The Boys Can Be Pretty Too!



Image: Linzi Clark/

 So I don't know about the man in your life, but my man, not big on grooming products. He loves Anthony Logistics products but only uses a select few. Crows feet don't bother him, he uses Carmex for his chapped lips and he laughs at me when I suggest hand lotion for his haggered cuticles. He whines like a baby and flinches like I am going to slap him when I come towards him with tweezers. Apparently one unruly eyebrow sticking straight up in the air is not cause for alarm in his mind. Sometimes this bugs me. Like when I buy him something and it sits around collecting dust in our bathroom cabinet. Or when he has something that is bothering him. Like a pimple or dry feet, and he won't use the products I so kindly provide him with. I can't blame him though, and at the risk of making a sweeping general statement and lumping all men together, boys were just raised differently. They were brought up to be rough and tumble. Rugged. Like the Marlboro Man. And yes, I do realize that there are hoards of men out there who give a shit about their appearance. These gorgeous guys groom, get manicures and worry about scuffing their shoes. And hooray for them! But on the other hand....sometimes this could get a little out of control in my opinion.

I mean can you imagine your man asking to borrow your undereye concealer because he just looks SO TIRED! Or maybe he dips into your eyeliner stash because he wants to look extra edgy tonight when he goes out for beers with the guys. OR you walk into the bedroom, and to your horror, find him surrounded by your main/pedi goods with YOUR toe separators between his toes while blowing his nails dry?!

Yes this could all happen. And maybe it has to some of you. (If so please share your story.)

There is a middle ground though! Evolution Man is doing their part to help the ladies of the world hold on to their beauty products by offering men their own sophisticated line of grooming products. JUST FOR MEN!

You may be thinking that there are already a bevy of brands that cater to men and their grooming needs. It's not news. How is Evolution Man different? And if you are thinking that, I say....slow down Negative Nancy. These products are different.

Marco Berardini Image: Evolution Man

Founder and CEO Marco Berardini, (Just look at him! Gorgeous no?) is a world class hairstylist, groomer and makeup artist. In fact, he wrapped up 2011 as the personal hairstylist and makeup artist of the gorgeous Brittany Spears. Not too shabby. She always looks fab! Marco created Evolution Men with scientifically proven ingredients that are never tested on animals. The products are formulated using cutting-edge technology and are all packaged using recyclable materials.

His vision for the brand was a line of multi-use products that could streamline the grooming routines of men everywhere. By offering high-quality, modern skincare and grooming solutions, at reasonable prices.

The collection is great and contains many essentials for today's man. There is something for everyone. Stuff for the product newbie who knows he needs to take it up a notch in the grooming department. Or for the gentleman who loves skincare and products of all kinds. Who enjoys his grooming routine and looks forward to it daily.

Cleanse and Shave Image: Evolution Man

One of the stand outs in my opinion is the Cleanse and Shave dual action cleanser. This multi-tasker cleanses the skin and softens the beard. Plant derived exfoliators gently but effectively remove dead skin cells, which results in a closer shave. Antioxidant moisturizers stay on after rinsing to hydrate skin. This two-in-one product can be used as a non-foaming shaving cream before rinsing it off! Freaking genius right? Perfect for the lazy morning man.

Evolution Man also carries two concealers! Yes, concealers! One for under the eyes and one for blemishes. Brilliant. Seriously, who doesn't need a good concealer in their life? Men of the world, trust me. You need concealer in your life.

And then there are the nail varnishes. For men. Hmmmm.




Pure Bling Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man





Pure Bling Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man
















Pure Bling is enriched with nail protien, calcium, and vitamins C and E. It is a quick drying, satin finish that helps stregthen nails.




Matte Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man



Matte Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man
















Matte, which I think is rad, was made for the guy looking for a natural manicure. This nail varnish can be used as a nail protector or you can transform your favorite nail color from glossy to matte by swiping a top coat of this over any polish.

According to Evolution Man "You don't have to be in a band to rock these colors." The colored nail varnishes are so gorgeous! Or...ahem...so cool! (This is a line for men after all.)




