NIVEA FOR MEN
Colin, 22—University student

Normal routine: I use soap when I
shower. It does the trick.

First impressions?
It sounded like a girly product. I expected it to come in slightly more masculine packaging. I was right. How did it work? The smell was short of cologne or some deodorants, but clean and infinitely better than taxi air freshener. My skin felt really soft and silky immediately after use, but I didn’t notice any difference after the initial few minutes.

Feedback?
My girlfriend said my face was scratchy,
then I shaved and she said it was smooth.

SKIN BY HUGO BOSS
Michael, 34—Accountant

Normal routine: Like every other guy,
I learned skin care from my father.
Dad’s skin care kit consisted of a)
whatever soap happened to be next
to the sink, b) generic shaving cream,
c) Old Spice aftershave or Hai Karate,
for those special occasions. (Unlike
Fran Tarkenton, my father was never
tackled by cheerleaders.)

First impression?
At first appearance, it seemed
like a generic blue shower gel in a fancy package.

How did it work?
It smelled okay to me and my
wife didn’t force me outside to “air out”. It made my
skin feel clean and smooth. Quite nice, actually!

Feedback?
I believe my wife’s exact quote was:
“Very nice. Did you fill in the questionnaire yet?”

JACK BLACK PURE CLEAN
DAILY FACIAL CLEANSER
Kelly, 31—Publishing/Advertising

Normal routine:
Bar of soap and water.

First impressions:
When I was first
handed the electric blue tube of facial
cleanser called Jack Black, I immediately
thought of the actor of the same name—
who doesn’t look like the cleanest or best smelling man. Essence of Jack Black in a tube, can this be a good thing? It did make me curious.

How did it work?
Thankfully it smelled rather clean and subtle, very much like aloe with a twist. As for my face, it was a marked improvement over just using soap. It felt clean and refreshing. The cleanser lathers up like shaving cream and my skin did not feel dry afterwards.

Feedback?
My fiancé commented that my face
smelled “nice” and “fresh” and wasn’t “perfumy”. It was a bit weird having my fiancé all up in my face, sniffing it voraciously though.