Why I'm Newly Obsessed with OLO

I feel like I've been searching for my "signature scent" for, oh, I don't know...26 years? The first frag purchase I remember—vividly—was Ralph Lauren's Polo Blue. I asked for it for Christmas one year and doused myself in it, assured by the model's harmless, inert gaze that I was destined to become a 'new classic', long before Iggy Azalea would co-opt the term to describe a middling R&B record. I think I even had the body wash at one point, though even reflecting on that olfactory overload makes me gag a little.

More recently I've scoured many a niche fragrance purveyor in the hopes that I would find something that speaks to who I am now. Something complex, moody, and a little bit spicy. Something...from Portland. Yes, Portland is where I found my new fragrance obsession, albeit by way of the Erica Weiner boutique in SoHo. OLO's Dark Wave is a blend of cardamom, Indonesian vetivert and wood. It was created, "to kick off the dreary rains [that] inundate Portland for nine months...to envelop you and protect you from the downpour." If that description isn't sufficiently angsty for you, watch this music video.

OLO founder Heather Sielaff (above left, kissing her cat) is a self-taught perfumer with a background in aromatherapy, i.e. she spent ten years working with essential oils before getting into the perfume business, i.e. I'm sporting a major granola-boner for her right now. All of OLO's scents are hand-blended and come with a handy-dandy roller ball applicator. Sielaff even once made a custom scent for YACHT, and YACHT is awesome, so...bow down, bitches. Or, like, go shopping.

Image (top) via The Line; images (bottom) via Portland Supply Co.

P.S. Some other contenders to the stank throne have included D.S. & Durga's Poppy Rouge (the last frag I went through—still love this one, actually), Comme des Garçons Black, and Etat Libre d'Orange's Like This.

The Look at Carlos Campos

"I wanted the skin to look as healthy and as beautiful as possible," explained Walton Nuñez, the key makeup artist for this season's Carlos Campos show. "We used a lot of moisturizer, then went back with concealer—which we diluted and spread over the face. We have some mascara on the ends [of the lashes] and a brow set. We used a lot of EvolutionMan—it's created by a man for men, so it doesn't feel makeup-y, it doesn't look makeup-y. He just looks his best." Nuñez (above) backstage at Carlos Campos, 2/5/14.

Check Instagram for more coverage from the men's shows!

The Hamish Bowles Face Mask

Three easy steps to being the most beautiful girl in the world...

Yesterday, while everyone was gathering 'round their "televisions" to watch "super bowl" I was having a really productive time on the domestic front. I did mondo laundry, cleaned my room, bought groceries, bleached my an–er, tweezed my eyebrows and was just generally capable. I'd even gotten a haircut the day before (I'm back at Fellow Barber in Soho; this time I saw Ashley—she was great!) and was feeling extra sharp—but then I realized I had run out of hair products and was in desperate need of a new groomtine. To make matters worse, I then remembered that I hadn't exfoliated in a really long time. This effectively doubled the amount of crisis I was having, so I determined to try this recipe for a homemade face mask from a recently acquired back issue of Fantastic Man.

The recipe is recounted by Bowles' mother, Anne. It's quite simple, really; here's what you'll need: one (1) egg, one (1) teaspoon honey, a bowl, a whisk. To make the mask you whisk the egg white (just the white) in a bowl until it's frothy, then slowly add a teaspoon of honey—beating all the while—until it's blended. Then, "apply liberally" to face and neck. One thing you might notice is that it basically looks like...hmm, what do we call semen in polite company? I guess semen. It looks like you just got out of a bukkake orgy. Like you have spooge all over your face.

The recipe left me with an excessive amount of goop, the consistency of which was runnier than I expected. I tried to rub as much as I could all over my face; it kind of hardened like a meringue, as the instructions said it would, but it never really looked as "masky" as I wanted it to. Again, it just looked like a bunch...yeah. I left it on for 20 minutes and sort of camped out, fiddling with my diddly and whatnot, then washed it off. I looked into the mirror and...I'm not so sure it actually worked? I was supposed to be left with "skin like a baby's bottom," but I think my skin is pretty much the same as it ever was. Balls.

Have you ever tried a homemade mask like this? Did it work?

MY FALL/WINTER GROOMTINE

It's that special time of year where I tell you all about the products that are keeping me young and sexually desirable to gentlemen suitors. Of which, there are none—so maybe stop listening now?

