A Metrosexual Father’s Day Gift Guide

For the most part, men need gender-specific beauty products -- their skin is oilier, thicker, and warmer (more blood vessels), and shaving heightens some of these differences by regularly removing surface oils, causing micro-inflammation and dehydration. Men’s skin ages differently from women's, too, and it can be more vulnerable to external aggressors. While finding a man who will surrender himself to the joys of manicures and facials is still far from commonplace (let alone one who cares about what facial cleanser -- if any -- he puts on his face), with Father’s Day coming, an occasion presents itself to cajole an overworked dad, husband, or other to find his Adonis within and start exploring the beauty of life without under-eye bags, deep forehead creases, and out-of-control cuticles.

Besides the barebones basics, one thing you’re likely to find in most men’s apartments is a massively oversized jar of some sort of multivitamin/protein powder. Replace the unsightly plastic container (who in NYC even has room for those on their kitchen counter?) with a sleek alternative from Functionalab. Recently launched at Henri Bendel, Functionalab’s Men’s Mix is formulated to support the health of men who are too busy guzzling beers and downing burgers to get their required daily essential nutrients. The supplements come pre-packaged in individually bundled daily packets, each with a significant amount of key nutrients (vitamin C, vitamin E, B complex, etc.); licensed dieticians are on hand at Bendel’s for the full lowdown on specific benefits.

Moving from the inside out, Ren’s has a “Perfect Shaving Kit” which comes with six adorably sized (read: very small and travel-friendly) men’s cleansing gel, scrub, shaving oil, cooling shave cream, after-shave balm, and eye gel—basically everything a man could need (and probably more) when it comes to shaving. Plus, the products are formulated to tackle skin decongestion, excess oil production, puffiness, and countless other facial issues that most men probably wouldn’t know they had until they disappear. For a more essential approach, Space NK Men Blue comes in a dark pouch with an eau de toilette, shave cream, and body wash, all of which have a very manly lime/grapefruit/amber/cedar scent.

As for actual shaving, Zwilling—famous for their kitchen knives—are the makers of Pour Homme Straight Razor Hand, a razor that many metrosexuals have, fittingly, deemed the razor with the closest shave (it’s made with the highest grade, corrosion-resistant stainless steel). Should there be a facial mishap however, Murad’s got Razor Burn Rescue, meant to fight razor burn, irritation, bumps, and ingrown whiskers via a mix of antioxidants and redness-reducing anti-inflammatories (glycolic acid, tea tree oil, vitamin E, panthenol).

For a gratis shave, Kiehl’s is hosting a shave swap through June 7. Men are invited to trade in their shaving cream (at least a 4oz. size), for a full-size 5oz. tube of Kiehl’s best-selling Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream. To boot, participate in a five-minute personal consultation with a customer rep, and you’ll receive three samples of the Kiehl’s products best suited to your personal skin or hair needs.

Moving up the face to hair, while it’s probably true that no badass worth his Harley would ever want to use anything on his coif called “Gimme A Stiffy” Dry Gel or “Slick” Hair Wax, when it comes to humoring a dad’s midlife crisis or making someone feel edgy who clearly isn’t, Badass Hair is the way to go. Then again, there’s always the Trio Gift Set from American Crew—it comes with Daily Moisturizing Shampoo, Stimulating Conditioner, Moisturizing Shave Cream, and a complementary flask.

From a badass (who takes shots in the shower) to reverting back to juvenile superhero dreams, Lush has a limited-edition kit called Shave the Planet. Tailor-made for an eco-dad with a sense of humor, it contains Shave the Planet shaving cream, Cosmetic Lad moisturizer, Bamboo soap, and a Business Time massage bar all wrapped in a comic strip made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper. They’ve also got a charcoal-based facial cleanser, Dark Angel, which is sold by the pound (so when it gets cut, it ends up looking like clumps of charcoal) that works particularly well for men’s oilier skin.

As for male-hand primping, the best place to start is with Sephora’s Cuticle Care Pen and a manly-cure. ROB|B (the first OPI Concept Salon), Dashing Diva, and Bliss have all got ‘em. Bliss even offers “Homme Improvement,” a male version of their signature triple-oxygen facial Improvement.

For those not ready to go public with their need for a facial, there’s always the American Psycho route; remember Patrick Bateman, the horrifyingly sick but undeniably slick serial killer who used a multitude of creams on his face each morning. Lancôme Men’s line is about as comprehensive as one could get when it comes to addressing such precise concerns, with everything from Age Fight for a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles to Exfoliating Microdermabrasion.

Lastly, if there’s one thing men of all levels of metrosexuality care about, it’s their hair. While Philip Kingsley is no MD, he bills himself as the preeminent “hair doctor” and has built a mini-empire on diagnosing and treating hair problems. Proof of effectiveness? One of his “patients” is Howard Stern.