We all need a little advice once in a while. Here are CLM’s 7 Tips to Keeping you Fresh this Summer…

1. Maintain an even skin tone. Remember our previous post about the perfect bronzed look? That’s right, not only do you have to keep the skin clear and clog-free from dirt and daily grime, but try to maintain a summer glow too. If you haven’t read it yet, click here for 5 Simple Steps to maintaining an all-over glow year round. 

2. During hot summer’s mid-day heat, it’s important to change your shirt twice a day. You came here to find out about the rules of staying fresh, right? Adhere to this rule gentlemen.

Feeling extra hot and bothered? Let your accessories say the say thing, try our Red Fire Engine Cufflinks for an added spark.

3. Never wear faded, colored tee-shirts or collared shirts (white is even worse!) If you like particular brand of shirt or a color, buy it in bulk. Don’t over wear your favorite tee shirt just because you can’t get enough of its softness/style. Buy three, of the same kind. And then throw it out when it becomes dingy or over-washed. For extra style points, try our Pink Collared Cufflinks.

4. Ditch the sneakers in 90 degree weather. Or even 80 degree weather for that matter. Nothing is quite worse than seeing a man walking around in the mid day heat with a pair of hot, sticky sneakers on. Get yourself a nice pair of sandals and spend the $30 on a pedicure to make sure your staying on top of your “fresh” game. Even the horses don’t completely cover their hooves, so why should you?

5. Exfoliate… like your feet too. This step goes perfectly with advice number one and four and is actually an indispensable rule. Follow it.

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6. Regular haircuts. Don’t wait until you look like a cave man to make a regular trip to your barber. If you can’t get seen by that “special” hair stylist whenever you want, make sure you have a back-up hair stylist. It does a world of difference for your overall fashion effect if you take the time to trim those locks on the regular.

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7. And finally, STAY HYDRATED. In these hot summer months, it’s important to drink as much water as possible. You can’t really over-hydrate. Okay, you can but it’s actually really hard to do. Keep your skin fresh and clear, your eyes bright and cheery, and make sure your energy can beat the heat.

 

 

 

Get blazed this summer. It’s not just about young females having spectacular sun-kissed skin in the summer time. Believe it or not, women prefer a sun-kissed look on their man too. So in an effort to not disappoint your lady, or lady friend, we’re here to help with some tanning tips. And no, we won’t go tell you to lay in a tanning bed three-five times a week, unless…you want to? But that would be not-so-cool, literally. It’s hot under all those bulbs. We’ll tell you how to get the PERFECT bronzed look in 5 Simple Steps, without the help of UV rays.

Step One

Exfoliate. If you want your spray/lotion tan to go on evenly, you need to make sure you have a clean, freshly exfoliated palate to begin with. Think of creating a painting…you need to prime the canvas first, right?

At least once a week, for the rest of the summer, give your skin a good rub down. And you don’t have to run to the fanciest body store to get a good body scrub.

Here’s a little homemade recipe:

1) a cup of Raw, organic sugar
2) A tablespoon or two of Vitamin E
3) A few drops of Vanilla extract/or eucalyptus oil/any natural scented oil of your choosing
4) a teaspoon or two of plain scented soap
5) two tablespoons of honey

Step Two

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Moisturize.Instead of using your regular lotion, try a Self tanning/Bronzing Lotion. Our favorite is L’Oreal Daily Moisturizer which sells for around $9-$12 dollars a bottle.It gives you a shimmering, natural bronze and smells much better than the Jergen’s brand. It comes in Fair or Medium skin tones, so choose which one best suits your natural skin tone.

Once you dry off completely after your shower, apply this lotion liberally to all areas of your body. WASH YOUR HANDS thoroughly afterwards (and we mean each and every time) so you won’t get orange, wedged fingers.

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Step Three

Spray. After you apply lotion you’re set right? Not true! Especially if you want a stellar, natural bronzed look that will get you looking buff at the beach, apply a light mist of spray tan on TOP of the L’Oreal lotion.

