Right, I’ll be a bit honest here and admit that I shot the imagery for this Tom Ford grooming post a few months ago when the sun had a bit more influence in the sky. While you won’t get many poolside scenes like this on a drizzly October day, the basics remain the same, gentlemen; look after your skin and it will look after you. It is our outermost barrier to the world and when my skin glows, so do I. After all, we can’t exactly cover it up with makeup, can we?
Now, there are a million different combinations that form the order of a grooming routine, but I won’t try and guess yours, or try to dictate in which order you should use things. I’ll be ranking these in no particular order, but it would be great to know your thoughts on your routine in the comment section below. Mr. Tom Ford, if by some miracle you are reading this, then it would be good to know yours too.
Let’s kick off with my absolute favourite of favourites in the Tom Ford collection; the Exfoliating Energy Scrub. It’s a scrub like no other, and the smell of crushed apricot seeds is invigorating enough as you crack open the tube. I find it to be more of a polish than a scrub; think a healthy dose of radiance rather than taking sandpaper to your face. The fine micro-beads won’t damage your skin and it unclogs my pores and leaves me feeling refreshed every time I use it. Which may be a little too often at times.
If a scrub still isn’t your thing then you should definitely focus your attention on the Tom Ford Purifying Face Cleanser. If the scrub is there to lift all the bad stuff away from the skin, then this foaming cleanser keeps all of the good stuff in. Think of it as a conditioner; a great first step before any shave as it calms the skin and locks in the moisture. It harbours the same invigorating smell as the scrub but is a gentler alternative for really sensitive skin. I’ll often use it pre-mud mask.
By now you should have woken up in your morning routine. However, if your eyes are still screaming “sleep” then the next pocket-sized wonder is for you. Of all the products, I use the Anti-Fatigue Eye Treatment in the most religious manner. Every morning I take a second trip to the fridge after breakfast, grab this out of the top shelf, and roll the silver-tip under my eyes. The coolness of the silver immediately reduces puffiness and the liquid inside makes the skin feel tighter; the suitcases under my eyes disappear within a few minutes. If I’m totally honest, I have no idea what the magic liquid is, but I am now convinced that sorcery exists.
Sticking with the theme of eyes, next up is a nifty little tool that I didn’t know existed until I started using it. The Tom Ford Brow Gelcomb certainly sounds like an interesting proposition; a twisting tiny brush designed to comb your eyebrows. Twist the base of the applicator and a small amount of gel is secreted onto the brush, setting the eyebrows after they have been styled. I mean, if it works for your head then why not for your brows? This may not revolutionise the way I groom in the morning, but is a nice touch to complete that polished look.
Finally, a product that I unfortunately don’t have enough time for in my morning routine. It’s more of a treat during a pamper session, but the Tom Ford Intensive Purifying Mud Mask is something I apply weekly to counter the permanent assault my skin suffers from the pollution in the capital. The best part of this mask it that as it dries it turns light grey, making timekeeping a lot easier. It is one of the few mud masks that genuinely makes my skin feel smoother and cleaner after I’ve used it and it certainly helps control any excess oil and dirt on my skin.
It would be great to know what you have in your grooming routine in the comments below. It’s very rare that I’ll commit to one brand when it comes to skincare, but Tom Ford definitely seems to have nailed it here. It’s unfussy, yes, but each product has its own use and really helps me stay in control of my skincare. I also smell good after my morning routine, which is always a bonus.
