While I meticulously cleanse and hydrate my face every night, Mr. Boyfriend chills on the couch, snacking on a big bag of wafers. Of course, he doesn’t care two hoots about washing Mumbai’s grime out of his pores; yet those monster zits never surface on his smooth visage. It’s just me they bother with hideous untimely visits.
When I was asked to swap beauty routines with a man who barely washes his face, my first words were, ‘Uh-uh, not happenin’. But second thoughts got me pondering over whether all that jazz was necessary or not. Also, it would be fun to see him bickering about all that extra drama *evil laughter*
Numerous coax seshs later, we kickstarted the 7-day beauty swap challenge. Please note, no boyfriends were harmed during this experiment.
Beauty Swap Challenge Decoded
He Used…
Yep, it pained my heart to share such luxuries with such an ungrateful manfriend.
Nevertheless, here’s what women’s beauty products I made him use from my beauty kitty.
- He washed his face thrice a day with the Aroma Treasures Aloe Vera Face Wash. Loved how Aloe cooled his face after a rough day but hated that he couldn’t crash right away. Sorry, not sorry.
- The Kama Ayurveda Pure Rose Water filled in for the ‘T’ of his skincare regime. He didn’t quite understand the purpose of this step but kept doing it for the aroma anyway.
- His night CTM routine ended with the L'Oreal Paris White Perfect Night Cream. Complained the first night but was floored by how soft his face felt the next morning. Me – 1, Boo – 0.
- I ain’t like tan on my man. Made him exfoliate his face with the Biotique Bio Papaya Revitalizing Tan-Removal Scrub, twice a week. Yep, he thanked me later.
- Sunday meant masking. Saying that he was bamboozled by the idea of sheet masks would be an understatement. I tried the It's Skin The Fresh Mask Sheet - Tea Tree on him and the guy dozed off midway. Aww.
- This was my last (and only) chance to make him realise how soft, healthy lips felt like. Made the most of it, got him to use the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lip Balm SPF 15 multiple times a day.
- Cribbed about how a creamy sunscreen will melt away in the heat, before I shut him up with the Lakme Sun Expert Ultra Matte SPF 50 PA+++ Gel. Sunscreen is bae. Period.
- He thinks only his hands (sometimes) need moisturization. Sure, buddy! Put him to work with the Vaseline Cocoa Radiant Spray Moisturizer and he kept going spritz-spritz-spritz.
- Better half didn’t have an inkling about the existence of dry shampoos. Hence, teaching him how to use the BBLUNT MINI Back To Life Dry Shampoo on lazy days was pretty much like conducting a magic show. Hehe.
- Of course, mister doesn’t believe in conditioning such short hair. He hated having to stay in the shower for longer but loved how soft his hair felt post the Dove Hair Therapy Intense Repair Conditioner. Ten points for Gryffindor.
I Used…
I put a foot into the men’s grooming world, still unsure about why I was doing this. This was going to be a disaster, I told myself. Fingers crossed.
- I fought with beau to let me wash my face twice a day, ATLEAST! Thanks to the Ponds Men Pollution Out Face Wash, I could manage to sleep with a squeaky-clean face. Phew.
- Though I majorly missed not starting the day with my usual moringa wake-up call, the Nivea Men Active Clean Shower Gel did a pretty good job as a dirt magnet. Not bad, eh.
- Honestly, I loved chucking my pink razor for his blue wand (the men always shave better). Donned the tiniest of skirts through the week ’cause the Gillette Vector 3 Manual Shaving Razor and Gillette Classic Regular Pre Shave Foam had my back.
- For the largest part of our relationship, I always complained about how stiff his hair looked, post the Gatsby Set & Keep Hair Spray Ultra Hard. It was only after I smartly used it to tame baby hair and set high-end hairdos, did I realise how godsend it was. Boo – 1, Me – 0.
- This was the first time I was ‘officially’ *wink wink* using his bottle of Davidoff Cool Water Mild Deodorant Spray for Men. Could not have gone without a few extra spritzes, could I?
The Verdict
A week later he got his own facewash and exfoliant, ones that are designed for men. Success! On some mornings, I find my body lotion and hair conditioner on his side of the bath rack. Suspicious as hell. Smarty pants also knows where to find my sunblock and lip balm and will reach out whenever he wants. Also insists that we mask together on Sundays! These men, I tell you.
To begin with, I was happy to ditch makeup for a week. Felt like my skin needed this detox. But this hiatus made me realise the importance of skincare all over again. Nope, not giving it up in this lifetime. Visible tanning, clogged pores, chapped lips, ashy elbows, and dehydrated tresses narrated my sob story. Oh, and yes, my shaving and fragrance game have flipped 360 degrees. Guess the missus also had her share of benefits.
