LUXE GROOMING: JOHN ALLAN'S SPA

The word "spa" quickly conjures thoughts of peace, tranquil, zen, and all other serene synonyms. Imagine how Mr. MSR felt after striding in John Allan's welcoming clubby interiors (located @ 46 E. 46th Street) on Thanksgiving Eve. The perfect touch-up before feasting with family. As a deluxe grooming indulge I chose John Allan's full white glove (literally) experience!

The Signature Full Service (Only $65) pampering boasts: A deep scalp shampoo massage [nearly dozed off :)]. A mild hair conditioning session. Hot towel face treatment. Haircut. Manicure. Lastly, a look-down-here shoe shine!

J.A.S. staffers I engaged--from reception hosts to shampoo expert--I notice, I built quick rapports. Case-in-point: My female barber who perfected up a fly-guy dark Caesar 'cut, bundled a basket of tips for my current barber to apply. Although The Signature... packs a surplus of services, the overall session is prompt with detail attention. Simply put, John Allan ladies hands perform swiftly. (Beauty experts undergo a fierce J.A.S training regimen no matter their previous experience.)

Other offering essentials I can appreciate: A quintessential pool table for shooting billiards with pals. A private bar stocking top shelf libations and a cozy TV room to kickback with treasured sitcoms.

John Allan's Grooming Goods:

Currently I'm interacting the brand's newest Travel Kit bundle! The "guy tested, airline approved" see-through pouch of grooming essentials (Ocean Shampoo, Mint Conditioner, Scrub Face Exfoliant, Shave Cream, and Bodywash all in 1.0z bottles) eliminates your need for boxy + big beauty items.

Mr. MSR say "condense is always the best sense!

TOP-PICK FALL MUST-HAVES!

A dynamic Fall look !

Like me, many of you arose to the official first day of Fall earlier. Even as a innocent (at least in my elders' eyes) chap I enjoyed watching autumnal transitions: The leaf color changes + crisp air breezes. Besides prepping Fall-appropraite outerwear, Mr. MSR plans to include these stellar picks in the Fall budget. What I admire about each selection, is their easy transitioning over into winter months.

GAP "1969" Premium Jean

For Fall, Gap's marketing force, outpoured aggressively "Born to Fit" branding to the brand's iconic 1969 jean. I was smitten! After eyeing over a drop-down advertisement insert (showcasing all 1969 new jean fits) I felt like yanking the classic-blue wash off the male model. The "Authentic" style (pictured below) is my top favorite. It offers a broken-in-feel + mild sloppy rips + vintage distress treatments .

It's the perfect jean fit! Why? It sits just below the waist. It offers a slim [non-restricting] fit down and seals off with a straight leg opening. I think I have found my new--possibly all time--favorite denim!



Shofolk "Artie Mo" Shoe

I just love a shoe with subtle standouts! Busy shoes just don't work in my book. Shofolk clearly traveled with a-less-is-more approach for the Artie Mo shoe. The bitter chocolate hue sent me in a frenzy!! But the calm design statements--stitch detail on the toe cap and a white leather tape loop on the back heel--convinced a proud purchasing decision.



Louis Vuitton Macassar Carrier

Sharp. Distinct. Straight bad-a**! Perfect fitting for a bundle of great reads or daily essentials, the new Maccasar monogrammed carrier scream function + taste. Plus, the unique marriage between brown and black fleshes great I found.

Speaking of design process, LV produced a broad selection of delicious Macassar accessories (weekender bag, shopper, attache, merse, overnight grip handle (ala Hermes) ) targeting strictly the Louis Vuitton male consumer. Kudos LV!



Tom Ford's Grey Vetiver Cologne

Since chatting up Tom Ford's 'Black Orchid,' many of you--faithful readers + viewers--wrote in to say how 'in awe' you were by the rich scents blended within the ridge-textured bottle. Well, time to gear up your "awe" emotions! Tom Ford excited havoc for a second go-around. Call it second-time charm if you want, but Tom's Grey Vetiver took the cake for Fall premiere fragrance for men!

In similar bottle architecture to 'Black Orchind', the silvery glass structure is packing all the right notes. Very airy + light on the garment, Vetiver still unpacks a masculine scent-noticeable essence.

Tom Ford comments, " Vetiver immediately evokes for me the classic man, someone who has a confident, refined, and slightly traditional senses of what it means to be a man--an elegance that is mirrored in Tom Ford clothing." I will have to second that Tom!


