UrbanUpdate

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Glee MVP Darren Criss has become somewhat of a skincare aficionado, and for good cause: "I’m putting [makeup] on my face, dancing around sweating and getting oily, and it’s all under HD cameras, which is probably the most unflattering thing you can do." On top of that, he’s also partnered with grooming e-tailor The Motley as an investor and product tester and developer. It makes sense, then, that the guy would have some good grooming tips, so we asked Criss to share his daily ritual.

THE FACE: "Urth is a fantastic company, I use their face wash in the morning and before bed. It helps get off all the caked-on makeup we wear for the show. They also have this great antioxidant moisturizer with Vitamin E and other natural ingredients. There’s no fragrance in it so, it doesn’t have that fake manly scent."

THE SHAVE: "All of us pushing 30 on the show still have to look like teens, so we’re clean-shaven every day, which is terrible for your skin—you’re just hacking up your face. A lot of actors use Tend Skin to control razor burn. I use an electric razor when we’re pressed for time, but I really like the ritual of using a manual razor. I’ll eoliate first with this Raw Materials eoliator and then build up a lather with an Imperial bar of soap."

THE HAIR: "[My character] Blaine’s hair is completely different than mine. I think they use a puree of unicorn’s horns and goblin blood to slick the curls down—it’s literally solid as a rock. I wouldn’t suggest anybody do that. You have to let curls do their thing. Throw away the comb. I think natural oils are good for them, but when I wash my hair I use this Apivita shampoo and conditioner. Toss out the two-in-one, guys. Enjoy the process of washing your hair."

THE LIPS: "I carry Buckler’s Chapped Lip Remedy with me everywhere—it’s a fancy way of saying lip balm. If you see a small aluminum tube coming out of my breast pocket on the red carpet, that’s it."

THE BODY: "For the longest time I was the biggest soap proponent, but now I really love the black pepper body wash from Molton Brown. Men are the smelliest creatures—we need to give a shit about how we smell. And any sort of result-oriented grooming enthusiast should try the Shearers Soap from Triumph and Disaster. It’s like bathing with a rock and mud, a very manly experience."

THE DEODORANT: "I’m a classic guy. I’ve always liked my Old Spice Fresh. I stay away from antiperspirants. I’m one of those hippies who believes sweating is good for you, blah blah."

THE FRAGRANCE: "I choose to wear different scents for certain occasions. The Motley’s Atlas is like my meat and potatoes and is good for all occasions. Oud is a much darker woodier nighttime scent for me, good for formal events or a James Bondy evening, and Bergamo is for lighter sunny days or weddings, things that are literally and figuratively bright."

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