HOW TO AVOID ACNE?

           Acne can occur on your face, chest, neck, back and shoulders, which are areas of your body with the largest number of functional oil glands. Pimples are more common in teenage boys than adults but acne can occur in men of any age. Some factors, such as being in puberty, can't be altered, but you can take steps to avoid and prevent acne. Keep yourself healthy and presentable by removing factors that contribute to acne.

Step 1 - Wash your face daily

Wash your face twice a day: once at night, and once during your morning routine. When you wash your face, wash it gently and with warm water. The heat will open your pores and the temperature is better suited to clean than cold water. Wash your hands before you wash your face. Washing your face is definitely important, but what's the use if your hands are oily and dirty to begin with?

*WASH & BUFF: A daily cleanser and exfoliator that removes oil and dirt to minimize blemishes and ingrown hairs. Like a mini-facial, it cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes. Antioxidant ingredients Vitamin E and Soybean Seed Extract hydrate skin. Tea Tree Oil, a natural antiseptic, helps minimize breakouts.

Step 2 - Keep your hair clean

Keep your hair clean. Whether you are a man with short hair or long hair, wash your hair daily. Dirt and oil from your hair can be transferred to your face, neck, back and shoulders, especially as you sweat.

Step 3 - Moisturize after each face wash

Moisturizing your skin is just as important as washing it. When you wash your face, you strip it of oils and moisture, and that's the point: those oils that clog your pores are no longer there to give you acne. But your skin is an organ, and it needs moisture.

*Moisture Protect SPF 20: Leaves skin hydrated without being shiny. Green Tea Extract soothes razor burn and redness. Vitamins E, C and B5 provide rich moisture to skin. Titanium dioxide provides full UVB and short wave UVA protection.

Step 4 - Try not to touch your face with your hands

Avoid touching your face and other areas prone to pimples throughout the day. Bacteria from your hands - or even the receiver of a phone - can lead to breakouts. The less bacteria on your face, the lower your chances that you'll develop nasty breakouts. 

Step 5 - Shower after exercise, sports or performing physical labor

Shower after exercise, sports or performing physical labor because men are more prone to heavy sweating than women. The oil and sweat on your skin can cause dirt and bacteria to become trapped, which can lead to breakouts not only on your face but on your neck, shoulder, rest and back.

Step 6 - Wash your pillowcases at the end of every week

The oils on your pillowcases can cause acne by spreading dirt, grime, and dead skin. Think about having two pairs of pillowcases that you can switch out at the end of each week so that you don't find yourself doing laundry every week.

If all else FAILS - Use a spot treatment or a concealer. Conceal & Treat does both in one step :) 

Time for Your Furniture to Grow Up?

Feng shui? No way! At least in the apartment of a full-grown man. Not much has evolved from the college dorm room into the bedroom of a single (or coupled) thirty-something man: trapped in a purgatory between college and adulthood, the fully grown male tends to shop in trends of cheap. Regardless of the necessity, it is almost always the cheapest alternative that wins over the heart of the male consumer. It’s not uncommon to find a cheap set of mismatched pots hanging in the kitchen, a rather bland and undecorative living space, and Ikea-inspired furniture found on the sidewalk during freshman year. The unlively living space of a man on the move makes for a not particularly inviting space. How many girls actually like hanging out in your version of a grown up college dorm?

It's time to put down the Stars Wars posters and put up the wall flat.

Easy, and a relatively good investment in the name home design, Inhabit has launched a new line of wall flats. For all you gentlemen who are scratching your head at the phrase “wall flats,” they are beautifully-etched squares that can be placed on your wall for a completely new look. The squares come in a multitude of designs, each one with its own unique personality. Feeling as busy as a bee? There’s a hive-themed wall flat for that. Feel like drifting around? There’s a wall flat for that. And on top of their visual versatility, the flats are all eco-friendly; created by a byproduct of sugar cane processing, the normally discarded left-overs have been transformed for your living room.

Whatever your personality, Inhabit’s bound to have something you like. Whether it's a new headboard (because you know you actually need one), or something to hide those beer stains, Inhabit's got you covered. It's something that your girlfriend and mom can actually agree to like for once.