The SARTORIALIST by Scott Schuman

Since his inaugural blog post to current, Mr. MSR have been in tandem with all-things The Sartorialist --from gallery exhibitions to featuring Scott's epic street captures here on MSR . (He produced a pleasant spread on the Fort Greene neighborhood Mr. MSR resides in, highlighting well-dressed neighbors I call friends for GQ's August issue.)

A neat anti-tome, Schuman's pumped up an addictive page-turner of fresh faces (youthful + seasoned) clad in killer fashions in street environments across the globe. It's my new coffee table fixture. And hopefully yours, next!

CELEBRATING DAD !!

It’s that time of season folks: Father’s Day! What are you brewing up this holiday to get that special man in your life? I know personally, Mr. MSR is blah-blah with the traditional gift bequeathing of tie/shirt combos, printed handkerchiefs, ordinary long-sleeved oxfords, khaki pants, and all those mundane gifts we merrily offer.

To help switch gears from customary to extraordinary gift buying, MaleStyle Review conjured up the hottest must-nab presents Dad needs lacing with this Sunday!

EXOTIC AROMAS

In tweaking traditions a bit, purchase a unique manly scent for dad this season. The days of Brut and Old Spice no more. Mr. MSR sampled a boatload of men fragrances circling the marketplace. I nailed down two dreaming odors: TOM FORD for MEN and Mustang Blue!

TOM FORD for MEN


Nestled in a fine ridged glassing, the Tom Ford superb fragrance will make Dad great water cooler office chatter amongst his working pals. The luxurious and sensory-activating ingredients of ginger, grapefruits, and other crisp citrusy aroma blends encourages Dad wanting to daily spray dash his work shirts. Mr. MSR must admit, at the cologne's center lays a premium whiff of mesmerizing amber.

Mustang Blue


From the early fabric of Mustang, associations with ruggedness and masculinity always ensued. This time around Mustang is being matched to confident, powerful, sexy, and ultra-cool. Just push the gunmetal nozzle of Mustang Blue and judge for yourself. With high-spirited essences of pine and cedar leaf, contrast infuses of rugged sandalwood, earthy blends of patchouli and hay, Dad deserves this über sexy masculine cologne for his special day!

HEALTHY FIT

GYM Membership Gift Card



Mr. MSR says being fit, healthy, and brimming vitality is always on trend. This holiday, gift Dad a present which promotes all the above. Invest in a local gym membership he can take advantage of. The gym doesn’t have to have all the latest tinkers and whistles—a regular servicing workout center is perfect. What I do recommend: Try doing partner workouts to keep him motivated and energized about contracting those once dormant muscles. If Dad is gym-a-holic (Dad, no offense to you!) surprise him with a paid add-on of 6 month or 1 year to his current membership.

EASY SOOTHING

Full Body Massage


Hours of work at the office, weekend mowing of the lawns, repairs, and all sorts of body aching workings, adds mucho taxing to the muscles and body. Revive and replenish Dad’s beaten muscles with a gift to the masseuse table. Wouldn’t you rather have a limber and moving dad rather than an achy-walking grumpy one? I would in a heartbeat!

GAME TIME

Backgammon Table



During a trip to Miami last summer, Mr. MSR met a super cool backgammon specialist—Walter Gerstein—who heightened the interest about playing the clubby-traditional board game of backgammon. I introduce you to the exquisitely crafted Zimmerman Board Tables:

“If you’re looking for a luxury backgammon table, built to the highest specifications, then this is the backgammon table for you. Built in South America by highly skilled artisans using only the finest materials, you will appreciate the quality craftsmanship found in every one of these products. You will not find a better backgammon table anywhere else.”

Please click link to learn more about purchasing a backgammon board by Zimmerman Boards:

This Father’s Day offer Dad a present he will never forget—Happy Shopping!

OBSESSIONS: TOM FORD CLEANSE BAR

Anything Tom Ford creates immediate obsessions erupts--even over soap cleansing bars.

Recently, Tom Ford's amazing Beauty PRESS team sent over a bundle of superior men's grooming goodies. The caramel-hued soap-on-a-rope makes you want to dash home and awash in its micro-exfoliants splendor. Don't think for flash it has relations with Irish Spring soap bar Gents.

