The Grooming Guys Blog

Who In The World Made This?

We were recently forwarded a link to a video/commercial on the Grooming Lounge and we have no idea what it is or where it came from.  Our guess is that it's some high-school or college kids who had to create a video ad for a course they were taking?  Who knows?

That said, we're flattered that someone would choose our company to do a project on.  So, guys with big G's on your hats, I.D. yourselves and we'll shoot you some free stuff.  Appreciate the effort, but please know that our marketing team isn't very threatened.

Check out the video from nowhere by clicking below:

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO THAT CLEARLY INFRINGES ON OUR COPYRIGHT AND BRAND.  BUT, WE REALLY DON'T CARE.  JUST WATCH IT.  OR DON'T.

Why You Can't Buy The World's Best Shaving Cream Anywhere

Thanks so much to the hirsutely-astute geniuses at New York Magazine who this week named our very own Beard Destroyer Shave Cream as the best shave cream on the market today. While we are quite flattered that the crew at this Big Apple institution said "that men should trust their scruff to anything that calls itself destroyer," the great publicity did bring up a big question for us.

Why can't you buy this stuff anywhere other than Grooming Lounge stores and our web site?

It's a question we had asked at least 20 times this week and one that has been a constant since our in-house Grooming Solutions hit the shelves. Want the answer? It's simple.  We haven't really gotten around to to it yet. Yeah... just hasn't been a priority.

You see, Grooming Lounge Shaving Solutions, including the aforementioned Beard Destroyer, were developed by our Grooming Experts (a.k.a Barbers) for use in our shops.  When we opened our flagship store in D.C. more than six years ago, our crew at that time, together with us Grooming Guys, set out to create a shave line that could make our on-site hot lather shaves even closer and smoother.  We had no grand illusions of seeing these bottles resting on the shelves of Barney's, Saks or others. Instead, we just wanted to make stuff that made our jobs easier and maybe, if we did our job right, our store guests would want to pick up a bottle or tube for themselves on the way out. In fact, we were so casual about it we barely spent a minute on the original packaging -- instead focusing all our energies on the product quality inside the tubes and bottles.

Fast forward a few years to 2008 and you'll see that the packaging has evolved, as has our web site and store network.  But, our product distribution remains much the same.  Grooming Lounge shave products and their new buddies, Grooming Lounge Hair Care Solutions, are available in our stores and on our web site -- not really anywhere else.

Why you might ask have we not tried to expand the reach of these products? As stated before, we made them for selfish reasons -- we wanted to use them ourselves so we never really had a focus on securing real estate in other venues.

But with the recent onslaught of publicity we've received (Washington Post, USA Today, NY Magazine, Details Magazine) for these products, we think the time might be right to spread the GL Solutions gospel a bit.  Question is... how do we do it?

Interested in being a salesperson for Grooming Lounge Manufacturing?  We don't have time as we're too focused on the quality of our stores and making more great products. So, we need guys who are passionate about the products to do the leg work for us.  If you're interested, just shoot an e-mail to info@groominglounge.com. I don't think we're kidding.  Hmmmm... yeah pretty sure we're not.

Thanks for your support.

Unwanted Hair Awareness Month

As most of you probably know by now, May is Unwanted Hair Removal Month (UHRM) at the Grooming Lounge.  This nationwide effort, led by yours truly, begins later this week and is designed to help men who quietly suffer from UH-related ailments such as uni-brows, hairy ears, back hair, neck fuzz, etc. It's a quiet pain for these men, most of whom haven't a clue as to how to remove the unsightly hair that covers their body and ultimately impacts their personal and professional lives.

Anyway, many more details on the program are to come and are available on our site, but in honor of this historic month, The Grooming Guys sat down with two of our key Men's Skin Experts, Nikki Parker and Katie Wandres, to get thier thoughts and angles on the current state of men's hair removal services.

Grooming Guys: So what waxing service is most popular among men?

