Sharp November 2011 Preview

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Mud, champagne and glory at the NĂźrburgring Nordschleif.

What happens when two fastidious nut jobs go gonzo for each other: The story of Hunter and Johnny.

0 ?>? >5 2>;>DA Ditch the navy sweater this winter—go bold or go home with these flashy knits.

The

SHARP GUIDE TO GROOMING Essential advice on looking and feeling better, including how to: s #HOOSE A NEW COLOGNE s 3HAVE BETTER s 'ROW A COOL MOUSTACHE s 0REPARE FOR A WEDDING s "E A BETTER MAN

*Or at least look like one.

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The sexy star of The Rum Diary and (the late) Playboy Club makes us neurotic.

How baseball is propelling Cuba’s sweeping change.

Clothes to look your best when you tackle the great outdoors, i.e. rake your autumn leaves.

SHARP Âť CONTENTS

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0 E4AH 4;460=C 1A84520B4 All the power and class of a safe, none of the ungainly weight.

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BCH;4 Beat snow blindness, wet feet and west coast winter chills. Stylishly.

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52 58;< CE The secret to Eddie Murphy’s success, plus Orlando Bloom sheds some light on all the swordplay.

Five timepieces under $1,000 that are worth your time.

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4;42CA>=82B The world's top three e-readers, reviewed and rated.

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34B86= The Brothers Dressler: making furniture from scrap since 2003.

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B?>ACB Players and logos may come and go, but team colours don’t fade.

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5>>3 The Hunt for Canada’s ultimate burger.

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0;2>7>; Winter beer you should drink, and scotch that you probably shouldn't.

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BC0=30A3B 10 Editor’s Letter 20 Man About Town 128 Where to Buy 14

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Where to do everything in the Big Apple.

For his upcoming album, Usher goes global.

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1>>:B Stunning photojournalism and adventure on the high seas.

B70A? F><0= Cobie Smulders makes a strong case for typecasting.

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20AB A sexy new Land Rover, a fun-loving BMW coupĂŠ and a station wagon built for speed.

SHARP WOMAN

NAME: COBIE SMULDERS HOMETOWN: VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA AGE: 29 OCCUPATION: ACTRESS

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7(%2% 9/5 6% 3%%. (%2 As the (get this!) very attractive Canadian, Robin Scherbatsky, who may or may not end up being the titular Mother, on How I Met Your Mother. If a funny, beautiful Canadian playing a funny, beautiful Canadian is typecasting, then we have no problems with typecasting. 7(%2% 9/5 7),, 3%% (%2 As S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, who will give Scarlett Johansson a run for her money as the sexiest hero in next summer’s Avengers. /. 7(9 #/")% 3-5,$%23 )3 ! 6%29 "!$ #!.!$)!. During an impromptu

quiz about Canadian television, it is revealed that she has never seen, or heard of, the classic series The Littlest Hobo. “I wasn’t allowed to watch much television as a kid,” she says. “I know, how ironic, right? But, I remember Breaker High. I had a huge crush on Ryan Gosling.” /. 7(9 #/")% 3-5,$%23 )3 ! 0%2&%#4 #!.!$)!. It’s clear she

hasn’t lived here for some time. “Nice,” she says upon hearing where Sharp is located, “T. Dot-O-spot! That might not be hip anymore. But that’s what I called it when I was living there.” It’s possible that Cobie Smulders, who first left Canada when she started modeling in her teens, reserves a special level of enthusiasm for fellow Canucks, but it’s more likely she is actually this warm, engaging and friendly with everyone she talks with. -!9"% )4 3 "%#!53% 3(% 3 ./4 4(%

You get to go off in so many different directions, and have more interesting back stories. The lead has to worry about being more likable. I like being part of a group,” she says, “but here’s the thing: I’ve never experienced being the main character.” See? The perfect Canadian. 28

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P H OTO : M AT T J O N E S

34!2 “I love playing a supporting role.

