Hey guys! My name is Brandon and today I'll be doing a skin/hair care review for you! First of all, if you view or follow Tabby's blog, you'll know that she does some amazing reviews for facial masks, movies, music, the works! We've been best friends for about 4-5 years now, and do almost EVERYTHING together. I'm an avid follower of her blog, and am so appreciative of her for letting me post this for all of you out there! So with that being said, I thought it would be a great idea to let you all have a view of things from a guys point of view. Let's get the party started!
Alright! so first off, it's imperative that you have some of these PERFECT products on hand. Everyday, I like to start off by taking a shower and using this astringent bar from Neutrogena. Since my skin is naturally oily, this astringent bar really dries out my skin, and gives me a clean palette to start with. If you have naturally dry skin, I'd recommend that you not use astringents to avoid stripping your skin of it's natural nutrients. In my case, I absolutely need it in order to stop oil from building up in my pores and causing major breakouts!
Here's a picture of the box! The bar inside will last you about a month if you use it once or twice a day. You can find this in any drug store or convenience store such as Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc!
This is what the bar from inside the box looks like! It's a clear orange color, and is VERY effective when it comes to drying out very oily skin. I apologize for my pre-used bar! I wish I had a brand new one to show all of you. Another alternative for an astringent would be a liquid astringent if you don't necessarily have the time to take a shower, or to rinse your face. Here is a liquid astringent I use that literally breathes life into my pores! (no literally, it has menthol in it!)
This astringent from Equate is a great alternative for when you need to remove oil from your skin right before you leave the house! I personally just put some of this astringent on a wash cloth or paper towel and lightly dab it all over my face, especially on the area around my nose. I've noticed that astringents also help shrink my pores and allow better coverage for makeup! I'll get into that later ~ But again, this astringent can easily be found in any convenience store or drug store that's near you. Next, I like to revitalize my skin with a moisturizer. You're going to FAINT when I tell you about this next product!
This is another product from Equate which I must admit is a diamond in the rough! This dual power moisturizer also comes with the fighting power of salicylic acid, a core ingredient in most, if not all acne products! Just a dime/penny size amount in your palm is enough to rehydrate your entire face, and even along your neck! Now I know that for most guys, we suffer from razor blade nicks and cuts, as well as dark spots from shaving over small blemishes and cutting them! I've had to deal with this shaving problem for quite a while, but this moisturizer corrects all of that! Now I have much smoother shaving experiences since my razor almost NEVER runs into any small blemishes or bumps! This product may be a bit harder to find, but keep looking in the aforementioned places! After shaving, I really like to use this next product to really exfoliate my skin and keep it fresh as well as smooth!
Now this product might seem very familiar, because I know a lot of people that have tried apricot scrubs! This particular scrub from Equate is by FAR one of the best I've ever tried! The cream that comes out of this bottle is VERY thick, and has many small minerals and beads that help strip away the dead skin and oil on your face, while simultaneously moisturizing it and giving your face a healthy, natural glow. I like to think of it like this: the small minerals and beads in this cream will make their way into the small crevices of your pores. This way, you're fighting acne right at the source! Just so you have a better idea, here's what the cream should look like!
Again, apricot scrub is very common and can be found virtually anywhere! Now, I'll introduce you guys to a much stronger product that may cause slight discomfort, but will ABSOLUTELY improve your skin.
Here we have a daily face wash from Clearasil! The core ingredient in this facial wash is salicylic acid, and is much more potent than any other facial wash I've used. After a fresh shave, if I apply this facial wash, it really burns! I can endure the burning sensation, but WOW this product is really meant to clear your skin in as little as 12 hours! I would advise that if your skin is more sensitive, you should try a less harsh product. But if your skin is stubborn like mine, and requires stronger products to really give you a lasting result, then by all means give this one a try! You won't be disappointed. Now I'd like to show you guys an inexpensive cream that I use to keep my skin from aging, and also getting damaged in the sun!
Once you've rinsed off all of your other products listed above, it's a great idea to seal the deal with an SPF face lotion. This one from Neutrogena is one of my favorites, and really stands up to the heat with it's SPF 20 properties. I've noticed that when I use this face lotion and I go to the beach or pool, my skin feels much more smooth and hydrated than it otherwise would had I not applied any before entering saltwater or chlorinated water. Definitely give this a try! There are no tricks to finding this product either! It can be found in any convenience/drug store near you. Now I'd like to get into my razor, and my shaving cream!
Here we have the Gillette Fusion Proglide, a truly revolutionary razor! I tend to use this razor for shaving my face, and all other areas that I feel require a bit of maintenance. This shave is very sturdy, very well built, and lasts a LONG time. The replacement blades are a bit pricey, but they're WITHOUT A DOUBT worth it! Here's a picture of my very own Gillette Fusion Proglide.
