After flipping through past King of Shaves event pictures I realized something... Mascots from sporting teams, cartoon mascots and other strange characters dressed in costumes seem to appear at my events. See below! Should I be worried? As long as I don't run into the Crypt Keeper from Tales of the Crypt I think I'll be just fine...
For those of you who read this blog regularly I have posted some pictures from our recent in-store shaving demos for your viewing pleasure. If you live in or close to NYC please watch this space for my announcement of the next round of in-store shaving demos. Anyone who stops by my King of Shaves demo days will be offered a complimentary shave by yours truly, a free AlphaGel mini and money saving KoS coupons.
7/26/10 New Duane Reade location in Union Square NYC
7/9/10 New (remodeled) Pathmark in Port Jefferson, NY
Every man needs a reliable, skilled barber in his life. Having a regular barber will ensure that you get a consistent, sharp haircut with every visit.
Good barbers have a memory like an elephant. As you visit a reputable barber regularly, he will become familiar with the many contours of your head, the complexities of your hair type and will know how to cut and style your hair just the way you like it. You will be able to walk in and simply ask for "the usual." Plus, your barber can become a good friend, someone you can be comfortable shooting the breeze with and look forward to seeing every few weeks.
Finding the right barber is vital for any man who wishes to maintain a well groomed appearance. Having the same reliable barber for many years reduces the stress that comes from getting your hair cut by someone you do not know.
But how does a man go about forging this important relationship and finding a good barber? The following are some tips that you can use to help chose the ideal barber for you:
Ask Family & Friends
If you are new in town or are not happy with your current barber situation, the first thing you should do is ask people you know for recommendations. Especially seek out recommendations from men who always seem to have great haircuts. Chances are they have a good barber that they would be more than happy to recommend to you.
Ask the Receptionist for Suggested Barbers
Be sure to tell the receptionist what type of hair you have, what day of the week works best for you, if you prefer a male or female barber, or any other questions that you would like answered. Some men chose their barber by the amount of small talk they make while cutting hair. If you do not like making small talk, ask for a barber that will quietly cut your hair.
Look for Confidence
This is a person you are going to trust your image to, so you want a barber who's supremely confident in his abilities to sculpt your hair into a masterpiece. Confident barbers will look you in the eye, smile, and give you a firm handshake when you first walk in. If a barber you visit for the first time avoids eye contact and gives you the limp fish, it could be a warning sign that he's not that confident in his abilities. You also want a barber who can confidently tell you what would work best for you depending on your requests and your face shape and structure.
Personal Presentation
Give a new barber the once over. How is his personal grooming? Is his shirt pressed and clean? This kind of attention to detail will likely carry over into the haircuts he gives. A great barber takes his personal appearance seriously because he's in the business of helping men with their personal and professional image.
Be Specific
Remember to be very specific about the cut that you want when seeing a barber for the first time. Some men bring in photos to further illustrate their desires. For example, do you prefer a neckline that is "natural/tapered" or a rather one that is "straight or rounded."
Get to Know Your Barber
When you visit a new barber, he is essentially applying for a new position as the go-to man for all your grooming needs. Get to know your new barber on a somewhat personal level. Focus your questions focus on two areas: the barber's experience and the barber's personality.
To get an idea of the barber's experience, ask him how long he has been cutting hair, where he has barbered, and generally how busy he is. Great barbers have lots of clients. If he tells you he is on his feet from open until close and that you need an appointment to see him, you have probably found yourself a quality barber. If he says that he spends most of his time playing checkers and that you can walk in anytime, well, there is probably a reason for that.
After you get an idea about his experience and how in demand he is, ask some questions to get a feel for his personality. After all, you will possibly be spending 30 minutes with this person at least once a month, maybe more if you go in every two weeks. Part of the appeal of the barbershop tradition is the camaraderie men enjoy there.
Change Barbers if Needed
If you are unhappy with how the barber cuts your hair, switch to a new one. You have no obligation to continue seeing him if you do not like the way that he handles your hair.
Age Matters
Looking for a barber to cut your child's hair? Where you take your son or daughter for their first haircut is a critical decision! One bad haircut experience could mean years of difficult trips to the barber shop. Look for a barber shop that has a special area just for kids - outfitted with a pint sized barber chair, a flat screen TV for your child's viewing/distraction pleasure and a bucket of lollipops which works a great incentive for the little guys!
