Ah, leave it to the French. Hommage, the Parisian supplier of luxury grooming equipment, skincare and spa services for men, has developed a limited edition, platinum-sheathed straight razor using the same ancient layering techniques as the Crusaders’ swords. The price is an eye popping $30,000!

Called the Damascene Razor, this shaving blade is hand-forged in Germany with 128 layers of legendary Damascene steel, with a rose and torsion pattern. This process in the same arcane fashion used to forge Escalibur, as described by Sir Thomas Mallory in La Morte D’Arthur. The sheath is then plated in pure platinum, and treated to resist tarnishing.

The pricey razor comes in a lacquered gift box of Tanzanian anigré wood. The name Damascene is often attributed to the steel swords made in the vicinity of Damascus, Syria and first gained its mythical reputation during the medieval Crusades.

According to the company – Hommage, “the blade of a Damascus steel sword was said to be able to cut a piece of silk in half as it fell to the ground and was strong enough to cut through a rock without losing its sharpness.”

So gents, be careful and make sure you don’t cut off more than you want. But if used cautiouslt, now you can use it to get the world’s most expensive shave.

Men have a reputation for avoiding the doctor’s office, even when they’re sick. But lots of them are opting to go in for non-medical reasons.

Plastic surgeons are reporting an uptick in the number of male patients seeking slimmer waists and stronger jaw lines — up 16 percent from 2002 to 2007, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgery.

Local physicians say they’ve seen more men, especially since the start of the year.

Once considered a strictly female practice, plastic surgery is gaining popularity among American men. With the wide variety of procedures available, there is something that will appeal to everyone, regardless of gender. Even female favorites like Botox and liposuction are being tailored to suit men’s needs. So, what do you have to lose? A few wrinkles?

The effects of aging are often the targets for cosmetic surgery. Wrinkles, double chins, and sagging skin can all make you look and feel older. Although a few lines around the eyes may be considered distinguished on a man’s face, turkey necks and hollow eyes won’t add much class to your mature aura.

Liposuction under the neck, mini facelifts, and injectables can fill in, what time has taken away. All of the procedures have lasting effects and are subtle enough, so no one at the office is going to whisper behind your back.

A mini facelift and liposuction have a fairly minimal recovery time (between one and two weeks), it may leave few discrete scars, and will give you a refreshed, but not overly youthful appearance. For a mini facelift, the skin around the nasolabial folds and neck is pulled back and tightened.

Often liposuction is used in conjunction to remove excess fat cells that collect below the chin. A hollow tube is placed in an incision below the chin. It is moved back and forth, sucking up the fat and leaving a sleeker looking neck. A combination of injectables can also be used to perform a less invasive version of a facelift. Filler is pumped into hollows to plump them up, and it can also erase deep furrows as well as fine lines.

Liposuction is also the answer to a variety of other cosmetic concerns. Help for love handles, pot bellies, and male breast reduction are all commonly sought plastic surgeries. Men may find that exercise and diet alone will not eliminate the fat deposits in stubborn areas. When this is the case, liposuction is often the only alternative. This is especially true as the body ages and becomes more prone to sagging and weight gain. Liposuction can be a permanent solution to banish the unwanted fatty areas.

Another popular procedure among men is Rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty, or nose surgery, can shave down bumps, straighten crooked bridges, and even add height to noses that appear too feminine on a male face. In order to create a pleasing facial harmony, chin augmentation is often performed at the same time. A receding or small chin can make a big nose appear even larger, and a strong jaw line is often the landmark of a chiseled, masculine face. When performed together, these two plastic surgeries can transform a weak profile into a more sculptured and aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Although women may seek out cosmetic procedures more often than men, there is no reason to feel intimidated or alone. New techniques and procedures allow for minimal scarring and quick recoveries. Plus, cosmetic surgeons are sensitive, and all of your information is kept confidential. No one has to know why you look so good.

In a world where new fragrances pop up seemingly every day from people who were born in the 80s (like Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson), wearing a fragrance bearing the name of the family who has made it since before you were born, since before the United States was born, in fact, can be a serious statement of refinement and maturity. It also puts you in a pretty select group.

Perfume company Creed was founded in 1760 in England and about one hundred years later moved to Paris, where it is still headquartered today. Creed has designed fragrances for royalty and celebrity alike. Creeds fragrances are still mixed by hand, and contain more natural ingredients than any other French perfume house.

They have created over two hundred original fragrances. While Olivier Creed, the sixth generation, is now at the helm, his son and daughter both work in the business as well, which promises to stay in the family for the foreseeable future. Olivier travels the world to find the choicest (and often most expensive) of ingredients.

The oldest fragrance still in Creeds lineup (they currently produce 48 different scents) is Royal English Leather, which was created for King George III of England. You probably remember him as the guy against whom we fought the Revolutionary War.

One of Creeds fragrances, Fleurissimo, was designed for Grace Kelly as a wedding present at the behest of her groom, Prince Rainier III of Monaco. A floral scent, it combines Bulgarian rose, tuberose, violet, and Florentine iris. Kelly and the prince were married in 1956, and the fragrance endures today, a textbook definition of a classic. It was also a favorite of American icons Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Madonna.

Originally designed for Cary Grant and now worn by the likes of Clint Eastwood and George Clooney, as well as some women, Creeds Green Irish Tweed is spicier, but with some of the same notes as Fleurissimo, such as Florentine iris and violet. It also adds sandalwood, ambergris, and French verbena.

