Guyliner & Boy Blush: Getting Your Guy In Makeup

I grew up in a house absolutely brimming with women. Even our pets wore pink and accessorized their cages. This meant that an unoccupied bathroom was rarer than a solar eclipse, the statement, "Don't borrow my stuff" was as effective as celebrity rehab, and unconcealed chocolate was often forcefully separated from rightful owners.

But there's a perk to living with makeup fiends: At any given time, there were at least four other makeup bags I could raid for supplies.

And now it looks like I'm about to add another: Man makeup is on the rise! Or, as I'd like to officially name it, Mankeup.

And why shouldn't guyliner be the next logical step in a man-care morning routine that already includes shaving, exfoliating, and moisturizing (not including all the plucking he thinks you don't see)?

Chicas, I think if we all work together, we could accelerate this trend. Besides instantly doubling the number of makeup bags per household, it's always nice to know your fella could help you open that pickle jar, then touch up your chipped mani after.

For the man-icurist: If he's already getting his nails done, why not suggest a brawny shade of lacquer (Or, clear polish = the new starter shade for color-shy men)?

For the man-scaper: If he's trimming the eyebrows, snipping around the nostrils, or waxing his chest, perhaps offer him a nice bronzer or contouring shadow to really highlight his hard work?

For the man-keup artist: Is he really bold? Does he no longer scoff at Jared Leto or Pete Wentz? The best thing you can do here is help him find his colors, demonstrate the art of shadow blending, and show him how to really make those peepers pop. This man is ready to help us lead our beautiful (but tres manly) revolution.

Let's Get To The Root of The Issue

Our boy blogger, Cade, says ... Born into a family of light-haired people (dad is a firey-copper red head, mom's a platinum blonde), I immediately notice dark roots on other people because that just doesn’t exist in my family. I don’t know if I’m alone in this because I come from a double genetic minority or what, but it’s a glaring thing to me. But, I discovered back a product that seems like such a simple solution for in-between dye jobs: MimicColor. It’s meant for covering grey hair (even on men's beards!), but I'm told it can do the trick on dark roots, too. I’ve never tried it, but it looks natural, easy to use, and therefore worth every penny. Though I won’t have dark roots, I know in the future I’ll have to consider it for any grey hairs that come in. -- Cade Peterson, Sephora

No!No! Part 4: Impressed!

Our boy blogger, Cade, says ... Wow! Being the lazy boy I am, I didn’t use the No! No! twice a week as I intended (and as suggested). In reality, I did this about once every 2 weeks. And if you click the image to see a larger view, you can actually see that hairs haven’t even grown back at all. This thing is the BOMB! Since my first real attempt, I have to say, I was skeptical. This simple little device, with its very simple concept, only sounded plausible in an unlikely way. I was willing to believe, but I’m no skin expert. However, since I’ve been comparing one side of my chest to the other (one is getting shaved with a razor and the other is strictly with the No! No!), I have real results. Stay tuned!—Cade Peterson, Sephora

It's Not You, It's Me

I know the rules. Though they bother me, I follow them, if only because not doing so causes such an issue. You know what I’m talking about: airport security. Well, coming home this past weekend from a skiing trip for my birthday, I got held up. My bag was searched, and do you know what the cause of it was? No, I had taken off my belt and shoes for scanning. I even had my stuff in that clear baggie. What was it? My almost empty tube of toothpaste that wasn’t in the baggie because it was hiding under some clothing (admittedly my fault) when I was packing. My Crest isn’t gonna harm anyone except some germs. Sigh…maybe it was because I had the first flight of the morning home and I was really still asleep, or maybe it was just my sense that all of this was a bit overdone, but my tube was only 3.2 ounces (did I mention crimped and almost empty)! Well, there’s a solution--I have no reason to have forgotten: Airline Approved Beauty! Guys may have no clue about this and/or you ladies may not even realize that this cool way to shop has more than a few items that men can appreciate. Don’t believe me? Check out Ole Henriksen’s Blemish Stick, or Jack Black’s Jet Set Shave Set. So if you’ve got a jet set beau or even the occasional plane hopper, remember to save him the hassle that we all now can avoid. -- Cade Peterson, Sephora

