Making Your Man Look Grand

By Shelly Ballestero
Licensed Esthetician

CBN.com – Does your man need “closet intervention”? Sure, he might think he has really good taste when it comes to his choice of food, and he certainly has good taste when it comes to picking you as his sweetheart, but what about his clothing choices? Does your man need an update?

For Father's Day, with these great tips and a little patience we're going to make-over your man. You will love the results, and he will have a fresh new smile and style.

I had a great opportunity to watch the first man in my life, my dad, who had a polished style. He worked in an upscale men's suit store, and he would dress and tailor men to their specific needs—and did they look sharp!

Talking about needs, let's head to your husband's closet first. If pieces have not been worn in two years, toss them, along with the “I'll-wear-it-when-I-lose-10-pounds" items. His intentions are valid, but the reality is, it probably won’t happen overnight.

What should be in his closet? Let's call them Essentials for Potential. He should have at least...

A two- or three-button suit in black, charcoal gray, or navy tropical-weight wool
A sport coat
Six dress shirts (sized to neck and sleeve measurements) in a variety of colors
Six sports shirts, long and/or short sleeve (like Polos)
Six ties
Three sweaters (spoil him with one in cashmere)
An overcoat
One pair each of brown loafers, black loafers, and black lace-up shoes
Two pairs of jeans: one in a medium wash for weekends, one darker
One pair of cargo, painter, or carpenter pants
A brown belt and a black belt
A leather briefcase

Shelly's Guide to a Grand Man's Grooming: Yes, this is for MEN

Hair - For thinning hair, try Lamas Botanicals’ Chinese Herb Stimulating Shampoo (www.ihealthtree.com, $7.95). For normal hair, try Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit Shampoo(www.burtsbees.com, $7). Styling hair is a cinch with Kiss My Face Styling Gel (www.kissmyface.com, $7). Just a dab will tame his favorite style.

Skin - Get him to cleanse his skin with soap (not a razor - a lot of men think shaving is a part of cleansing skin). Start by cleaning out the medicine cabinet and then filling it with products that will enhance his appearance, like Tom's of Maine's Natural Conditioning Shave Cream (www.ihealthtree.com).

Skincare has never been so easy for our guys. Place Kiss My Face Clean for a Day in the shower to cleanse skin ($13) along with Collective Well-Being Body Wash (www.collectivewellbeing.com, $10). The sulfate-free body purifier clarifies the skin with active charcoal and zinc. As he gets out of the shower, have him spritz on Balancing Act Facial Toner by Kiss My Face ($13).

Top off his skin with Aubrey Organics Men's Stock Daily Moisturizer ($11.77) and Men's Stock Rejuvenating Eye Cream (www.aubrey-organics.com, $19.98). For those bothersome blemishes, try Dr. Burt's Herbal Blemish Stick with ten effective herbal ingredients (www.burtsbees.com, $8.50). End his routine with Jane Iredale's HE Mineral Makeup for Men (www.janeiredale.com). With an SPF of 32, think of it as sun protection.

Now he can put on those new sunglasses and face the day with his new look!

This article first appeared in Lifestyle Magazine.

Shelly Ballestero is a licensed esthetician, make-up artist, beauty editor of Lifestyle Magazine, and author. Shelly has studied under Emmy Award winner Eve Pearl, head make-up artist for ABC's The View. In addition, Shelly is one of the make-up experts for Jane Iredale cosmetics and participates in the International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa conference. Shelly and her husband, Angelo, a worship pastor, live in Windermere, Florida, with their two children. (Photo of Shelly courtesy of Katie Meehan, www.phfocus.com.)