SHARP FOOD

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FOR MORE INFO ON THE BEST BURGERS IN CANADA, VISIT SHARPFORMEN.COM

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robably the best burgers are the ones we make at home, because we are legally allowed to cook them rare, but ask Canadians what constitutes the best burger in the country and, surprise, they nominate the one on the way to their cottage. To find answers that are not the result of long drives and empty stomachs, we might seek the opinion of friends, then strangers, perhaps prison snitches and then finally, exhausted, Chowhound, that online hive of scum and villainy where everything is either “the best� or “overrated.� As with any divisive issue, enthusiasts will define their perfect burger as the only way to cook it, and will decry all others as heresy. The greatest burgers, the variety of materials and methods, should dispel the myth of “purists,� those who would cry “Truffle aioli? Bison meat? Relish? That’s

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not a burger!� as soon as anything beyond beef and bun is mentioned. Those people are wrong. They are the same zealots who insist that there is one way to build a house, write a novel or avoid fatherhood. Better to ask people who might actually know what they’re talking about: the purveyors of some of this country’s greatest burgers.

Halifax's Brooklyn Warehouse: 50 percent chuck, 30 percent rump and 20 percent steak trim equals one outstanding burger. Mystery Meat: The secret of The Stockyards' signature burger.

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The burger scene in Vancouver is, much like that of many urban centres across North America, divided into three classes: mid-20th century Greek diners; high-end restaurants that serve $40 wagyu burgers topped with foie gras; and boutique burger bars that, for the last five years, have spread across this continent like locusts, if locusts were overcooked, locally sourced ground beef. In North Vancouver’s Tomahawk Restaurant, Chuck Chamberlain grinds his own beef (hormone and antibiotic free) every day, mixing it only with salt to form four-ounce patties, before frying them on a flat-top grill. “We’re still using the basic recipes that mom and dad started 85 years ago,� he says, “still dealing with the same suppliers.�

SHARP FOOD

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Alley Burger, Calgary

In the centre of our country, embedded into the side of a hill, sits a former Calgary public transportation bus, crimson and silver. Inside Rocky’s Burgers, owner Jim Rockwell lines his flattop grill with 8-ounce patties, just ground chuck and salt. “Ninety percent of my customers have the bacon cheeseburgers,” he says of his product’s simple appeal. Across town, at Charcut, Top Chef Canada finalist Connie DeSousa serves a “share burger.” Starting at 9 ounces, diners can order whatever size they want of the pork and lamb (or beef, if that’s what they’ve recently butchered) burger, grilled over wood, topped with cheese curds, fried eggs (one egg for every 10 ounces), served on homemade brioche with a jar of pickles. “We serve the burger with a steak knife and a pie spatula,” says DeSousa, who has received orders as large as 47 ounces, “to cut wedges.” For the last year, she and her co-chef John Jackson have been serving four-ounce versions of these, out the back door, as Alley Burger. Recently, Alley Burger has become a truck, announcing its location via Twitter.

Tomahawk Resturaunt, Vancouver

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Here, the “smashing” method dominates the scene at the city’s top burger joints: The Stockyards and The Burger’s Priest. Spheres of beef go on the flat-top, weighed down by a heavy object. This creates more surface area, and therefore more of a Maillard reaction; the caramelization-like effect that results in %!

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FOR MORE INFO ON THE BEST BURGERS IN CANADA, VISIT SHARPFORMEN.COM

Rocky's Burgers, Calgary The "Toronto press" at The Stockyards

not just browning, but a crunchy texture and a deeper concentration of flavour. The unseasoned burger mix at The Stockyards is 50 percent chuck, 25 percent brisket and 25 percent a mystery cut that owner Tom Davis keeps secret. After his custom-made, stainless steel “smasher” presses each six-ounce sphere of fatty meat into the grill’s surface, a little salt is sprinkled, then again after it’s flipped. Like Davis’ mustard-seared burger and bone marrow/blue cheese burger, it’s served on a Dempster’s white bread sesame seed bun. While most burger mavens have a rough estimate for the fat content of their ground mix, Davis has a definitive answer: 24 percent. (!,)&!8

Mark Gray, chef of Brooklyn Warehouse in Halifax, is also fat-content savvy. His 7-ounce patty, composed of 50 percent chuck, 30 percent rump and 20 percent steak trim, is 18 to 22 percent fat. It’s passed through a grate three times, blended with garlic, onion, Dijon and Worcestershire sauce, and served on a challah bun from nearby Stone Hearth bakery. Owner George Christakos describes a Halifax scene similar to the rest of the country, but missing the burger boutique trend.