Skin Care Ladies: Backs and eyebrows are the biggies... without a doubt.

Grooming Guys: Does it hurt?

Skin Care Ladies: Well it's not a massage certainly.  But that said, if done right, it shouldn't really hurt very much at all.  The chest is the most sensitive, but noses and eyebrows are a walk in the park. The back... that can depend on what kind of rug is waiting for us back there. Usually not too rough though.

Grooming Guys: Is it true that hair grows back faster when you get it waxed?

Skin Care Ladies: That would be a negative.  Since you are ripping those hairs out at the source root when waxing, it takes the body about 4-6 weeks to replace them. Eventually, after a lot of waxing, many guys cease to grow hair in those spots.

Grooming Guys: Is there really an art to waxing or is it just "grip it and rip it?"

Skin Care Ladies: It is most certainly a bit of an art.  On a back wax, you try to round it into the shoulders to make it look like arm hair. For eyebrows, we will shape them, but not so much as for others to notice anything other than a clean brow. We do a lot of eye brow trimming without wax, which is a whole other story.

Grooming Guys: Is waxing really necessary for guys?

Skin Care Ladies: For many it certainly is.  You just can't walk around with a uni-brow and expect to be taken seriously.  Same goes for nose hair.  As for the back, getting a proper waxing before beach season is a must.

Grooming Guys: Any humorous waxing stories?

Skin Care ladies: Many, but the best was a recent guy who was told to come in by his wife before they went on a vacation to the Bahamas.  He was very, very hairy and she demanded he get a wax on his back and chest.  We did his back no problem, but when it came to the chest he was super sensitive and didn't enjoy it at all.  In between the third and fourth strips of wax he grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket, called his wife and started screaming at her.  Although he was semi joking, he insisted on her staying on the line and hearing his screams until the service was over.

Why In The World Wouldn't You?

This might be the most self-promoting blog we've ever written (and that's a hard feat to accomplish).  But what we are saying is true and as both Grooming Guys were taught by our folks, "there's nothing wrong with saying the truth... assuming it doesn't hurt anyone."

On a recent visit to our new Grooming Lounge in Atlanta, one of the Grooming Guys dads was treated to a series of treatments on the house (we're sports like that).  After a shave, business manicure, haircut and facial, the Pops in question turned to his Grooming Guy son and stated:

"Who the hell wouldn't want to do something like that?  Take an hour or two out of the day to relax and get treated like a king? It's great."

Anyway, we agree and whether it's your local GL or a place near you, we encourage you to give it a shot.  You'd be amazed as to what a respite from the stresses of daily life a quick visit to a shop like ours can do.  It will make you not only look better, but feel refreshed, rejuvenated and more.

Make an appointment today fellas -- even if it's not at our place (although if you're local we'll be a bit hurt). It really can turn around your outlook and make you feel a bit more clean, polished and gentleman-like.

Why in the world wouldn't you? Not near a Grooming Lounge?  E-mail us at info@groominglounge.com and we'll try to recommend a spot in your neck of the woods.

The Subtle Art Of Emasculation

We've been doing this a long time and seen a lot of things in our Grooming Lounge Barber Shops and Spas. We've seen guys answer their cell phones during massages, men ask to get unmentionable parts of their anatomy waxed (we don't do that), and even had a guy strip down to his underwear for a foot treatment (didn't want to get his pants wet).

But that said, there is one faux paus we have seen more than others that really hits our hearts hard.  It's an act of trespassing so off-base, and one that happens so often, that we felt it our civic duty to stand up for all the men out there. All the men who really want to say something, but are afraid they might get in a tad of trouble with their fairer sexed partner.  Here's a shout out to a certain segment of ladies from your slightly scared fellas...

HE DOESN'T NEED YOUR HELP EXPLAINING TO HIS GROOMING EXPERT/BARBER HOW HE (REALLY YOU) WANTS HIS HAIR CUT!

