The Endorsement: Grooming products from The Motley

Barron — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:22:48 +0000

I’m sure you have heard of LA-based The Motley by now. If not, then you should get to know them. Matt (the owner) has several features on EG and more recently they’ve been featured over at Will’s site, Momentum of Failure. I’ve watched their business grow over the past year or so, and I’m glad to say we’ve become good friends online recently. I’m looking forward to a super secret project Fifth&Brannan will be participating in with them at the end of the year in LA, so if any EG / 5&B / The Motley fans are in the area, you’ll have to stop by. More details to come!

What I love most about The Motley is their dedication to superior grooming products. This isn’t your sub-par quality Dep that you find at WalMart, kids. (Do you even know what kind of chemicals you’re putting on your skin and hair when you use that stuff? Eesh.) Only the best ingredients go into these products, and I honestly wouldn’t have heard of some of these brands if I didn’t discover them on The Motley.

Curious about what I picked up?

I got Lock Stock and Barrel’s 85 Karats grooming clay, which has a strong hold and a matte finish. I don’t like my hair ultra shiny, and I also want to be able to mold and reshape it throughout the day. I’m not a fan of the crunchy gelled look, either, so this stuff is perfect. They have different products depending on the amount of shine and hold you are looking for.

Matt was also gracious enough to send me some samples of Billy Jealousy Hydroplane, Deitanseki facial soap, and a Townsend Bay Soap Co. sandalwood-scented bar of soap. I also bought a Sydney Hale candle. It has this great scent of Tobacco and Sandalwood, which essentially “smells like leather and books”, according to Matt. Pretty accurate. An even more succinct description would be “smells like man”, because that’s the aroma invading my nostrils at this very moment.

My last post was about items I suggest splurging on to get great quality, as well as items you can afford to skip. Grooming products definitely go in the “splurge” section. You want top-quality product if it’s coating your skin, scrubbing your face, or styling your hair (or even invading your nostrils).

Not only are you getting great quality when you purchase products from The Motley, you’re also getting great customer service while supporting a small business. I wholeheartedly endorse what they’re doing and I suggest you give them a try the next time you’re in the market for some personal grooming products.

PS – Happy 1st Birthday!

Maintenance 101, part III: Shaving

Barron — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:37:45 +0000

The following is part three of a three-part series written by Matthew Ruggieri, founder of The Motley, a men’s grooming site. I’m happy Matt is able to share this great information with us and I hope you gents will get plenty of use out of this series.

As always, please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section directly below this article! We love hearing from you.

If you read this blog, you most likely understand the importance of personal appearance. However, sometimes as men, the facts elude us. Here are the basic steps to skin, grooming and hair care in a series we are calling, “Maintenance 101.”

Part III: Shaving

Pre-Shave

Avoid shaving first thing in the morning This lets puffiness subside.
Thoroughly cleanse entire face See Part I: Skin Care for tips.
Exfoliate shaving area This brings hairs to the surface and removes dead skin making it easier for your razor to do its job with less irritation.
Moisturize Dampen the area to be shaved with warm water.

Shave

Apply shaving cream.
Let stand 1-2 minutes.
Hold skin taut and shave with the grain of your face this substantially reduces redness bumps and ingrown hairs.
Shave in short slow strokes This provides a more controlled shave.
Rinse blade in hot water every three to four strokes.

Second Shave

For special occasions, shave again against the grain Do not do this every day.
First, moisturize area to be shaved again since you just shaved off a layer of skin and stubborn hair.
Re-wet skin and apply shaving cream
In short gentle strokes shave in the opposite direction while holding skin taut.
Rinse and pat dry

After-Shave

Do not use a brand with menthol, a “cooling effect,” or alcohol. It may feel nice, but it wreaks havoc on your skin.
Less is more apply no more than a quarter-teaspoon sized amount in your hands. This is enough for the face and neck.
If you do not use after-shave an oil-free moisturizer will do just fine.

Tips

It’s best to shower first. This gives your pores time to open and the hair follicles will swell.
If you start with dry skin, throughly wet face, don’t just splash water on your skin.
Do not use a dull blade. Discard every four to five uses.
Avoid shaving creams with foaming agents because they make it harder for the blade to do its job, and the chemicals are no friend to your skin.

This is the conclusion of Matt’s three-part series, Maintenance 101. Feel free to leave your comments and questions below and we will be sure and respond.

Look forward to other informational articles from Matt in the future! In the meantime, check out The Motley for all your manly grooming necessities.

Talented LA-based filmmaker and photographer Matt Ruggieri has launched a new grooming site called TheMotley.com. Matt wanted to share with his customers quality grooming products that were superior to drugstore brands but shied away from the $100 eye creams and $150 anti-aging serums. Brands on his site include Billy Jealousy, Cremo, Propoline and Philip B.

The Effortless Gent » Matt Ruggieri