Meggings (Leggings for Men) Are Here

Here’s a quick little FYI to make sure that you start the new year off in the know: The newest trend sweeping the streets…and by the streets we mean the internet…is “meggings.” Yes, for once this IS what you think it is: Leggings for men. CNN and GQ, among others, have been buzzing about the trend, for better or for worse (in our opinion, it’s just worse).

According to the Huffington Post, at least one stylish male in the public eye (Anderson Cooper) weighed in on the trend — and shared our sentiments against it. But regardless of how we feel, this fashion piece is making a statement in New York, already being sold at Barneys, Nordstrom and Uniqlo.

You’ve officially been warned – so don’t look so shocked when you see some fashion-forward lads taking to the street in these “pants” in the near future. Weigh in men: would you wear meggings? Ladies – will you be purchasing these for your significant other this holiday season? Let us know!

“Man Boob” Surgery On the Rise

We can always count on our trusty friends at Cosmo to deliver the most fun, interesting and oftentimes scandalous facts of the day. We were pretty intrigued when we saw this: It appears that man boob surgery is on the rise.

Yeah, we dare you to whip that one out at your next dinner party for a great topic of conversation. Actually, let us share the details in case you do need a talking point next time an awkward silence arises…

“Man boob” surgery is the opposite of female breast surgery (augmentation). Men are getting surgery to remove their “moobs.” This oft embarrassing condition is caused by gynecomastia (abnormal development of large mammary glands in males resulting in breast enlargement) – and it’s not necessarily related to obesity, as the stereotype may have it. Apparently it can be brought on by things as common as a hormone imbalance or steroid use.

Moob surgery doubled last year in the UK when hundreds of men went under the knife – that’s a pretty high number for something many of us never even knew existed! The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) (the organization that conducted the study) attributes the rise partially to the fact that male plastic surgery has become more accepted in general these days.

Besides the apparent aesthetic displeasure in having “moobs,” they may also cause irritation for men through friction from clothing. However, the most common reason found in this study for moob surgery was a cosmetic one. Looks like men are willing to get surgery simply to improve their appearance (like women do). Ahh…the sounds of society becoming more equal on all fronts. So — what do you think? Are you for or against it?

We know one thing… We’d be okay if more males looked like this:

 

It’s That Time of Year Again…

Movember is back – and the forecast is calling for moustaches all month long. Men worldwide are taking to the streets with unshaved faces and huge grins about all the awesome work they’re doing for a good cause.

The purpose of Movember is not only to annoy women, but to raise awareness for men’s health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer. Men start clean shaven on November 1st, and then continue on to grow serious ‘staches until November 30th.

Okay…so we’re going to see more handlebars than usual when we hit the town. Are they sexy? Depends on who you ask. But they’re an awesome way to raise awareness — a true conversation starter! We haven’t seen this many awesome moustaches walking around since the ‘70’s, so we’re hoping people are inclined to ask about the reasoning behind it. After all, that’s the idea.

In addition to sporting a ‘stache, men raise funds for their moustache-growing efforts by joining teams and garnering supporters to make donations. In the end, the money raised is donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG to fund education and research, among other things.

Click here for more information on how to get involved yourself. Women can join the cause too… as Mo Sistas. Mo Sistas can register for events, recruit more people to get involved, raise funds and more. Moustache optional.

Friendly reminder: Trimming is allowed. Men – please don’t forget this important step. You know, for the sake of society.

The Great Debate: Politics of Eyebrows

The presidential debate is tonight…and we might have the scoop on which candidate has an edge in the coming election. The Grooming Lounge, curator of fine men’s grooming products in Washington, DC, has had great success predicting past Presidential winners based on… (wait for it)… “The Eyebrow Index.”

According to The Grooming Lounge, seven of the past eight elections have been won by the candidate with the best-groomed eyebrows! Spoiler alert: It looks like Obama’s got the upper-hand on this one. Here’s what else they had to say about the current grooming-state of your 2012 candidates:

Mitt Romney

  • The Hair: “While its conservative nature might be a hit with key constituents, Mr. Romney’s hair is way too ‘helmet-like’ to attract to appeal to fringe or wavering younger demographics. A solid haircut aimed at reducing overall bulk would make him look more ‘main street’ like a regular citizen.”
  • The Brows: “Our research shows that nine of the last 10 elections have been won by the candidate with more well-groomed groomed eyebrows. Mr. Romney needs to do some tidying of his to grab an edge.”

