Thursday, 10 September 2009

• Dear Boys...

  it has come to my attention that many boys aren't sure what to do with themselves. i have decided to provide an easy way to educate yourself on what you CAN do with yourself.

  PLEASE read the whole thing... it will only take 10 minutes (:

  1. hair - using conditioner/taking care of your hair is NOT girly. caring about your appearance is normal and highly recommended. use shampoo and conditioner that is for your hair type (i know this site appears to be for girls, but it can be used for men as well). take care of dandruff. get your hair cut on a regular basis.

  2. face - washing your face is also NOT girly. it is important to use the proper face wash for your skin type (basically: dry, combination, or oily). also, face lotion is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. you should apply it at night and in the morning. don't go around putting it on at school, but really. nice skin is a big turn-on. your face regimen (at the least) should consist of 1. exfoliation 2. cleanser 3. lotion. depending on your skin type, you can also use toner, spot treatments, or acne medication.

  3. clothes (sanitation) - it's ok to wear the same clothes again, but ONLY IF they don't smell. this eliminates multiple days of wearing the same shirt, but permits re-wearing jeans and sweatshirts. always change your boxers/briefs daily.
  

  4. clothes (style) - look nice. looking nice is... well... nice. get jeans that fit you and look good on your body type. own one or two pairs of khaki's that fit you well. polo's are good for every day, but with khaki's are also appropriate for presentations and other dressy-casual events (read this link for more details on proper dress). don't wear clothes that are too big, have holes in them (this excludes jeans with 'stylish' holes), have underarm stains, have any other stains, smell, were previously worn for some form of exercise (and haven't been washed), are very faded, or don't match. keep in mind that navy blue and black DO NOT match. if you must wear navy blue with a neutral color (meaning black, white, grey, or tan), wear it with any of the listed colors EXCEPT for black. wear boxers that are appropriate for your age (for example, no cartoon characters or inappropriate themes).

  5. shoes (and socks) - wear shoes that go with what you are wearing. don't wear sneakers with dress clothes. shoes should be appropriate with the outfit you have on (for example, no suits and sneakers). if you are wearing a dressy-casual outfit, you can wear sneakers, but make sure they are in decent condition and look clean. always wear socks with sneakers. NEVER wear socks with sandals. your socks should match (at least a little), have no holes, and should not be yellow or otherwise gross. don't wear socks twice without washing them. read this link for information on men's sock rules for different occasions. i know no one looks great ALL the time, but keep the slide-on flip-flops with basketball socks and gym shorts in the locker room.

  6. scent - this is a big one. USE. COLOGNE. SPARINGLY. please. unless you are adept at using cologne, avoid it. if you absolutely must use it, ONE spritz will do. a better way to smell good is to use scented body wash, shampoo/conditioner, or deoderant. axe is fine in those forms, but as a cologne it smells BAD. yes, BAD. and it also makes you 'look like a prick' (anonymous). you should not use smells that are too strong. you should be able to smell how nice a girl smells, not a man. the scent should be subtle.

  7. facial hair - as a general rule, shave daily, especially in high school. patchy pricklies are not the equivalent of a dashing 5 o'clock shadow (see facial hair don'ts). if you really, really want it, then keep it in check and take care of it properly. if you just grow it out, it looks stupid, you look like a slob, and adults are likely to distrust you. from a girl's point of view, beard burn is uncomfortable and painful. it 'ruins the experience' if there are pricklies scratching your face. once you have a career and are making money you can experiment with facial hair, like a classy goatee (see brad pitt). also, don't just grow facial hair in any old way. make sure the facial hair you grow accents your face shape (reference this site).

  8. hygiene - shower every day. if you shower and then participate in physical activities such as heavy lifting or exercise, shower again. use unscented lotion all over your body after you shower. contrary to popular belief, lotion is not girly (unless scented) and hydrated skin is appropriate for both genders. use deoderant daily. wash your face (at least) once daily, although it is highly recommended to wash your face once in the morning and once at night.

  9. exercise - if guys are allowed to be shallow about girls being skinny, then 'get your ass to the gym' (anonymous). we are not saying you have to look like david beckham, but exercising is healthy and gives you a nice physique as well. exercise should be a part of everyone's routine. don't add to america's obesity epidemic.

  aside from these guidelines, we realize everyone is their own person and you shouldn't change yourself for someone else, but these are just tips for you to lead a more sanitary/healthy/stylish lifestyle. thanks for reading!
  (:

  [through google searches for this piece, i have found
  www.askmen.com
  to be the highest authority on man issues.
  please use generously.]

  Mancouch says: You lost us at "exfoliation".
  

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