Sometimes the price of beauty is just a little pain. This is something that women know all too well. On an upcoming episode of The Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, Dirty Man Mike Rowe is taking his pal Barsky to the spa to experience one of the most painful treatments for a spa newbie: a hot wax. In true trooper spirit, Barsky braves the agony of getting first his nose hairs waxed and then the hair on his chest. Disclaimer: we don’t see anything dirty about being at a spa, but I digress. Watch the squeal-worthy clip below.

A gentleman always holds the door. If we’re lucky, he holds jewelry too. But if we’re REALLY lucky, a gentleman holds the key to maintaining the perfect mix of proper grooming and guy-ish grunge. Meet Jace, the creator of hot new men’s fashion blog Grungy Gentleman, who, based on his editorials, seems to have gotten most of it down to a science. As a New Yorker working in fashion, he sheds light on his personal style and how to not only look cool, but how to keep cool in the summertime. No socks, no pedicures, no shame.

Spa Week Daily: A lot of men think the spa is a girly thing. What do you have to say about that?

Grungy Gentleman: I enjoy getting massages and why not? They’re relaxing! Tell the dudes who say that to go to the spa at the Hotel de Arts in Barcelona. Ask them if they think that’s girly.

SWD: Dry, crackly feet are just not cute on anyone—even men. Do you think men should get pedicures?

GG: I think men should have a certain level of masculinity to them. I have a never had a pedicure before. A couple of my friends get manicures though. I have never really thought about either of the two. I rather just say it’s not for me.

(We think he should try it. Men are prone to blisters, calluses and oooh athlete’s foot.)

SWD: Thom Browne is the king of shorts, but most men look ridiculous in them. There’s always a risky chance of channeling a bag pipe player or a nerdy golfer. What length or style do you suggest for men who want to look fashionable and keep cool in the summer?

GG: Thom Browne is a genius. Can’t knock anything about him at all. I prefer my shorts a bit longer than what he shows in his collection. My shorts are always above the knee. Avoid bagginess and pair it with a Thom Browne oxford and you can’t go wrong.

SWD: When it comes to business wear in the summer time, men aren’t so lucky.  Since the options are so limited, what’s the #1 tip you have for men surviving a heat wave in a business suit?

GG: I wear no socks. I store away my wingtips and rock Sperry Top Sider x Band of Outsiders Loaders. Get your pants tailored so they just fall above the ankle.

SWD: Okay, we had to ask. Do you wear Old Spice?

GG: NO.

For more stylish scoops from the fashionable gentleman who likes to keep it grungy, check out his blog.

Between World Cup excitement and endlessly working on that summer bod of yours, being sporty and active is definitely on the brain right now. For many of us, our very first memories of being athletic, active and adventurous are because of Dad. It wasn’t all embarrassing jokes after all! With Father’s Day this Sunday, we hope you’ve already planned to shower the father figure in your life with adulation! Here’s one more thing you can do for him: sing his praises to win him a handsome gift set in this Father’s Day Giveaway.

HOW TO ENTER

COMMENT BELOW or on our FACEBOOK PAGE with your favorite memory of being athletic, active or adventurous with your dad.

WHAT YOU CAN WIN FOR DAD

One of two sets of body and skincare products–pampering enough to do right by your dad, but masculine enough that he might even mention them to his buddies on his next golf outing.

PRIZE ONE:

Molton Brown Father’s Day Gift Set - Filled with manly scents that add serious spice to bathing, the Molton Brown Father’s Day Gift Set contains the large size of the brand’s cult-favorite re-charge black pepper bodywash, a corresponding re-charge black pepper body hydrator and the new cool buchu bodywash – which gives a cool hint of energy while soothing Dad’s skin.