Barack Obama

  • The Hair: “The stress and strain of the job has understandably turned his hair grey – particularly the temple areas.  While coloring his entire head would be a bit too noticeable and drastic, we recommend some strategic ‘grey blending’ to re-emphasize the President’s ability to handle pressure, fly below the stress and connect with younger voters.”
  • The Wrinkles: “Compare a current photo of the President to one from his inauguration and you’ll notice he now has some under-eye bags and crow’s feet. While some are clearly a result of aging, our guess is most are stress-induced and can be minimized with targeted eye creams. People want their leader to work hard, but not to look like he’s pulled consecutive all-nighters.”

We’d like to agree. You know how important we feel men’s grooming is here at Spa Week – that’s why we showed you all the great men’s Spa Week treatments available for just $50 this year.

As a final campaign push, we think that Barack and Mitt should definitely head to Lord & Taylor Salon & Spa in Washington, DC for some pre-election grooming: a Gentleman’s Facial and Salon Manicure sounds like just what they need to be ballot-ready.

The TODAY show featured this ground-breaking story this morning, and added their own twist: take the poll on TODAY.com and weigh in on which male TODAY anchor has the best chance of becoming president based on their eyebrow shape!

Grooming For Your Man this Spa Week

“Manscaping” has been one of the biggest beauty crazes this year, and as a result 2012 has seen a serious boom in the men’s beauty industry. Men are pulling out all the stops to perfect their appearances, and all we have to say is… FINALLY! These A-list celebrities have set the new standard in men’s grooming:

Ryan Gosling always looks dapper on the red carpet. And we can’t help but notice our favorite Canadian always has picture-perfect skin! We’d be willing to bet that he probably indulges in specialty facials regularly. We’ve got lots of male-specific facials this Spa Week — so you won’t even feel the least bit girly when you book yours today!

Bradley Cooper, who beat out Ryan for People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” of 2011, is clearly one of the most swoon-worthy stars out there. Hair is mussed but done, and scruff perfected – a man who clearly cares about his appearance. Long hair is totally in with the stars these days – luckily you can get a special man’s haircut during Spa Week to maintain your mane!

Leonardo DiCaprio has been looking sharp lately. Especially on the set for The Great Gatsby, hitting theatres in 2013, where he plays none other than Jay Gatsby, perfectly polished Long Island socialite. Django Unchained, his other highly anticipated film this year, comes out Christmastime. With all that hard work, we bet he’s been loosening up with massages pretty frequently.

Justin Timberlake has come a long way since his bleached blonde curls of the 90’s and denim on denim outfit duos with Britney. These days he is looking primped to perfection (with beautiful arm candy like Jessica Biel by your side it would be hard not to!). We’d guess that he is probably all over the men’s grooming trend – and hitting the spa for help!

From the looks of it, these days Hollywood’s leading men might spend more more of their morning in the bathroom getting ready than their female counterparts! This Spa Week, you too can have your man groomed to star-studded perfection, for just $50! You’re welcome, ladies. Here are the treatments for you men to book (or women to book for your men):

50 Minute Gentleman’s Custom Facial with Newspaper and Beer at the Luxe Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa in Dallas, TX

45 Minute Sports Massage at Nival Salon and Spa at the Collection in Chevy Chase, MD

50 Minute Gentleman’s Facial at Spa Terra at The Meritage Resort and Spa and Napa, CA

80 Minute Customized Sports Massage at Massage Envy Spas in Miramar Square, FL and West Boca Raton, FL

50 Minute Gentlemen’s Skin Treatment Facial and Salon Manicure at Lord & Taylor Salon & Spa – locations in Washington, DC, Scarsdale, NY and Manhasset, NY

50 Minute Sports Massage at Massage Envy Spa – Englewood Town Centre in Englewood, NJ

Men’s Haircut at Eau Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach in Manalapan, FL

55 Minute Energizing Sports Massage at Elements Therapeutic Massage – Woodridge in Woodridge, IL

50 Minute Aveda Men’s Pure-Formance Facial at Macy’s Salon & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, FL