Alter Ego Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man






Alter Ego Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man

















Alter Ego is a flat magenta that appears a little matte to me. It could just be the picture though.




Stand Out Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man




Stand Out Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man

















Stand Out is a sexy, smoky gray that I am so in love with. Something about it makes me think of a super hot, grungy rocker with yesterday's eyeliner still smudged on and a cigarette in his mouth. Sigh....




Pavement Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man





Pavement Nail Varnish Image: Evolution Man

















Pavement is what I would like to catagorize as "office friendly polish for professional men". Just like women have their perfect, can't live without it, neutral shade for day, (I love OPI in Bubblebath), this is that essential polish for men.

All of Evolution Men's nail varnishes are vegan and cruelty free. They are also void of Formaldehyde, Toluene and Dibutyl Phthalate.

The website is well done. In addition to shopping (duh) there is also a really informative ingredient list that goes through everything that could be contained in you Evolution Man product and what the benefits are of that ingredient. There is also a blog, tips on obtaining the perfect shave and how to use concealers and a list of retailers.

Overall I am seriously impressed with this line. It looks like Marco put a lot of thought and consideration into each product and really figured out what every man needs out of their grooming routine. I know that I could get the man in my life to use most of these products. The other "fancier" products (read: concealer, nail varnish), I will leave to the handsome gentleman of the world who pride themselves on their looks, enjoy products and understands how hard a girl can swoon over sexy gray nail varnish. (Maybe that's just me?)

So thoughts? Does your man have a grooming routine? Does he borrow your stuff? What is your favorite office neutral polish?

Most importantly....does smoky gray nail varnish turn you on?

Evolution Man products can be purchased at evolution-man.com or at one of the many retailers that carry the brand. Also....check Evolution Man out on Facebook!

Someone Else Loves Tom Ford As Much As I Do!

Image: svennevenn

Oh my. Do I even need to tell you how loud I shrieked when I found this blog? No? Right I didn't think I would. I DIED when I found this blog! Literally! Well, not literally, but you get my drift about how thrilled I was.

I don't think that I am the only person in the world smitten with Tom Ford. In fact, I know there are thousands, if not millions of people who adore his work. But I do think that it is rare to find a fan, a down to earth, real person who follows Ford in the real world. I have never come across anyone who has shared my love.

Until recently....

The fan that I found not only admires him as much as I do, but she authors a blog dedicated to him. Full Time.

Full Time Ford that is. The lovely woman behind the blog shall remain nameless since I could not easily find her name. But I did find out that in addition to Full Time Ford, she runs another blog called Beautifully Invisible. She states on that blog that she chooses to remain anonymous so I guess my laziness wasn't the reason why I couldn't find her name anywhere. Phew.

I'm getting off track here. TOM FORD. ALL OF THE TIME. FREQUENTLY!

The blog is gorgeous and filled with beautiful pictures, informative articles, and news regarding Mr. Ford. It is clever and impeccably executed. Miss Full Time Ford posts multiple times a week, which I love since I can read and learn things while I obsess. (I'm not crazy.) I truly think that Tom Ford would be thrilled to see an entire blog dedicated to him. Because the man is deliciously vain. And I love it!

The time that it must take to keep up with all things Ford must be exhausting and I really want to say thank you to this mystery woman. You have made me incredibly happy. I love that there is a place where I can go and read only about Tom Ford. A place to drool over his fashion and beauty offerings. A place where I can count on finding new and fresh updates. Your awesome blog is always there and always filled to the brim with Ford.  Thank you so SO much!

Please sweet readers.... Take a peek at Full Time Ford. Leave her comments to tell her how fabulous she is! Leave me comments to tell me how fabulous I am. Huh? Oh whoops. Probably should have left that out.*

*Do it anyway!

Shaving Gadgets!

Shaving is a pain, but it is necessary. I would have no problem walking around covered in hair, but somewhere along the way that became socially unacceptable for women. So I shave. I hate it. Every morning in the shower I freeze my tushy off, which results in goose bumps on my legs and then a massacre occurs. When I shave over my cold, goose bump covered legs, I am left with nicks and cuts everywhere. It is THE WORST. I have to endure a pain daily all in the name of smooth legs. Not to mention the tiny red marks all over my legs which stick out like sore thumbs on my super pale skin. Thank heaven for black tights and winter!