Our favorite is Neutrogena’s Micro-mist Sunless Tanning Spray 3 Shades Darker.

The best part about this spray is it requires no rubbing in. Simply stand in the bathroom (preferably with a towel on the floor to prevent slipping and staining) and light spray your entire body. Make sure to keep your arm/spray can in constant motion to prevent blotches. Let dry for five minutes. Dress as usual.

*Note, this spray step is only required a few times a week in conjunction with the daily moisturizing tanning lotion.

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Step Four

Moisturize. Yes moisturize AGAIN! The trick to keeping a great spray/bottled tan going is to moisturize. Actually, this is even true for a real sun UV tan too. The skin needs natural moisturizer after being baked all day, in order to keep the cells regenerating. Even if it’s a fake tan, the skin needs to rebuild itself underneath so when that layer fades off, there is a fresh palate underneath to work with. Moisturizing also helps keep your spray tan longer.

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Step Five

Get in the sun, just a little bit. To even it all out and get a natural bronzed addition to your new sun soaked skin. Also, the brightness of the sun helps you find out if you missed any spots with the self tanner and if you need extra/less in certain places on your body.

 

 

 

 

Are you over or under parenting your child?

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There have been numerous reports throughout the past century regarding the proper parenting techniques. Is it possible to spoil an infant (under 1 yr.)? (The answer is a resounding no.) But what about when the child gets older…can you smother him/her with parental affection and attention? The answer is a resounding yes.

Askmen.com has a new article discussing this issue. In a recent study, results have shown that fathers who don’t try to hard, end up being better parents. You know, the fathers that like to compete with each other, “Oh Tommy’s better at this…I take him here everyday…” Studies have shown that Little Tommy will grow up better with a less worried and stressed father, than an over-protective one trying to keep up with the Jones’ family.

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“Coping With New Parenthood”

“The latest research out of Ohio State University, which appears in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, suggests that parents who feel pressure to be perfect parents can work at cross purposes. Called the “New Parents Project,” this study is one part of a longitudinal look at how working parents cope with new parenthood. The researchers studied 182 couples who became parents between 2008 and 2010, and found that external pressure to be perfect parents affects parenting skills differently than self-directed, internal pressure to be a good parent.

The difference was most striking for fathers. If new fathers were particularly worried about living up to the social ideals of their peer group, they tended to do worse than fathers who put the pressure on themselves. Mothers, on the other hand, showed more parental stress no matter where the pressure came from. One other interesting note is that fathers who responded to self-directed, internal pressure and didn’t give a hoot about keeping up with the Joneses tended to be better fathers. The researchers added that they weren’t sure what the long-term effects on parenting this kind of internal pressure would have, but for newborns it can be a good thing”

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In a recent article published by Psych Central, By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor, Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on November 30, 2011:

“Parents of newborns show poorer adjustment to their new role if they believe society expects them to be “perfect” moms and dads, a new study shows.

While stress upsets each parent, stress influences each parent in different ways. Moms showed less confidence in their parenting abilities and dads felt more stress when they were more worried about what other people thought about their parenting skills.

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However, self-imposed pressure to be perfect was somewhat better for parents, especially for fathers, according to the results.”

Nauert also claims that “Societal-oriented perfectionism is “being concerned about what other people think about your parenting,” Schoppe-Sullivan said. It was measured by asking people how much they agreed with statements like “Most people always expect me to always be an excellent parent.”

So next time you want to coddle your 12 year old son, think again fathers. The trick is to be stress-free, a mean between extremes, and always keep your cool.

 

 

 

We’ve come a long way in the art of courtship over the centuries. Or have we? It really only comes down to one thing in the end…biology. So it makes sense when this new theme for a dating party arises, and becomes a hit. Or shall we say a hormonal orgy? It’s actually a genius idea and CLM sends serious kudos to the “inventor” of such a party: Enter The Pheromone Party.