An Apple A Day

Our boy blogger Cade says… Working mostly in the fragrance world of sephora.com, I’ve come to realize there are a handful of wonderful scents seemingly straight from the fruit cart. Nina Ricci is back with a new fragrance in the vision of a gorgeous an apple, complete with a white metal top, leaves, and all. For the ladies, it smells light and flowery, but with a nice crisp apple undertone. Another recent apple-inspired scent is DK’s Delicious Night. It has the crisp apple, but combines black orchids—sensuous in every bit of the word. I held it hostage on my desk for a couple weeks, it's that hot, and it looks gorgeous—a modern gem-like apple. DKNY offers a few siblings to the new Delicious Night, which include a couple for men. You rock, Donna! And lastly, Demeter, the maker of the too-real-to-be-true scents, has a couple as well. The Guava Nectar is great, especially if you're planning a tropical vacation this winter. Any way you slice it, Mother Nature provides some of the best classic scents around. — Cade Peterson, Sephora

Armani Code: A Sure Bet

Our boy blogger, Cade, says ... I saw this and had to share it. I’m not sure if it’s that I’m a guy, that I love playing poker, that I moved here from Texas (it is Texas Hold `Em, after all), or what, but there’s a new fragrance set that is hawt. Yeah, I said it! Armani just released a new fragrance set for men. It includes a cool bottle upgrade (limited collector’s edition) and the best part? A sleek Giorgio Armani signature set deck of playing cards. IMHGO (In My Humble Guy Opinion), that beats the heck out of the aftershave or deodorant that usually comes with fragrance sets. So, for anyone out there with a man in their life who has the Texas Hold `Em fever, likes poker nights with his buddies, or is just a gambling enthusiast, this is the gift of the year. P.S. Guys secretly love to be spoiled too (cough, Valentine’s Day, cough). Armani Code is one excellent scent, and when combined into this themed set, there’s nothing to lose! I know when I’m playing poker, I like to know I’m betting on a sure thing.—Cade Peterson, Sephora

Cade's New Year's Resolutions

Our boy blogger Cade says ... So my first year spending the holidays in San Francisco was wonderful—and so were the many parties. I’m worn out! I haven’t worked out in two weeks and I feel it. I tend to eat decently well, and living in this city, I walk a lot. So, health-wise, I’m not too bad, but there’s always room for improvement. Health comes from within, but when I slack, it shows. I get dark circles under my eyes first, and look like a zombie for a week afterwards—I know, dead sexy. Well, in addition to getting my lazy bum back to the gym after the holiday break, I have a game plan. For 2008, I resolve to 1) do a detox/body cleanse, then to get back in my gym habit regularly again. I kinda miss my cardio, weightlifting, and especially my yoga. 2) Next, to revive my dead sexy eyes and face back to normal, I found something I’m going to try. It’s a 5 day detox for my face by Skyn Iceland. It’s short and sweet—perfect for this guy’s style. 3) Lastly, I resolve to organize all of my digital photos that I’ve got in my camera... finally, but that’s another story. — Cade Peterson, Sephora

Razors on Strike?

Dear Conan and Dave,
Sure, sure, we see the logic: Writers on strike, might as well take it easy for a bit, let the hygiene slip as a symbol of all the creative chaos. But these full-on Castaway beards? The mountain man look? It's got to go. All policy and picket signs aside, a little Jack Black never hurt anyone. The new holiday kit has the brush, lather, and even the towel covered, so you can focus on more pressing matters ... like, you know, scrambling to write your own jokes. Anyway, time to clean up this funny scruff. Let's not negotiate on this one. —Jessica Anderson, Sephora

Just Another Pretty Face?

