As Blufashion’s Hair Guide, I use and try lots of different men’s grooming products — at any given moment, my bathroom countertop will be loaded with dozens of different pastes, creams, soaps, and products. Once I finish testing a product for review, I normally pass it along to a friend or client (or stash below the bathroom sink). There are a few products, however, that I must selfishly keep for myself. What’s on my counter right now? Take a look!
Just For Men Color Gel – My facial hair is very light and getting a bit gray. When I’m sporting some face fuzz, this product helps darken it up and tones down the gray with a fairly natural result in under 10 minutes.
American Crew Fiber – I love Fiber for creating some really aggressive texture in my hair. I’ve used this stuff for years.
Redken for Men Maneuver Working Wax – Similar to American Crew’s Fiber, but a little lighter. This is good stuff to create texture or go for a more formal look with a natural shine. Although the name contains the word wax, there’s nothing really waxy about it.
American Crew Forming Cream – If you’re looking for great hold, and texture with a little shine, this product is one of the best.
Gage for Men Pomade Dressing – One of the best water-based pomades I’ve tested. This gives me a brilliant shine, and it smells great — like a classic barbershop.
Balla Powder – This is a little powder for, uh… look at the name and figure it out on your own!
Bed Head B For Men Matte Separation Workable Wax – Another one of my favorite matte finish products. It’s VERY similar to Redken for Men Maneuver Working Wax.
Woody’s Clay – This stuff gives amazing control with a matte finish, but remains pliable after it dries.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shaping Cream – Another of my all-time favorite products. This gives me a strong, flexible hold with great texture and a matte finish and it smells amazing.
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Hair and Body Moisturizer – One product to use as a leave-in conditioner and skin moisturizer. I love this after shaving to soothe my skin.
Axe Whatever Messy Look Paste – One of the few supermarket products I like. Does just what it says and gives you a messy look. I admit, because of their cheesy advertising, I’d be slightly embarrassed to buy this in a store.
Redken for Men Get Groomed Finishing Cream – This is such a great product for when I need a little control and finishing — it’s also amazing in curly hair to separate the curl and add shine.
Indigo Wild Zum Bar Lavender Mint Goat’s Milk Soap – I love keeping this on the counter because it makes the entire room smell terrific. It’s an all-natural soap made with only about seven or eight ingredients, all of which you can pronounce.
What’s Around My Tub?
Bed Head B For Men Clean Up Daily Shampoo – Hands down, my favorite shampoo of all time. The lather is rich, and the stuff smells fantastic.
Bed Head B For Men Charge Up Daily Conditioner – This conditioner gives my hair just a little more thickness and support. Love it.
Paul Mitchell Lavender Mint Shampoo – I keep the liter size of this in my shower and use it all over my body. The fragrance relaxes, and the shampoo gives great moisture when I need it in the winter months.
Paul Mitchell Lavender Mint Conditioner – This is an excellent companion to the shampoo. One of the best moisturizing conditioners I’ve found.
Jack Black Body Rehab Scrub & Muscle Soak – This stuff is amazing! It exfoliates my skin and really soothes tired muscles. I use this after a long day at work or after a hard workout.
Axe Downpour Refreshing Mint Shampoo – I know Axe is a little cheesy, but I really like the smell of this one. I actually use this after the gym as a shampoo and body wash — it’s refreshing after a workout.
Menscience Daily Body Wash – This body wash cleans very well when I’m feeling dirty. Glycolic and salicylic acids remove dead skin and deep clean the pores.
Menscience Daily Shampoo – This one is free of any unnecessary colors and fragrances, and deep cleans the scalp.
Headblade HeadShed Exfoliator – They market this product as an exfoliator for the scalp (great if you shave your head), but I use it as a facial scrub. HeadShed contains more scrubbing beads (actually ground walnut shells) than almost every scrub I’ve tried. Just don’t get it in your mouth — smells chocolatey, but it tastes horrible.
Woody’s Daily Conditioner – With its peppermint and menthol, this stuff really feels great, and it conditions without weighing the hair down — perfect for my fine hair.
St. Ives Energizing Citrus Body Wash – Like most guys, I often buy body wash based on smell alone, and I love this one. Very refreshing.
What’s Hanging In My Shower?
Merkur Classic Hefty Safety Razor – This is my favorite old-school double-edge razor. The Merkur blades are super sharp, and the razor is perfectly weighted and balanced.
Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor – For those mornings when I don’t have time to shave with the Merkur, the ProGlide is a great alternative — it’s the best drugstore razor on the market.
Edwin Jagger Super Badger Shaving Brush – When using the classic shaving creams, a shaving brush will help you produce a richer lather and will exfoliate the skin for a smoother shave. Jagger makes some great brushes.
Geo F. Trumper Rose Shave Cream – My favorite fragrance in the excellent Trumper line. You might think it’s a bit girly, but the fragrance is out of this world.
Taylor of Old Bond Street Lavender Shave Cream – This is excellent classic shaving cream. I like this tube because it’s perfect for travel.
Gillette Fusion ProSeries Thermal Facial Scrub – I love the warming action when this stuff hits the skin. It gives a nice, gentle scrub. I use this before applying shave cream to help exfoliate the skin for a smoother shave.
Zum Patchouli-Mint Goat’s Milk Soap – This soap feels amazing on the skin, and the fragrance is earthy and relaxing. I always have a bar of this in the shower.