LEMONADE - ABBOT KINNEY

Lemonade, by chef Alan Jackson, is a cafeteria-catering style restaurant spanning four locations in Los Angeles.

Something about Lemonade feels very familiar when you first step in. Stainless steel counter tops and a line-up of customers with trays in hand gives your a senses a hint. It's only until you recognize the cursive typeface and familiar chef outfit that you realize Lemonade's design choice. Lemonade has taken the grade school experience you had growing up and elevated it to a higher level. The staff is helpful and friendly, but more importantly, the ready-made food is a knockout. Going from a catered approach, Lemonade offers sandwiches, salads, side mixtures of culturally diverse portions that happen to be seasonal, and, to top it off, freshly baked sugary desserts.

I happened to go with a series of three portions, the Israeli couscous with wild mushrooms, Parmesan, and lemon truffle, chopped sweet potatoes with pistachios, and chicken salad with grapes, butternut squash, and oregano. My lady friend who accompanied me ordered the turkey pot roast sandwich, and in good fashion, both of us partook in two tall cups of kiwi-strawberry lemonade. The food has a feeling of comfort soul food, with the appearance of health. Lemonade caters to both sides of the spectrum. Want a cup of macaroni and cheese with a red velvet cupcake for dessert? Or perhaps you're making an effort to be light on the waistline by ordering a salad and a portion of winter squash with white truffle and chives. Either way, Lemonade has got you covered.

The price of Lunch at Lemonade isn't cheap, although the price accurately represents the quality and level of craftsmanship you'd expect of an LA establishment of this caliber. Once we packed in our last bites for the evening, my lady friend and I left Lemonade with full stomachs, feeling content and blissfully happy, with an earnest desire to return to an outstanding establishment in the future.

Lemonade is located in four locations in the Los Angeles area. The Lemonade we visited is located at 1661 Abbot Kinney, Venice, CA 90291.


Gentleman A of The Traveling Gentlemen

The Venice Ale House - Venice Beach

The wind was blowing harshly from the ocean in Venice Beach. I sat at the table across from a chiseled older gentleman smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. He leaned over in a very relaxed manner. “I eat healthy, and I want my customers to eat healthy. Everyone should ask where his or her food is coming from,” Tom says after taking a sip of his local beer. The Venice Ale House is a place a lot like Cheer’s; everyone truly does know your name. In a place in Venice Beach known as the boardwalk, the alehouse on the corner of Rose is an oasis in a desert, starting a much-needed gentrification process of local restaurant chains. You see, most restaurants on the boardwalk have been there for years and have long ago stopped catering to the local community. The influx of tourists that make their way to the Venice Boardwalk every year has kept them in business, regardless of the fact that they have generic and greasy food, with even worse service. In that respect, The Venice Ale House is nothing like its counterparts.

The food at the Venice Ale House is all organic. The beef is grass fed, as opposed to the generic corn fed variety, and all food is cooked in coconut oil. That's not all - to top it off, the alehouse has an extensive beer and wine list that’s all local and not imported from overseas. “Do we have Budweiser? No, but we do have the best Colorado beer you’ve ever tasted,” Tom says. Needless to say, the food is at the alehouse is incredible. I started off with an appetizer of freshly cooked green beans with garlic and sea salt. I then proceeded to the next course, which was a grass fed beef burger with feta and arugula, and delightful side of sweet potato un-fries. Although I ate a large burger, the food feels surprisingly light on the stomach. In addition to serving burgers, they serve fish, tacos, salads, and a bevy of appetizers. All designed by Tom and Spoon, the founders.

Many locals hang out at the alehouse. You can see a variety of people, from the business woman getting off a long day of work, to a street performer coming in for a nice cold one. Even the waitresses are all local to Venice; it ties in with Tom’s whole philosophy of “Organic” in every sense of the word. “You know every person who works here has walked in through this door," Tom said. "We have to be a part of the community, we’ve said that from the very start.” With great food, great drink, and charming service, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience on a cold night. With only seven months in business, the alehouse has done what most restaurants strive to do in over a year.

The Venice Ale House is located at 2 Rose Avenue, Venice Beach, CA 90291

Gentleman A of The Traveling Gentlemen