Style :: Grooming
Shaving 102: Smoother Than a Baby’s…
by PJ Gach EDGE Contributor Friday Jul 8, 2005 After reading Shaving 101, we’re hoping that you’re all ready to ‘jump into’ your shave. We’ve tested more than FIFTY shaving creams, gels and lotions and present to you the EDGE Grooming team’s top choices. It may seem like a big list, but there are a lot of guys out there, each with their own likes and dislikes. Hopefully we’ve covered all the bases! A few things that Dad should have taught us, but in most cases forgot to. Keep these in mind when shaving and it’ll be smooth sailing. 1. For best results, shave during or immediately after a hot shower. The heat and water softens your beard and brings hairs to the surface making for a closer shave. 2. Use a sharp razor and rinse after every stroke. Using a new blade every week or so guarantees a closer shave with less irritation and nicks. You shouldn’t have to use much pressure on the blade for a close shave- if the razor is sharp, it will do all the work for you. Rinsing after each stroke clears the blade of hairs and cream, allowing more contact between the blade and your face. 3. Shave WITH the grain. This is where Dad and modern grooming science may differ. Shaving against the direction that your beard grows may guarantee a closer shave, but it also guarantees ingrown hairs and clogged follicle shafts. Translation: blemishes. Don’t do it. 4. After you shave and rinse the cream off, splash your face with cold water. This closes the pores and minimizes inflammation. Finally… 5. Moisturize! Shaving not only removes hair, it also removes natural oils and a layer of skin. Skin that protects your face from the sun, wind, etc. You need to replace the moisture with a moisturizer for your skin type, preferably one with SPF of 15 or higher.
On August 5, Sean William Scott and Johnny Knoxville attempt (and I stress attempt) to reincarnate the classic television show, The Dukes of Hazzard. Bursting with southern-fried goodness and hospitality, this film adaptation reintroduces us to country thugs Bo and Luke, as they drive around Hazzard County running amok. The film also marks Jessica Simpson-Lachey acting debut as the uber sexy Daisy Duke. With Simpson prancing around in a pair of hot pants, wild and zany car chases, predictable slapstick comedy and an all-star cast (Burt Reynolds stars as Boss Hogg while Willie Nelson is Uncle Jesse), who needs a plot?
Up and coming actor, Justin Chatwin (who can be seen opposite Mr. Cruise in War of the Worlds) stars in The Chumscrubber(limited August 5), a suburban dramedy set in the fictional town of Hillside. Alongside Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, Rita Wilson, Carrie-Ann Moss and a whole landslide of actors, Chatwin helps illustrate the satirical life one leads in suburbia. Sounds good, but I still don’t know what the hell a "chumscrubber" is. For an even more offbeat family comedy, check out Broken Flowers(limited August 5) starring Bill Murray. With his own distinct hilarity, Murray plays Don Johnston, a playboy who is recovering over another breakup. Just when he is about to move on to the next woman, he receives word that he may have a 20-year-old son looking for him. Instead of hopping into another whirlwind relationship, he backtracks to his previous relationships in hopes to find clues about this estranged child. Directed by indie provocateur Jim Jarmusch, the film was a huge success at the Cannes Film Festival this past May.
Four brothers. One crime. Sounds dramatic, right? Okay, maybe it doesn’t sound too enticing, but when the four brothers are portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André Benjamin and Garret Hedlund, it may stack up to be a decent movie. Still not convinced? Here’s another big name--John Singleton. Set with an urban backdrop, the acclaimed director is at the reigns of Four Brothers(August 12), a story about four adopted brothers avenging the death of their foster mother. If a United Colors of Benetton crime drama isn’t what you want, perhaps the World War II saga, The Great Raid(August 12) will catch your fancy. Directed by John Dahl and starring Hollywood hotties Benjamin Bratt, James Franco and Joseph Fiennes, Raid follows the true story about a band of brothers set out to free over 500 soldiers in a Philippine POW camp. Directed by John Singleton.
Taking a break from her potpourri of cutsie roles in chick flicks, Kate Hudson enters the world of séances and voodoo dolls in the thriller, The Skeleton Key(August 12). Hudson plays Caroline, an unassuming hospice worker hired to care for the elderly, bed-ridden Ben (John Hurt) in a creepy looking bayou mansion in Louisiana. With his cold-hearted wife Violet (Gena Rowlands) constantly looking over her shoulder, Caroline becomes suspicious and eventually stumbles upon a skeleton key that opens a secret room of vintage Chanel suits. Just kidding. The key actually unlocks a room of mysterious black magic artifacts that hold some sort of correlation to Ben’s condition. After this movie, I am sure the sales of Ouiji boards will go through the roof! Directed by Iain Softley ("Hackers," "WIngs of the Dove.")
