Posted on 06/03/09, filed under Mankind Grooming Editor
As I write this week’s blog I have to confess that I’m nursing a Chenobyl-style hangover. I’m knackered, have the kind of eyebags even John Prescott couldn’t better (yes, Grooming Editor’s get them too) and I barely slept a wink last night thanks to an excess of red wine tannins and frankly, sheer pride. The reason? Well, last night Mankind scooped the Best Grooming Website Award at the prestigious 2009 P&G Beauty & Grooming Awards.
If you’re unfamiliar with these annual gongs they’re probably the industry’s most important (they’re a bit like the Oscars, only without the naff dance routines, tearful speeches and crap jokes). Well, without the naff dance routines and tearful speeches anyway. The free booze flows, a smattering of celebs turn up (this year’s do was hosted by the brilliant Lauren Laverne and a miscroscopic Mischa Barton sat directly in front of me) and there’s air-kissing a-plenty. And, God forbid, if a bomb had gone off the entire beauty and grooming world would have been decapitated in one fell swoop. Mankind Directors Hilary and Paul were there too, as was our lovely Sales & Marketing Manager Shereen and though a (justified) fear of nuts prevented her from sampling the excellent running buffet, the good news is that it didn’t prevent her doing the same with the champagne.
Anyhow, this award (and I’m staring at it lovingly as I type these words, before handing it over to the rest of the team for safe-keeping) recognises the fact that Mankind isn’t just the number one destination for all your grooming gear but is also the number one place for grooming advice too.
Over the last six months we’ve worked tirelessly to bring you as many practical tips, tricks and useful insider info as possible and it looks like it’s paid off! We also have lots of other exciting things planned for the rest of this year too so watch this space. And if there’s anything you’d particularly like to see drop us a line. Now, where the hell did I put those those Nurofen?
PS. For Prezza-style eyebags like mine try Biotherm Homme High Recharge Eye Serum!
Posted on 12/02/09, filed under Mankind Grooming Editor
Working for Mankind has been a real revelation for a bloke like me who grew up in a time where there were no mobile phones, no internet and the only computer to speak of was was a green-screened Amstrad.
I am now firmly ensconced in the world of blogging (as you can see), can barely pull myself away from YouTube, purchase practically everything online these days and have just entered the fascinating but frankly, rather scary world of Facebook. I might even start Twittering soon. For me, though, all this is reassuring stuff because it says I can still learn something new – and can love it too.
But it’s a double-edged sword. Take Facebook for example. Not only is it addictive (it was in the top three addictions for under 30 years olds in poll this week) it’s a total and unremitting minefield.
Since joining I have been positively bombarded by friendship requests from a. people I’ve met just once and would barely call an acquaintance let alone a friend, b. everyone I’ve ever met at a fragrance/product launch (including catering and cloakroom staff) and c. (and most bizarrely of all) by people who I know for a fact hate the sight of me. I can only assume they want to laugh at my list of musical likes or the soppy pics of my cats. I just don’t get it. And, let’s face it, not accepting them as friends is as good as giving them the finger. A tricky one, no? Certainly, any advice on dealing with this dilemma would be much appreciated.
Mind you, it could be worse. At least I haven’t been pestered by scores of anonymous blondes called Olga like I was on MySpace…
Posted on 04/02/09, filed under Mankind Grooming Editor
Generally speaking, I’m a patient man. But this week I have found myself incensed by narrow-minded, bigoted and frankly, pig-ignorant blokes who reckon that men shouldn’t wear pink, use fake tan, apply a hand cream or even take time to look after their skin simply because ‘that’s not what men do’.
Now, I don’t suspect that any Mankind customers are like this (you’re an enlightened bunch I know) but I have discovered, in my capacity as a journalist who drops in on various style and grooming message boards, that the world is full of (how can I put this?) absolute plonkers. This week I have engaged in some fairy ferocious message board shennanigins with guys regarding the subject of ‘should men wear pink?’ Responses to this sartorial conundrum ranged from “nah, pink doesn’t suit men’s skin“ (do men have a different coloured skin than women then?) to the delightfully cryptic, “Pink is for men who like to cry while watching sitcoms and/or movies.”
Now, I’m not ashamed to say that I openly shed a tear when Mr Spock died in The Wrath of Khan and, if memory serves, I wasn’t decked out in a pink fleece at the time so that theory’s out the window. Personally, I much prefer the insightfulness of the bloke who simply pointed out that “Pink is gay innit?”
All of this nonsense I can just about handle – people are entitled to their opinions after all - but what really gets my goat is the pathetic notion that men shouldn’t wear pink because “it’s just always been that way”. I mean, if the entire world operated on that this basis we’d have no health care system, there’d be no such thing as paternity leave and Doctor Who would still be populated by monsters made of egg boxes and spray-painted Bubblewrap. It’s called progress right?! It’s what drives mankind (forgive the pun) to better things.
Men who say guys shouldn’t wear pink (or moisturise or wax their backs) because that’s ‘not wot men do’ aren’t being retrosexual, they’re just being plain stupid. If you think about it, twenty years ago men didn’t wear sunscreen that often. Protecting your skin against sun damage wasn’t ‘wot men did’. Well, times have changed and we now know how crucial suncare is. Likewise, we know how moisturising daily can protect skin again long-term damage, wrinkling and dryness. Just because we didn’t do a thing doesn’t mean we can never do it.
But I digress. My second gripe about the pink thing is…exactly who says men can’t wear pink? The last time I looked we didn’t actually have an established Fashion Police in this country. Okay, so there’s Gok Wan but he’s far too busy policing bra crimes to care about male misdemeanours. Nor, for that matter, do we have a Ministry of Masculinity yet (though it might be fun to see Mandy in charge of one if we did).
As far as I’m concerned you should wear whatever makes you fell good and whatever makes you look good – and to hell with what other people think. As one guy correctly observed, a pink shirt actually looks great with a blue suit and women love it on a man. In fact, pink is one of the biggest selling colours these days for basic men’s gear like polo shirts. You see it on everyone from city boys to inner city chavs. And I like it when it’s used to highlight an outfit (cufflinks like these look great with a crisp white shirt cool for example).
Enlightened men know pink looks great. So don’t limit yourself in what you wear for fear of how other people might perceive you. After all, if you’re confident in who you are and in your own sense of masculinity you wouldn’t be remotely afraid of wearing pink. Am I right?
PS. If you’re man enough to wear the cardi in the picture you can find it at New Look.
