Beauty Tested, Beast Approved
Beauty Tested, Beast Approved is a grooming blog for normal guys. My wife, Amy (the beauty director of Allure magazine) has tried thousands of products over the years—mostly on herself, but often on the human guinea pig who sleeps next to her. Here are some of my picks, and for all Beast Approved entries, head here.
I love a good bar soap. There’s something about the ease, the convenience, the chunkiness that appeals to me far more than body wash. But I’m not messing with any thin, puny hotel wafers—I’ve got standards that have to be met:
Shape: I’m looking for a computer-mouse-sized rectangle with rounded corners. I don’t want to feel like I’m rubbing a brick over my skin.
Scent: Something fresh that subtly stays behind. You shouldn’t be able to notice it unless your nose is pressed against the skin.
Feel: The soap should lather well and evenly coat the skin without leaving any waxy residue.
Construction: It’s got to be built to last. Nothing bothers me more than a bar that cracks and disintegrates too easily.
One of my favorites is by Nubian Heritage ($3.80 per soap; $30 for an assorted 10-pack at nubianheritage.com). Now, I doubt the brand had a white boy from Missouri in mind for their target demographic, but this soap crosses all cultural lines—Nubian offers a variety of natural scents, but I prefer the Goat’s Milk & Chai Soap designed for sensitive skin. It’s got a mild, creamy smell and is full of shea butter, so my skin feels completely moisturized when I leave the shower. The bars are also perfectly sized and well-constructed, so they’re easy to hold and last for about a month without ever falling apart.
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