Archives: Blog

Men’s Skin Care Routine

Whether you’re a true novice or an expert, I’d like to cover a few ideas of men’s skincare, which we practice at Beauty Box Man, on a regular basis. Most men think a multi-use product can do everything (as long as it contains charcoal). But the reality of skincare lies somewhere between that and keeping it simple. Due to the sheer volume of product options on the market, skincare can be daunting at best, and confusing at worst.  We chose to keep it clean and fuss free at Beauty Box Man Men in general don’t want to waste time in figuring out what to use and when.  But good skincare is one of the most powerful tools we have against most of the common issue’s men face on their faces, acne, wrinkle and sun damage.

It could mean the difference between someone saying “wow “you look great, as opposed to “oh” have you been getting enough sleep. Effective skincare takes more than just washing your face with whatever soap you have lying around and hoping for the best.  It takes just a little commitment, consistency and care – but will pay off, without a doubt.

Beginners guide

Building a skincare routine from ground zero, takes only a few simple steps, and you’ll be surprised by how much of a difference you’ll see after just a few weeks. If you’ve never washed your face with anything other than soap and never really used moisturiser. Then the following is aimed at you.

Step 1

When we think of clean skin, were conditioned to expect a dry, squeaky clean feeling, that might feel good on your body, but that same feeling on your face is actually bad.  It means your skins protective barrier is disrupted, and you’ve stripped away good oils that keep it moisturised.  Instead, use a specific facial cleanser that contains moisturising ingredients. Use it twice a day (morning and night)

Step 2 – Eye cream

Eye cream is like the swiss army knife of a mans skin care routine, it’s a simple tool that can fix a whole lot of problems.  Dark circles- it can help get rid of them, puffy bags from a great night? It can send them packing.  Starting to see wrinkles and fine lines, eye cream can keep you looking fresh.  Eye skin is thinner than on the rest of your face, so it needs more concentrated ingredients, and tends to loose moisture quickly and easily, start using an eye cream, morning and night, after cleansing, even if you don’t do anything else ( but you should do other stiff too, so keep reading )

Step 3 – Moisturise.

Most men say they don’t wear moisturiser because they don’t like the way it feels on their face, totally understand, and totally agree…but find a moisturiser you can tolerate, this is why we made our own at Beauty Box Man, to combat all these negative results.  We provide a lightweight formula, and easy to fit into your daily routine Wearing a moisturiser at the very least will keep your skin from feeling dry, and help it maintain moisture, that will keep it looking good for years to come.

As we move on in men’s skincare, I will devise a plan for intermediate, and advanced levels. But for now, we have covered 3 basic steps

Finally!

A step we can all take into consideration is SPF (sun protection factor).We should all be wearing a sunscreen every day, ideally a face cream with SPF factor is fabulous, this is why we created one, for efficiency and safety to skin. UV rays from the sun not only cause skin cancer but are also the biggest factor in our skins aging. It’s a really good habit to get into

Corona Coaster! Coming Out May/June 2020

Back to work special…
What has just happened, really what has just happened to the world, the last few months have been history in the making, never in a million years did we foresee this coming, never in our whole life would we have imagined that our hands would consume more alcohol than our mouths.

Taken from an extract I saw recently… The ups and downs of the pandemic. One day you’re loving your bubble, going for walks, baking cakes, and pottering in the garden, the next you’re having gin for breakfast, eating party rings, and missing people you don’t even like. We have seen IKEA share its famous Swedish meatball recipe, We have watched in awe when the whole world appreciated with clap for the carers, all those who generate love and compassion from their doorstep – now we applaud you. Personal messages of thanks left on dustbins for the waste
collecting crew, impromptu renditions of song from doctors still wearing scrubs and protective mask, we got squirrel picnic tables.

Recently we have watched friends and family create a love hate relationship with tiktok, we have watched our nearest and dearest make cooking videos to put Gino to shame, we have been more involved with Zoom than Fat Larry’s band – quizzes that have glued families together, and on the other hand been the cause of many a heated discussion, – but it’s all been good in lockdown, dig deep, go to the reserve of patience, if not see above ‘gin for breakfast’ it’s always a good second option. We saw the whole world unite with singing and dancing on their balconies, in gardens and on streets, rainbows in windows, and acts of kindness in every shape and form.

