It is okay to visit a beauty parlour
Sep 21, 2007
I can clearly recall the first time I saw a man applying powder to his face. It was in a TV studio and we were about to appear on a live show. He had a curious little black bag which he unzipped and laid out the contents, very neatly, on the coffee table. The contents included an oval mirror, brown
By Keturah Kamugasa
I can clearly recall the first time I saw a man applying powder to his face. It was in a TV studio and we were about to appear on a live show. He had a curious little black bag which he unzipped and laid out the contents, very neatly, on the coffee table. The contents included an oval mirror, brown loose powder, lip gloss, lip stick, eyebrow pencil and brush.
Well, our eyes nearly popped out as he swiftly applied the make up with obvious expertise. Glances were exchanged and we all silently agreed that he must be gay although no one voiced their opinion.
Noticing the dead silence around him, he looked up, grinned and said: “This is purely for showbiz. TV lights are so bright that you need some make up to appear cool and elegant.†I later discovered that he was happily married (to a woman) with two daughters.
Times are changing, brother. There was a time when it was unthinkable for a man to go to a beauty parlour to have his nails done and eyebrows shaped. Today, not only do men go to great lengths to look good, bridegrooms even have powder applied to their faces, sometimes with disastrous results.
So comfortable are they with the new trend that you will find men in public places having their nails done by a mobile manicurist. The shy ones invite the beauticians into their offices or homes.
Perhaps this is not surprising given that in this era where outer image can determine whether doors open or close in your face. Things have changed a lot now and men can no longer get away with poor grooming. Therefore, dirt under the nails, untidy beard, flaking skin and unpolished shoes are a real put off and may cost you your dream job or a promotion.
A man with obvious dandruff and dirt under his nails is judged as careless and uncultured. You begin to wonder where his hands have been and whether he ever shampoos his hair. This is not a man people want to shake hands with or even share a confidence. What if the dandruff ends up in your ears or worse still in your hair? The mind boggles, doesn’t it? The same goes for a man whose collar is dirty at 9:00am. It make you wonder where he spent the night, doesn’t it?
Many beauty parlours now offer special treats for men. For instance, a hair cut is followed by a shampoo. In my father’s day, a towel sufficed to get rid of hair that might have strayed beyond its boundaries.
Make use of these services as they also serve as stress relief. The one hour you spend having a pedicure can be very useful indeed. Just shut out everything else, lie back and relax. By the time you walk out of the salon, you will feel like a new creature. A pedicure costs sh10,000 – 25,000 depending on where you go. It involves soaking of your feet in a bubbling foot spa, removing dead skin from under the feet, a leg and foot exfoliation and massage and nail cutting and shaping. The massage is pure bliss so do treat yourself.
I can clearly recall the first time I saw a man applying powder to his face. It was in a TV studio and we were about to appear on a live show. He had a curious little black bag which he unzipped and laid out the contents, very neatly, on the coffee table. The contents included an oval mirror, brown loose powder, lip gloss, lip stick, eyebrow pencil and brush.
Well, our eyes nearly popped out as he swiftly applied the make up with obvious expertise. Glances were exchanged and we all silently agreed that he must be gay although no one voiced their opinion.
Noticing the dead silence around him, he looked up, grinned and said: “This is purely for showbiz. TV lights are so bright that you need some make up to appear cool and elegant.†I later discovered that he was happily married (to a woman) with two daughters.
Times are changing, brother. There was a time when it was unthinkable for a man to go to a beauty parlour to have his nails done and eyebrows shaped. Today, not only do men go to great lengths to look good, bridegrooms even have powder applied to their faces, sometimes with disastrous results.
So comfortable are they with the new trend that you will find men in public places having their nails done by a mobile manicurist. The shy ones invite the beauticians into their offices or homes.
Perhaps this is not surprising given that in this era where outer image can determine whether doors open or close in your face. Things have changed a lot now and men can no longer get away with poor grooming. Therefore, dirt under the nails, untidy beard, flaking skin and unpolished shoes are a real put off and may cost you your dream job or a promotion.
A man with obvious dandruff and dirt under his nails is judged as careless and uncultured. You begin to wonder where his hands have been and whether he ever shampoos his hair. This is not a man people want to shake hands with or even share a confidence. What if the dandruff ends up in your ears or worse still in your hair? The mind boggles, doesn’t it? The same goes for a man whose collar is dirty at 9:00am. It make you wonder where he spent the night, doesn’t it?
Many beauty parlours now offer special treats for men. For instance, a hair cut is followed by a shampoo. In my father’s day, a towel sufficed to get rid of hair that might have strayed beyond its boundaries.
Make use of these services as they also serve as stress relief. The one hour you spend having a pedicure can be very useful indeed. Just shut out everything else, lie back and relax. By the time you walk out of the salon, you will feel like a new creature. A pedicure costs sh10,000 – 25,000 depending on where you go. It involves soaking of your feet in a bubbling foot spa, removing dead skin from under the feet, a leg and foot exfoliation and massage and nail cutting and shaping. The massage is pure bliss so do treat yourself.