Facial Products for Men

December 7, 2004 5:40 PM

MetrosexualFilter: Seeking gift recommendations on medium to high end facial products for men, particularly a good exfoliating scrub and maybe shaving stuff. I go here for great reviews of stuff geared to women, but have no idea about men's lines.
posted by CunningLinguist to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (20 answers total)

Kiehl's, Kiehl's, Kiehl's. It's the best skincare stuff I've ever used. Plus if you buy or order one thing, you can get free samples of other stuff to try.

Warning: IANAM (I Am Not A Man).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:54 PM on December 7, 2004 [1 favorite]

Kiehl's is wonderful. Some people like Nickel but i wasn't impressed.
posted by amberglow at 5:55 PM on December 7, 2004

Kiehl's is the rich girl's secret, even if it is out of the bag. A little better kept is Mario Badescu, which I like better.
posted by armchairsocialist at 5:57 PM on December 7, 2004

I've used Mankind (UK based) a few times and have always been happy with them. They seem to have a large range and there's plenty of advice (and user reviews on most of the popular items) so you might find it useful for ideas.
posted by Edame at 5:57 PM on December 7, 2004

i know a number of men who like origins never a dull moment for exfoliation (i also know a number of men who exfoliate before shaving). i myself use it from time to time and i really like it. it's mild and creamy.
posted by crush-onastick at 5:58 PM on December 7, 2004

The Queer Eye's Design for Life Product Guide. I don't know how this got in my bookmarks, honestly.
posted by icontemplate at 6:08 PM on December 7, 2004

I really like the SNAP facial exfoliant, but haven't been able to find it anymore. Trying the Vichy Normaderm. Smells ok, but isn't as satisfying of a *scrub*
posted by PurplePorpoise at 6:16 PM on December 7, 2004

Art of Shaving for shaving needs. The Body Shop for everything else.
posted by ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. at 6:26 PM on December 7, 2004 [1 favorite]

I bought my (decidedly non metrosexual) husband some of the men's shave cream from The Body Shop for Christmas last year, and he loves it!

Now, if I could only get him to use hair product...
posted by JoanArkham at 6:43 PM on December 7, 2004

You might find Lance Arthur's Guide to Man Grooming, Part 1 useful.
posted by gd779 at 6:50 PM on December 7, 2004

Art of Shaving for shaving needs.

Art of Shaving stuff is nice, but seriously overpriced. If you're interested in getting them shaving stuff, why not a brush and some soap? I use a Colonel Conk badger shaving brush (do *not* get a Boar brush), $30 or so online (google/froogle around) and Burt's Bees Bay Rum shave soap, but depending on the person you may want to get them a different kind of soap (I don't have any real recommendations since I've never used anything else -- I've heard good things about Muehle-Pinsel soaps). I use Kiehl's Blue Astringent for aftershave (though some have called it a little harsh), and really recommend all their other products (another classic aftershave is Dominica Bay Rum). Before I started with a brush I used their Blue Eagle Shave Cream, which was great.
posted by j.edwards at 6:57 PM on December 7, 2004

Oh and on the hardware end, the Gillette Mach 3 Power(the vibrating one) is the ONLY razor I will use anymore. It is such a great shave.

and j.edwards is right, the AOS stuff is expensive but the pre-shave oil is essential. I use The Body Shop for scrub, shave cream, and moisturizing after shave.
posted by ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. at 7:09 PM on December 7, 2004

Response by poster: This is great stuff guys. I knew there was an upside to the whole boyzone thing. Thanks. I'm going to have a happy brother.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:48 PM on December 7, 2004

Try the Grooming Lounge. And don't be afraid to browse the women's counters at Saks.
posted by orange clock at 8:07 PM on December 7, 2004

Oh, and buy all means, try J & E Atkins' I Coloniali.
posted by orange clock at 8:15 PM on December 7, 2004

J & E Atkinsons
posted by orange clock at 8:15 PM on December 7, 2004

Kiehl's. You'd laugh if you saw how much Kiehl's facecare stuff I have in my bathroom (read: all of it). It's the best I've ever used, and really worth the extra money because the stuff never runs out, ever. I'm convinced one bottle of aftershave moisturizer I got is enchanted, because I don't remember when I bought it, and I use it every day, and it just keeps coming.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 8:39 PM on December 7, 2004

I have Kiehl's envy -- that is, their products look amazing, but I have zero dollars, so I haven't been able to find out for myself yet. But having looked at it, I would also suggest Kiehl's.

Having done some metrosexual shopping with my boyfriend, I can tell you he had good experiences with Clinique and Lancome products -- and the best thing about them is that they'll usually sell prepackaged men's shaving kits right there at the counter. No looking, no asking, no fussing. Easy peasy.
posted by fricative at 8:55 PM on December 7, 2004

John Allan's is great.
posted by bshort at 8:59 PM on December 7, 2004

Crabtree & Evelyn's Almond Oil Shaving Cream. Used to use their Sandalwood shaving cream, but this is much better.
posted by smcniven at 9:05 AM on December 8, 2004