The Proglide is a very simple looking razor, but also has an amazing moisture bar atop the 5 blades, providing a seamless shave and minimizing nicks and cuts on your skin. The handle of the shave is metal, but has rubber ridges that give you the ultimate grip and control for a truly perfect shave. On the back of the shave, there is also a single razor that allows you to level out your sideburns, adjust the shape of your mustache, or even touch up your eyebrows! This shave is truly a must have tool in your everyday arsenal. Next up, we've got my favorite shaving cream!
Here we have one of the most technologically advanced shaving creams I've ever come across. Now I know this shaving cream can't give you super powers, or even shave your face for you, but it sure does make the process of shaving that much more painless! This shaving cream from Neutrogena doesn't require much to coat your entire face with a light layer of very thin, satin-like cream. Your razor blade will literally GLIDE across your face, taking every hair with it! This cream not only moisturizes your skin, but also reduces irritation caused by the repeated pulling, tugging, and cutting of your facial and body hair. I use this cream very often to shave under my arms, my legs, and even my areas down under. It leaves my skin with a perfect finish, and I don't even have to moisturize! I still apply lotion after shaving my body, but you really don't have to if you're in a rush or simply don't have lotion readily available. This shaving cream can be a bit tricky to find, and a bit pricey as well, but your skin will thank you later! Last but not least are my finishing products. If I'm dressed to impress, and I need my skin to look absolutely FLAWLESS, I'll use this handy dandy tool to fix all of my small imperfections!
Now I know some of you make-up guru's might be thinking: How dare you use such a cheap foundation! Well, in all honesty I don't need an expensive foundation for my coverage! If you follow my steps and use all of the products above, your skin will be so close to perfection that you really won't need make-up. But since I am a guy, I don't want it to be very apparent that I'm wearing make up. So, I use a very light coat of Sephora's foundation (Shade #40 mat tan Hazelnut) to cover any dark spots around my eyes, as well as diminish the depth of my eye bags if I need to look youthful and awake! This foundation really covers my pores nicely and gives me that finished "airbrushed" look. This just goes to show that guys can wear a light layer of make-up too without making it very obvious! Here are a few reference pictures of my skin before and after I've applied a light layer of Sephora foundation.
This is a picture of me after I've showered, used all of the above steps, and haven't applied any foundation. If you look closely, you can see the depth of my under-eye bags, as well as the small bumps and imperfections on my skin. My skin looks a bit rocky and not as "perfect" as I'd like it to look if I were going somewhere special or if I were dressed to impress! But with just a bit of foundation, look at the transformation my skin can achieve!
Not only does the foundation provide even coverage, it also evens out the tone of my skin! This angle is perfect for you to see that my under-eye bags have virtually VANISHED and my pores have been almost completely ERASED! My skin tone has also been lightened just a touch, so that I can have the best possible looking skin in almost any lighting condition! Now I know I haven't shaved in either of these reference photos, but I can assure you they're still great photos to compare the before/after effect! Last but not least, guys have to rock the best hairstyles possible! I use some very simple pomade's and hair glue's that can be found virtually ANYWHERE.
Here, I've provided you all with the four products I use (in different combinations) to give my hair the look I want for any given day! If I want a messy sort of spiky look, I'll just use the bottom right (TRESemme) hair putty. It's the strongest hair putty of this bunch and REALLY keeps my hair up through intense sun, wind, and even rain/moisture! I've even gone on water rides that have SOAKED me and my hair was still standing! The TRESemme hair putty is by far the best product to use in terms of strengthening your roots. Think of it this way: you're creating a structurally sound piece of architecture! First you strengthen the base, and then work your way up! If the TRESemme putty is too difficult for me to work with, I'll substitute it for the yellow Axe in the top left corner. This paste is much less sticky and glue-like, and glides through my hair effortlessly while still providing a good base for my hair to spike upward. If I want a light spikeyness, or even just a messy look, I'll use the top right red Axe. It's great for giving a light spike, and doesn't weigh your hair down too much. Now, to achieve my favorite look, I use these products in three steps. First, I start with the TRESemme, and strengthen my hair from the roots. This really makes it impossible to flatten my volumized hair! Then, I add a very small amount of the red Axe to strengthen the mid-section of my hair. Again, you want to work on the structure so that your hair can stand perfectly on its own! Finally, once I've reached the tips of my hair, I'll add an edgy flair by using the yellow Axe to really create sharp tips and perfect points. To finish it all off, I give my hair a bit off gloss and sheen by applying a very small amount of the purple Axe on the bottom left. This Axe really shines, so use a small amount ladies and gents! Once I've completed the sculpting phase, my hair should look just like this!
If you want a hairstyle like mine, carry a reference picture to your barber or hairstylist! This hairstyle is called a "Pompadour", and looks great on almost anyone. Here are some photos of other guys with beautiful pompadours!
I really hope you guys enjoyed this blog post! Thank you so much Tabby for letting me make a guest appearance on your blog! I know a lot of guys and perhaps even gals will gain some awesome advice and may even have some new products to add to their arsenal after reading this post! Thanks again for staying tuned until the very end! Have fun and be safe<3
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