Amenity Blog

Oilier skin provides an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria that is 90% responsible for acne. This is why oily and acneic skin conditions often go hand in hand. In order to determine best treatments for oily skin and acne, it’s critical to understand the facts.

Myth #1 - Oil can be controlled by drying ingredients such as alcohol. Ironically, stripping the skin of oil can actually cause skin to produce more of it.

Myth #2 - A blackhead is actually dirt inside a pore. Blackheads are merely whiteheads that have reached the skin’s surface and opened up, allowing oxygen and to finally enter the follicle, causing the oil and dead skin cells within the follicle to undergo a chemical reaction known as oxidation, leading to the darker coler.

Myth #3 - Sugary, refined foods contribute to acne. Foods don’t directly contribute to acne, but some foods do trigger excess oil production.

Myth #4 - Sunscreen increases oil production. While some sunscreens’ ingredients can make skin feel greasier and can be comedogenic (clog pores), there are new, more sophisticated formulas that provide protection with skin benefits.

It’s a NEW YEAR!

Last year, the ISPA annual survey reported that over 30% of spa visits in the US are being made by men. The majority of these visits occur when men are at resort vacations, which makes sense given any man’s inclination NOT to try a new ‘treatment.’ On vacation, all the rules change and pampering becomes the number one priority. Men, despite the industry ballyhoo, are not flocking to spas in the cities that they reside in, with a few exceptions. Some men’s spas are popping up with more and more frequency. I’ve been to a few and though expensive, you feel like a million bucks when you leave. Some of my favorites include:

State Street Barbers (Boston) - Best haircut I’ve ever had, hands down. The BIG surprise was that not a stylist, but an actual licensed barber gave me the cut. No clippers, just scissors and a masterful technique left me with a salon-looking cut that was much more enjoyable than any actual salon cut I’ve had in the past.

Gentleman’s Quarters (Denver) - Built on a solid salon foundation, hair provides the entree, and this is where the spa market really begins to get accessible for men. Of the spa services, massage is the most popular choice. I was fortunate enough to receive a 2 hour Thai massage which was UNBELIEVABLE. This place is proof that in the right hands, under the right conditions, men can be persuaded to explore ’spa-like’ service options.

The Art of Shaving (New York) - This is a shaving-based men’s spa that capitalizes on the retro appeal of a traditional straight-razor shave. One of the challenges of this concept is the fact that shaving is a rare skill among barbers today, and a bad shave with a straight razor is substantially worse than than a lousy massage (or bad nails for women). Shaving, when performed skillfully in a place that specialize on it, is an outstanding experience. This is one of the best shaves around.

In general, the luxe caring for the male appearance outside of major cities definitely does not carry the premium it does in sophisticated urban markets. However, spas that create men’s only enclaves are more successful, in all cities. Men who like spas are often accustomed to the privacy and comforts of the club environment. Successful ‘mens zones’ include the ubiquitous flat-screen TV with sports or business programming, bars, and billiard tables. If you haven’t been, it’s worth a visit to see why women love their ’spa days’ so much.

1. Shave - Using the same razor blade more than a week will hurt your face. For smoothest and irritation free results, change blades weekly.
2. Aging - Even though your not thinking about aging every day, try using a moisturizer daily to keep your skin hydrated and less prone to free radical damage.
3. Hair - Most men use a hair styling product and if used correctly, you would never know. This is one of those things that ‘less is more’ really is true.

Guys, if you’ve ever been overwhelmed with too much info when researching products, then 3LUXE was designed for you. At some point, whether it was while you were shopping for a holiday present or looking for the best GPS system, you have surely experienced a little phenomenon I like to call ’search fatigue.’ I’m referring to the chore of deciphering real good content online from real self-promoting content disguised as editorial product review. 3 Luxe was developed by one guy who goes out and finds the three best products (not the most popular) in every category. So if you’re looking for an HDTV like I have been recently, you’ll find the three best, not millions of search results. So start your search with 3LUXE; you’ll definitely save some time and quite possibly your sanity this holiday season.