We talk a lot about getting that pretty face ... but here's a mind-boggling angle. A disease called face blindness, which is unrelated to sight, can actually cause an inability to recognize faces. In extreme cases, it includes the faces of family, close friends, loved ones, and themselves. It’s proper name is Prosopagnosia and is only more recently being understood and documented. Fortunately, it’s very rare, but can be devastating. Think about it. Social interaction is based on recognizing familiar faces. Our faces are the single most recognizable part of our bodies—they define our very unique identity. (That's mine, shattered with Photoshop!) How would it feel to never recognize someone who lives next door, or has delivered your paper or bagged your groceries for years? We all go to varying lengths to maintain our face, either through routine (me, it's shaving every other day), or with color and makeup. But take a deeper look—test how well you can recognize faces. —Cade Peterson, Sephora

A Party Guy's Best Friend

'Tis the season ... for tons of parties. Everyone's scrambling to schedule their own little get-together, fitting it in between all their friends' parties, and work parties. This week has already begun to wear me down. What do you do when you get home, very late, after a fun but exhausting night of partying? If you're like me, you forget to take out your contacts, not to mention wash your face. Yuck, I know, but I have a trick that I recently discovered for these tiring (but fun) times. We can't go into the rest of the holiday season with breakouts. My new trick: Find a cleansing cloth product, and give your mug a good but quick once over before hitting the sack. If you have anything on your face, it should probably come off before sailing into dreamland. If you danced up a sweat, the same applies. I like the Sephora Face 25, but there are many to choose from. Shiseido makes an awesome one, too. Whatever you choose, just make sure you bring in the New Year with a clean shiny face, and not a partied-out and broken out one. — Cade Peterson, Sephora
image courtesy of midnightcafe.wordpress.com

No! No! Part 3: Let's Go On a Safari!

Cade, our new boy blogger, says ... Last night, I officially began my No!No! adventure. It was like a safari, since my chest hair-jungle was plentiful. After some crude experience from my first steps, I mowed down the initial mass with clippers, to make the whole process easier. (Sadly, I couldn't watch the how-to DVD due to technical difficulties.) To do this right though, I read the booklet instructions thoroughly, and learned some key things that made this first official day a success:

• Use the brush to keep the hot blade debris-free.
  
• Work in small sections, like waxing your car. Wax on, wax off, repeat.
  
• Trim long hairs down first.
• Use the hot blade for long hair, buff with the pad, then use the stubble hot blade and buff again. Worked like a charm.
  
• Work in a well-ventilated area.
• Go as slow as possible; try to maintain the green light without flickering.

This pic was taken right after—there was slight redness, but it wasn't uncomfortable, and it faded. Can you guess which side I used the No!No! on vs. the razor? (My roommate Jennifer guessed wrong, so looks like No!No! works!). Leave a guess and I'll answer next week! —Cade Peterson, Sephora

Feel The Biorhythm

Our boy blogger Cade says ...
We all know stress can take a toll on how we look. About two weeks ago, I began feeling tired and worn out for no reason, physically and mentally, and couldn't for the life of me figure out why. It progressively got worse, and showed; my skin began to dull and totally reflected my whole sense of being. My mom sent me out a warning email to check my biorhythms! All my lines were crashing during a period of several days. This alignment of all of them being down isn't common, but it was right on. I don't know if you believe this, but it's generally on target for me (thanks, Mom!). How'd I deal with it? I took extra care staying calm and relaxed, making sure I drove extra safely on my scooter, ate and slept better, as I should anyway. As for my skin, I discovered an interesting spray that sounded right for my current situation-an uplifting face tonic spray. I decided on with Ole Henricksen's Africa Red Tea Face Mist because I love tea. Anyway, this really seemed to improve my spirits and my skin tone. So if you're ever feeling the doldrums and don't know why, check your biorhythms (any biorhythm calculator online will do) and consider an uplifting boost. —Cade Peterson, Sephora