Tom Ford introduces his consumers with a plump bar (it's not averaged size one bit) stocking the best natural additives: coconut and palm tree ingredients (absolute great skin cleansers). The scentful subtle hint it imprints leaves you yearning for multiple and multiple usages. Trust Mr. MSR on that! Another clear and evident result I gathered: Your skin is left feeling super-moisturized and dewy (the perfect compliment for these summer days).

I absolutely love Tom's innovative and non-traditional approaches taking with the Tom Ford for Men Ancillary Collection! For $18 at Nordstroms (nationwide and online), it's a top recommendable purchaser, not matter the season lurking outdoors.

OBSESSIONS: CAROL’S DAUGHTER MEN’S BODY BUTTER!

Spring is officially cooking in the atmosphere. And so will parts of your skin underneath the glaring sunshine. Moistened and hydrated skin is perfect combat for the sun. It constantly attempts to expunge our body casing nutrients and vibrancy. For a couple of years, Mr. MSR have been protecting the skin (especially facial and hand areas) with Carol Daughter’s body butter. Brimming with enticing natural ingredients and fragrant scents, the light-texture (no cake paste available) butter is really awesome! I stopped in Carol’s Daughter storefront space to explore newer selections. However, I can still only opt for “Jamaican Punch” and “SweetHoneyDipChocolate” notes—nothing else.

When the easy-to-smooth-on butter glides onto your skin, seeping moisture into the pores, I guarantee you a product stronghold will operate. The amazement at achieved results with fresh and richer-looking skin arrives shortly after. (I recommend 3 consecutive days of usage post-showering to start noticing lasting results.)

Remember Gents, our skins tells a lot about how we upkeep of our bodies.

THE $5 FACIAL WITH AMPLE VISUAL RESULTS

The days of purchasing pricey Kiehl’s energizing scrubs, daily washers, and facial fuel revitalizers have flutter through the double hung window. I have to THANK leading makeup expert Carmindy Bowyer for indirectly helping me discover my new grooming treatment. If you see the header it will only set you back $5 buckaroos. No gimmicks or catch. I wanted to trial the facial treatment for 1 week before sharing with the masses. Evidently, the facial cleansing was a proven hit after my doctor said “your skin looks well, were you traveling?!! I have been a “Baking Soda Facial” enthusiast since (inserting happy grin).

I find you readers/viewers will experience the same star results.

FACIAL TREATMENT

Let’s kickoff by mentioning the ingredients you will need:

1 Box of Baking Soda (roughly $.50-1.00). (Opt for Baking Powder as an alternative also)
1 8.5oz bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($3.99)
1 tablespoon
¾ of lukewarm/mild-hot water in standard teacup.

Facial Application:

1. Prior to applying the ingredients onto your face I highly suggest having a clean shave. (Tip: I confidently recommend ‘Quattro Titanium Trimmers’ for shave perfection. It caress’ and excavates course hair follicles like no other razor on the market!)

2. Post-shave; apply two palm-full coats of warm water onto your face to quickly loosen the pores.

3. Dish out two (2) tablespoons of baking soda into right/left hand. Right after; pour the teacup water into the same hand. (Looking before you should be a neat pileup mixture of baking soda & water).

4. Use the opposite hand and smother both hands into a circular motion. Now a course paste should begin forming between both hands.

5. Smooth out paste onto your face—as done with your regular facial wash—in a circular motion from the forehead right down to the chin area.

6. After applying on the paste, let it harden (forming a mask) for about 7-10 minutes
(recommend 15 minutes for first timers).

7. Return to the sink and thoroughly wash off the mask with mild-hot water. After washing, you will feel and notice, without touching with your hands, softness in your face. It’s absolutely normal…don’t panic. Take time to become aware of the cleaned pores, excessive oils vanished and the unwarranted exfoliation (dirt) in the sink basin.

8. Allow your face to air dry, but not completely. Apply three small droplets of olive oil into your palm. After rubbing the palms together, apply the E.V.O.O. onto your fresh face—forming the perfect and most natural skin moisturizer.

For the next 2 days, to a 1 week at most, I guarantee you will begin swearing by the $5 facial and receiving storms of compliments. As I bequeathed the facial gem to you, please, continue sharing forward.

UPDATE: A note placed in the post comment section made me realize I never instructed on the usage amounts. Me personally, I implement the $5 facial as a daily regimen. Depending on your facial-to-skin interaction, you then can formulate your own usage assessment.

