We asked a member of our Average Joe Panel, Dan Burke, to take Neutrogena’s latest shaving and skin care offerings for a spin. Here’s what he had to say!

Neutrogena Men Razor Defense Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin, $5.49, Drugstore.com

The shaving cream was unlike any I’ve seen before. Given that I buy shaving cream maybe once a year, that’s probably not all that surprising. The main difference was that instead of a thick foam, it lathers on as a thin film, similar to when you put too much suntan lotion on your skin and you can’t get it all to absorb. I was skeptical, but the first stroke down my cheek allayed my concerns. My several-day-old whiskers were dispatched without a problem. I did nick my chin several times, which is a rarity for me, but it may have been carelessness on my part. My neck, which I usually nick at least once, remained unscathed. Recommended; four stars out of five.

Neutrogena Men Post Shave Balm for Sensitive Skin, $6.99, Drugstore.com

The aftershave was fine, but nothing to write home about. Despite being alcohol-free, it still burned about as much as any other aftershave. After that burning subsided, though, it did leave my face feeling cool and a little more refreshed. I’d use it again. Recommended; three stars out of five.

Neutrogena Men Sensitive Skin Oil-Free Moisture SPF 30 with Helioplex $6.99, Drugstore.com

The moisturizer exceeded my expectations, I must say. I’m not a big moisturizer user in general, but this went on without any greasy residue, and 12 waking hours later my face still feels, well, nice is actually the best word to describe it. Even with my stubble beginning to grow back, my cheeks and neck are still soft. Independent female observers (read: ladies that have no interest in sleeping with me) also confirmed said softness, and complimented the aroma of the moisturizer, as well. Recommended; four stars out of five.

Get Task Essentials up to 70 percent off from Gilt Man. The Swiss skin care line’s Anti-aging and shaving products range from $10 to $39 each.

The sale ends 12/15 at 9pm PST, so you had better hurry.

Visit GiltMan.com

The joy of travel might be lost forever thanks to overzealous TSA security screening procedures. From invasive x-rays, gratuitous pat downs and strict limits on your toiletries, it’s nice to know that one company wants to make sure you look just as good upon your arrival as when you departed. Meet men-u, a collection of ultra-concentrated, high-performance products that save space, time and even the environment.

Not only will their TSA-approved bottles last you over six months, but the products contain skin-friendly ingredients for simple skin care. Here’s what you get:

• A Shaving Brush to raise the beard up and away from the face and to create a rich lather.
• Shaving Cream with lubricants and moisturizers to soften the beard & provide slip for a close shave while protecting skin from irritation and razor burn. Provides 165 shaves (nearly 6 months worth!).
• Face Wash for post-shaving cleansing. Cleanses, soothes and calms the skin to protect skin from razor burn, razor bumps and rash. Contains tea tree, a natural antiseptic and antibacterial, as well as witch hazel and aloe to help calm and soothe skin. Provides up to 200 washes.
• An oil-free moisturizer provides a matte finish. Natural mint and menthol provides a gentle cooling sensation for post-shaving relief.
• The set includes a travel case.

men-u Ultimate Shaving & Skin Care Kit, $59.99 (an $82 value), available at men-uusa.com

WIN IT NOW! In the spirit of giving, HOMME GROOMING and men-u are giving away 1 men-u Ultimate Shaving & Skin Care Kit! Here’s how you can win:

1. Click “E-mail this Post” below and send it to all of your friends! For every person you email, you’ll receive an entry in the drawing to win. The more friends you email, the more chances you can win!

2. Post a comment on this post with your best TSA-security screening story!

GiltMan.com

eShave Luxury Shaving Sets $64 to $174 — Sale Ends 11/30 at 9pm PST.
Dr. Hauschka $11 to $41 (listed under Women’s events) — Sale Ends 12/2 at 9am PST.
Molton Brown — begins 11/30

JackSpade.com

25% off already marked down sale items. Use Promo Code Woohoo25. Today only!

Beards and holidays go hand-in-hand like milk and cookies. Just ask Santa Claus—our favorite Bearded Gentleman.

The Bearded Gentleman makes a great gift or stocking stuffer for:

• a father or uncle who has had a mustache since the ’70s or ’80s.
• a little brother who just started shaving.
• an older brother whose Movember mustache has been growing strong… since November 2008.
• a boyfriend who needs a little extra help in the facial grooming department.
• a friend who has been rocking the playoff beard long past the end of the World Series.
• a nephew who recently graduated and landed his first big job.
• a barber or hair stylist.