Wondering who Diane Wood is and how she became the star of our new Shave Sexy campaign?
Diane grew up in the barbering industry as a fun-loving 'Barberette' after following in the footsteps of her Master Barber father. Her father Adrian is the proprietor of the iconic Paul Molè Barber Shop in New York City. You can see Diane pictured below at the tender age of six getting a perfectly tailored haircut by her father back in 1987.
Fast forward twenty three years and Diane is now 'BarbarellaX' - the seductively, stylish woman barber behind the chair giving one lucky man the ultimate shave of his lifetime!
To get where she is today, Diane attended countless hours of barber school training, spent years as an apprentice (under the watchful eyes of some of the best barbers in the world), and then completed and passed her Master Barbers Exam in New York State. In additional to being a licensed Master Barber, Diane also holds a degree in Communications serves as Marketing Executive for King of Shaves USA.
To watch the Shave Sexy commercial click here
To watch Diane's promotional reel click here
Our hot new King of Shaves advert on youtube.com features Diane Wood, the world's most famous female professional Master Barber as 'Barbarella X' and King of Shaves latest razor, the new Azor M. Add Myla Lingerie, a remix of Carmen and you don't just get a shave, you get the King of Shaves!
Can I shave sunburned skin?
Yes, technically you can but it's definitely not barber advised. Shaving removes dead skin cells and a superficial layer of the epidermis which reduces your skin's defenses. If you shave a sunburned area of skin it will most likely lead to additional irritation. I would suggest giving your skin a break and allowing it to heal before you attempt to shave again.
Treatment:
The best treatment for most sunburns is time as most sunburns heal completely within a few weeks. There are also a number of products that help manage the discomfort and help with the healing process.
Lidocaine and benzocaine are popular FDA approved local anesthetic pain relievers for sunburns and are available at most drugstores in the form of ointment or spray. Skin can also be rehydrated by applying natural based products containing Aloe Vera or Vitamin E which reduce inflammation.
The most important piece to remember about sunburn care is to avoid exposure to the sun while healing and to take precautions to prevent future burns. Here are my two favorite shaving products that will cool off your skin and calm everyday shaving irritations:
Shave with AlphaGel Natural Shaving Gel Cooling as it is packed with skin nourishing ingredients like Aloe Vera and Tea Tree Oil. Available at retailers nationwide including CVS and Target.
Always apply an alcohol free post shave product after shaving to leave your skin feeling smooth, supple and soft - not tight and dry!
King of Shaves K-24 contains UVA and UVB sunscreens to prevent sunburn plus it is fragrance free and rich in Vitamin E. Available at www.kingofshavesdirect.com
Five important points to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy this summer:
1. Apply a sunblock with a SPF of 15 or greater every day. An ounce of sunblock will effectively cover your entire body. Use a higher-level sunblock for the tips of your ears, bridge of your nose, or if you are among the super intelligent the top of your head if you are balding. Sunblock should be applied 15 to 30 minutes before venturing out into the sun and re-applied at least every couple of hours.
2. The sun is most damaging between 10am and 2 pm during our summer months. Limit your outdoor activities between those times and try to do your golfing, play tennis, swim, etc., in the early morning or late afternoon.
3. Be aware that some drugs and products contain substances that cause the skin to absorb more of the sun's radiation. These include but are not limited to birth control pills, tetracycline, diuretics, and some of the major tranquilizers. If you are taking any prescription medications you should check with your physician prior to major sun exposure. People with fair hair and/or freckles generally have a greater risk of sunburn than others because of their lighter skin tone.
4. Sunburned eyes are no joke and it can take up to 24 hours before you realize you have a problem! Purchase a good pair of sunglasses that will block the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.
5. If you experience blistering, fever, chills or weakness as a result of your sunburn, contact your doctor. Do not pop the blisters or apply lotions or gels to them.
From the Victorian to the flapper, from the patriot to the pinup, the last 100 years have featured many important beauty milestones. One of the most influential was the introduction of body hair removal. Queen of Shaves, Diane Wood, explores hair removal throughout the last century:
1910's: The first time a magazine cover features a model with bare shoulders and armpits.
1920's: Popular Hollywood starlets, including Greta Garbo, shave or pluck their eyebrows to achieve a hair-free face. They then draw on very thin brows with a pencil.
1930's: Women in Europe and the US begin waxing to remove unwanted hair.