Don't get us wrong, we 100% respect and appreciate all the women that send their male counterparts to us via recommendations and gift certificates.  It's certainly helped us to build our brand and we whole heartedly welcome your visits, suggestions and shopping time anytime. Women make the world go round.

That said, there is nothing more emasculating than a grown man being escorted back to the barber chair by his wife or girlfriend. Oh yeah, there is something worse than that.  That would be when the wife/girlfriend proceeds to have dialog with the Grooming Expert, explaining in detail just how he/she wants the man's haircut to be done.  This is usually accompanied by said wife/girlfriend pointing to her man as if he was a young child, grabbing his hair to show direction and rolling her eyes when her man throws in his two cents. A few of these rule-breakers will even insist on standing nearby throughout the entire haircut process to make sure all goes well.  Ohhh... those poor guys.

The bottom line is that such actions make a man feel like a child, a goofus (underrated word) and make the men sitting in the other chairs feel uncomfortable as well.  These few ladies have to trust that their men can handle this, and if not, that our Grooming Experts will steer them in the right direction and all will be good with the world. 

We certainly know it's a very small community of ladies who participate in this kind of behavior, but please know that for your guy, it's torture.  Let him have his personal grooming time and take his personal style where he chooses. We won't let him stray too far off course.

If you are one of the men affected by this, but are scared to speak out, fell free to contact our confidential e-mail hot line for one-on-one assistance by clicking here. We're kind of kidding, but kind of not.

Good luck.

6 Products To Keep You Looking & Feeling Good On Tax Day

Whether you'll be giving or receiving on April 15, Tax Day can be a toughie on your physical appearance and sunny disposition.  While the Grooming Lounge certainly can't help identify what items are deductible or write-off-able (is that a word?), we do know a product or two that can provide a great return on investment.  Below are six products certain to keep any American Taxpayer looking good through the week.

1. Menaji 911 Eye Rescue is guaranteed to revive peepers that have spent too much time staring at Turbo Tax or have bags under em' from audit-related nightmares.
2. DS Labs Spectral DNC will do its darnedest to replace any hair you might pull out while looking at how much you owe Uncle Sam.
3. Nickel Morning After Rescue Gel is armed with everything your mug needs to "snap out of it." It's a jumbo cup of Joe (caffeinated) for your face.
4. Molton Brown Enlivening Toko-Yuzu Bath & Shower Wash will liven you up and provide a shot of essential energy after long, stressful or sleepless days and nights.
5. Jack Black Pit Boss Deodorant isn't going let the stress get to your shirt or offend those around you.  It will help you look cool as a cucumber and will keep your pits smellin' on the up and up.
6. Malin+Goetz Essential Travel Kit is the one for you if the tax situation is so bad you'll be fleeing on the next flight out of here.  TSA-approved.

So A Priest & A Rabbi Walk Into The Grooming Lounge...

This isn't a set up for some zany joke, instead, it's exactly what the Grooming Guys witnessed during one day this past week. While pulling out of the garage at our D.C. store, we saw a Priest entering the shop ... surely prepping to get the goods needed to look his Sunday best everyday.

Upon arrival at our Virginia store later that day, one of the Grooming Guys noticed a Rabbi seated in one of the barber chairs awaiting a cut. A certain Grooming Guy thought it would be inappropriate to ask for his blessing over our new Grooming Lounge Hair Care Solutions.

Any hoo, just thought we'd share so you could see the universal and non-denominational appeal of good grooming. Shouldn't come as a surprise though, our D.C. shop often boasts political strategists from both the left and the right seated next to one another getting coiffed.

Can't wait to see who will show up in Atlanta this week.

