YOUR fashion
Fresh, Clean American Summer Text // Elijah Clark-Ginsberg
Another hot, humid New England summer is bearing down on us, but that’s no reason to dissolve into a disgusting, sweaty puddle of a man. Staying fresh as a flower in the summer isn’t easy, but with the right routine, you can still smell like roses. Start the day off with a refreshing shower. If you’re going to be wearing cologne, avoid heavily-scented products. Once you’re out of the shower, wash your face and shave, if that’s your style (with very few exceptions, I advocate a cleanshaven look for men, especially once it starts warming up). Now here’s the important part: apply some moisturizer with sunscreen. Not only will it sooth your skin after a shave, but it’ll keep your face smooth, soft, and sunburn-free (not to mention, it’s much more flattering than a dab of zinc on your nose). I recommend Anthony Logistics Oil Free Facial Lotion SPF 15. With the sun beating down on your head, the last thing you want is a goopy, melty hair product that will leave you greasy and messy. Summer’s the time to ease up on hair products a bit and let your hair blow majestically in the breeze. Ask your stylist to recommend something that’ll give moderate hold with no shine. When in doubt, American Crew Fiber is a safe year-round pick. The war against sweat is a bitter one, but you have two powerful weapons in your arsenal: antiperspirant deodorant
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and Gold Bond Powder. I’ll trust you can handle the deodorant yourself (again, go unscented if you’ll be wearing cologne. Dove Men+Care is a good pick). Apply Gold Bond to problem areas when you get out of the shower to stay fresh and dry. At long last, it’s time for the fun part: cologne. The key to summer fragrance is a light touch. You should never be dousing yourself in eau de toilette, but when the weather heats up, too much cologne can be downright nauseating. You get two spritzes; use them wisely. Chances are, you shouldn’t be same fragrance in May that you wore in December. For summer, you want something citrusy, green, or aquatic. Personally, I’ll pick citrus eleven times out of ten, but that comes down to personal preference. The only right way to buy cologne is to head down to your local fragrance counter (I recommend the downstairs counter at Neiman Marcus. Look for Karen. She knows what she’s doing) and try some out on your skin. Smelling a bottle or slip of paper won’t give you the entire story.
To get you started, some of my favorites for summer are Gucci by Gucci Sport Pour Homme, Chanel Allure Homme Sport, Acqua di Parma Bergamotto di Calabria, and Hanae Mori HM. You’ll just have to see for yourself if you share my tastes. It’s time to go forth and groom thyself. Do me proud this summer, gentlemen.
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