Issue 1247 - The Courier

18. health&beauty rosanna.sopp@ncl.ac.uk
Beauty
and
The
Geek
Meet Tom. His version of
grooming is brushing his teeth
and looking in the mirror before
he leaves. Beauty’s mission: to
convert this vanity virgin into
a grooming god. Or at least
something in between.
Face Wash
A good face scrub or wash is something every man should invest in,
even though many don’t even know what they are or how they work.
Tom, for example, afte reading “Do not rub in eyes” proceeded to prac-
tically massage the scrub into his retina’s, then complain in confusion
when it burned. Face washes clean your face, gets rid of all the dirt and
generally improves your complextion. A must for anyone with skin
complaints!
Tom’s thoughts: “It felt tingly and nice when I first put it on, although
it burnt a bit; I was told this was a good thing. Since when is burning
good?! The more I use it thought the less it burnt, which is always a
good point in my book. After a week my skin definitely looked a bit
clearer, and felt cleaner.”
Would he repurchase? Probably not; my skin is pretty good as it is, so I
don’t feel I need to.
Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot
Stress Control Daily Scrub, £3
Moisturiser
Especially for those winter months and for those with dry skin, moisturizer
is an essentual that is often over looked. Chapped, dry, flakey skin is never a
good look, and moisturizing daily can do wonders for your face, as well as
body. With so many moisturizers aimed directly at men, there is no excuse
not to look after your face!
Tom’s Thoughts: “It smelt weird and made my skin feel oily. However,
once I’d gotten over my initial shock, it did make my skin feel clearer.”
When asking Tom what skin type he was, I received a rather bemused
look, and telling him to ‘feel his face and see if it’s oily’ wasn’t well
received either. The moisturizer he used wasn’t for his skin type, so the
oily feel was understandable. Once he tried a moisturizer specifically
for his skin type, he admitted he felt much more of an improvement.
Would he repurchase?: “The second one I tried, probably. Definately
gave my face the TLC I didn’t know it needed.”
Botanics Men’s
Normal/Dry
Intensive Moisturiser,
£5.99
Hair
removal
Tuesday 6 March eCourier
rosanna.sopp@ncl.ac.uk
2012 Th health&beauty editor: Rosanna Sopp
Lip Balm
Dry lips happen to everyone, and a cracked, chapped pout
isn’t something a girl wants to kiss. If you aren’t prepared
to slather your lips every day, at least take a pot when you
go to a festival or on holiday: it’s a suitcase staple. Plus,
with most having sp15, at least one part of you won’t be
lobster red.
Tom’s Thoughts: “It smelt and tasted really weird. I can see the
benefits, and always take one for festivals, but it made my lips
really slippy! The flavour tasted really odd too; kind of like really
old, slightly off chocolate.”
Would he repurchase?: “No, greasy lips is not a good feeling!”
Hair Gel
Hair gel is a good choice for those
nervous about taking the plunge into
male grooming. Everyone will have
had either good or bad experiences with hair gel in their
teens, from attemptng and failing at a mohawk to the
spikes you had when you thought you were an emo.
Tom’s Thoughts: “The smell was alright, not great
though. It was really sticky on my hands but felt fine in
my hair, however it made my hair look really damp and
had pretty weak hold. The fauxhawk I styled only lasted
about five minutes!”
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula
Lip Balm, £1.83
Would he repurchase?: “I’m not adversed to the concept
of hair gel, but I probably wouldn’t fork over the money
for this one.”
Editor’s Explanation: Whilst predominantely a grooming
technique used by women, more and more men are turning
to hair removal. From waxing their chests to plucking their
eyebrows, men are embracing the urge to purge. The sadistic
part of me decided to choose this, as the opportunity to wax a
man was too delightful to pass up.
Tom’s Thoughts: “She clearly enjoyed this too much. Waxing
my chest was extremely painful, I looked like a plucked
chicken and I missed my hair once it had gone..”
Would he repurchase?: “Definately not. Lots of pain, no gain.”
Is he converted?
Admittedly, this wasn’t the most successful
mission. My opinion is probably tainted
because my chest still burns from the rather
violent waxing session, but most of the products
I tried I wouldn’t use again. I’d definitely
dabble in face care again though, because my
face reached a new level of good tingly that I
hadn’t felt before. I’m not adverse to the idea
of male grooming though, and this experiment
has made me more open to trying new things.
Never letting a girl with a wax strip near me
again though.
Garnier
Fructis Surf
Hair Texturising
Gum,
£3.05
Veet
Short Hair Ready To Use
Wax Strips, £11.99