It's Always Something It Seems

So we've been an open book in the past regarding the Grooming Lounge's minor stumbles and victories in our ongoing efforts to create the best and most-respected name in men's grooming. There have surely been more triumphs than defeats, but that said, we've certainly encountered some hurdles, as any growing business does, along the way. Perfection doesn't come easy... that's for certain. That said, here's just a recap of a few humorous (after the fact) hiccups that have happened during the past year -- followed by the latest snafu:

1. WALL PAPER:  Our Atlanta contractor put up our imported wall paper in a residential project they were working on. As they said, "Good news is we put up the wall covering... bad news is that we didn't put it up here." End result was that we ordered more and got it up in the space about three weeks late.  Looks great though.
2. HOMELESS TICKET REFUND: On a trip back from NY to meet with media regarding our new products, the Grooming Guys lost their train tickets, which were later found by a few fragrant homeless fellows. In exchange for return of the tickets, both homeless fellows were given Grooming Lounge razors and shaving skits (we had no cash).
3. MIRROR DISASTER: While having some new counter tops installed at our D.C. location (always trying to upgrade and maintain the look), the hired contractor "forgot" to tell us he broke a barber shop mirror.  When we arrived in the next AM, lack of a mirror made it tough to cut hair at that station. A week later, with lots of tape and pseudo shop mirrors, we were back in business.  A proper new mirror is now in place.

And now for the latest and greatest installment.

• GOOP, STUFF... WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?: As we've mentioned in previous blogs and promoted quite a bit in our stores, Grooming Lounge just released it's own, signature line of hair care items.  There are five items in the line: The Best Shampoo, You Need Conditioner, Some Hair Cream, Some Hair Stuff and Some Hair Goop. They are all great, you'll have to trust us on that.

Challenge is, as you'll notice, we only have the first three of those products available for use and purchase.  Why you may ask are the Hair Goop and Hair Stuff styling items not available? That would be best summed up by this conversation with our product lab President (who is a great guy... despite this mix up):

"We'll, we've got good news and bad news.  The good news is that the Hair Goop and Hair Stuff have been filled and are ready to ship.  The bad news is that we filled them in the wrong containers so Stuff is in the Goop container and vice-versa. It happens."

Crap!!!!!!!

So now, we are figuring out how to get each product in the proper container and ready for you to start styling with.  Stay tuned.

Hair Products Developed In A Barbershop... Not A Boardroom

When the Grooming Lounge launched nearly 10 years ago, there weren't many male-specific grooming brands on the market.  In reality, we were lucky to round up a few of the good ones and focus on quality rather than quantity. Since then, the men's market has been flooded with new product entries, some good and some not-so-top-shelf. A lot of brands have come and gone since then, but no matter what has transpired over the past decade, us Grooming Guys have always felt our little company had a distinct advantage.

You see, no disrespect, but 90% of the male brands out there were/are created by folks with no real background or "skin" in the men's grooming game.  The majority are dudes and ladies who saw a burgeoning market (the men's grooming market) and reasoned that their MBA diploma or venture capitalist background could make them a success.  Some made the dream work while others have realized that at the end of the day... this business is about more sizzle than steak. The products have to work and work well. Guys don't buy crap more than once.

That brings us to boasting about ourselves and what we think is the unique point of difference with Grooming Lounge Men's Grooming Solutions.  Bottom line... these products are developed by Master Barbers and Men's Skin Experts in our stores. They are tested by us Grooming Guys, two dudes who were born into the grooming industry, have a passion for it and are committed to raising the standards. Every product bearing the Grooming Lounge name is created with major input from our team of Grooming professionals and no product gets made until our crew gives it the unanimous thumps up. After all, they're the ones who have to use it on our guests everyday.

So why the hell are we telling you this? Well, we've just introduced a few new products that are great for just the reasons stated above. The new products are the first three additions to the Grooming Lounge Hair Care lineup and do the trick for guys with thick and thinning hair alike.

We could waste more of your time, but why not just check out the products. They are packed with best-in-class ingredients and are already a hit in our stores.

• The Best Shampoo
• You Need Conditioner
• Some Hair Cream

Thanks for listening to our propaganda. Although, can it be called propaganda if we're telling the truth?