Value: $58, available at www.moltonbrown.com

PRIZE TWO:

Naturopathica Clarifying Facial Wash, Soothing Shave Cream and Daily Defense Moisturizer For Men – Help Dad celebrate Father’s Day the natural way with Clarifying Face Wash – a foaming sulfate-free cleanser containing a refreshing blend of Cypress Oil, Aloe and Lime to gently remove impurities and clarify the skin, while maintaining natural moisture. The Aloe, cultivated in Texas, is a powerful soothing agent, and cleans skin without irritation. The Soothing Shave Cream is a emollient cream that creates the perfect barrier between a man’s skin and his razor. Antiseptic Cypress Oil,

cultivated in France, will calm razor irritation, while Wild Oat Beta Glucan lifts the hair shaft for an exceptionally close shave. Top it off with the Daily Defense Moisturizer – a lightweight blend of antioxidant Vitamins A, C and E, combined with soothing Oats and Aloe to nourish the skin with moisture.

Value: $28, $26 and $58 respectively, available at www.Naturopathica.com and spas nationwide.

DETAILS

The deadline to enter is this Thursday, June 17th by 5 PM EDT, so don’t miss out on commenting today!

Two winners will be chosen at random, announced here, and notified via email. Please make sure to link to a valid email address.

We do not guarantee that your prize will be there in time for Father’s Day (depending on where you are in the country). But you can print him a picture of what he’ll be getting, along with a framed quote of your memory together! How cute would that be?

Official Rules

Congrats to our two winners of the Father’s Day Giveaway! Please email Michelle@Spaweekmedia.com with your address and phone number.

#37 – Stephw ( My dad always played kickball and baseball with us kids. He was the all-time pitcher.)

#16 – Luvdaylilies ( Jogging with Dad! I have a wonderful Pop=) )

Image courtesy of gettyimages.com

So it’s that time again – you have to scrape the thatchy growth off your face and endure the nicks, razor burn, and dry scraping that comes with it. While we can’t eliminate the problem by bringing ZZ-Top length beards back in style, we can offer 3 easy tips you probably didn’t know to ensure that your shave is smooth and successful.

1. Never shave dry, unmoisturized skin. Always shave right after a shower. If that’s not possible, wash or splash your face with hot water to open pores – that’s probably the advice you’ve heard before, but what you may not have heard is that applying a dollop of moisturizer post-rinsing will make your shave even closer and smoother.

2. Use a toner right after shaving. A quick swipe of refreshing toner will remove residue and encourage pores to close, resulting in impeccably smooth skin.

3. Battle ingrowns with minimal effort. Using a face scrub once or twice a week (if you want a really low-maintenance DIY recipe, mix 1 part regular white sugar with 1 part avocado or olive oil) will keep dead skin flakes from clogging pores and contributing to painful ingrown hairs. Prevention is the best defense!

Up until now in western countries, most makeup and skincare products have been marketed toward gals – deodorant and body wash brands like Old Spice and Axe marked the extent to which hyper-masculine branding had washed over the personal care world. In the last few years, however, many companies have been taking staple skincare and makeup products consistently marketed towards women and turning them towards the guys.

These crossover products marketed toward the mainstream guy tend to stick to the utilitarian, every day products women might use – think eye cream, not eye shadow. These dude products also carry macho promises of “energizing” and “fueling” healthy skin, and they come in sleek packaging with guy-friendly colors. Below the manly packaging, the products sound pretty familiar: this summer guys can fake a glow with male-targeted sunless tanners from Kiehl’s and Shiseido, and Clinique’s skincare line for men carries M Cover, a butched-up guy’s concealer that is intended to camouflage blemishes, dark circles, and uneven tone. Nothing new there!

Of course, the key thing to remember here is that there’s never been anything stopping guys from buying lotions, creams, tanners, and concealer. The active ingredients in products like tanners and concealers behave exactly the same on male and female skin, which means that Clinique M is functionally no different than the Clinique concealer for women that’s been around for decades – which serves as a good reminder that oftentimes we’re paying for packaging more than product.

Still, there’s no reason a guy shouldn’t be able to hide the huge zit he woke up with, if it makes him feel better. The hidden upshot, too, is that sociological studies show that men are willing to spend less money on personal care than women. So if companies want guys buying their products, they’ll have to price accordingly – and smart women can snap up unisex products and avoid the all-too-common female price markup all together.