Grooming Lounge Blog

By Robin Rose Parker, Published: December 31 | Updated: Thursday, January 3, 8:00 AM

My family had run a beauty distribution business. They were salon distributors. My grandfather started the business more than 80 years ago, and while I didn’t really work there, I grew up learning about it at the dinner table and working through summers there with friends. So I’d done that, and my old business partner was a hair stylist. We met up at a trade show where I was helping my family’s business, and after talking for a while, we kept coming back to the same point — that all of what we categorized as our beer-drinking, football-watching buddies were always asking us:Can we get them that moisturizer or that shaving cream? We always went back to these guys and said, “Why don’t you just go buy it?” And the same answer kept coming back: “I feel kind of silly going into the shop — there’s a woman behind the counter, and I don’t want to ask her about the bags under my eyes or a nose hair trimmer.”

Well, a light kind of went on. If these guys, who we didn’t target as the most well-groomed guys, are into this stuff, then imagine what a real professional guy — who’s taking care of himself — imagine what some of the issues he has are or some of the things he wants to take care of. Right before I got married, my wife said: “You’ve got to go get a manicure. Your nails are gross.” I remember going and getting a manicure, and I got it in a typical female-oriented nail spa. I was surrounded by 20 women getting their nails done, and I remember sitting there having had my head down the whole time. I was out of my element; I felt uncomfortable.

When we were going to get our first store, we couldn’t get space from a landlord. Their rationale was: That’s a great idea, but no guy in D.C.’s spending 50 bucks for a haircut. I don’t know what I expected, but when we started the business, I certainly didn’t know what guy is going to be in here at 2:15 on a Wednesday getting a foot treatment. I didn’t know this would happen, but it happens every day of the week. A lot of guys work really hard. They make enough money, and if they can step out somewhere and take care of themselves in a place that treats them right, they are more than willing to do it. I didn’t even realize the power of guys being able to step away and just kind of escape somewhere, even if it’s just an hour.

I got an e-mail [about] a guy who’s been coming here, I think, since we opened. The e-mail [was] from his wife or his significant other. And it was basically saying: “Our relationship had always been the other way around, where he was checking my credit card receipts to say that I had spent too much money at the salon. And the tables have turned. Now I look at him and say — ‘You spent what at the Grooming Lounge?’ ”

In a few weeks he’ll be sleighing the globe, dropping presents in chimneys, making rash decisions about naughty-ness, devouring cookies, etc. Leading up to this date, he’s sweat-shopping it with the elves – creating toys, ties and such for all of you. That Santa… he’s quite the giver.

But who takes care of the jolly fat man, gives him presents and advice? Aside from the Mrs…. probably no one. Until now. You see, Grooming Lounge wants to give back to Santa via some timely grooming products and tips. These items are being sent up north as we speak.

- Bluebeards Beard Wash & Saver: No offense “ZZ Claus,” but that beard could stand some maintenance. Using these items will keep it clean, cookie-crumb free and soft.
- Panasonic Nose & Ear Hair Trimmer: We haven’t seen it first-hand, but experience tells us that with that much facial hair, there’s bound to be some excessive nose and ear hair. That’s naughty in our book.
- Balla Powder: That heavy, hot suit and sitting for hours and hours is a sure-fire recipe for “bat wings.” A drop of this down those trousers is very “nice.”
- Nature’s Call Toilet Deodorizer Spray: Eating all those random cookies, made with who knows what, is bound to have an effect on the “boiler.” Make sure Mrs. Claus doesn’t feel the brunt of that trauma by putting a few of these in the can “pre-business.”
- Nickel Morning After Rescue Gel: After a long night of delivering gifts around the world, Santa might not be so jolly the next day – until he slaps some of this on.

Ho, ho, ho.

We’ve had inquiries lately from media asking for our take how “men’s grooming habits change in winter?” Naturally, we checked with experts in our store locations to get the scoop — and after siphoning through answers — the one that hit us as most accurate and blunt was…

“Shit gets cold in the winter. Cold equals dry and dry equals flaking and itching — and a bunch of other stuff that’s real unattractive and uncomfortable. So, men need to moisturize everywhere from top down. For hair, use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. On the face, use a high-powered face moisturizer. Use a great body hydrator to keep the core soft. Don’t forget about extremities — hands and feet need mega moisture to avoid looking nasty and feeling nastier. Also, it’s key to moisturize hands after using those very-drying, alcohol-based hand sanitizers”

Makes sense. Sh#! gets cold in Winter. Grab a vat of moisturizer. See our larger-form Winter Survival Guide right here.

Many put it on par with the announcement of TIME Magazine’s “Man Of The Year” cover or the introduction of the SI Swimsuit Issue cover model.  It’s the featured page in Grooming Lounge’s annual catalog — this year titled “The Handsome Awards” and focusing on only the best of the best products in a variety of grooming categories as voted by our Grooming Experts.  Set to mail to your door mid-November and posted online around the same time, here’s a sneak peak.  Thanks for caring.