We'll start with the obvious pièce de résistance, my face. I've switched to Ursa Major's face wash and face balm almost solely because they smell so, so good. I actually asked my co-worker one day if she thought my face smelled good, because I was so sure it did—and she said yes! It was a totally normal and healthy interaction. In addition to smelling of sage and cedar or some other rustic gay shit, they're both totally paraben and pthalate-free! Score for moneyed liberals!

On top of that I'm still really into COOLA's tinted sunscreen, though I bought some random BB cream from Duane Reade that pretty much has the same effect. (And both of them are invisible, natch.) I was using Earth Tu Face body wash, but once it ran out I switched back to Dr. Bronner's, TBH. The price difference is crazy and I couldn't justify it with results, hashtag sadface.

CHOOSING A MINERAL SUNSCREEN

My "beauty" posts are strictly seasonal at this point, but as a former Allure subscriber I still consider myself an authority on the matter, so harken to my wisdom.

Beauty & the Beach

In which I wear palm fronds as a headpiece (take that, Pippa!) and share with you the wonders of back waxing. The first order of beauty business for any vacation is unsightly hair removal. Chest hair = sexy. Weird patches of hair on your back/shoulders = not sexy. Also not sexy is that "neck tuft" thing that happens when a guy's back hair is like, poking out of the back collar of his shirt. That's the worst. My favorite at-home waxing kit is from Parissa (and I do recommend waxing at home, as it's just soooo much cheaper) and you can usually find it at Whole Foods.

After you've taken care of that situation, you're going to need sunscreen (I'm assuming you're taking a normal vacation to a sunny place, not a weird liberal-agenda vacation to like, Canada.) My favorite brand is Coola, who also happen to make a really great after-sun cream.

Now that your face is protected you need good hair. For this trip I took along my Sachajuan hair paste, a new-to-me product that I just love. It smells good and you only need a tiny amount to get great texture and a firm hold. I also recommend Bumble and bumble hair powder for travel. It's like a dry shampoo that also boosts your color, c'est bon!

MINIMAL EFFORT

It's October 1st, y'all! What the shit? That means it's definitely time for my fall beauty post, also known as Otter Grooming 101. (Kidding - I just Googled "otter gay male term," and apparently I should be much hairier. Also, while I'm digressing, enjoy this sentence explaining the term from Urban Dictionary: "Larry is an otter, and he likes to date bears or other otters." Go, Larry!)

Ok, back to being pretty. After my last beauty post - or maybe the one before that? (journalism!) - a friend of mine said that my main beautine problem was the sheer quantity of stuff I was putting on my face. Apparently it sounded like a lot. Since then I've made it a point to tone down the ritual, which also has to do in part with being in NYC and unable to buy almost anything, let alone umpteen products. Let's talk about what I am doing now and how it's working...

Continue reading, after the jump!

Greenwich Tonsorial

I was feeling frustrated by my hair's directionless growth the other week and started asking around for salon recommendations. After friends chimed in with their suggestions I decided to ignore them all and try out a place I'd passed by in the West Village. It looked so cute! This is how all great life choices are made, people.

My decision turned out to be an instance of book-cover judgment done right. Moustache is indeed burly-chic in a Brooklyn way, but the barbers (yes, barbers not stylists) happen to be talented and meticulous. Rafael, who cut my hair, spent a great deal of time getting the fades and blends just right and used a razor to fine tune his work. There was even a hot towel involved, and all for the same price I paid in Virginia!

And the cut: I'd been contemplating a straight buzz, but ended up keeping the top a bit longer than the sides (the sides grow out faster). I'm no longer flipping it up at the front anymore, and I got rid of the grays (you can see them pretty well here and here) with at-home color that, for whatever reason, gave my hair a reddish undertone. Cool? So I guess this is my way of recommending Moustache, dear New York readers - unless you find somewhere even cuter, of course.

BLEACHED BLACK

My friend Ariel's hair is, for lack of better phrasing, totally wicked awesome. You'll probably see him again on the blog soon because I'm obsesssssed with his style...he's basically the Korean male Erin Wasson. Stay tuned.

MY SUMMER BEAUTINE

Now that it’s sort-of almost officially technically summer, I feel the need to share with you all my summer beauty routine (“beautine”, BAM, patented.) I should probably stop wearing so much crap on my face, but I love the ritual of it and am hoping I can get my skin to be “luminescent” for once and to, “radiate from within.” I’m tired of settling for, “looks matte in dim light,” and “bears no indication of jaundice.” I'm not there yet, so here we go…

Click through to continue reading!

