The Motley Redesign, The Study Series, Plus A Giveaway!

Barron — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:30:24 +0000

I’m a big fan of The Motley. If you haven’t heard of them, you need to. A little while back, Matt (Chief Dude at the Motley) wrote up a great series for us on how to properly care for our skin, hair, and face while shaving, he also happens to head up an awesome company that stocks some of the best men’s grooming products available. This is some serious stuff, and nothing like that crappy bucket of Dep you buy at your local Walmart for $3.99. Sure, we talk a lot about personal style here at EG, but personal style extends into caring about your body, and if you’re gonna lather anything onto your skin, you should make sure that product is made of some top-level, high-quality stuff… and you can rest assured The Motley’s products are.

Their site just went through a redesign and relaunch, and I have to say the new look is great. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can go now… but make sure you come back and continue reading, okay? Okay, good. Here’s the new site.

Apart from the redesign, another new feature I really love is the Study Series. Essentially, these videos will highlight grooming tips and behind-the-scenes looks at the products they carry. The inaugural video features Kyle, the founder of Cremo Shave Cream. Check it out below.

Study Series: The Cremo Cream Co. from The Motley on Vimeo.

Awesome, right? I always like knowing the story behind the products I use and the clothes I wear. You should too! It’s all about being a more conscious consumer and actively thinking about what you come in contact with every day.

I hope this video, along with the new site design will give you a better idea about The Motley. By the way, Matt was gracious enough to offer a little giveaway to our readers. With the purchase of ANY KIT, The Motley will give away a free travel size Billy Jealousy LiquidSand Exfoliating Cleaner. This is perfect to use every couple days, or right before shaving. All you have to do is enter coupon code EFFORTLESSKITS at checkout. Take advantage of this soon, because the giveaway only lasts for a limited time!

Check out the kits here. (use coupon code EFFORTLESSKITS at checkout)

Additionally, this Saturday, November 27th, The Motley is offering a $60 credit for $30. That’s 50% off! It’s the big Day After Black Friday sale! This is exclusive to a select group of blogger friends and our readers, so take advantage of this while it lasts.

You’ll have to wait until 12am on 11/27… but you can access the sale here.

Keep checking back here for future updates… The Motley and The Effortless Gent are planning a bigger pre-holiday giveaway. You won’t want to miss it, trust me!

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.

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