Biggest Male Grooming Mistakes (How To Fix Them) 2020

Its a new year and definitely time to step up your grooming game if you’ve let it slip recently. So let’s talk about the biggest grooming mistakes you may be making as well as how to fix them.

Overdoing it with… anything

There’s a fine line between a man who is well-groomed and one who’s enthusiastic use of a fragrance makes people wish they didn’t have a nose. Whether it’s too much hair product, cologne or oil in your beard, the art of good grooming is to make an effort, but not to make it obvious – through both sight and smell. Any proper, modern gentleman doesn’t assault people’s senses.

Unkempt Body Hair

This include legs, arms, chest, back, and the nether regions. Shag carpeting is out of style for a reason, so best to cut it down with a pair of clippers with a 1 or 2 setting or guard.

Ungroomed Eyebrows

Eyebrows should be separate, caterpillar brows should be tamed and trimmed. Most good barbers will trim your eyebrows if you ask, or there’s specialty trimmers for this, as well. One thing that should be avoided is making sure they’re not too shaped and clean like a woman’s eyebrows. Remember: Take care, but keep it straightforward and simple.

Neglecting Your Skin

Too often, men believe that they can forego taking care of their skin or addressing their specific skin-related issues because its not “manly”. Well, hopefully you already know this, but the first thing anyone sees of you will be your face, so please take care of it! Neglecting your skin will make you look tired and older. Doubly so if you’ve got acne, dry or sensitive skin or dark circles under your eyes.

So in order to look your best, no matter your age, you need a simple, no-frills skincare routine that’s specifically tailored to you.

Going too long between haircuts

If you have a shorter hairstyle (not shaved), you should get a haircut about once a month to keep it looking sharp. If its longer, you can about go every 2 months between trims. If you’re balding or have a buzz cut, you’ll want to take the clippers to it about once a week to keep you looking fresh.

Holding Onto The Last Wisps Of Hair

AKA Denying that you’re balding (or have a receding hairline). We get it. Losing your hair at any age sucks, but instead of holding onto the last little wisps of hair, its time to embrace it and channel your inner Jason Statham. Trust me, no one cares that you’ve shaved your head as much as you do.

Long Nose & Ear Hair

This one is simple: Please don’t let it get like this. Keep it in check. There’s a gazillion tools for this.

Unkempt Facial Hair

This is a real turnoff, especially when your facial hair starts to cover your lips or you have a bunch of stubble on your neck. So keep your facial hair trimmed and clean, at least. If you can’t do that, then may a bearded Norse god strike you down where you are right now!

Ungroomed Head Hair

This is something I immediately notice and makes my stomach turn, especially when it looks dirty and greasy. Wash and style your hair before stepping out in public. If you need to go longer between washes or you have especially greasy hair, use some dry shampoo to help soak up the excess oils.

Letting Dandruff Go Unchecked

It’s certainly nobody’s fault that you or any other guy gets dandruff, but it is your fault if you let it go unchecked. Don’t be that guy that everyone slowly backs away from. Try and reduce the amount of product you’re putting in your hair and make sure to add a proper anti-dandruff shampoo as part of your daily routine.
Best anti-dandruff shampoo

Bad Breath

This is easily fixable: brush and floss your teeth daily and get a cleaning once or twice a year. If it’s food-related, pop a mint or piece of minty gum before talking to people, whenever possible.

Body Odor – Good or Bad

I hope we don’t have to say it, but shower regularly, wear deodorant and please, for the love of everyone around you, go very easy on the cologne. There’s definitely such a thing as too much of a good thing. Also, if you are using a good deodorant and still having odor issues, you may need to look into your diet and the types of foods and spices you’re consuming. Diet definitely affects how you smell.

Neglecting your finger & toenails

This also includes jagged or bitten nails. Keep them trimmed with proper clippers once or twice a month, at least. Also give both areas good scrubs in the shower and make sure to dig out any toe-jam or dirt under your fingernails. If you have issues doing this yourself, go get a pedicure and manicure and let a professional take over.

Overgrown Neck Hair

When there’s a guy who looks sharp and put together and then turns his head to reveal a hairy neck, it totally ruins all the hard work he’s put in to looking his best. If your neck hair grows faster than your haircut schedule, just take your razor while you’re shaving your face and give a pass or two to the back of your neck. You won’t notice, but most people behind you will. If that’s too hard for you to handle, then you’re going to need to hit the barber more often, depending on how fast your neck hair grows.

Cracked or Dry Lips

The first thing anyone notices about you is your face. If you’ve got cracked or dry lips, it will be noticed within a second of talking to you. Just slap on some lip moisturizer if they feel a little dry and you’ll be good to go. Also, make sure you’re getting enough hydration by drinking a good amount of water everyday.

The Best Men’s Fragrances Women Love | Best Men’s Cologne 2019

Men’s fragrances come in all varieties these days and wearing the wrong one can be a huge mistake. We’re going to break down the different types/classes of scents women love and let you know when the best times are to wear them. Ultimately, what scents you wear are a highly personal choice so make sure you invest some time in finding the right ones and trying different scents out. Too much cologne is a huge mistake when it comes to interacting in any social or professional situation and especially when dating.

