Jump to:
- The Anti-Ageing All-Stars
- The Post-Gym Recovery Set
- The Coolest Fragrances For Cooler Weather
- The Hair-Maintenance Heroes
- The Hardest-Working Fatigue-Fighters
- The Ultimate Beard Care Kit
- The Perfect Smile Toolbox
- The Finishing Touches
Any man who's every typed 'moisturiser' into a search engine knows the volume of grooming products on offer can be daunting. But trial and error is time-consuming, not to mention expensive. To spare you the guesswork, Men's Health sifted through a broad selection from the best brands to compile this list of those that truly deliver on their promises.
The Anti-Ageing All-Stars
We can’t promise the secret to eternal youth (ask Pharrell or Brad Pitt about that), but what we can do is suggest some of our favourite products for softening the blow of old father time. A solid daily moisturiser is a perfectly acceptable building block, but the addition of a couple of other key creams and ointments will aid in defending against the more obvious signs of wear and tear. With three decades in the skincare business, Murad formulated its new Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment to tighten up your jowls (no offence) and smooth out wrinkles.
One of the best aforementioned daily moisturisers around, Elemis Pro-Collagen Morning Matrix is a silicone-free anti-ageing cream that targets skin elasticity, tiredness and the effects of that very modern affliction – the dreaded blue light from your screen(s).
Read more: The Best Men's Moisturisers for Every Skin Type
The Post-Gym Recovery Set
Even if you’re a member of one of those nice gyms with fresh towels, fancy handwash and an expensive graphic design treatment, developing your own little personal post-pump grooming routine is a smart idea. Natural deodorant can be a bit of a disaster, but by combining the tried- and-true, citrus-heavy combo of lemon, bergamot and rosemary with a prebiotic sourced from chicory root, Bulldog’s clever little roll-on is a safe bet. Plus, you won’t have to step into your morning meeting smelling like a cloud of chemicals.
Applying The Grey’s time-saving 3-in-1 Face Cream post-workout will bring life back to your skin – handy if you made it to the 6am class. A versatile day, night and eye cream, it gets deep into skin with a mix of retinol, peptides, blue sea kale and antioxidants to restore and repair.
Read more: The 10 Best Cleansers for Oily Skin
The Coolest Fragrances For Cooler Weather
As much as we appreciate versatility, there’s something to be said about matching your scent to the season. Cooler weather calls for something with warmth, depth and a bit of glamour. Described by the man himself as ‘reminiscent of an English gentleman’s club’, Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille is dark and dangerous, with notes of tobacco, ginger and vanilla; it’s the kind of scent that will have you skipping the queue and heading straight to VIP. (Or at least feeling like you belong there.)
Perhaps best known for sunny fragrances that transport you right to Portofino on a July afternoon, Acqua di Parma also knows how to deliver an evocative fragrance for the cooler months. Combining the natural, earthy scent of oak moss with signature Italian citrus, bergamot and petit grain, Querica is a walk through an Italian forest distilled into your next winter EDP.
Read more: The Best Men's Fragrances and Aftershaves
The Hair-Maintenance Heroes
Whether you have locks like Samson or favour a less biblical and more aerodynamic buzz cut, every barnet needs some TLC – and its own tailored approach. Well known for its bestselling sea salt spray, independent London barbers and grooming expert Murdock has gone one step further with the introduction of its Sea Salt Paste, an ultra-matte finish with a pinch of salt (a little goes a long way) that promises to give you that fresh-from-a-dip effect, even if your last trip to the coast is a distant memory.
For a helping hand in the density department, Kérastase Paris Genesis Homme Thickness Boosting Shampoo will help protect and nourish thinning hair with ingredients such as creatine and ginger root, while cleansing and refreshing a tired scalp along the way.
Read more: The Best Hair Growth Shampoo for Men
The Hardest-Working Fatigue-Fighters
An easy-to-neglect but oh-so-impactful part of a solid grooming routine is making time to scrub your skin once or twice a week. A gentle but effective formula that cleans off any lingering oils, dirt or dead skin, Harry’s Exfoliating Face Wash is the ideal pre-shave prep, with eucalyptus and peppermint providing a one-two punch that will leave your face fresh and tingling (in a nice way).
A perennial favourite for good reason, the L’Oréal Men Expert Hydra Energetic range lets you know what it’s all about from the off. This ice-cool roll-on gel has been designed with tired eyes in mind. Enriched with vitamin C and guarana (a natural source of caffeine), it will reduce the appearance of bags and dark circles when your best option – getting a solid eight hours of sleep – just isn’t available to you.
Read more: The Best Eye Creams for Men
The Ultimate Beard Care Kit
Good facial hair doesn’t just happen; it requires upkeep, which can be simplified with a few quality tools in your bathroom cabinet. With its interchangeable comb attachments, 4D blade and pivoting head, the King C Gillette Style Master is designed to shave and trim in all directions, for peerless versatility. Each charge provides 45 minutes of shaving time and it’s fully waterproof for easy cleaning. A trimmer to tackle it all.
Combining castor and oat kernel oils (for moisture-locking fatty acids) with coconut and citrus peel, Revolution Man Conditioning Beard Oil is designed to soften hair and leave your beard silky smooth, without any greasiness. It’ll help to minimise itching and ‘beardruff’, too. Pretty slick.
Read more: The Best Beard Trimmers to Buy in 2023
The Perfect Smile Toolbox
There are easier and less painful ways to upgrade your smile than a trip to a Turkish dental surgery. But you can’t take good care of your gnashers with sub-par scrubbing equipment. Powered by AI, the Oral-BiO10 offers real-time feedback for fully personalised brushing. Its sensors will ensure you never miss a spot, while notifying you if you’re pressing too hard, for a big, bright, dentist-impressing smile. And if aesthetics are a plus, it’ll look pretty cool on your sink, too.
If you’re after a bit more glint between your gums but don’t want to deal with costly procedures or wear a mouthguard every night, then the Spotlight Oral Care Teeth Whitening Pen is the ideal solution. All you need to do is apply a dab of this clever little stick to your teeth to dissolve stains and brighten things up.
Read more: The Best Electric Toothbrushes: A Complete Guide
The Finishing Touches
You’ve put in the hard yards, now it’s time to add the final flourishes to the most comprehensive (not that we’re biased) grooming arsenal in the history of mankind. Make-up for men might not have quite cracked the mainstream, but a little dab here and there can be the difference between blotchy and blemish-free. Notably worn by actor Daniel Kaluuya at the 2018 Oscars, Fenty Beauty’s make-up has a number of male fans. Its blurring skin tint is designed for subtlety.
Think of it as a little tune-up, rather than getting slapped in powder to perform at the circus. Fairer-skinned men who want to prolong their holiday tans from the confines of a sunless office will benefit from Dior Solar The Self-Tanning Gel. Made from 90% natural ingredients, it’s an easy-going treatment that delivers an even finish and a subtle glow.
Read more: The Best Concealers for a Fresher Appearance