STYLE SNAPSHOTS

I'm caving in and uploading an Instagram outfit post. I try to avoid this because I really have fun with the little photo shoots, plus they show off the details much better, but all of my photos are taken by friends and when we get together it's like, "First, we can do your hobby...then, we can take 200 pictures of me." Obviously, people love hanging out with me. So here it is, an entire outfit, Instagrammed thanks to the huge mirrors of Urban Outfitters. This was *le total sensation* (catchphrase!) on Facebook, so I figure it's worth sharing with you all. The jacket is my new Burberry cropped trench from Vintage Vixen, seen here in store and as part of a much more "street" outfit - look how well it transitions! People aren't kidding when they say a trench coat is a wardrobe essential. Worn overtop my "business look" with Rachel Comey oxfords.

And a few other beauty/style snapshots...

1 & 2: Looking "au naturel"...I picked up a new foundation that's working out a lot better than my previous one, also Rimmel. When shopping for this crap I basically look out for all of the keywords product marketers have had beauty writers hammer into my brain and get really excited by the promise of being turned into a poreless mutant. There's definitely been some "matte minimization," and a friend even asked if I was wearing anything one afternoon because my skin looked more even-toned (keyword!)

3: I am realllly tempted by fringe right now, y'all. Suede. Fringe.

4: My new green floppy fedora from OAK.

Follow me on Twitter & Instagram @xoxofruitpunch

PRETTY MOTHERF***ER

Now, don’t get to thinking I’ve gone completely head over heels for myself – the title is a refrain from a few of rapper A$AP Rocky’s songs (as in, “I be that pretty motherf***er.”) What better way to start off my winter beauty post?

It’s been a little while since I last beauty-blogged and I’m sure you’ve all been wondering how my fight against premature aging and general ugliness has been going. Winter brings with it some specific seasonal challenges, such as a permanently running red nose and beanie hair, but don’t worry – I’m coping. My focus has been mostly on moisturizing, though I think I'm shooting myself in the foot a bit with the high acidity of a lot of the products I use. I try to keep my intensely anti-acne stuff for the evening and mix my sunscreen and foundation 75/25 to get a tinted moisturizer for the morning. I succumbed to the ravages of cost-effectiveness and bought a giant thing of St. Ives daily hydrating body lotion with vitamin E. It’s made without parabens or pthalates, which Allure once told me kill baby dolphins or something. So that’s good. Local line Cosmeos makes a multi-purpose salve that I like to think of as organic Vaseline. It comes in a light peppermint-lavender scent and I use it when my knuckles are particularly dry.

My big new new thing is goat’s milk soap. I picked some up as a gift for a friend over the holidays, but then also bought it for myself. Oasis day spa sells my favorite, a line by Sweet Magnolia Creamery that's handmade locally in Covesville, Virginia. Each bar comes individually wrapped in fancy wax paper and tied with a bow! The range of scents is also a plus – I eschewed my customary favorite, lavender, in favor of experimenting with citrus vetiver. I swear I noticed my skin feeling softer after the first use, but I could just want it to work that bad. My post-shower routine, when I’m feeling indulgent, is a heavy dose of Weleda’s sea buckthorn body oil (available at Whole Foods.) Its vaguely tropical scent is a nice winter reprieve and I think I’ve mentioned before that I prefer body oils to lotions – I don’t know, I just feel like they’re better for your skin. Don’t question me.

And I almost forgot! Mon haircut! As you can see, I did indeed get something akin to the hairspiration photos I posted last week of Philip Crangi and Nickelson Wooster – cropped close on the sides with a pompa-hawk (pompadour/faux-hawk fusion) on top. I’m still using Bb Texture to get that swooping action, though a paste would be better. What do we think? C'est bon or c'est bad? And below, some A$AP tunes for the rap aficionado...

ASAP Rocky - Peso by NUEAgency
Wassup [prod. by Clams Casino] by A$AP ROCKY
Bass [prod. by Clams Casino] by A$AP ROCKY

COSMEOS HERBAL BEAUTY

My friend Audrey recently launched her own cosmetics line and asked me if I might have any interest in trying it out. I don’t know about y'all, but a friend of mine launching a beauty line they want me to test is an ultimate fantasy, right up there with guest designing a shoe for Opening Ceremony and Hugh Jackman.

The line, Cosmeos Herbal, is entirely handmade by Audrey here in Charlottesville. Born of Audrey’s studies of herbology and traditional medicines, the product range currently includes herbal facial grains, an organic herbal pillow and lip balm. I’ve been looking for a no-frills facial mask and the herbal facial grains, which can be used as a spot treatment, wash, or mask proved just the ticket. The grains come in two variations, stored in cute little apothecary jars – I got the green clay-based version for normal to oily skin, considering my pores are currently under congressional review as America’s next best oil reserve.