The fragrance world is wide but we’re here to guide you with a few simple tips, here are the best men’s fragrances women love!

General Tips

Try The Scent On Yourself First

Scents change and react differently for each person, so it’s very important to try a bunch of them and see what you like and what feedback is like.

Choose The Right Scent For The Season

Not only do you need to consider the scent but the seasonality of it. You want heavier, more masculine scents in the colder months, and lighter, cleaner fragrances in the warmer months. Think of it just like the seasonality of your wardrobe.

Go Light

Finally, and maybe most importantly, make sure you’re applying the right way and going very light. If you can smell it on yourself very strongly, you’re wearing too much.

Fragrances Women Love

For this article and video, our friends at Fulton & Roark sent us a range of different scents to explore and we’re going to give you a rundown on what we liked best when you should wear them. Each Fulton & Roark fragrance uses a blend of naturally sourced essential oils and premium fragrance ingredients and each cologne offers its own experience. These highly concentrated solid colognes offer a long-lasting and steady fragrance designed to keep you fresh. More subtle than liquid sprays, the solids aren’t as overwhelming (a huge pet peeve of ours!). The solid metal containers also travel easily in a gym bag, pocket or carry-on, allowing you to smell your best wherever and whenever.

In addition to a range of awesome scents, Fulton & Roark offers a handy and affordable tester kit so you can try all of their fragrances first. The tester kit is $16 but you also get a $16 credit back that’s good towards your first cologne purchase. Plus the kit ships for free. As a bonus for you guys, you can get 10% off your order with code ASHLEY.

Get your Fulton & Roark tester kit right here (plus 10% off)!

Here’s our rundown on all of the scents they offer plus when we think they’d be best for.

Hatteras

For us. the notes of lavender and hay just don’t go together in this one. It creates a bit of an overwhelming scent that wasn’t our favorite.

Shackleford

We loved this one and Ashley can’t stop smelling this scent. We liked the leather notes combined with some hints of dried fruit that creates a warm feeling. It’s captivating.

Best For: Fall/Winter

Tybee

Ashley loved the light, bright notes on this one which make it the perfect choice for the spring and summer months. You can smell the cedar notes which gives it a fresh, clean feeling while still being masculine.

Best For: Spring/Summer

Clearwater

This fragrance is light, but the green, mossy notes end up smelling a bit like chemicals. But, the citrus notes cut through those elements so you end up with a very nice scent that’s reminiscent of freshly-squeezed orange juice.

Best For: Spring/Summer

Captiva

This scent is a bit overpowering for us. It almost had a sunscreen/spf scent that didn’t work for Ashley. This is one that could be heavily dependent on the wearer so while we recommend trying it for yourself, this one was a pass for us.

Sterling

This fragrance was another one we really loved. It’s a bit sweet due to the vanilla but still smells masculine with the tobacco & leather notes. Women will love this scent as it will make them want to cozy up to the man wearing this scent, which is why it’s the perfect winter fragrance.

Best For: Fall/Winter

Palmetto

The magnolia notes remind us of the Spring and Summer months. It’s light and just smells really clean, especially with the cedar note you get at the end. We really liked this one.

Best For: Spring/Summer

Perpetua

For Ashley, there’s something about woodsy notes like cedar and mahogany that just smell really great on a man. This scent has those notes along with some citrus and floral notes that make this the perfect year-round scent.

Best For: Year-Round

10 Ways You’re Killing Your Style | Men’s Style Mistakes

Once you’ve got the basics of style down, it’s important to focus on those little things that can make or break your personal style and everyday look. Something as simple as a little mistake can totally throw off your look or ruin otherwise good style choices. Oftentimes its something as simple as how you present a particular choice. No matter what it is, focusing on the proper details and nailing those can save you from potential disaster. Some of these mistakes might be obvious but some you may not even know you are doing!

So, here are 10 ways you may be killing your style!

Being Overly Self-Conscious

Trying too hard can be as bad as not trying at all. Wearing trendy items that aren’t you or not wearing things that make you feel comfortable and confident are quick ways to ruin your overall style. People notice how you feel and if you’re feeling good about what you’re wearing and looking good, it will stand out.

Wearing Clothing That Doesn’t Work for your body type

Working with your body type is a huge part of getting well-fitting clothing. Choosing items that will flatter and fit well is crucial. Some easy items to avoid are henley shirts if you’re not fit or muscular, Chelsea boots if you’re a bigger guy, and classic straight-legged jeans if you’re a thinner guy. Check out all of our Fit Guides for tips about different body types and how things should fit.

Over-accessorizing

Yikes, this can go wrong so easily, over-accessorizing can be a huge problem. Johnny Depp, you are not. Go easy on rings, bracelets, and other flashy items and go for more subtle, refined accessories to show some personality or flair. Stick with 1 or 2 items max, like a pocket square and a watch.

Wearing too much cologne

A little goes a long way, and there’s nothing worse than smelling someone from 5 feet away. Nobody (especially women) wants that. If you can smell yourself, it’s too much.