1940's: Wartime pin-up girl, Betty Grable, is credited with starting the smooth stems trend. Due to war shortages, some women resort to removing hair with sandpaper!
1950's: Eleanor Parker is the first woman to have head shaved for a movie, Caged (1950).
1960's: Will King, the founder of the leading British shaving brand, King of Shaves was born in August 1965.
1970's: Disposable razors are introduced for both men and women.
1980's: Queen of Shaves, Diane Wood is born. She grows up working in her father's barbershop, iconic Paul Mole, NYC.
1990's: Will King, long time sufferer of razor burn, creates King of Shaves AlphaOil Shaving Oil, inspired by his girlfriend's bath oils.
2000's: Britney Spears shaves her head shocking the pop-culture world, and Queen of Shaves, Diane Wood, shaves David Letterman's writer's strike beard.
2010: King of Shaves revamps and re-formulates their women's line and created Queen of...shaving gels. Gentle on the skin (and the purse!) the Queen of...line features two shaving gels, Ooh la la! and Ta-Da!. Each features nourishing ingredients that leave skin soft, smooth and supple.
It has been a busy month for our publicists at Blue Sky Communications as we have had TONS of press hits roll in covering all sorts of shaving news. Father's Day gift guides, shaving tip articles, new product announcements, and celebrity gossip sites have featured King of Shaves across the country - all from different print, online, radio and broadcast news outlets. Links below!
King of Shaves and Master Barber Diane Wood were featured in a TV segment, "A Father's Day Makeover" on the WPIX CW11 Morning News.
Master Barber for King of Shaves in a story titled, "Be Fuzz Free" in the June/July issue of Seventeen.
Master Barber for King of Shaves in a story titled, "Beauty 101: Shave like a pro" in the June/July issue of Girls' Life. The story features tips on how to get a smooth shave without any pain. Girls' Life is a magazine for young girls that covers pop culture, books, fashion, beauty, sports and fitness and new products.
Master Barber for King of Shaves quoted in a story titled, "Beauty Flash" in the July issue of Self Magazine.
On a sweltering June evening, The City Chicks 4 Charity hosted their 2nd Annual Kickball Game & Fabulous Happy Hour. One by one, the players arrived at the NYC Stuyvesant Town field in their coolest digs, ready for some intense competition!
After about an hour of play, we packed up and headed to Village Pourhouse to enjoy the rest of the night with friends - all for a great cause.
The game raised money for promising, underprivileged middle school students to attend Appel Farms Summer Arts Camp
Guests took home City Chicks sport towels & custom water bottles. One lucky player also won a King of Shaves prize pack loaded with KoS shaving goodies!
All in all, it was a very successful event which raised thousands! Thanks, as always, to Arthur Eisenberg for snapping the event photos.
Forget the "Greatest Dad" mug; whether you are buying for a Cool Dad, a Sporty Dad, a Gadget dad or even a Father to Be, King of Shaves has some great gift ideas this Father's Day.
Treat the old man to the "King of Shaves" by hooking him up with our Award Winning AlphaGel Shaving Gel which is available at retailers nationwide including CVS and Target. Or why not give him our new King of Shaves Azor System Razor along with a couple months supply of replacement cartridges and let dad enjoy our best shave ever every morning! The Azor is available at regional retailers including A&P, Duane Reade, Pathmark or online at www.drugstore.com and www.kingofshavesdirect.com
Father's Day Trivia
Did you know?
This year is the 100th celebration of Father's Day in the United States. The first Father's Day was celebrated in 1910.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that neckties are the most popular gift purchased for Father's Day
Father's Day is the fifth most popular card-sending holiday, with an estimated $100 million in card sales. Husbands, grandfathers, uncles, sons and sons-in-law are honored as well as fathers.
The Dad in your life is not alone- in fact, there are 67.8 million fathers in America according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Father's Day is generally celebrated in most parts of the world. In 52 countries (including the United States), it is recognized on the third Sunday in June. Other areas of the world, such as Sweden and Australia, recognize the holiday on different days.
The National Retail Federation (NRF), a trade association that focuses on the retail industry at large, found in its Father's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey that the average consumer spent $90.59 on Father's Day gifts in 2009.
Other Names For Father: Da, Dad, Daddy, Pa, Papa, Pappy, Pop, Pops, The Old Man, Windbag, Old Fella, Sir, Papa, Smurf, Governor, and Paw Paw
Diane Wood
Master Barber, King of Shaves USA
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