I guess someone out there thought that Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo deserved a sequel. The one question I have is, "why?". And more importantly, "why?" In any matter, fans of Deuce (Rob Schneider) and his "man-gina" have the opportunity to watch him take his man-whore act abroad as he romps through Europe. While there, he must take on the daunting task of saving T.J. Hicks (Eddie Griffith), his former pimp, from allegations of murdering Europe’s greatest man-whores. Come on now, you didn’t think that this movie was just going to be comedy, did you? (August 12)
Andy Stitzer (played by the hilarious Steve Carell) is a humble man. He works at an electronics store and he epitomizes the word "geek" by collecting action figures and comic books. Stereotypically, a 40-year-old like this has the word, "virgin" painted across his forehead. I beg to differ. I know a lot of stud-muffin playboys who collect vintage G.I. Joe figures and issues of Archie comic books. In Andy’s case, it’s a little bit different. When his friends find out about his virginity, they stop at nothing to help him get some notches on his bedpost. With that said, The 40-Year-Old Virgin (August 19) aims to speak for all dorks out there who have never scored with a hot gal (or guy). From virginity to animation, Valiant(August 19) is a British CG produced animated film about World War II pigeons that features the voices of Ewan McGregor and Tim Curry. I have no idea how these two films are related.
Wes Craven has always been known for his primo slasher flicks, but with Red Eye (August 19), he takes us on an alternative route through his mastermind of horror. Rachel McAdams stars as Lisa, an innocent bystander catching the red eye flight to Miami. While waiting, she meets Jackson (Cillian Murphy). He seems charming, handsome and very nice--until they get on the plane. Jackson reveals that he is on that plane for one reason--to make her life a living hell. Well, not really. He supposedly "kidnaps" her at 30,000 feet because she serves as a key in the murdering of a rich and powerful businessman. If she doesn’t cooperate with him, her life, her dad’s life, her dog’s life and everyone’s life on the plane is at stake. Even though it sounds a little confusing it holds this mysterious intrigue. Plus, it’s a Craven film. You can never go wrong with his genius.
With the recent death of the real Domino Harvey, this film will hopefully give a good homage to the late Ford model turned bounty hunter. Yes, you heard me right, Domino Harvey was a supermodel turned bounty hunter. With a cool name like Domino, I think you can be anything you want. With Keira Knightly starring as the gritty front woman, Domino(August 19) dubs itself as a "sort-of true story" and is fully armed with A-listers that include Mickey Rourke, Lucy Liu, Mena Suvari, Christopher Walken and Jacqueline Bisset--just to name a few. The film, directed by Tony Scott, familiarizes us with Ms. Harvey’s days of bounty hunting and modeling. More importantly, it will show us why she rejected her privileged life to become a kick-ass, yet stylishly beautiful, killer.
It seems as though the world was not ready for The Brothers Grimm in July, so they had to push back the release date. So now, the wait is over. On August 26, you can finally see Matt Damon and Heath Ledger play a pair of con artists and try to rid small towns of fictitious enchanted beings. Their skills are put to the test when they encounter actual fairy-tale spirits. In The Cave a group of spelunking fanatics meet a different kind of spirit that isn’t anywhere near the fairy-tale kind. In this horror, directed by newcomer Bruce Hunt, we delve deep into the unknown. While admiring the stalactites and stalagmites, the group hears a mysterious creature. If you haven’t already guessed, the creature is out to kill these nosey cave divers. Also out on August 26, is The Constant Gardener. Based on the best-selling novel by John le Carré, Gardener depicts an emotional tale of Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) and the mysterious murder of his wife, Tessa (Rachel Weisz). When he becomes a prime suspect in the murder, he seeks to uncover the truth through a worldwide journey of self-discovery. I gather that gardening isn’t a big part of this movie. Directed by Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam (best-known for ’Brazil" and "The Fisher King.")
Scruff New York is also a new men’s line of skin care. They believe that proper maintenance is the key to excellent skin. Scruff New York donates a portion of the proceeds from the sales of their 2/newyork defense lotion to the MS Society of New York On our skin was their 2/shave, a shaving gel that contains Aloe Vera, Tea Tree Oil, grape seed extract, spearmint and eucalyptus. Pros: The scent will definitely wake you up. The bight blue gel becomes sheer on the skin, which allows you to see where you’ve shaved. It felt cool, and performed very well; made upper lip shaving a breeze. Very nice smooth shave – makes the razor glide over your face. Cons: took a bit of extra water to rinse off, but left skin feeling soft and happy. Scruff New York 2shave $18 www.scruffnewyork.com By now, your face better be as smooth as a baby’s butt. If not, you need to go back to Shaving 101. If you’ve passed with flying colors- no nicks, burns or bumps- you’re ready for Shaving 103: Cool it Now… and Moisturize Too! Researched and written by EDGE Style Contributor PJ Gach. Additional research, testing and editing by EDGE Style Editor Jason Salzenstein and the EDGE Grooming Team PJ Gach is a Contributing Writer for the Style & Entertainment Sections of the EDGE group of publications.She also freelances for Lemondrop.com. PJ has styled, shot and written fashion pieces for Hamptons.com. PJ writes about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle topics for national publications. As an entertainment/rock journalist her pieces have appeared in the US and Europe, including The New York Post, Rolling Stone (web & mag), Ing�nue Magazine and Drill magazine. She’s a Manhattanite, a proud dog owner, gal about town, and freelance writer. In her spare time, she rescues orphaned shoes. You can reach her at pjgachjournalist@gmail.com |
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