To my delight Remington sent my husband and I fancy electric shavers to try out. We received the Dual Flex Foil Shaver for him, and the Smooth and Silky Shaver for me. Hubby and I were anxious to get started and we have been using our gadgets for three days. Curious to hear about our experience? Well continue on eager reader!

Dual Flex Foil Shaver and Accessories

Smooth and Silky Shaver and Accessories

(We were so anxious in fact, that I forgot to take picture of the products while they were still in the boxes. Oops. Beauty blogger FAIL.)

I will start with Hubby's Remington experience. The Dual Flex Foil Shaver has dual flexing foils that adjust to the contours of your face, chin and jaw giving you a close, even shave. There is a built in trimmer feature which eliminates the need for attachments. It is cordless comes with a charge station that you plug into the bottom of the shaver. When fully charged, you can count on forty minutes of shave time before needing to juice up the battery again. It also comes with a cleaning brush and is backed by a two year warranty. The shaver retails for $34.99 and can be purchased at remingtonproducts.com.

Top of the Dual Flex Foil Shaver

Front of the shaver, on/off switch

Trimmer closed on back of shaver

Trimmer open and ready to be used

Currently my husband is rocking a beard (a trimmed one!) so really he was just testing out how well this trimmed things up and how close a shave he would get on his neck. He has more experience using an electric shaver than me and uses one from a different brand when he does trim and shave. He said that the Dual Flex Foil Shaver gave him a closer shave on his neck than his other shaver. The trimming feature was effective in helping him achieve the look he was after. It was easy to use and he like the feel of it in his hand. (It has an ergonomic grip!) He also liked the fact that it is compact and will be easy to travel with. All in all a fantastic, effective product!

Now on to me....

I was new to electric shavers so I had no idea what to expect. I figured it would be the same as using a regular razor but noisy and electric. The Smooth and Silky Shaver effortlessly glides over skin removing unwanted hair while an Aloe Vera moisture strip nourishes and revitalizes your skin. The shaver comes with a charging base, a cleaning brush, a bikini trimmer head guard and a really pretty silver pouch to hold everything in. When fully charged the shaver can be used for thirty minutes and it is backed by a two year warranty. The Smooth and Silky Shavers retails for $54.98 and can be purchased at remingtonproducts.com

Bikini head guard, cleaning brush and fancy silver pouch

on/off switch

Top of shaver. The blueish strip is the aloe strip.

Shaver with the bikini head guard on. Its basically a comb that feeds into the razor.

I was excited about this shaver because it can be used wet or dry. Meaning I could shave my legs outside of the shower while still wearing my bathrobe. Take that goosebumps! So I started shaving. I was nice and toasty in my bathrobe shaving my legs! The shaver glided over my legs with ease. It navigated my hilly knees without a snag. My hairy thighs were no match for the Smooth and Silky! My smooth legs walked me into the shower where I used the shaver on my underarms without a problem. Then, and this is the best part, I put on the bikini head guard. It did an amazing job trimming up....um...well....down there. Great for in between waxes or for gals who don't wax but like their bushes trim. Ingenious for hair down there!

I will admit that it wasn't all roses. I think I got a little carried away on my underarms because the next day they were sore, red and angry. The next time I shaved I took care not to push so hard. Also, don't get discouraged if you have a hard time removing some hair. A lot of times with a new electric razor it takes a few times to get a feel for how to hold the razor and use it so that it works best for you. I love this product and will continue to use it. It has eliminated my nicks and cuts and my legs look a thousand times better as a result. It's fun and easy to use and will last a lot longer than the disposables I was using, which I would imagine, will save me money in the long run.

I would recommend this to everyone all around. The Dual Flex Foil Shaver would be a great gift for the man in your life! Ladies, try Smooth and Silky shaver! You will NEVER go back to disposables again!

Thanks to Remington for sending these out to us!