WHERE’S THE "%%&

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The Burger’s Priest 1636 Queen St. E Toronto, ON 647-346-0617 theburgerspriest.com

Tomahawk Restaurant 1550 Philip Ave. North Vancouver, BC 604-988-2612 tomahawkrestaurant.com Rocky’s Burgers 4645 12th St. E. Calgary, AB 403-243-0405 rockysburgers.com Charcut Roast House & Alley Burger 899 Centre St. SW Calgary, AB 403-984-2180 charcut.com; @AlleyBurger

The Stockyards 699 St. Clair Ave. W Toronto, ON 416-658-9666 thestockyards.ca

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Brooklyn Warehouse 2795 Windsor St. Halifax, NS 902-446-8181 brooklynwarehouse.ca

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WINTER BEER

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hen pretty much all the beers we had to choose from were pale lagers, it was at least understandable that we might raise pints of ice-cold pilsner when the snow was blowing and the temperature well below zero. After all, it was that or nothing. But with today’s plethora of styles and flavours, drinking one kind of beer year-round makes about as much sense as picnicking in February or curling up by a roaring fire in August. If you don’t believe us, just ask the Germans. You’ve heard, perhaps, of a thing called Oktoberfest? At that Munich celebration of all things beer-related, the litres of lager that lederhosened Bavarians hoist by the armful are of a style known as märzen, which is both maltier and stronger than their regular beers. Therein lies the first lesson: while summer beer tends towards pale and light, your winter beer should be big and boozy.

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Not that you need to limit yourself to the malty lagers of 6 percent alcohol or so that the Germans are so fond of; you have the entire world of beer from which to choose. So, in fall, when the chill just begins to infect the air, go for a big-bodied IPA like Tree Brewing’s Hop Head India Pale Ale, only slightly more potent than the beer you put away, but full of satisfyingly fruity malt and tongue-tingling bitter hops. If you want to up the ante further, reach for Railway City’s Dead Elephant Ale, less assertive than the Hop Head but warming in its slightly higher strength and perilously quaffable. When the snow threatens to fly, follow the lead of a more northern beer-drinking people like the Belgians and try something malty and stronger still. Unibroue’s Maudite fits that bill; it is spicy and strong at 8 percent alcohol, and highly Belgian in character despite the brewery now being owned by Japan’s Sapporo. Or you can go directly to the source, with the dark and malty-sweet Gouden Carolus Classic, sure

to keep the winter blues at bay with its 8.5 percent alcohol. In winter’s depths, it’s time to head even further north for inspiration, all the way to Yorkshire, England, and the Scottish moors. From the family-owned Samuel Smith brewery comes their textbook winter warmer Yorkshire Stingo, an 8 percent alcohol paean to the comforting effects of chocolatey malt and patient oak-aging, while the centuries-old Traquair House brewery demonstrates that the Scots embrace more than whisky to ward off a chill, with their potent and treacly (in a good way) House Ale. Fill your fall or winter glass with one of these rich and satisfying ales and you’ll soon be wondering how you ever made do with one beer year-round. You’ll also be a bit buzzed.

GET YOUR -)8 /. Winter beer isn’t just good on its own. Warm yourself up with this tasty concoction—perfect for the chilliest of winter nights. – JOHN MARTIN MACDONALD

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6 oz India Pale Ale, (see above) 1 oz Canadian whisky 3–4 oz mulled apple cider 0.5 oz honey Heat the cider and stir in honey. Add whisky into a mug, then beer, and serve hot.