The Bearded Gentleman: The Style Guide to Shaving Face is available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and many retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals aren’t just for the ladies. Here, we’re wrangling up the grooming deals for guys. From electric shavers and toothbrushes to high-techlight treatments and motorized facial scrubbers, we’ve got you covered this holiday season. If you’ve got a tip on a hot deal for products, send us a tip! Check back here all week for updates!

Every Man Jack

Cyber Monday Only

Get 10% all orders. Enter promo code: “Cyber”
All orders over $75 that use the promo code will be entered into a drawing to win an Every Man Jack gift basket valued at more than $75.

Visit: EveryManJack.com

Target (details here)

Available: Friday (while supplies last)

Norelco Sensotouch Wet/Dry Electric Razor $89.99 ($10 off)
Oral-B Professional Care Toothbrush $34.99 ($35 off!, Door Buster, while supplies last)

Walmart (details here)

Available: All Day, Friday

Philips Sonicare Essence Electric Toothbrush $37.97
Philips Norelco 7363 Electric Shaver $37.97

KMart (day/time details here)

Available: All Day, Friday (while supplies last)

Electric Shavers

Prices: $14.99 to 19.99:
Philips Norelco G370
Conair GMT189
Remington PG-360

Prices $24.99 to $39.99
Philips Norelco 6490
Braun Series 1
Remington R-3130
Remington R-5130

Price: $49.99
Philips Norelco 7810

Fragrance Gift Sets $15.99
Axe Gift Sets $1.00 off

Costco (details here)

ANSR: Beam Visibly Better Skin Pack $99.99 ($30 off)

Anthony For Men
Anthony For Men is offering 20% off any purchase on anthony.com from Nov.22nd- 26th.
On Cyber Monday (Nov. 29), get 20% off any purchase plus a free Tool Kit and complimentary ground shipping with any purchase of $50 or more.
Visit: www.anthony.com

Dr. Gerald Imber Youth Corridor
Nov. 26 to Dec. 3 Only
Get 20% off Youth Corridor Antioxidant Boost Skin Serum
Enter Discount Code 20CyberYC at Checkout
Visit: drimber.com

Zeno
Black Friday through Cyber Monday (Nov. 26 to 29 Only)
25% off the entire site for 4 days – Black Friday through Cyber Monday. Also get free shipping!
Visit: www.myzeno.com

AHAVA
Cyber Monday Deals (Nov. 29 Only)
Spend $50 and get 15% off PLUS a deluxe size Hand/Body/Foot Cream with code GIVE15;
Spend $100 and get 20% off PLUS a deluxe size Hand/Body/Foot Cream, an Exfoliating Washcloth, and a Botanic Bliss Set, with code GIVE20
Spend $200 and get 30% off PLUS a deluxe size Hand/Body/Foot Cream, an Exfoliating Washcloth, and a Botanic Bliss Set, with code GIVE30.
Visit: www.AHAVA.com

LovelySkin.com
On Black Friday, LovelySkin.com will offer 25% off the entire site (Including men’s and unisex products from Murad, B. Kamins, MD Forte, La Roche-Posay and many men’s fragragrances).
Plus, you can earn double rewards points and receive a free Obagi ELASTIderm Eye product with a purchase of $200 or more.
On Cyber Monday, LovelySkin will offer 25% off the entire site and all purchases over $200 will receive a freeNeocutis Lumiere Eye Cream.
No discount code needed.
Visit: lovelyskin.com

Clarisonic
All “Skincare Pairs” that are purchased this Cyber Monday will be 20% off. Products such as the Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System, Opal Sonic Infusion, brush heads and cleansers bought in pairs will be included in this special. There is free shipping on all orders as well as a free gift with purchase: a Limited Edition Pink Brush Head (Normal), 6 oz. Gentle Hydro Cleanser and travel bag ($65 value). Clarisonic brushes make great gift for guys with beards!
Visit: www.clarisonic.com

Tweezerman
Cyber Monday Only! Enjoy free shipping on all orders over $45 and a free gift with any order over $75.
Visit: www.tweezerman.com

Shobha
For Cyber Monday only, buy 1 at-home hair removal or after care product (i.e. ingrown hair relief, rosewater toner) online and get a 2^nd free (same product). Simply choose “buy one, get one free” from the drop down menu before putting the product in the shopping bag.
Also, enjoy free shipping on all domestic orders! Enter coupon code “FSH2010” during checkout when choosing shipping.
Visit: www.myshobha.com

But first, please indulge me: I love product launches. But for the wrong reason.

