber has been re-engineered and become a staple of the modern man’s toiletry counter. Made in Italy, Acca Kappa offers a line of products infused with the invigorating power of cedar to strengthen any man’s rhubarb. It offers a cedar soap; a shower shampoo; an eau de cologne which all leave a protective scent that lasts way beyond the four walls of your bathroom.

• Biting-Off Balding

Literally losing one’s top is one of the most psychologically damaging things that can happen to a man. Phyto from France is composed of a two-pronged regimen which can help prevent balding. The two products are an energizing shampoo and a thinning hair treatment. Phyto utilizes Phytoaxil, a 100 percent plant-based ingredient that goes straight to the roots of the locks to promote oxidation and other hair-growing activities. Such scientific supplements should help keep your top for years to come.

• Get High On Grooming

With so many self-destructing influences lurking about, Filipino men should try to occupy themselves with things like self-improvement. From the Francophone house of Thierry Mugler, the Amen brand boasts a complete line of products that can purify both body and soul. The regimen consists of an all-in-one hair and body shampoo that shines and softens the hair; an aromatic black-colored soap blessed with the signature Amen star logo; a body tonic which scents the body; a deodorant-spray that will save you from the evils of bad odor; and a skin comfort lotion that will keep your facial assets as angel-looking as possible.

• Connecting To Clarins

Clarins is among the European powerhouses in making people look their best. Reputed as a must-have for the female set, it has also decided to reach out to the Filipino man. The Clarins men’s line offers male consumers simple but scientific solutions for specific facial skin problems. The products are a fatigue fighter energizing gel to serve as an epidermal endorphin; a moisture gel to tighten the skin from the natural pull of gravity; an under eye serum to un-bag your optics; and an active face wash that foams away all facial impurities.

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All products are available at Rustan’s Department Stores.

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E-mail the author at mybubbleboy@hotmail.com