SHARP CARS

2011 BMW 1 SERIES M COUPÉ

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t has been the definition of Teutonic one-upmanship for the better part of a decade. BMW’s M performance arm and its archnemesis Mercedes-AMG have been trading blows, building ever more powerful V8- and V10-powered cars chocka-block full of robotized componentry. In BMW’s case, the resulting M3s and M5s have been epic automobiles, but if we’re being honest, not in line with the principals of the light, low-displacement machines that the haus of high performance built its reputation on. Now, suddenly, this 1 Series M CoupĂŠ has bowed in: a simple, speedy, six-cylinder, rear-wheel driver that’s the most authentic M in a decade. Talking to BMW brass between hot laps in the new M at Monticello Motor Club in New York State, we were left with the distinct impression this new 2+2 is a reward to engineers for a job well done contesting Mercedes. Matt Russell, M brand manager, said the gearheads were told simply to, “Go out and build the car you want to drive on the weekend.â€? To fashion the M, BMW flipped a bogstandard 1 Series shiny side down, tore out

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the stock innards and stitched in a heap of components from the M3—its suspension, steering, lightweight wheels, wide tires and its steel/aluminum compound brakes. M bootcamp also added 4-centimetre fender flares, wider front and rear tracks, and a weight loss of 35 kg (77 lb.), mainly by deleting the sunroof. The result? One hell of a dialed-in chassis, with near-perfect weight balance and wicked cornering potential. The CoupÊ’s engine is a massaged version of the direct injection, 3.0-litre, twin-turbo straight-six also found under the hood of the Z4 Roadster and—purists rejoice!— a six-speed manual is the only available gearbox. The aluminum mill makes 335 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque from a low 1,500 rpm, and with a push of the steering wheel-mounted M Drive button, you’ll get from standing to 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. On track, we found ourselves turning in late, sharp, and then tramping the throttle to get the turbos whirring and the M-specific stability control and limited-slip rear diff pushing power to the pavement. The next corner arrives wonderfully quickly. Performance aside, the 1 Series M shocks by way of simplicity. The driver

faces a thick-rimmed M wheel, the manual gearshift, a basic radio and dual-zone climate controls. Sport seats, Alcantara trim with orange stitching and a few other cosmetics set the M apart from its siblings, but it remains otherwise austere, and better for it. You still get technology like rain-sensing wipers, ambient lighting and dynamic cruise control, as well as an optional Harman Kardon stereo and navigation system, but such frivolities are hardly in line with this car’s true spirit. Considering how dialed-in and pugnacious BMW’s freshman 1 Series M is, we were saddened to hear only about 200 will be available in Canada this year. Consolation? This off-the-cuff comment from Russell: “We should always be planning a small car like this.â€? Damn straight you should‌ 30%#)&)#!4)/.3 02)#% $53,600 0/7%2(/53% 3.0-litre twin-

turbo inline six-cylinder /54054 335 horsepower/332 lb-ft of torque '%!2"/8 Six-speed manual ,!5.#().' On sale now. 7(!4 -!44%23 A straightforward and very fast return to form for BMW’s performance haus.

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This fall, Johnny Depp will play a character based on Hunter S. Thompson in The Rum Diary, a long-gestating adaptation of one of the author’s earliest and most acclaimed books, and his only published novel. It will be the second time this year that one of Depp’s films will reference the great gonzo journalist. The excellent animated comedy Rango features a scene in which the titular lizard—voiced by Depp— gets flung from the back seat of his owner’s station wagon during a cross-country trip. His flight across the desert highway is stopped when he smacks against the windshield of a convertible being piloted by a gaunt, wild-eyed guy in a fishing hat. The driver is glimpsed only for a moment, but it’s obvious that he bears a distinct resemblance to Raoul Duke, Thompson’s wild, pill-popping literary alter ego—a character who definitely doesn’t belong in a movie aimed at little kids, who hopefully don’t even know what amyl nitrite is yet. Depp memorably played Duke in Terry Gilliam’s 1998 film version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, easily one of the druggiest films of the last 20 years—and, to date, the best translation of Thompson’s crazed, balls-to-the-wall prose style. “When the going gets weird, the weird get professional,” wrote Thompson in 1972, and getting Depp, a true professional weirdo, was a choice piece of casting. Depp's role in the film led to him becoming one of the author’s closest friends before Thompson's suicide in 2005, and it has left their legacies forever linked: two good ol' Kentucky boys, never meaning no harm, and frequently up to no good. Kindred

