The gayest weblog entry here to date

The gayest weblog entry here to date: Gentlemen, I'm here to tell you that Lance Arthur has more fabulosity in his pinkie finger than all of the so-called Fab Five combined, so when he speaks on matters of style, grooming and gracious living, you'd do well to listen.

About a year ago, I embarked on phase one of my Make Brad Better™ project. A lot of the plans were back-burnered right away, but it was clear from looking in the mirror that my perpetually problem skin wasn't going to take care of itself, so I sat down and developed one of those "regimens" all the cool boys were talking about.

Lance shared his yesterday so, for what it's worth, here's mine:

Exfoliating: Like Lance, I favor Anthony Logistics Facial Scrub, in part because it feels gentler than coarser scrubs while still getting the job done, but mainly because it's fragrance-free and claims to "remove irrelevant skin cells". Not just dead, irrelevant. A good budget alternative is Nivea for Men Deep Cleaning Face Scrub, although it is coarser and doesn't have as many natural, mild ingredients.

Facial: Anthony recommends using its Deep Pore Cleansing Clay mask twice a week. I use it once (Sunday) and split the difference during the week with the Bioré Self-Heating Mask. Both are great for deep cleaning and, combined with the Bioré Deep Cleaning Nose Strips once a week, pampering your poor pores.

Face Cleansing: I swear by Kiehl's Foaming Non-Detergent Washable Cleanser, a gentle lathering wash for surface dirt and oil. (Lance seems to favor Zirh "Clean"; I've never tried it, but I may have to give it a go, since I do like a menthol-cool feeling on my skin.)

Eyes: I've used Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado and really like it, but these days, I favor Anthony Logistics Eye Cream. It's a bit pricier, but I can actually see the difference in the way it tightens and smoothes the skin under my perennially puffy peepers.

Lips: Day to day, I use Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm; it doesn't feel heavy and absorbs easily and has an SPF of 25. All winter long, though, I've had a tin of Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm that a buddy gave me in my pocket and I really like it a lot.

Hair: Here's where I kind of fall off the queer wagon. I don't have a lot of hair to begin with, since I try to keep a close crop up top. So, much to my friend Jeff's dismay, I usually just buy Johnson's Baby Shampoo ("No more tears!" I say. "Enough is enough!" he says.) or Suave shampoo and conditioners. Last week, I picked up a bottle of Kiehl's All-Sport Everyday Shampoo to try. I can't say I notice a big difference, although I really like the light scent of the Kiehl's product. When I'm overdue for a clip job, I use For Men Hair Slick from The Body Shop to tame it through the "awkward" days.

Shaving: I hate it. Hate it hate it hate it. I'm always shopping for something to make it easier or more comfortable or (I wish) unnecessary. I tried Kiehl's Close Shavers Squadron Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream but couldn't quite get the hang of it. It seemed too thick to me. I was back to Barbasol Soothing Aloe, cheap and reliable, for a long while. A few weeks ago, I started trying Anthony Logistics Shave Gel and I'm really liking it. I've always preferred foam to gel, but this stuff feels great and seems to really keep my skin from getting irritated or razor burned. No matter what I use to whack through the brush, I follow a shave with Kiehl's Mentholated Ultimate Men's After-Shave All-Day Moisturizer. (I can't find it on Kiehl's website; I hope they haven't discontinued it.)

All-Over Skin: I keep a bottle of Kiehl's Deluxe Hand & Body Lotion with Aloe Vera & Oatmeal with me all the time, one in the bag, one by the bed, one in the bathroom. It's good stuff for all over, any time. When I feel like I've been beaten with the dry skin stick (pretty much all winter and on knees/elbows/rough patches all year long), I rely on The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Body Butter. A good rubdown with this stuff after a shower and my skin feels fantastic all day. No more itchies!

As for the Make Brad Better™ initiative, I'll make it back to the gym and just maybe engage a personal trainer, probably after the end of the theatre season when I can approach it more earnestly. The 2004 plan for a happier, healthier me also includes a bi-monthly spa facial, professional massages every two weeks or so and, like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, a manicure whenever I'm feeling particularly blue.

Why? Because I'm worth it.

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