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A new article featured in Askmen.com says the following: “Enter the Pheromone Parties. You sleep in a clean T-shirt for three nights to capture your body’s odor, then bring it to a party in a Ziploc bag. Guests smell the bags, which are labeled with a number and nothing more, letting their primal instincts guide their mate selection. The thought of answering “online” when someone asks me how I met my significant other kind of embarrasses me, but “body odor” is a mind f*ck I think a lot of us aren’t ready for.”

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Haven’t you ever noticed yourself loving the scent of your lover/wife/husband? Something pulls you to them and you only like their scent. This is totally biological and a necessary part of finding the ideal mate, especially when it comes to body chemistry, reproduction, and the ideal exchange of genetics.

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So during the course of this kind of party, guests photograph themselves holding the labeled bag with the shirt if they LIKE the scent. This photograph is then projected on a white wall and if the owner if interested, he/she will approach the person in the photograph. Cool, huh? It’s kind of like a win-win situation because you’re not risking rejection per-say, and it’s highly likely that if a person vibes with your scent, you will vibe with their scent as well, plus you get to see a picture of them beforehand.

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Creator Judith Prays says the following in a recent interview: “How exactly do pheromones work?
JP: Pheromones are the chemical triggers of sexual attraction in mammals. Pheromones determine fecundity; if you are attracted to someone’s pheromones, it is an indicator that you two will have healthy offspring. While not confirmed, it is suspected that males smell availability and females smell genetic quality. ”

 

 

 

 

 

In case you haven’t noticed, there has been a record heat wave going on in New York City. (Also, in case you haven’t noticed, CLM is based out of NY so we’re speaking from the thick of it.) It’s seriously…swampy out there friends.

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So how do New Yorkers stay cool? Of course it’s a rarity for anyone to actually have central AC, and those window units spike your electric bill throug

h the roof (where all the heat resides. ‘Cause, you know, heat travels upwards…) Well, turns out there is a reason why there is a Starbucks on every other corner in Manhattan: to save us all from the heat via iced drinks, fraps, and…you guessed it, central AC. Maybe your office AC broke down, maybe it’s still too stuffy at your desk, where to go? You guessed it…Starbucks.

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Other ways to stay cool, and we’re not strictly talking temperature here.

Cut Off Shorts:

This look is in for both men and women alike. Take an old pair of jeans, or even new because they will still look awesome, and simply cut where you want them to end. Give yourself a few extra inches because they will ride up once they are on your body and become shorter. This is always true when washing, the frayed ends will make the length rise slightly. It’s better to cut them too long at first, then too short.

Handkerchief to dab off excess moisture in style

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The Perfect Sandal (or Mandal)

Unless you have perfect manicured feet, there is no reason for men to wear flipflops. One of the biggest fashion faux pas is a snagged toe foot in a flip flop in the summertime. Don’t be a victim this season. Try something sporty like these Nike slip ons (http://www.zappos.com/nike-solarsoft-slide-black-white?zfcTest=fw:1)

Check out this amazing, informative article from Askmen.com: http://www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip_400/454b_mens-sandals-dos-donts.html. They give you a complete low down on the DOs and DON’Ts of male sandal wearing…also known as Mandals.

“It can be downright difficult to find a men’s sandal that is both simple and stylish if you want something other than flip-flops. The solution: a cross-strap sandal. There are no bells and whistles here; just two uncomplicated straps to hold your foot in place. It’s also the perfect sandal if you find a traditional flip-flop that slips on between your toes to be uncomfortable. Just be careful not to go with certain faux-leather types or you could risk looking like grandpa at the retirement home.”

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A fresh hair cut:

Check out Groupon or Living Social to find cool deals in your area. You can search by neighborhood, or find the hot deals of the day. Maybe even go for an old school razor shave at a traditional barber shop. Remember those? The ones with the red and white swirling sign? Check out this website featuring FRESH NEW HAIRCUTS FOR MEN in 2011.