Black Meringue

GROOMING THE GROOM

It’s no longer just the blushing brides that go to beauty parlours. Rebecca Lindon whisks some bashful boys off for a pre-nup make-over

The stag do has left you feeling weary, spotty, sporting one eyebrow and, as the big day approaches, your beautiful fiancé is turning in to Bridezilla.

Put down the seating plan and breathe. It’s time to relax and check yourself in to the nearest beauty salon for some serious pre-wedding pampering.

In the weeks before their wedding day, many brides-to-be launch themselves in to a heavy schedule of plucking, preening, tanning, painting and styling in order to achieve that wedding-day glow. It’s many a woman’s dream to hear her guests gasp as she walks down the aisle and it’s imperative to look pristine in those all-important wedding day photos.

However, the tides are changing and simply turning up on the right day at the right time just doesn’t cut it for modern grooms. Many are turning to the professionals as well to ensure they look as good as their blushing bride. The male grooming market is increasing 2% each year and is worth billions in the UK alone. So we dragged two sceptics, groom-to-be Ian Hillyard and his best man Eren Aydin, to Midlands’ beauty salon Esque to let the therapists work their magic on our grooming virgins.

“I’ve given lots of treatments to male wedding parties and the most common booking is for manicures,” explains Amy Selby, co-owner of Esque. “I recently had a groom come in to the salon for a manicure. He was a mechanic by trade and he wanted to make sure that his hands looked good on his wedding day because a lot of people would be looking at them. Other popular treatments include facials to brighten the skin, and tanning is increasingly popular for men because it gives you that nice healthy glow ahead of the honeymoon.

“Male grooming is definitely a growing trend, but the majority of male clients we see at Esque are related to our existing female clients,” she finishes.

The Groom

The treatments

Back To Basics Massage
A massage that concentrates on the back, neck and scalp to release tension and strain, leaving you calm and refreshed.
£37 for 35 mins

Revital-eyes Treatment
A special eye contour massage and a unique firming eye mask, to cool, soothe, refresh and revive tired, puffy eyes.
£25

File and Polish
A file and shape of the nails finished with polish or buffing.
£16.99

St Tropez Ultimate Air Spray Tan
A quick
£29.99

The verdict
“I found the massage incredibly relaxing and I felt the benefits for a good few days afterwards,” says Ian. “I also thoroughly enjoyed the scalp massage I received during the Revital-eyes Treatment and would recommend that to anyone. I wasn’t too sure about eye treatment but people did say that I looked a lot better afterwards and I certainly felt very cleansed.

“I really liked the look of my nails after they had been filed and buffed – they felt very soft and looked shiny. I’m even considering growing my nails so that I can have them done again.

“I’m usually pasty white with freckles and my legs were really white because they hadn’t seen the sun in ages, so I was a weird two-tone colour before going to the salon. Being such a different colour when I came out of the tanning booth felt quite strange at first but I did get used to it fairly quickly. Loads of people have asked whether I’ve been away. They’re not sure whether it’s me or not!

“Out of the whole experience I would absolutely recommend booking a massage a few days before the wedding to help relax and ease a bit of tension. Getting your nails filed and polished is also a great idea – it all helps you look and feel good on the day. I wasn’t as comfortable with the fake tan and I think I’d have preferred to go on a pre-wedding holiday to chill-out and get some colour before the big day.” and easy way to get a safe, golden glow in a matter of minutes.

The Best Man

The treatments

Surfspray Facial
A thirst-quenching moisture boost to banish fine lines, dehydration and signs of fatigue. This facial starts with cleansing and exfoliation to refresh the top layers of the skin and then an infusion of the highest quality collagen through a specially activated mask.
£44.99

Dry Flotation
Some 180 litres of warm water supports and envelops you as you float weightlessly – a 30-minute dry float is the equivalent to four hours of deep sleep.
£15 for 25 mins

St Tropez Ultimate Air Spray Tan
A quick and easy way to get a safe, golden glow in a matter of minutes.
£29.99

The verdict
Best man Eren Aydin is a convert to the power of facials after his experience at Esque: “I had been feeling really stressed out but the facial was incredibly relaxing. I’d never had one before and I felt like I was floating on air. I get a few spots here and there and the treatment really cleaned up my skin – my face is still glowing two weeks afterwards. The scalp massage during the facial was also fantastic and I’ve been telling everyone about it. A lot of men think that facials aren’t a masculine thing to have done but everyone should treat themselves once a month. You’ve got to look after yourself.