WHEN JOHNNY MET HUNTER

souls, but also reverse-mirror images, for if Thompson is considered among the most distinctive writers of his generation, Depp is an inveterate shape-shifter: it’s no coincidence that Rango (whose wobbly walk and Hawaiian shirt have their own eccentric echoes of Raoul Duke) is literally a chameleon. Adapt or die: movie history is littered with examples of pretty boys who never bothered to learn how to act. Depp’s early roles in A Nightmare on Elm Street—where he died in a geyser of stage blood—and the TV series 21 Jump Street could have pigeonholed him as a teen idol with Tiger Beat looks. Always more ambitious than that, Depp rebuked matinee-idol opportunities for a variety of brilliant disguises. In Edward Scissorhands, he buried himself in pasty makeup and steel prosthetics, channeling the grotesquerie of old monster movies but giving the character some proto-emo soul; his subsequent collaborations with director Tim Burton, who has used Depp as his muse in seven different films, have also provided ample opportunity for lavish games of dress-up, from Ichabod Crane to Willy Wonka to Sweeney Todd. A three-time Oscar nominee—and he should have won one for his un-nominated turn in Burton’s Ed Wood (1994), in which he affectionately embodied the worst director of all time while rocking a fluffy angora sweater—Depp has his pick of playing any person (or reptile) that he likes. With this in mind, it’s telling that the film he really wanted to make was The Rum Diary. Written in the early 1960s but not officially published until 1998—around the same time that Depp’s flamboyant turn in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas helped to introduce its author to a whole new generation of readers— the novel was widely perceived as being autobiographical, a youthful self-portrait laced with anger and disillusionment. Thompson’s typically lively prose relates the story of how a New York journalist named Paul Kemp moves to Puerto Rico to work at a local newspaper, where he comes to realize that the older, more experienced writers there are a sad lot. The narrator’s fear at ending up the same way as his harddrinking colleagues is, ironically, what drives him to commit his most self-destructive acts—a fascinating paradox when viewed 88

in light of Thompson’s own ornery commitment to dangerous, medically inadvisable extracurricular activities even as he became internationally famous. Kemp’s mixture of cynicism and hedonism makes him a juicy role, even if he’s a little less spectacularly weird than Raoul Duke—but then, who isn’t? It’s no surprise that Depp would want a part like that for his own. He coasted through the CGI landscapes of Alice in Wonderland—a walking special effect, perhaps, but hardly an actor at the height of his powers. The Tourist, a cheeky thriller that cast him opposite Angelina Jolie, was derided as silly and implausible. Even his last outing as Captain Jack Sparrow was a bit of a nonstarter: Michael Bolton swashbuckled better in Andy Samberg’s killer SNL music video parody. The Rum Diary could be a chance for Depp to return to being a critics’ darling (and an Oscar nominee) but it’s not just a cannily chosen star vehicle: it’s a labour of love. And, like many such projects, it’s taken a while to get to the screen. Depp had originally wanted to make the film back in 1998, when, according to an article in Culture magazine, he had unearthed a draft of a screenplay while he and Thompson were rummaging around the latter’s basement. “[Hunter] thought it was pretty good, and we made this deal in the middle of the night that we’d make it into a film and produce it together,” explained Depp, adding that he promised Thompson it’d get done one way or the other. It didn’t happen easily—as if anything involving Hunter S. Thompson was going to go down smoothly. The production went through many stages before cameras rolled in Puerto Rico in 2009. The script bounced around Hollywood for years, attracting a number of major actors—including Nick Nolte and Depp’s Fear and Loathing costar Benicio del Toro—but never sticking. In 2001, Thompson became so frustrated with the American production company The Shooting Gallery—who had the rights before going bust later that year—that he wrote a characteristically profane letter to one if its executives. “We have a good writer, we have the main parts cast and we have a very marketable movie that will not even be hard to make,” fumed Thompson in between curses and accusations. He concluded his missive with a threat that he

“THOMPSON CONCLUDED HIS MISSIVE WITH A T H R E AT T H AT H E WA S CONSIDERING CHOPPING THE EXEC’S HANDS OFF IF THINGS DIDN’T STA R T C O M I N G TOGETHER.”