The KABE Royal Tower is a double-decker caravan. The 25 foot long camper is 14 feet high, allowing people to stand up straight even on the top deck. The lower deck features a living room, kitchen and breakfast dinette, plus a bedroom with single beds, while the upper deck has a ‘lounge’ with an L-shaped sofa and a cocktail cabinet. A door from the lounge leads out onto the roof of the front section, which serves as a sunbathing terrace. The new double-decker caravan is fully equipped with air conditioning on both floors, a dishwasher and more. Price: EUR 105,000.

The Breitling Superocean Heritage is one of the famed watch company’s hottest and most stylish watches, with a new twist for 2008. The traditional steel strap has been replaced by a high density rubber strap which makes the face of the watch look even more dramatic. It’s pricey at $3,120, but if you’re looking for a memorable gift that will be with him for a lifetime, check it out.

Until now, the only way for us American design nerds to get Muji products had been to dig around in MoMa Design Store’s in New York and San Francisco. But today, the Japanese brand is opening a highly anticipated 3,200-square-foot location, its first in the States. It will stock more than 2,000 products, including everything from aluminum pens to streamlined sofas. If you like Design Within Reach and Vessel, you’ll love Muji.

Visit Muji USA, 455 Broadway, NYC

Being a classic motor bike enthusiast myself, when I read about French designer Jerome Coste’s new Ruby line of helmets (keep in mind that this is a man who has survived six head traumas), I figured I had to blog about it. His work draws inspiration from Tokyo’s Shibuya shopping district (for which he named this peppermint looking helmet) as well as from the stars of Easy Rider, I can only suspect.  To finance production on these full-carbon helmets (which are essentially the same kind worn by Formula One drivers) he sold his own bike. I just love everything about this product!

Available currently at Dover Street Market  and Selfridges.

There are few things that satisfy a tech geek’s fetish for the sublimely odd than USB flash drives in funny shapes. Ask and ye shall receive: Mimoco has a line of flash drives called Mimobots that are modeled after pop icons and other, less identifiable characters. There is a growing variety of Mimobots whose heads pop off to reveal a USB 2.0 connector.

The Star Wars series includes Chewbacca, Darth Vader and an Imperial Stormtrooper. There’s also a 1950s series, complete with Elvis and Betty Lou (think of the Pink Ladies from Grease), and a line of core Mimobots. The limited edition Mimobot drives — only 3,500 units will be made (and some series as few as 500) — come in 1GB, 2GB and 4GB capacities and range in price from $49 to $99. The drives ship with bonus material, including Star Wars wallpaper, videos and sound bites.

If you’re looking for that fantastic gift, think about a mimobot!

Movember (the month formally known as November) is a charity event held during November each year. At the start of Movember, guys register with a clean shaven face. The Movember participants known as ‘Mo Bros’ then have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their Mo (Australian slang for mustache) and along the way raise as much money and awareness about male health issues as possible.

Movember culminates at the end of the month at the Gala Partés. These glamorous and groomed events will see Tom Selleck, Hulk Hogan and Borat look-a-likes battle it out for their chance to take home the prestigious Man of Movember title.

While growing a Mo (moustache) is left to the guys, Mo Sistas (ladies who support their guys or love Mo’s!) form an important part of Movember by recruiting Mo Bros, helping to raise funds and attending the highly anticipated Gala Partés.

But it’s not all fun and games, so why the extreme behavior?

Which ever way we look at it, men are far less healthy than women. The average life expectancy for men is many years less than females; seven years less for African American men and five years less for Caucasian men. This is due to the lack of awareness about the very real health issues faced by males. Also contributing to the problem is an attitude of having to be tough “real men” and men’s reluctance to see a doctor about an illness or to go for regular medical checks.

The aim of Movember is to change this attitude, make male health fun by putting the Mo (mustache) back on the face of fashion and in the process raise some serious funds for key male health issues (prostate cancer being the top benefactor of this very worthwhile and unique initiative).