Green Is The New Pink

America is going green—especially in beauty, with lines like bareMinerals, Juice Beauty, Korres, and Stella’s CARE—so I jumped on board as a designer recently. I participated in "green" design event; a showcase of dresses and objets d'art made of pre-printed materials and other things that would normally hit the dumpster. It's pretty much dresses made out of would-be wasted paper. Everything possible was recyclable or compost-able, including the cutlery, plates, cups, etc.— and this dress made out of coasters, which I designed with my brilliant friend Jennifer. (Yes, the kind you enjoy a pint with. Isn't it amazing what a few blue coasters can do?). It may not be possible to go entirely natural yet, at least in America, but times are changing. Expect to start seeing more green—everywhere from our produce stands to cosmetic counters. — Cade Peterson, Sephora

No!No! Part 2: X Marks The Spot

I busted out my next two month's ball-and-chain last night: the No! No!. I am going to get to know this little guy intimately over the next couple months. OK ... I’m a bit scared. To break the ice with my new friend, I first assessed the workload. I have more chest hair than I realized. It’s sorta wavy and when pulled taught, it’s a good inch long. Right when I began to get overwhelmed, a fun and childish thought crosses my mind. With this new grooming tool, I can define a new identity. It won’t be a permanent one, but at least until next week when I begin getting serious about my new chesthairlessness. So without watching the DVD (I’m a guy—I hate directions—dumb, I know), I put in the hot blade intended for long hair and began. I start mowing upwards at an angle, and realize that this may take a few passes. The No! No! is not a lawnmower, after all. My chest hair is not only wavy, but truly unruly because it goes in all directions. I’m sure this would be easier if it went in a uniform direction. After 3 or 4 passes, I decide that trimming my extreme excess with scissors to a more manageable length will help a lot. I quickly trim the hair down to about an inch. This proves right; the hair is much more easily taken off. Once I got it short, I switched the blade for the one for stubble. The stubble blade took several passes, because I can't roll it in the same straight line every time; pushing down firmly helped. I tried to go slower, and of course the warm sensation got warmer, but the No! No! never burned me. The hot blade moves out towards the skin only when in motion, it only heats up when it's in use. When I went too slow, the blade gently dances in and out (up and away from my skin) as a protective measure to keep me from burning myself. I finished off the job with the smooth buffing pads, going in small circles. I figured this would be best because that wax-on-wax-off technique always worked for The Karate Kid, didn’t it? With a lot of long hair, I stunk up my apartment. The hair is burning off, right? My roommate Jennifer and I decided that at least the initial hair removal, when it's long like mine, should be done in a well-ventilated area. I dumbly did it in the living room, and not the bathroom, where I have a vent. I'll begin the real testing (watching the DVD!), Razor vs. No! No!, after the holidays. In the meantime, anyone know where I can get a cool looking cape? With my newfound secret identity, I feel the need to save the day. — Cade Peterson, Sephora

Justifying My Next Fix ... I Mean, Cup

My name is Cade ... Hi Cade …and I’m a tea junkie. I admit it. I love tea. I love coffee too, but it’s the leafy stuff in hot water that I go for. I’m an equal opportunity tea lover too—I love black, green, white, red (it’s a tea, too, don’t argue with me!), oolong, and all the flavor combinations that exist. I must have picked it up from my mom because she always drank tea in the mornings and throughout her school days as a teacher. Anyway, though teas are healthy for us because they contain antioxidants, some new and exciting information may change the way we protect our skin. This is especially cool because, while it may block lots of UV rays from getting to our skin, it does something other sunscreen products don't—naturally heals damage already sustained. This is especially good if you like natural or organic lines like CARE By Stella McCartney or Dr Hauschka’s Skin Care. These two lines do not have SPF ingredients in them, because they refuse to include chemicals to provide this protection. I believe we should be able to have it all—maybe soon we will. Now only if they could make honey a sunscreen ... —Cade Peterson, Sephora

No!No! Take 1: I Ain’t Skeered!