I applied the mask the other night, something that I'm sure will get easier with time as this was my first attempt at using a mask of any sort. I went to mix a teaspoon of the grains with water, per the label’s instructions, but did so in the palm of my hand. Rookie mistake – grains poofed everywhere before I could get them to form anything resembling a paste. I tried again, this time mixing them with water in a little bowl – evolution! The clay and oats formed a satisfyingly green mask that diminished redness – we’ll see after a few uses how effective it is against my T-zone troubles, but I’m guessing the mix of organic calendula, raw almonds and peppermint essential oil will be a welcome ally in the fight against unnecessary shine.

In addition to the grains I’ve been wearing the peppermint lip balm (luscious) and trying to find sweet dreams with the organic herbal pillow, which I pop in the freezer before use - it's wonderful!

Interested? Visit Cosmeos Herbal’s Etsy shop

or stop by Boutique Boutique on the downtown mall to see the products in person!

Herbal Facial Grains $8

Organic Herbal Pillow $12

Lip Balm $3

LE TOTAL BABE

My main goal in life is obviously to be a total babe, but while doing something awesome like saving the rainforests (oh, man, no one’s even talking about those anymore – scratch that off my list!) or finally paying for all those orphans I adopted using monopoly money. But - hiccup in my giddyup - lately I’ve been breaking out like you know Justin Bieber was breaking out before he blew up and was gifted a lifetime supply of airbrush foundation (fifteen-year-olds are not supposed to have skin that perfect) and it’s an issue. I had to switch up my entire routine and am now engaged in the following process every evening/morning:

1) Anti-acne face wash (Alba Botanica Acnedote)

2) Toner (Lucky Tiger)

3) Anti-acne moisturizer (Yes To Tomatoes "balancing" moisturizer)

[belowforth are the “morning” steps]

4) Sunscreen (Kiehl’s for sensitive skin – a.k.a the main culprit behind my oily skin, methinks. The back label should read, ‘It's our goal to solve the global gas crisis by drilling for oil on Sean’s face and, oh! we found tons of it, how lucky’)

5) Mattimizer (not a real thing – L’oreal Perfect Matte Primer…maybe?)

AND 6) Stay matte foundation (Rimmel)

Yikes! And still my skin isn’t perfect. Cue a trip to Sephora, where I bought some YSL concealer to get rid of the purple that’s permanently under my sunken eye-holes. 'Ivory' works best for that brightening effect and NARS concealer in ‘Vanilla’ is a dead match for my skin tone i.e., great for covering blemishes. Except I couldn’t afford both so my beard, that eternal pinch hitter, is still there to cover any chin acne. Marry me!

Another recent beauty indulgence is a cobalt blue nail polish called Blagger by butter LONDON – it’s the perfect blue shade (blues can run tacky.) I distinctly remember my mother used to have blue nail polish sometime during my pre-teens, so I guess it came back in Fashion thanks to Chanel's early-fall release of denim inspired lacquers. It should be super-cute once I finally open it and use it on my statement nail – also, it’s eco-friendly. Because buying things that are eco-friendly and taking pictures of them is how saving the environment works! I do what I can.

What’s your beauty routine? Have you had to switch it up thanks to the change of seasons? Are any dermatologists reading this and can you tell me if I have official Adult Acne or just "occasional breakout syndrome"?

And both of these were shot on a Plamen Petkov photograph of Coco Rocha wearing Tom Ford cosmetics from this month’s issue of W. C’est bon!

NOT A PET SHOP BOY

It's a goal of mine to blog more about beauty as I don't think there's enough out there for the dudes, from the dudes. (I use the term dudes loosely.) I also insist on calling it beauty and not "grooming" - grooming is for dogs and maybe horses. Not even fabulous horses like the one who played Seabiscuit, or a Unicorn. Unicorns definitely prefer to be beautified over groomed, so beauty it is.

I really am not some sort of closet makeup hound, despite shooting myself applying concealer (incorrectly). I'll occasionally wear that when I want people to think that I sleep sometimes. It honestly makes a difference, and a mineral sheer isn't noticeable unless you apply a ton and it gets in the creases that I don't have under my eyes. Mostly I want to blog more about skincare and random stuff I decide to put on my face. Such as masks - Eva Chen said making skincare a "ritual" is an "Asian people" thing so I figure I need to turn Sunday into Face Mask & Relaxation Day if I want to become a "Tiger Mother" father and get my kids into Stanford. What, you don't think this way, too?