“You only get one shot to make a good first impression”

Important interview? A first date? High profile conference?

Looks are definitely not everything, but they sure are important. Taking care of your looks doesn’t mean you’re turning into a Metrosexual. With a very few new habits you can really transform the way you look and as a consequence, the way people look at you.

Here are nine grooming tips for a tip-top look. Say hello to your new you.

1. Remove Nose, Ear and Errant Facial Hair

Body hair is considered manly – some won’t agree to that, but I’m sure most of you will agree that it’s a valid statement. Beards, long hair, chest hair can look great.

Having said that, there is a place where extra hair is not manly at all.

Errant nose and ear hairs are definitely a grooming horror in my book. You should get rid of them, and the best way is to get a nose trimmer. Those trimmers are safe and are designed to remove hair in a way that won’t do damage to your nose or ears. You should avoid plucking hairs from your nose it might lead to an infection.

While we’re at it, most of us have some strange hairs that grow out in weird places, right?

It can be in the temple area, on the nose or the upper cheeks (close to the eyes).

You need to make sure that you chase down every one of these little buggers and pluck them out. You can also try to go for a more permanent solution.

2. Demolish That Unibrow (You Need Two of Them)

A Unibrow is not popular, to say the least. If you don’t want to look like Bert anymore it’s time to say goodbye to that single eyebrow.

There are several ways to get rid of the unibrow. Whatever way you choose, I recommend making it look as natural as possible. Don’t remove all the hairs, leave some to make it look natural.

The most common way is by plucking, it can be a bit painful and time-consuming but overall, it’s easy to do. Other ways include laser treatment, hair removing creams, shaving and waxing.

3. Apply Cologne and/or Deodorant

Not everyone likes wearing cologne. In my experience, it’s all about finding your scent, once you find your scent you’ll be happy to wear that cologne every day.

When you do apply cologne, you need to make sure you apply it correctly, spritzing it all over is not the applying it correctly. You want to apply it like a man, not a child.

Here are some quick tips that will help you apply it like a champ.

The best time to apply cologne is after a shower, your pores are open and the cologne will be absorbed to your skin fast.

You want to make sure you’re applying it in the right places – these are called ‘pulse points’ these are warm points in your body, warmth is what makes the scent active. Some pulse points are:

  • Inside your elbow
  • Behind your ear
  • Chest area
  • Throat area

Don’t apply too much cologne. A little goes a long way here. Start with 1-2 spritzes in one pulse point and see how it goes.

Make sure you’re not applying it on your clothes, you want the cologne to interact with your skin and not your clothes. This is what colognes are designed to work with.

Now for the deodorant. If you’re applying cologne it might be a good idea to apply a scentless deodorant. Go for an antiperspirant, it controls sweat by blocking the sweat glands. If you’re using a scented deodorant make sure it works well with your cologne.

4. Take Good Care of Your Beard

Are you growing a beard?

I don’t blame you, beards are definitely in fashion!

That said, many guys think that growing a beard just means ‘not shaving’. This is not true. This is not a beard care tutorial, but usually, there are common problems:

  1. If you’re not grooming your beard you should start sooner than later. The easiest way would be to get a grooming kit that has everything you need to make that beard look amazing: Beard oil, Beard brush and shampoo are the essential products you’ll need.
  2. More often than not I’m seeing guys with beards and it just doesn’t sit right. You need to make sure your beard style matches your face shape. Your basic goal is to make your beard and jaw have an oval shape. That means that you will need to style your beard differently according to your face shape. If you do it correctly you will notice the difference immediately.

5. Treat That Dandruff

Dandruff is a pretty common condition. It’s basically skin flakes from your scalp.

It can be embarrassing, and no it’s not related to hygiene.

There isn’t a single treatment that works 100% and sometimes it’s not even curable. Your best bet it to find a good hair product that will help with reducing and fighting it. (There are many products out there). It’s also recommended to just consult with your doctor, especially if it gets serious and you can’t control it.

6. Learn How to Dress

If you look sloppy, this is what you’ll reflect to other people. In my opinion, although many people say it, dressing sloppy is not a unique style and not ‘your’ style.

First, watch this video – I love this movie.

<< https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zckciw8lD1k  >>

Few things will happen once you start dressing sharp. It makes a great first impression, people’s opinion of you will be different, you’ll be treated more seriously and with respect.

It will make you more confident. Maybe at the start, you’ll feel weird, but as you get used to it, you’ll start to feel different. You’ll look better, you’ll be treated differently, and it’ll show in your confidence.

Think about it, what do you feel when you see someone dressed nicely? (It doesn’t have to be a suit).

Looking sharp is all about learning some simple rules and following them. Here are some ground rules that you should pay attention to:

  • Wear Your Age: Don’t dress like a boy. Dress like a man.
  • Wear Clothes That Fit You: Don’t wear baggy pants, make sure they fit nicely around your butt, legs and thighs. Go for a slim cut, not skinny.

Your shirts should fit nicely and firmly around your shoulders. It doesn’t need to be too tight, but there needs to be a defined borderline. Your size doesn’t matter.

  • Go for Polos: Avoid T-shirts when possible and go for polos.
  • Match Your Colors: This can be tricky, but going for black, white, navy or grey will be always the easy choice. These colors go well with everything.

7. Wear Sunscreen

This tip doesn’t seem to be related to grooming but believes me it does.

Health benefits aside, UV rays can have bad effects on your skin.

  • Protecting your skin will prevent premature aging signs, i.e. wrinkles.
  • A sunscreen also keeps your skin healthy and smooth by protecting the collagen and keratin in your skin.
  • UV rays can cause brown spots or discoloring of your skin.

Baz Luhrmann in his famous song is spot on. After listening to his song I’m sure you’ll always wear sunscreen.

8. Clip Those Fingernails

Do you bite your nails? I know you know it’s bad. You can move on to the next tip…

This tip is for those who don’t bite their nails.

Clipping your nails is one of the basics, don’t go out for a manicure, just clip your fingernails. (If you’re playing the guitar you don’t have to)

It might surprise you, but there are hygiene benefits to that as well. You have so much dirt and bacteria under your fingernails, that might lead to infections. Long fingernails are prone to injuries as well.

9. Use a Face Wash

This one is so easy to do, you can do it in the shower every day.

Using a face wash will keep your skin healthy and fresh. Regular traditional soap bars will just dry your skin because they strip the natural oils from it.

Washing your skin removes oil, dust, dirt and any other stuff that got to your face during your day.

Get a quality face wash that matches your skin type and use it daily

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