GIFTED ITEMS FOR THE HOLIDAYS (PART II)

We hope you stormed out to sample, better yet, purchase a few bottles of our recent fragrance recommends. Continuing the must-purchase grooming list, MSR sampled scores of plush men’s beauty goodies, narrowing down our top-top favorites.

Grooming Traditions, $42 by AVEDA

If you seek quality-enriched and beauty-enhancing skin care products, AVEDA automatically should arise in mind. AVEDA’s men-oriented Grooming Traditions set is a neat gift for the special Gent near your heart. The full-size set comes brimmed with Aveda’s: Pure-formance Shampoo and Grooming Clay (similar to hair pomade) and styling brush which creates slick manly coiffures. The added bonuses, MSR firmly adore the organic essential traces of spearmint, vetiver, citrus and lavender. It puts your other rich musk scent products on the back shelves.

Neutrogena Men Gift Set, under $20

Here’s a grooming label all familiarize with—especially the facial washes. Neutrogena for the holidays constructed a sizable gift set, fueling the best clinically proving ingredients to fight off facial negative properties. First off, the set introduces men to the Neutrogena Men Invigorating Face Wash--purposed for sloughing away oily excesses; a Men Razor Defense Shave Gel which help heighten the skin’s resistance to razor irritants; and lastly, Triple Protect Face Lotion SPF 20, a finishing agent which imparts healthier-glowing skin.

GIFTED SCENTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS (PART I)

At the break of the month, MSR started receiving loads of grooming products and information. A hearty THANK YOU to all our men’s grooming partners (Estee Lauder, Johnson & Johnson, Aveda, Coty, just to name a few) for submitting products to roundup our holiday grooming feature, for the MSR readers. This holiday season we decided to opt for neatly grooming stocking stuffers; nothing too big, nothing too wild.

Let’s kick off with our favorite manly aromas:

1. Hilfiger Collection Gift Set by Tommy Hilfiger—Tommy Hilfiger since TOMMY for Men (remember the superstar cologne!) continues whipping up signature scents, never to overpowering. Once more, the designer has blended clean, super-crisp, energized masculine scents. Encased in a miniature box-shaped glass, the lasting sensual scents of Bergamot, Mandarin, and strengthen grapefruit makes this a must-buy holiday assortment. To add, the moisten shave balm absorbs through the pores leaving off a perfume scent.

2. Calvin Klein “Euphoria” Gift Set—Before pushing down the nozzle to release the intoxicating yet delicate scent, the spirited ingredients of ginger pepper cocktails, patchouli, amber, Brazillian redwood, and chilled sudachi, peppered us up. The after scent saturates a gentle woodsy and musk tone, we noticed. Along with the refreshing and superior scent, Euphoria’s modular shaped bottle grants aesthetic tastes to the gift recipient.

Stay tuned for Part II where we reveal our best facial grooming goods currently raving the market.

JOHN ALLAN'S: FIVE-STAR GROOMING EXPERIENCE

Since age twelve, my hairline sharp edges and close shaves have only knew one grooming expert and barber. The loyalty may lighten up after going under subtle hypnosis by John Allan’s. On a recent menswear market preview at Saks Fifth Avenue, I strode into the revamped men’s department to unconsciously unearth John Alllan’s. Although established for a healthy 3 years in Saks, I never took notice. Erecting an airy and fragrant cologne department might of help for hauling me close. I walked in and telepath to new milieus—away from the craze Gucci and Comme des Garçons collections imparted.

The lofty feel of the space and checkerboard window pane dividers allows you to experience every characteristic of the members-only space. The snooty and nose-up energy you expect from clubby surroundings amputated itself. Instead, you encounter upbeat and cheery professionals clipping, shampooing, shoe shining, manicuring, massaging, and shaving away in tune with their client.

The John Allan’s membership prices below $1,000 for the year and comes bundled with The Signature Full Service. Which includes: Scalp Massaging Shampoo (puts you in sleep mode), Conditioning Treatment, Hot Towel (great for exfoliating negative facial properties guys), Haircut, Manicure, Shoe Shine, and a chilled beverage to finish off. The successful men’s grooming club has five establishments offering quality services across the USA.

For more information of membership and services, visit the groomers online at: www.johnallans.com

The John Allan's Experience.