Not paying attention to the details

Again, the little things matter, so take care to focus on them. Things like not lint rolling your clothing (especially dark shirts, suits, and jackets), wearing wrinkled clothing (just get our recommended steamer), and not tucking in your shoelaces really matter with your overall look.

Speaking of tucking in shoelaces (something Ashley is always super focused on as a stylist), our friends at Straight Laces have an ingenious shoelace set up that creates a clean, tucked look and basically turns all your shoes into slip on’s. It’s such a smart, useful product and we’re using them on all our shoes personally and with Ashley’s clients. Seriously, they’re that good. Just for our readers and viewers, we’ve got a deal for 40% off 3 or more laces! Shop here and use code AshWeston40.

Not dressing your age

We’ve discussed how to dress well in your 40’s before and a big part of it is embracing your age and wearing items that are classy and age-appropriate.

Wearing dirty, old shoes

Hopefully, this goes without saying, but a bad pair of shoes can absolutely ruin your entire look. Keep them in good condition and shined up.

Not Grooming Regularly

Overgrown hair, beards, and fingernails are no bueno. Make sure you’re taking proper care of your grooming and putting your best foot forward. Especially important in professional environments. We’ve got a ton of tips in all of our grooming guides.

Not taking care of your skin

Just like your grooming, proper skin care is an important part of your overall routine. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated but you should find a morning routine and an evening routine that works for you. Focus on moisturizing, good shaving techniques, and using the right products.

Wearing faded, ripped or pilled items

When items are faded (especially shirts, pants and sweaters), it’s time to send them off to the donation bin and get some replacements. If your sweaters are pilled, you just need to get a sweater shaver (we like this one best) to remove the little balls and get it back in good shape.

Does This Apply To Me?

It may seem deceptively simple, but who does our advice apply to? We always strive to give our audience useful, practical advice about style, life, dating, and more, all from an experienced and thoughtful perspective. Whether it’s wardrobe tips for the season or advice on how to improve social skills, we always do our best to appeal to as broad of an audience as possible.

In this episode of 2 Minute Tuesday we’re diving into a great question about who should take our advice and why, so tune in and find out what we think!

Sexual Orientation Doesn’t Matter

Our life and style advice applies to all, regardless of hair color, body type, or sexual preference. We do our best to give our educated advice on style and life that should work for most, if not all people. Sexual preference is a highly personal subject to you and you alone, we’re just here to help you dress and live better, no matter who you’re into. So, you can take that idea out of the equation and just focus on it without the lens of sexual preference.

Essential Style Is Important, But Make It Personal

We always discuss the foundations of a timeless, Essential Wardrobe because it’s versatile and always in style. But that doesn’t mean you have to dress a particular way if it’s not you. Once you have the foundations of style built you can then add in your personal touches to make it your own. Like streetwear or “bad boy style”, your personal style shouldn’t feel like a costume or inauthentic, it should be a representation of your own personality, no matter who you are or what your sexual orientation is.

7 Grooming Hacks Women Will Notice

Proper grooming is one of the biggest things you can do to keep up a sharp overall look and put your best foot forward with women. You don’t have to have a complex routine or a million fancy products, just a few simple steps will help you stand out from the crowd.

For more tips, don’t forget to check out our grooming essentials series!

7 Grooming Hacks Women Will Notice

Mouth / Breath care – Obviously bad breath is going to be a huge turn-off, so make sure you not only have good brushing habits but also take care of your breath.
Handcare – Dry cracked hands and dirty or unclipped fingernails are just gross! Find a good non-greasy moisturizer to use regularly and keep your nails clean and in check.
Take care of overly dry or oily skin – You’ve got to keep that moneymaker in good shape and women notice the skin on your face (obviously!) much more than you might think. Find the right cleanser and moisturizer that works for your skin type. If your skin gets oily, invest in some facial wipes to tone it down.
Groomed hair – Your hairstyle is definitely a preference thing, but finding not only the right style/cut for your look and making it a regular part of your routine are things every man should put importance in. Regardless of how long or short your particular style is hair, that’s wild/unkempt or gross/dirty are never going to be attractive to a woman.
The right smell – Wearing deodorant/antiperspirant should absolutely go without saying, BO is definitely a no-go, but this also goes for body wash and soap. But there’s also a limit. My stance on cologne is well documented but if you choose to wear it, GO EASY, don’t be the guy who wears too much.
Lip care – Just like your hands, chapped, cracked lips are gross. Women will definitely notice your lips (especially if they’re thinking about kissing you) so do yourself a favor and invest in some proper lip balm and use regularly. Our favorites: R&D, Jack Black, Caudalie, Kiehl’s,
Beard maintenance – Many of you guys chose to have different levels of facial hair, and that’s totally cool, but it’s a privilege, not a right. No matter how much you have that you take good care of it. Keep it trimmed and in check and take care of the skin underneath as well. If your beard is patchy keep it very short or lose it completely and if your beard is more full, make sure it’s trimmed or shaped properly.