Could you handle using only men’s beauty products for a week?

My boyfriend doesn’t use soap in the shower.

He thinks it makes his skin dry and that his shampoo does a sufficient job of cleaning his whole body. Gross, I know.

So you can imagine my horror when I came across a marieclaire.com article chronicling the experience of writer Claire Fontanetta using only her bf’s products (or lack thereof) for a week.

Photo credit: marieclaire.com

Here’s a summary of what went down:

Day 1:

Claire realises she usually uses 26 beauty products daily. She is confronted in the shower by just oneKiehl’s cleansing product, which she has to use as a shampoo, conditioner, body wash and shaving “cream”. She is pleased by the absence of bathroom beauty clutter. 

Day 2:

The writer has a work event in the morning, so she invests in some Dove Men+Care face lotion and men’s concealer (yes, there’s such a thing!). She is pleasantly surprised and impressed by the concealer. To combat the growing frizz, she puts some beard oil on her strands. #genius.

Day 3:

Claire is starting to miss her staple bright orange/red lipstick (*sad face*). She stays strong, though, and continues to rock a bare lip like it’s no big deal. 

Day 4:

Unsurprisingly, the writer is enjoying some extra sleep in the morning, and she’s therefore feeling more energetic. Her skin’s also visibly clearer. Not a bad result!

Day 5:

By now, Claire’s gotten so used to wearing cologne that she doesn’t even notice it. But her friends do, with one telling her she smells “like her ex”. Awkward. The barefaced writer feels a bit out of place at after-work drinks, even though everyone says she still looks gorgeous. 

Day 6:

She caves and hides behind some big sunglasses. Understandable. 

Day 7:

It’s Sunday, which is a low-maintenance day for Claire, anyway. She realises she’s quite keen on her L’Occitane Cade Shower Gel for Body & Hair: “It’s manly, but in a chic musky firewood kind of way.” Hilarious. 

Here’s what we can take away from Claire’s experience:

1. Streamlining your morning beauty routine allows you to sleep longer.
2. Not wearing make-up for a few days can be very good for your skin.
3. Conditioner is essential for frizzy-haired gals (I suspect beard oil can only take you so far).
4. Bright lippie is still every girl’s best friend.

You can read the full article here. 

Do you ever use men’s beauty products? Could you handle using only men’s beauty products for a week?