really quite simple if you think about it.
Also, if you’re at the time in life where the gray strands are showing through and you don’t want them to, by all means go buy one of those do-it-yourself rinses or hair coloring kits. A lot of people love gray temples—I do, for one. But if you don’t feel right with the gray, by all means cover it up, it’s your hair, and your self-confidence.
Furthermore, I find that, in general, short hair will give you a more youthful look, long hair will make you look more mature.
So much for hair, now let’s move down. No, not that far, just to the face. The most important thing you can do to your face is wash it. Don’t forget, your skin is covered with pores which exude sweat and oils. When these get clogged with dirt you may have serious problems. Keep it clean, or you’ll wreck any and all attempts at good grooming.
Of course, you may already have one of those problems—blackheads. It’s not a nice subject, but it’s necessary if we’re going to have you looking your best. There are many soaps, lotions, and gadgets designed to help you dispose of them—some of them work, some of them don’t, but you may want to try a few. Or you can use a more elementary method. Apply a hot towel to your face, just as the barbers do. Let it stay on for 5 or 10 minutes, heating it up again under the hot water tap a few times. Now your pores are opened up; making sure that your hands are well scrubbed, simply squeeze out the little particles of ingrained dirt. Do it gently, to avoid scars. Then, close up the pores you’ve opened by reversing the process—apply a cold towel to your skin, then put on an astringent, after shave lotion, or cologne. Don’t fill the pore up with cream, this will only start another one. Repeat the whole process a couple of times a week, if necessary, to keep your skin clean and glowing.
There is another thing you can do about complexion problems, watch your diet. Sensible dieting has proved more beneficial than all the cosmetics on the market today. If rich foods and pastries set your sebaceous glands (did you ever hear of a less sexy gland?) to churning overtime, try cutting down. And recent experiments have indicated that milk, of all things, may be a prime offender. If you drink a lot of milk, and you have complexion problems, try cutting down on the white stuff.
What about all those other goodies, the creams, lotions, salves, etc., to say nothing of cosmetics. Well, millions of women have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on those items, and you may as well benefit from their experience.
With one or two exceptions, none of them do a thing except give you a nice tingling sensation. Further on in the book I’ll touch upon the subject of wrinkles. As for those shadows under the eyes, you can start working on them by getting a little more sleep. Sleep, incidentally, is by far the most effective cosmetic man has yet discovered. Nothing does so much to keep the complexion clear, or the skin lovely and fresh.
You can also cover up those shadows somewhat by applying a little talc to them, but only if you’re going out at night. This is certain to be noticeable in daylight, so you’ll simply have to suffer along with shadows.
As for make-up—it is next to impossible, I’m afraid, to wear it and not make yourself conspicuous. Oh I know, many queens insist they can apply make-up so skillfully that it can’t be detected, but while they’re telling me this, I’m trying not to notice their all-too-obvious efforts. Better try to improve upon what Nature gave you—in a natural manner.
Shave, preferably with an electric razor. Know why? Well, I don’t have stock in the company, and in fact I don’t use an electric razor myself, but a blade razor has a few disadvantages. Did you know that when you shave with a blade you remove a thin layer of skin as well as the beard. I agree that you get a closer, more long-lasting shave, but it does irritate the skin more.
If you simply cannot use an electric razor, then there’s one other thing you can do—take a day off. And I do mean off—seal yourself utterly away from the world where no one can see what a slob you are at heart, and don’t shave. A day or two off from shaving every few weeks will allow your skin to repair itself somewhat.
Always, always use an after shave cologne, and not just for the sake of smell. It will smooth, soothe, and freshen the face.
I don’t go much for talc, except as I mentioned it before. And it’s perfect for soothing the neck when the laundry puts too much starch in your shirt collar. It’s also useful for cleaning, but I’ll touch on that in the section on clothing.
Of course, some people prefer to keep their shaving to a minimum, by sporting whiskers. Personally I don’t go for them, and if you’re growing a beard with the thought in mind that it will make you appear more masculine, don’t kid yourself. But, if you really want one, you’ll have to use the same sort of common sense with it that you did with your hair style. For instance, a full chin beard will broaden a long face. A pointed beard makes the face look longer, while a rounded goatee covers weak or large chins. A mustache and beard help diminish a large nose. Men with thick upper lips can benefit from a thick mustache, and thin upper lips are helped by thin mustaches.
Insofar as eyebrows are concerned, don’t be afraid to pluck them if they’re too unruly or odd-shaped. If they cover up the bridge of the nose, by all means separate them with a good pair of tweezers.
There’s one other area of hair about the face that you just cannot justify on any grounds—clip those nostrils regularly. You can buy special scissors, separately or in a manicure set, for just that purpose.
Now we come to one of the most important aspects of good grooming—smell. Two eminent psychiatrists wrote an article recently entitled “The Smell of Love.” They hinted at the fact that women prefer the good masculine body odor, which a friend of mine interpreted to mean that men aren’t supposed to bathe.
Now I really don’t think that’s what they meant at all, but they did make a lot of sense in that masculine odors can be the sexiest thing about the man. Now let’s face it, if we really liked men to smell like women we certainly wouldn’t be bothering too much with men, would we? On the other hand, a good cologne or deodorant can make or break your chances. How would you like to go to one of Katy Winters’ parties, knowing how many smelly friends she has?
Here again you’ll have to decide what smells good on you and what you should stay away from. Too much lime on some people just increases the oiliness of their skin and exudes an unpleasant aroma which I hate standing next to, let alone sleeping with. Now don’t get me wrong in that you have to go out and get the most expensive colognes you can find. I’m merely saying find the one that suits you. You, above all others, should know the type you are.
If you’re six feet four inches tall and built like a football player, of course you don’t want to smell like a Japanese Geisha with a lot of musk and jasmine. If you’re slight and petite, okay, get some lime or lemon scents, or a slight trace of oleander or violets. You can afford it.
I have a very close friend who owns more colognes than I have ever seen laid out on bathroom shelves and counter tops. And know what? With all his expense and bother the best thing on him is the $1.50 bottle of Old Spice he buys at the super drug store. He’s far from the $1.50 type, but that just happens to be the best scent on his particular type skin. Even when he tells people what it is, they think he is joking.
So know yourself and then shop for that which suits you. And don’t feel foolish sampling various types. When at the counter just rub a couple of them on different parts of the skin and sniff. You’ll be able to tell which is best for you. When you’ve picked out the one, wear it, and I mean wear it right. Don’t mix scents, which just loses the benefit of all. And don’t change scents once you’ve found the right one. You want a scent that will say you whenever he smells it, even if it’s on someone else. If he can picture you