The last few months we have been involved in a cycle of panic buying, stock piling, closure of businesses, small and corporate, restaurants came to a standstill, concerts were empty, schools and public transport grinded to a halt. Like with most events in life, there are positive and negative outcomes. A virus which came out the blue causing devastation, spreading to over 200 countries, cancelling the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Glastonbury, Cannes film festival – closing the Great Wall of China, and Mount Everest. Isolation was like the reset button had been pressed on the world, back to factory settings. Birdsong, dolphins in the Venetian canals, nesting hummingbirds on the houses of Vancouver’s west end, bobcats in Calgary, and baboons peering into
windows of homes in Cape town. Isolation, and lockdown has unlocked the magic of nature. The natural world has brought peace and sanity to the public in these uncertain times. Less traffic
equals more wildlife. Reduced cutting of grass verges in both urban and rural settings, has made way for wildlife to bloom. Who’s actually the virus here?

We’ve never had a better chance to make a greener world than right now.

We personally have found the whole scenario to be a big shake up to our general behaviour, we have talked more as a team at Beauty Box, we have missed enormously our customer contact. We started to offer a delivery service – and took products and gifts to their homes. One of our very much valued customers had had her weekly video call to her local friends and saw the effect it was all having on them – so she called us, and we put together several gift bags, with feel good products in them. All were hand delivered with a little note – acts of kindness were holding the whole world together. We connected with our customers on a much more personal level and did the odd bit of food shopping for those who were vulnerable and high risk. Things which came from the heart, we sent out messages, not about appointments, but about wellbeing, messages of encouragement fondest love, and care.

So, how has it been? How is it being back at work.

With the rest of England still sleeping, France made the baby steps of reawakening, coming out of confinement, even with a specific name deconfinement …
We were uncertain, excited and a good dose of anxiousness too – was it too soon? Are customers ready? Are WE ready? Is the world ready? None of this we knew, nobody knew, it was a suck it and see situation. The orders started to come in, industrial supplies of clearing products, daily bulk supplies of non-thrilling items, our new essentials, plastic gloves and shoe covers, face masks and alcohol (not the good type) Physically of course we were ready, emotionally …who knows! Social distancing is the word on the street right now, we need to practice this for sure, this is our new safety blanket –

Re opening of the beauty salon

Intrepid steps were made by the first few customers but were soon very promptly put at ease with our new normal. The squirts of hand sanitizer were welcomed, everybody’s new best friend, in cars, handbags and lives of young and old, worldwide. Mask wearers outweighed the non-mask wearers, this became a new mark of respect, it was protection and solidarity, but sadly it also became a camouflage of faces, it hid smiles, emotion, and it made a different kind of barrier – this one we really didn’t like at all. Being unable to sit with our customers, share stories, share fear, trials and tribulations of the last few months, missing the hugs, unable to offer the physical contact which was evidently a huge loss in some people’s lives, was debilitating. This made it feel like the heart had been removed from Beauty Box, the same time as the teapot, which we couldn’t use either, with a total ban on offering refreshments, and non-essential chat All chat in out beauty salon is essential – surely??

We simply can’t wait to get our teapot back, … In the teapot, I hope we also find the good humour, the tranquility, the carefree summer spirit, and smiles while are no longer hid under masks. Another extract taken from the streams of motivation and positivity. As business start to reopen, please understand they may have just survived one of the hardest professional and personal challenges they’ve faced. While they’re excited to open, they’re not through the woods yet. There are changes, implications that have been forced on us, and due to lost revenue, lost employees, new policies and protocols, they won’t have the same business they had 2 months ago.We are all doing everything we can to adapt to the situation, but everything is different for us.

Be patient, be kind, be compassionate.

We are still trying to recover from battle number one, and the next battle of rebuilding has just begun.

To our friends, customers, and families

As soon as this is over, and it will be, we will go to friends’ houses to parties and we will say ‘I love you ‘ more. Through the bad will come good, we won’t take the little things for granted again, during the end of this complicated episode in all our lives, in this moment, facing the tough days, we at Beauty Box, would like to say THANK YOU, to all the people who are supporting us, by sending us love, virtual hugs, and real care and attention. As you know we are so proud to be team Beauty Box we are doing our very best to stay strong, safe and positive. Our philosophy is based on wellbeing and wellbeing has never been as important as it is right now, in these moments. We will still continue to share contents of friends, families and other small business posts, hoping to send positive vibes to all people facing this challenging situation Continue to stay safe, we were all in this together, and we will all come out of it together. Solidarity, safe and soon to be sunshine
Without the rain there would be no rainbow.

