Groom style and wedding photography. There’s a couple of things that I’ve noticed being a wedding photographer in Orlando, but what I’ve noticed doesn’t just happen in Orlando or just weddings. Grooms/Men, things have changed. Trends have changed. Groom Style has changed. Women are into different things. Obviously, everyone has their own likes and dislikes, but let me just say that this is mainly based on personal opinion and observation. In the bar scene, you get to see different people all the time. You also get a great opportunity to do a little something called people watching. Sometimes it’s dull and sometimes it’s not. Anyways, girls are paying more and more attention to guys who actually give a crap about the way that they look. I know, I know. It’s nuts. Rudy is crazy folks.
About two months ago, my wife went ahead and started talking about this thing called the Birchbox. I had no idea what she was talking about. I just assumed that it was some hip thing like the VoxBox from Influenster and I said the typical, “Mmmhmmm, honey. That sounds interesting.” Then I went about my day. We fast forward a month and a box arrives at our house with a whole bunch of goodies from different companies. Most of what she got was facial moisturizers and hair care products. I think there was some makeup there, too. I was surprised and said that it was awesome. I went about my day.
About three weeks ago, Marta mentioned that there’s a Male Version of this box. I was pretty excited about it. I’m always about trying new things, but with a little bit of research. I took to the web and quickly saw that these boxes are actually pretty awesome deals. Most of the time, there’s anywhere from $40-$100 worth of products in those little boxes. The cost is $20/month. The first box you get kind of pays for itself. I had to sign up. I mean, if you get so much stuff for “free”, then why not? I jumped on it and was quickly put on a waiting list. I filled out a quick survey about what I was into and the type of activities that I liked doing. They also asked about the type of hair, skin, and complexion I have. Pretty simple stuff. I was done in two minutes flat. Then…I waited.
I came back from Savannah, GA with a surprise in the mail box. There was my first BirchBox. I’m a techie, so I told BirchBox to bring me techie things. I also said that I had sensitive skin and that I’m a hippie (in a sense). They listened, and they listened well.
This months theme is Innovation. All of the products that were given out (aside from the typical moisturizers and hair care products) revolve around helping inspire you and (if you come up with an idea) help you record it. I think it’s pretty awesome.
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Quirky Upwrite ($27.99)
Here’s my favorite thing out of the entire box. This thing is called an Upwrite and it’s made by Quirky. It’s a simple design and it’s meant to be subtle, but the thing I like about it is that has multiple uses for it. First and foremost, it’s a stylus that can be used with any screen that is touch sensitive. I found it quite useful for mobile editing apps like Snapseed and Vignette. On top of that, it’s also a stand for whatever mobile device you use. I used it with my Nexus 7 and DROID RAZR and everything seemed to work just fine. It’s very sturdy and able to hold anything that fits in it’s little-designated slot. I don’t have a 10-inch tablet, but I’d assume that it wouldn’t have any issues either. It is universal after all. Spinning the stylus adjusts the holder on the back to get thicker/thinner tablets/phones. The niftiest feature, or better the most convenient, is that it’s also a key chain. It comes with a small key chain ring, but you can switch it out for another one with ease. The Quirky stand is said to be $27.99 (from BirchBox), but I found it on Amazon for $19.99. Even though it’s cheaper than the price they quoted, it still is the price of the box for one month. I could see myself using this product and having it with me at all times.
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It’s pretty nifty for a techie like myself.
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A quick spin of the tip of the stylus portion of the Upwrite and you’ll release the key chain ring from the tip.
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This makes it easy to write anything. Even in Snapchat.
Hanz de Fuko Quicksand (Sample) | Full Size $17.50
The next surprise I got was the Hanz de Fuko Quicksand Wax. I’m definitely kind of disappointed with this one because I did tell them that I was bald/balding. I have a receding hairline, so I always go for the close to bald buzz cut that makes my life easier. I see no point in having this. I see no point in them sending it to me. I’m sure that I would have loved it when I was a teenager, but it makes no sense now. Regardless, I did run my fingers through it and I realized that the texture was unique and had a wax quality to it. It’s said to also have a dry shampoo mixed in to help with your look. It seems nice. Sucks I don’t use it. It would help with the wedding day groom style. I couldn’t find the exact product on Amazon, but a quick Google search took me to their website. I wore it one day before I went for a hair cut. It held throughout the entire day and was able to adjust my styling whenever desired. Even by the end of the day.
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EVOLUTIONMAN Cleanse & Shave (Sample) | Full Size $23
I’m excited to use this product. The beautiful thing is that this softens scruff on the face whether you shave or not. I like having that five o’clock shadow, but my skin hates it. I almost religiously shave every day. Another benefit of this is that it reduces the appearance of pores, which is good if you have huge pores that get clogged with black/white heads. I may have to buy this in full. I’ve been impressed by the scent and feel of it. I was able to find it on Amazon for $15/6oz. It’s better than $23 that’s for sure.
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Bill Jealousy Combination Code Face Moisturizer (Sample) | Full Size $26
Sensitive skin needs to be moisturized more often than not. My sensitive skin needs to be moisturized even more than that. When I saw this in the box I got excited. It takes a few days to really get a feel for a new moisturizer. You have to see whether or not your skin likes it or not. When I gave that initial first shot, it felt great. It felt comfortable and it smelled good, too. It wasn’t like other moisturizers because it didn’t leave that oily/heavy feel that you get sometimes. It just went on and felt great. We’ll see how it holds up. If there’s anything that changes, then I’ll make sure to up date this. There are multiple sizes available for purchasing, so the “full size” option can range anywhere from $23-$50 depending on how much you want. All in all, I like the feel of it and plan on getting a larger bottle if my skin doesn’t get too fussy with it. This would help keep that clean groom style that people like. Right now I’m using Ahava Men’s Moisturizer and I have been happy for some time, but I like to switch things up sometimes.
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I feel like looking good on one of the most important days of your life might be important. Give some of this stuff a shot and go with it. Being a Groom is thought of as being easy, which most of the time it is. A dapper look for a Groom Style can give you the edge to make you and your bride stand out as a couple together. Your future wife is going to look awesome. Why not make sure that you look just as good as her? Just make sure you don’t look better than her. That’s a no-no.
Finally, that’s my first BirchBox. I wonder what will come next month. We’ll just have to wait and see I guess. I have an Influenster VoxBox that just shipped. It’s the Active Lifestyle VoxBox. Hopefully, it’s something good. Influenster mentioned something about it being a Dr. Scholl’s Insole for runners. Can’t wait to give it a shot. I’ll let you know how it is.
-Rudy
