The Cost of a Good Shave
The Traditional Shave$35The Royal Shave (includes facial massage, hot towels and aromatherapy skin treatment)$55Aromatherapy skin treatment$45Mustache trim$15Beard and mustache trim$25The Art of Shaving is reviving the notion of the barbershop of old -- but with a new twist. The company has turned getting a shave into a spa experience. It's even trademarked the term "barber spa," says company founder Eric Malka.
Malka and his wife, Myriam Zaoui, opened their first Art of Shaving spa on Manhattan's Upper East Side in 1997. It's still there, along with two others and one in Las Vegas, but they moved the company to Miami in 2001 and opened the state's first barber spa in Bal Harbour. Men come in for a 45-minute shave, which includes a facial massage, warm towels and shaving cream. They can also choose an aromatherapy skin treatment. "It's a spa treatment from beginning to end," says Malka. Men can also get their beards or mustaches professionally trimmed there as well.
The spa is outfitted with retro barber chairs, custom porcelain sinks and dark woods that hark back to an earlier era.
Zaoui developed all of the Art of Shaving's aromatherapy-based products, which are available in Florida at high-end retailers like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue as well as online (theartofshaving.com). An Art of Shaving retail shop is in the works for 2006 at Tampa's International Mall.
Courtly Appearance
When law firm Gunster Yoakley & Stewart brought in an image consultant for its attorneys who want to polish their appearance, Christian Petersen, an associate in the Fort Lauderdale office's litigation department, signed up. "With the hours I work, it's hard to stay up-to-date on fashion, but I want to look good," says Petersen.
KEEPING UP APPEARANCES: Christian Petersen follows up on Susan Bigsby's advice. Bigsby also helps Petersen coordinate outfits.Boynton Beach consultant Susan Bigsby works with 20 of Gunster's male lawyers, ranging in age from the mid-20s to mid-50s, and will work with female attorneys as well. With male clients, she says, the focus is on a good haircut, a good shave and a well-fitting wardrobe that suits their lifestyles and profession. "Your appearance sends such an important message," says Bigsby, who adds that her clients sometimes aren't aware of what they're projecting.
For Petersen, Bigsby recommended he visit the Echo salon in Fort Lauderdale for a haircut tweak. She also visited his home to determine which clothes he might need to update, discard or replace. A shopping trip followed. She'll take digital photos of his wardrobe, and when the project is done, she'll present him with a catalog showing all the combinations he can wear.
Petersen says he's open to Bigsby's recommendations -- as long as he doesn't have to shave his goatee.
Fashion Watch
CUFF-LINKED: The Watch Cuff shirt allows wearers to show off their timepieces.Carl DeSantis took his millions when he sold vitamin company Rexall Sundown a few years ago and started the DeSantis Collection, a line of custom-tailored men's clothing. The line's newest offering is the Watch Cuff shirt. The internationally patented design has an open window in the shirt cuff that cradles the watch within the cuff, allowing it to be viewed without pulling the cuff back. The cuff can be customized to accommodate any shape face or style of strap. The inspiration for the new product? DeSantis wanted to showcase his extensive collection of timepieces rather than have the cuff conceal them. The Watch Cuff shirt is available online (desantiscollection.com) for $95 to $190.
Hair For Good
HAIR CARE: Dr. Alan J. Bauman's hair-transplant packages range from low frills to luxury.Patients are traveling from around the world to Dr. Alan J. Bauman's Boca Raton hair-transplant practice. Packages range from low frills to a luxurious stay at the Boca Resort and Club and day surgery in Bauman's office. "We've done so much business putting up patients at the Hilton that their concierge and limo drivers are giving our patients as much information about the procedure as our office," jokes Bauman. A surgery session can run from $6,000 to $12,000. Most transplants are completed in one to two sessions. Bauman is expanding his facilities this year to include a 1,000-sq.-ft. free-standing spa-type facility for non-invasive treatments. The move will double the number of operating rooms to four.
A Nose For Fashion
Hollywood entrepreneur Sheldon Greenbaum has introduced two new men's fragrances: Poker Player and Nobile. Greenbaum started his fragrance company, American Prestige & Luxury Brands, this year. He says he's not marketing his cologne to the big department stores, but rather to independent perfumeries and even high-end pharmacies. They're currently available online (alexanderdacosta.com) and at Alberto Cortes and d'Neme in Miami and Perfume Connection in Pompano Beach.