For people who shave their faces,
My old pal Jud from Naples, Florida swears that Neutrogena products are THE way to go. And he has oodles of dough to buy whatever skin products his little heart desires, so I’ll take that compliment to Neutrogena as pretty high praise.
Remember to rinse well and MOISTURIZE with an SPF product and of course, use a scented beard oil! An eye cream wouldn’t hurt you, either! It’s not make-up, it absorbs nicely into the skin, and it will give you a nice, “Gee Sam, you look well-rested today” glow.
Guys with goatees, I have a question for you: are you aware that if your goatee if half-grey and half brown/black/auburn, it will look splotchy and unkempt from the back row of the church or from any kind of distance? PeaceBang thinks that well-groomed goatees are very handsome and recommends the use of products like this Beard oil and balm to better take care if it. She also does want to whisper in your ear that if you were to comb a little bit of touch-up color into it on Sundays (especially if you serve a large, more formal congregation), no one could fault you.
While a nice goatee is a sexy, virile statement (a full beard seems to PeaceBang a more patriarchal statement, and not in a “DOWN WITH THE PATRIARCHY” way – more like a Biblical patriarch way), it needs to be carefully groomed. ‘Nuff said? And if you’re under 30, watch it with the facial hair. Baby faced preachers sporting beards make PeaceBang want to pet their heads and say, “There, there, son, I know you desperately want us to take you vewy sewiously, but you’re trying way too hard. Shave the punim already and let your words show us how mature you are.”
I fear we will never be on the same page about facial hair on men, PB. I love, love, love beards! A real beard, not so much the goatee. But I know I’m in the minority, and as luck would have it, I fell in love with a man who cannot even grow a mustache.
Also, I should point out (though I think you may have mentioned this before) that many men of African descent suffer greatly when required to shave their faces. I’ve seen men with unsightly, infected razor burn who insist on shaving because of the aesthetic that’s expected of them for work or wherever. It’s sad.
My husband (who is of African descent) also swears by the Neutrogena for Men shaving line. He tried all kinds of products and this is the _only_ one that he’s fully happy with. I definitely notice fewer bumps with this than any other product he’s tried — including things that were specifically made to prevent the bumps.
As for the beard/goatee/clean shaven debate… my husband filps back and forth between each of them and I love the fact that the difference to him is just facial hair and it’s not his *identity*. I like all three looks (even though I know that he’s never had a beard that wasn’t started by pure laziness. :))
As for beards in the under 30 set – some men look so much better when (and if) they can grow a beard as soon as possible. As long as it is well-kept and does not overwhelm the face, I say grow it and enjoy.
What a great site! Love it! I have always said that poverty and simplicity of life does not mean looking dirty or unkempt. LOL
I have a goatee and I agree. It needs to be touched up with a little color now and then. After all, when preaching I want people to be focused on my words, not a blotchy goatee.
Then, during coffee hour they can admire how fabulously groomed I am in my habit and biretta! 🙂
Hope its OK to add you to my blog: http://arestlessheart.blogspot.com/