Smooth

When it comes to men's grooming, surprisingly little has changed since 1948, when Cary Grant in his movie Mr. Blanding Builds His Dream House was desperately trying to shave in peace (click to watch the clip). Sure, razors are much better and cool gels can save one from the brush (though I know some men still have one and use it as part of their ritual), but the process is basically the same.

One thing that has changed is the after-shave products. The poor souls no longer need to disinfect their raw skin with an alcohol-based liquid that smell of lavender and pine (ouch. Can you imagine inflicting such treatment on your freshly shaved parts?) and have all kinds of creams and balms to choose from.

My husband has been searching for his holy grail product: A cream that combines the soothing and comforting of a good after-shave with an effective and strong moisturizer. He's finally found one that makes him very happy: Biotherm Homme Ultra Confort. He's used several other Biotherm products in the past, and while liking them quite a bit, none of them was The One, until now. Ultra Confort gets his full endorsement.

According to him the product delivers on all the promises and does a perfect job keeping his skin soft and comfortable feeling. I conducted my own little experiment: I tested Ultra Confort on my own face after a deep cleansing session and thorough exfoliating. The cream made my skin feel calm, replenished the lost moisture and made it incredibly smooth and soft to the touch. I was quite surprised at how good it felt.

I wonder what Cary Grant would have said.

Photo and clip from ShaveBlog.

Mostly (All) About Eva

Odds and ends for a Monday morning:

• Helg from Perfume Shrine is wondering what was Eva Longoria's fragrance on her wedding day. There's also a link to a list of celebrities and their favorite perfumes. I only skimmed the list, but I have to say that while not surprising, there's very little inspiration there. Young Hollywood is all about fruity-florals and laundry detergent scents, while classic Hollywood seems to have shared the same handful of bottles. Still, of interest is the fact that Creed's Irish Tweed Green that was created for Cary Grant, is now worn by his modern incarnation, George Clooney. I think I see a bottle in the Blond's future.
(photo of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman from the movie Notorious)


• Speaking of my husband: He was sitting next to me as I was writing my previous Eva Longoria post. He looked at the photo and commented: "That's a Chanel, right?". Apparently, he recognized both the fabric and the deconstructed trim. Color me proud.



• Last one about Eva's wedding: Look at this picture (courtesy of Mollygood. Click on the photo, it's worth it) of her mother-in-law, Tony Parker's mom. Can she be wearing Proenza Pink lipstick? I'm not saying a word about the roses on her ankles (or the cleavage).





• Since we're sort of the topic of celebrity obsession, Jake Halpern's book, "Fame Junkies" , offers an interesting perspective of this subculture. I have yet to finish the book, but so far I'm enjoying it.

Reincarnation

People magazine's sexiest man alive is George Clooney. No surprises there. I've been saying this for years, and even more so since he's become a modern Cary Grant. It doesn't hurt that he's also outspoken about political and social issues. And nobody looks better in a tux.