In remembrance of Stephen Kay, a true gentleman, and all the others who lost the fight, one of our first customers when opening the salon, taken too soon from his wonderful wife, daughters and family, but forever in our hearts.

The Complete Guide To Body Waxing For Men

In your head, waxing, whether at home or in a salon such as Beauty Box Man, probably sounds just torturous. Ripping, screaming and making a fool of yourself all come to mind. But here’s the thing, if you are determined to remove your hair, it’s got to come off somehow. Its no simple feat to get a razor to hit the right spot on your back or to avoid an itchy, irritated chest. The only way to stay clear of these two painful phenomena is a good, old fashioned wax. So, before you grab the wax, and go to town on yourself, its best to know exactly how it should be done.…its nowhere near as bad as the image in your head.

In fact, the opposite. Here’s how you can turn waxing from your worst nightmare into a pain-free, hair- free dream.

  • There are different kinds of wax. Beware not all wax is necessary created equal. Hard wax tends to ‘take off’ more of the hair, and its less painful, hard wax tends to
    be universal, best for different types and quantities of hair.
  • Soft wax, can rip at the skin, making it more painful than its counterpart, whether, you’re coming to see us in the salon, or doing it at home (which of course we do not recommend – we won’t go into the horror stories we have had to rectify, copious amount of ice, and lots of ouch !
    Be mindful of which type of wax you’re using.
  • NO !!! it doesn’t hurt that bad. Calm Down! Part of the pain is the mental game, if you go into your appointment and you’re all tense and you’re thinking its horrible, it becomes a less enjoyable service. Instead, go into your wax with a positive or at the very least, a realistic attitude. Its not going to be nearly as painful as it looks or sounds. Its particularly helpful if you’re done your research beforehand and the salon environment. Check out websites, 360 visits, and reviews.
  • There are ways to prepare beforehand if you are nervous. Yes, you could go with the usual pre-wax hacks of grabbing ibuprofen or doing a shot of vodka to relax. Those things wont necessarily hurt, but the most fool proof way to face your fear, is to do it head on.
  • Try waxing a small patch or do only one single, less intimidating area, in order to make sure you’re comfortable. Want to get everything below the belt waxed off?? Try just doing your back first or only having a small area done in preparation. You’ll get a sense for just how a wax actually feels.
  • And afterwards, you’ll have to switch up your routine a little bit. Immediately after you get a wax, you should avoid working out, and by avoiding working out, we mean that it is a must that you skip the gym for the day. If you sweat heavily into the open pores, you’re going to end up with bacne (back acne) – and nobody wants this.Next time – pinkie promise! It’ll be even easier, once you wax the first time, your skin becomes used to the feeling. If you keep going, your skin will only continue to become increasingly acclimated to the practice. In fact, the exfoliating process makes your skin smoother and softer, which is always a plus. With each session, you’ll likely be more and more prepared physically and mentally. Look at it as self-care practice and not an annoying chore or obligatory ritual.

More and more men are choosing to get waxed. Body hair is becoming increasingly personal and arguably, men’s grooming practices are on the rise. Men are also continuously to embrace healthy ideas like wellness and self-care. As we have seen at Beauty Box Man, more and more men are coming into the salon than ever before, without female persuasion.

Why?

  • Some men do it because they’re in sports and some men do it because they like the look, some men have never ever thought of it, but were finding them after that they love that clean feeling. They’re not as sweaty or its just much better. No matter the exact reason why men are getting waxed, they’re doing it in pretty considerable amounts.
  • You don’t need to be self-conscious, hairless v hairy – your choice. All we do is offer a friendly, clean, and efficient salon should you decide it’s your decision to get waxed.

If women can do it – why can’t men?

No matter how much hair you prefer its your choice of whether to get it waxed or not, you determine whether you want to go ahead with a waxing appointment, and if you do, you should be able to do it proudly. ALL men should try it once, before it was really all about the women, but now its an option open to men too. Waxing doesn’t need to be a pain, nor does it need to be a shame.