Thompson at Big Sur in the early 1960s.

AS A MODERN MAN, you’re the beneficiary of thousands of years of innovation in personal grooming— from the first caveman to run a fish skeleton through his matted locks to the advent of multi-bladed razors, 3-in-1 moisturizing body wash and calf implants (more on those in a bit). As such, there’s no reason you can’t make a couple of improvements yourself. Regardless of whether your grooming regimen hasn’t changed since university or if they know your name at your local manspa, you too can evolve, and look and feel better for it. And before you get all, “I’m not an eyebrow-tweezing, chest-waxing, eye-mask-wearing girly man,” on us, consider this: better grooming doesn’t have to mean grooming more (or waxing)—it just means grooming smarter.

HERE’S HOW TO STEP UP YOUR ROUTINE.

The Sharp Guide to Grooming

STEPPING IT UP WHAT KIND OF MAN ARE YOU?

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THE EVERYMAN

THE CLASSIC GENTLEMAN

THE “BATEMAN”

Look Better. Feel Better. Groom Smarter. I l l u s t ra t i o n s b y Pa t r i c k L e g e r

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YOUR REGIMEN Body !LL 0URPOSE 3HOWER 'ELS

You’re about efficiency. Your time is more valuable outside the shower. Luckily, grooming brands have woken up to your needs, and are making products that won’t dry out your skin, unlike bar soap, or leave your hair damaged and drained, like the 2-in-1s of old. And since you keep your hair cropped short, conditioner isn’t a necessity. "ODY 7ASH Right Guard

Total Defense 51 ($10): Don’t get worked up about the promise of five products in one here, really, it’s just three-in-one, with a moisturizing hair and body wash that also promises anti-bacterial properties and 18-hour odour protection. A good product for your gym bag, in a very masculinelooking pistol grip bottle. !LSO WORTH A TRY

Gillette 2-in-1 Gentle Clean Shampoo and Body Wash2 ($10): No conditioner, but it won’t leave your skin dry, either.

Face

The

U

EVERYMAN

nlike some men you know, you don’t scoff at basic good grooming. It was in university, that malleable time between adolescence and manhood, that you came to the realization that the kind of women you preferred preferred men who were tidy and smelled nice—at least most of the time. And like a first career, you settled on your grooming regime then, never thinking it would need to change. Now you buy your grooming products in bulk at your neighborhood drug mart. If there existed a multi-purpose soap-shampoo-conditioner-shaving-geldeodorant, you would be happy to use that exclusively.

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3HAVING

You lost track of the razorblade arms race between the shaving superpowers around the time they put more blades on their cartridges than you could count on one hand. Still, all that competition led to impressive innovation. Are the electromagnetic pulses, laser sights and ergonomic handles

Grooming Guide ĨĨĨĨ

STYLING PRODUCTS

all necessary? Maybe not, but they don’t hurt. And that’s kind of the point.

for Every Kind of Hair

2AZOR Gillette Fusion

ProGlide3 ($15) is wellmade, efficient and, compared to some shaving options, affordable. Never mind all of the comfort strips and whatever else it has above the blades; they are mostly useless. What is important is that the blades are thinner and, combined with the pulse action, they actually provide a more comfortable shave. 3HAVING &OAM Nivea Extra Moisturizing Shaving Cream4 ($10): Nivea has the good sense to add vitamins and sea minerals to their cream. However, we’re not going to lie—if you just refrain from using shower gel or hand soap to lather up, you’re already doing better than many. )N 0RAISE OF A 'OOD %LECTRIC 3HAVER If you’re

cultivating the rugged three-day-beard look, the unfortunately named i-Stubble5 by Conair is adjustable down to 0.4 mm, ensuring a consistent length every trim. ($70)

/BEDIENT (AIR Kiehl’s Crème with Silk Groom ($26). With silk powders and naturally absorbed moisturizers from wheat and soy protein, and jojoba oil, this cream doesn’t so much hold your hair as encourage and organize it.