“The dry floatation was a really weird feeling. It was like lying on a lilo in the sea without actually being at the beach. I just closed my eyes and took my mind off everything. It was a great bit of escapism!

“I was expecting the fake tan to turn out orange but I went a really nice golden colour afterwards. The hardest part was waiting for it to dry as it was quite sticky which was a bit frustrating. My tan only lasted for about a week so I don’t think it’s something I would do regularly, but it’s perfect for a wedding or other special occasions where you just want to look good on the day.”

Tempted by a treatment? Let one of these man-friendly pampering palaces do the rest…

Esque, Leamington Spa
Esque did an excellent job of beautifying our groom and best man, and it has a whole range of treatments aimed specifically at men. Whether you want to relax or make yourself look buff, Esque offers everything from eyebrow tidying to ab-definition.
W: www.esquebeauty.co.uk

The Refinery, W1 London
This renowned men’s grooming emporium in London offers the ultimate in male pampering. Opt for a wet shave, a manicure or deep tissue massage or book yourself in for the Groom’s Day Out package at £111.
W: www.the-refinery.com

Jason Shankey, Fulham
The design of Jason Shankey’s salon was based on the Oceans 11 movie and features state-of-the-art audio and visual technology alongside a continental beer garden. With two other salons in Belfast, Jason Shankey offers a selection of top notch hairdressing and grooming treatments.
W: www.jasonshankey.com

Victoria’s Health and Beauty, Bristol
Victoria’s Health and Beauty caters for men and women, but has kept the style of the salon neutral so as not to alienate male customers. It offers a whole host of treatments, from fake tanning and waxing to massage and skin care.
W: www.victoriasbeauty.co.uk

Bliss Hair and Beauty, Falkirk
With treatments such as the Golfer’s Tonic and the Express Manicure (‘perfect for the busy man’), Bliss Hair and Beauty seems to have thought of everything. It also uses hot stones massage techniques to enhance relaxation.
W: www.blissforbeauty.co.uk

HQ Hairdressing and Grooming for Men, Cardiff
As well as hairdressing, HQ offers hand and foot grooming (manicures and pedicures but less girlie-sounding), facials, hair removal and spray tanning, as well as Indian and Thai massages. “Men in Wales still need a little bit of convincing, [but we] will make them feel a lot better about their appearance,” said owner Ian Gardner recently.
W: www.hqhair4men.com

Hooka, Liverpool
Hooka Men’s Grooming Studio offers a full range of contemporary hairdressing services alongside an enviable menu of grooming treatments just for men: face and body treatments, massage, traditional wet shaves and total body waxing.
www.hooka-uk.com

If you don’t fancy a salon, and are brave enough to do it yourself, here are some products to get your started. Luckily they all seem to come with instruction manuals – and we know how much men like to read those…

Fake Bake MAN Tri-fit
This three-step tanning pack includes an exfoliator, tanning gel and moisturiser and comes complete with an instruction booklet to ensure you don’t look like Dale Winton on the big day.
W: www.fakebake.co.uk

Bull Dog
A natural grooming range for men, Bull Dog is packed with
essential oils and free of man-made chemicals. From shaving gel at £3.49 to moisturiser at £5.99, Bull Dog is well-priced and available at your local Sainsbury’s.
W: www.meetthebulldog.com

Clinique Skin Supplies for Men
One of the biggest names in beauty, Clinique now offers a range for men that includes everything from face scrub and eye cream to concealer and moisturiser. Visit www.cliniqueformen.co.uk to see the full range or call 0870 034 2566 for stockists.

Taxi Man
High street beauty shop Superdrug has launched a range of make-up for men, which so far includes Guyliner and Manscara. The Guyliner can be as subtle or dramatic as you wish, and has even been designed for those with chunkier fingers, and Manscara is totally clear, to define eyelashes and tame brows. Both products cost just £6.50.
W: www.superdrug.com

Florame
Proud of their organic production, Florame's range of beauty products for men is ideal for the more ecologically-aware among us. With a selection of goods from eye contour care gel to good old-fashioned shaving foam, you're almost guaranteed to find exactly what you need to look and feel perfect for the big day.
W: www.florame.co.uk