The house of Creed has not rested on its laurels in recent past, though. Current Master perfumer Olivier Creed created Silver Mountain Water, inspired by the French mountains. Departing from more famous muses, Creed designed this fragrance for himself, though it is a unisex cologne. Its predominant scents are green tea and black currant. It is worn by British soccer star David Beckham, while his wife Victoria, formerly of the Spice Girls, prefers Creeds Royal Water.
Article by: Cathy Peterson

High net-worth consumers rated Harry Winston as the most prestigious jewelry brand, a recent survey conducted by the Luxury Institute found. Respondents in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey cited Harry Winston as having “a great reputation,” being “the ultimate for diamond design,” and being known for “quality and exclusivity.”

Buccellati and Van Cleef and Arpels tied for second place, while Graff placed third. Buccellati was also rated most unique and exclusive.

“The luxury jewelry industry is still very inwardly-focused,” commented Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. “This important segment of luxury can benefit from understanding how multi-millionaire consumers perceive jewelry brands on critical metrics that define what luxury truly is, and is not…True luxury leaders are unflinching in their desire to learn why consumers will, or will not, recommend their brands and then take positive action.”

The survey was conducted online, using a national sample of 513 Americans with an average income of $789,000 and an average net worth of $15.1 million.

The following list comprises the 20 jewelry brands that were rated (in alphabetical order):

Asprey
Blue Nile
Boucheron
Buccellati
Bulgari
Carrera y Carrers
Cartier
Chanel
Chopard
David Yurman
De Beers
Dior
FRED
Graff
Gucci
Harry Winston
Mikimoto
Piaget
Tiffany
Van Cleef and Arpels

It appears America’s never-ending obsession with looks is skyrocketing, as cosmetic dental procedures such as teeth whitening, continue to increase in popularity. A recent survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, showed that the total number of patients seeking procedures to brighten their smiles in 2006 increased by an estimated 12.8%, over 2005.  The dental whitening procedure didn’t come cheap either. The survey shows the average patient spent a whopping $5,640 in 2006.

So what are the reasons for the rise? Well, the leading causes appear to be the non-stop barrage of media attention on looks with in-your-face advertising focusing on rail-thin models with perfect smiles, and reality television shows such as Extreme Makeover, The Swan and so forth.

Another major contributor is that aging baby boomers’ desire to look and feel young, in addition to an overall general awareness of the importance of health and fitness.  Full article

Ahhhh, the smoothness of my skin. What’s the secret to smooth skin? It’s Shea Butter.

Shea butter is one of those wonderful things that too few people know about but actually end up paying quite a bit for when it makes a guest appearance in their favourite moisturisers and conditioners. Consider this: a 300 gm of ‘pure’ shea butter from a premium brand like say L’Occitane costs around $40, which is definitely more pricey than your average Nivea or Vaseline lotion! You may well get the same amount of shea butter for a fraction of the price, however, at an organic or health store!

What makes shea butter an essential luxury is that it’s so necessary if soft, supple skin is your aim, but it’s so little known that it’s very hard to find in a place like India! For many people across sub-Saharan Africa it’s as common as, say, coconut oil; increasingly westerners have also woken up to its wonders and now look for it if not in its pure form, then at least as an ingredient in their winter creams and lip balms. Even then, it is still not that well known for it to become commonplace. And the very nature of the way it is made means that it can never become really cheap for the rest of the world.

Everything about shea (pronounced ‘shay’ not ‘she-ah’) is amazing. The thick, waxy trunk of the karite (or shea) tree is flame resistant and very resilient even in poor soil so it grows defiantly across some of the most inhospitable parts of Africa. The first fruits come when only when the tree is 20 years old (hence large scale commercial production has been unviable) but the tree is productive for the next 200 years! The incredibly tasty fruit is greenish yellow and looks rather like a cross between a litchi and an ‘amla’. The all-important butter comes from the kernel, so people simply eat the flesh and save up the pits for this byproduct.

The kernels then go through a complicated 9-stage metamorphosis from sun drying and cracking to crushing, roasting and curing till it attains its creamy dalda-like shea butter avatar, in shades of creme through palest green. The key element that sets shea butter apart from other ‘butters’ sourced from seed oils (and there’s everything from apricot kernel butter to coconut butter!) is the large healing content of the oil, which has Vitamins A and E and other crucial phytonutrients. The higher the healing content of shea butter, the better the quality.

Introduced to shea butter by my sister in law and college mate, I first found the smell not too pleasing; but it disappears so soon after application that it’s a minor discomfort to bear for the wonderful effect it eventually has! Marvellously soft skin, even on trouble spots like heels and hands, are worth the wait — and the Rs 200 tag! Now that may not sound like much, but try to find it in your local store (even ones that stock top of the line beauty brands like Vichy) and you’ll understand why it’s a luxury in my lexicon!

Incidentally, don’t get mislead into buying nice smelling shea butter because the chances are that it has then been altered in some way — which also means it would have shed some of its healing properties.

If the product is two years old or more, it may not be as effective: while the moisturising effect will be there, the healing quotient may have depleted. But once you’re hooked like I am, there’s no turning back. Luckily, shea butter is one of those essential luxuries that aren’t heavy on the pocket, only on your perseverance in finding an honest supplier!

Maybe guys don’t admit it like women do, but we all want our hair to look as nice as possible. But where do find help? Here are some simple tips that we can all follow. Full article

Most women don’t think their perfume makes any difference in attracting a man.  Well think again.  A new study proves you wrong.  Cosmopolitan polled hundreds of men and discovered that scents still arouse man at a primal level. Full article

It seems like there’s always a holiday or event just around the corner that you’ve got to look good for. Don’t worry though; there’s no need to panic.

MenScience has broken down the stages of men’s grooming from the hour before you walk out the door to what you should be doing all the time. Full article

In increasing numbers, men are embracing spas as places to relax, rejuvenate, and sometimes take in the game. Fingers drum, rub, and knead all over my body. Hands play a symphony from toes to cranium. Full article