THE BRUSH You Should Use Yes, brush. Combs are good for quick touch-ups, but brushes are better. Here’s why: The classic hairstyles that have made a comeback as of late are best achieved with a hairbrush. Combs, with their singular line of teeth, don’t provide the even tension necessary to control your hair, leading to unfortunate bumps and flips—especially if your hair is wavy to begin with. Pick up a boar hair military brush (the kind without a handle) from Kent. The bristles pull at the hair, from root to tip, breaking the natural bonds and getting rid of kinks and flyaway. Plus, the bristles provide a kind of natural conditioning by evenly spreading out your natural oils. Also: it feels good. +ENT -3 "OAR (AIR -ILITARY "RUSH FROM

2

#URLY (AIR If your hair is truly curly, there is only so much you can do to tame it—work with a professional-grade wax or putty, like Matte Putty from Sebastian ($16). To work with your curls, some mousse is your best friend. That, or cut your hair.

The Smell

OF VICTORY:

HOW TO STEP IT UP

Don’t let that Old Spice guy confuse you—his incredibly handsome face can try to sell you any number of new scents and washes with classy names: Denali, Matterhorn, Antler Mustache, whatever, but pay no heed. Old Spice has only ever put out one scent that matters: Pure Sport ($10). How they captured the undiluted essence of athleticism in olfactory form remains a mystery, but this, gentlemen, is evidently what pure sport smells like in a magical, fragrant gel. Plus, there isn’t a woman alive who doesn’t love the smell of Old Spice Pure Sport. Not a one.

PRODUCTS 1

2EBELLIOUS (AIR Hawleywood’s Layrite Pomade ($15) is made to work like wax, but it washes out easily, without being too sticky. It’s powerful enough to satisfy the greasiest rockabilly, but when used in moderation, gives strong, clean hold to unruly hair.

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!DD A .IGHTLY &ACE 7ASH Nightly face washing is good for your skin and there’s no reason to rely on your girlfriend’s Neutrogena. Better to use a cleanser that is formulated for men’s skin to get rid of the daily grime while protecting your sensitive pores. Baxter of California Cleanser, with aloe and age-fighting panax ginseng root extract ($13), it will leave your skin clean and healthy-looking, without added girly-smelling fragrances. )NVEST IN A 3HAVING "RUSH Even if you still use the goo from a can, using a shaving brush gets you a better shave. The bristles raise your hairs so they are easier to cut, thereby decreasing the times you have to scrape your skin with a razor. Kent has been in the brush business for more than a hundred years. They are still the best ($45). 3TART 5SING 'OOD 1UALITY (AIR 0RODUCTS American Crew’s classic line of grooming products is the best step up from what you're using now. Their shampoo is perfectly balanced for a man’s hair, and their styling products offer you enough strength and choice, all with the signature scent that is as recognizable as it is nostalgic (shampoo, $15, grooming cream, $20). S HAR P F O R M E N. C OM ħ 95

PHOTOGRAPHER: THERESE ALDGARD FASHION DIRECTOR AND STYLIST: LUKE LANGSDALE

SHARP P.102 NOVEMBER

Brioni Pima cotton long-sleeved shirt, $765; PS by Paul Smith cable-knit cardigan, $330; Brioni micro herringbone raincoat (price upon request); Brioni merino wool trousers, $600; Canali wool scarf, $295; A.P.C. faux crocodile leather belt, $165.

Canali cable-knit fisherman’s sweater, $169; Louis Vuitton jeans, $700; J.Crew utility shirt, $70.

Burberry Brit wool pullover, $225; PS by Paul Smith wool pinstriped trousers, $315; Louis Vuitton cotton knit cardigan, $985; A.P.C. tweed belt, $195.

SHARP Woman

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SHARP 112

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