I'm a little excited and a little nervous about this No! No! experiment. I'm not scared—I did a test patch on my shin last Friday. It's not scary, but actually pleasant and worked perfectly. There's no pain at all, and actually a nice warmth. My awesome coworker, Leela, did a patch on her leg as well. We were both impressed. I'm just nervous because I'll be removing my chest hair once or twice a week (and sharing pics—whoa!). For a guy who's not shaved my chest in years (lost a bet in college), it sounds like a chore. I decided that I'll also be leaving part of my chest to be shaved by razor blade only. That way we'll be able to truly gauge over several weeks the slowing of hair growth from using the No! No! versus a blade. So far, if I shaved a large part of my body daily (no, I’ve got great leg hair, thank you), I'd probably get a No! No! already. It's painless, and doesn't use a blade. Shaving my face is horrible enough as it is—it's something I dread doing (can you say styptic pencil? ouch!). Maybe one day, they'll make a version safe for facial hair. Hint, hint ... —Cade Peterson, Sephora

No!No! Reason To Be Nervous

We hear ya, we hear ya. You want to try No!No!—Sephora’s new hair removal system that de-hairs with Thermicon™ heat-wave technology—but for some reason, the new technology still has you a little jittery. But now, you can get an unbiased opinion from an everyday woman who tried it out for weeks, and documented her experience along the way. And boys, don't feel left out: We're enlisting our new boy blogger, Cade, to do the same in the next few weeks. So stay tuned for his riveting, hair-oic tale! —Jessica Anderson, Sephora

The Way to a Man's Heart ...

… is definitely through his stomach. Anything that smells like Grandma's cookin' will score some serious brownie points, and more products are coming out just in time for the holidays that smell like holiday goodies. Some of the things that I've smelled lately that make my mouth salivate instantly are Laura Mercier's body and bath collections. My favorite this year? The Crème Brulee and the Chocolate Truffle. Who can forget about pumpkin pie during the holidays? It's my all-time favorite thing at holiday dinners. Also, I suggest this limited collection because it includes double rich hot cocoa, spiced apple cider, and fresh baked cinnamon buns. These all literally smell good enough to eat. My point: The more realistic smelling the product, the more brownie points. There are lots of delicious and realistic smelling food-related scented products but these are some of the most realistic I've found. It's this realistic quality that makes these a deal, rather than a deal-breaker. Bathe yourself and your home in something that smells disarmingly like his Grandma's house, and he'll get those soft, moist, romantic eyes—then hungrily want to eat you up. —Cade Peterson, Sephora

I Wanna Be a Colgate Poster Child (dammit!)

I’ve slowly become a tooth-whitening junkie. Over the years, I’ve tried everything from the gels in the teeth trays, to the strips, to whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes, and more. The only thing I haven’t and won’t do is go to the dentist for it. Sorry, I ain’t paying $700 for my sad obsession. My teeth are in all actuality, pretty nice. But something nags me once in a while to do something to make them even whiter. With all the abuse I’ve given my poor teeth, they’ve slowly gotten more sensitive to temperatures and sugar. That’s not cool. So a couple weeks ago, I decided to back off. I got an ADA approved toothpaste (it cleans teeth, and removes plaque and tartar, without wearing enamel). I also changed the toothbrush head on my electric toothbrush to a normal one from the “whitening” bristles I had used. The whitening pre-rinse has been banished under the sink, never to be seen again. I’m just down to using a regular fluoride paste, a non-abrasive toothbrush, and a mouthwash. The results? My teeth actually appear whiter, and my mouth is thanking me for it. Whitening teeth is cool, but don’t overkill like I did. -- Cade Peterson, Sephora

P.S. That’s me a couple years ago teaching a friend to drive a Jeep Wrangler on the island where I grew up. It was a dream of hers.

Always Just Right

Very unusually yesterday, two of the ladies working here at headquarters with me were wearing something that seemed so out of place. They were both wearing black Classic All-Stars. That’s right—Converse, baby! At first, it seemed a little out of place, because the usual mode of dress around here is chic, currently fashionable, and always sophisticated. I have the best job ever—I’m surrounded by lovely ladies all day, every day. When I thought about it, their shoes matched their outfits, and their moods. Today was a busy day, so no non-sense was allowed. However, comfort was kept in mind. Their All-Stars fit the bill. I don’t know about you, but any gal confidently cool enough to wear Converse is sexy. —Cade Peterson, Sephora