Speaker 1: “Guys lose their hair, shaving sucks, here’s how we can help.”

Speaker 2: “Try this new whiskey and get your shoes shined in the fancy library we’ve rented just for you.”

Really.

That’s how it went down Johnson & Johnson’s “Men’s Product Showcase” last week. Not that I’m complaining. The whisky earned an A+. But a brand as advanced as J&J, which owns Neutrogena, doesn’t need to butch it up to release a new shave balm for guys with sensitive skin. Leave that to the brands trying to sell guyliner.

Now, about that balm: It’s one of three new products along with a daily moisturizer (SPF 30!) and a shave cream.

Neutrogena already has a line for guys with sensitive skin. Yet these products are now their super-soothing-est because of Pro-Soothe Technology, an awkward name for a handful of good ingredients (soy, glycerine, vitamins).

The lowdown.

The balm is cool and the shave creamy is slippery. They left my post-shave face calm. But the real winner was the Neutrogena Men Sensitive Skin Oil-Free Moisture SPF 30.  To get such a high SPF, I figured the cream would feel like goo—but it doesn’t. It’s lightweight, fragrance-free, and passes the “Slick Test.” I’ve been using it for a week and don’t look or feel like I’m wearing anything.

The high SPF is thanks to Helioplex, the stable blend of broad-spectrum sunblockers in most of Neutrogena’s popular and effective sunscreen products. It’s also the reason why their Sport Spray is always in my dopp kit.

ps: More on that hair-loss news coming soon! Stay tuned.

Neutrogena Men Sensitive Skin Oil-Free Moisture SPF 30, $6.49 (1.7 oz.), visit drugstore.com —Aaron Krach

When you don’t get enough sleep, it is hell on your body. According to Harvard Medical School, sleep is important for:

1. 1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
   2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
   3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
   4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
   5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
   6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

Recognizing the importance of sleep, Kiehl’s Since 1851 has released the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, a nighttime serum designed to help restore your skin overnight, making it look better and younger by morning. The serum is 98.9 perecent natural, paraben-free, and included oils of evening primrose and lavender, and moisturizing squalane that works with the skin’s natural oils. Use two to three drops each night before bed and wake up to better-looking skin.

As part of Kiehl’s effort to launch the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, they kick off the Midnight Recovery Diaries today. The Diaries challenge a handful of high-powered insomniacs (including me!) to go to bed before midnight for two weeks while using the new serum. Watch my progress over the two-week challenge and vote for me.

If you’re an insomniac, you’re invited to take part in the challenge as well, just click over to MidnightRecoveryDiaries.com for details.

Photo by Hairy Jacques (Flickr)

Got a burning question for Donatella Versace? Who doesn’t! Now’s your chance to ask her!  Starting today, she’ll be accepting questions from fans of her Facebook page. She’ll answer them with short videos after her show on Friday. [WWD]

Get the long and the short… well, short anyway… on Thom Browne–Menswear’s favorite purveyor of ankle-baring pants, cardigans and the ’50s-style suit. [Out]

London Fashion Week is obviously not for the weak. Sass and Bide’s invite was crafted to look like broken glass and left recipients reaching for Band-Aids. [Fashionista]

Colin Farrell has cleaned up his look. His mustache and goatee are looking neat and tidy. Women will swoon once again over the lad. [She Knows Best]

Gillette launches its Odor Shield line. This must mean that Spring is right around the corner. The line of body washes, deodorants and antiperspirants are designed to keep you smelling fresh and not foul–all day long. [She Knows Best]

Not sure where to find your favorite moisturizer or aftershave? Lucky for you, we’ve got some of the web’s best sites for men’s products just a click away.

If you’ve got a favorite online shop, post a comment and share with the rest of the class!

Grooming Lounge – The Washington, DC based salons for men (favored by Capitol Hill movers and shakers) also offers a popular online store with Baxter, Barc, Acqua di Parma, ClarinsMen, Dermalogica, Geo F. Trumper and many more.

SkinCareLab – The SoHo spa that has become a favorite of celebrities offers a great selection of highly effective products. Each product line is chosen by the spa’s owner, cosmetic dermatologist Bradford Katchen, MD. The site offers hard-to-find products from La Roche-Posay, Clinique Medical, REN, and SkinCeuticals.

Blue Bee Men – The online home to one of Santa Barbara’s most stylish stores stocks John Allan’s, Baxter of California, Malin + Goetz, Molton Brown and L’Artisan Parfumeur.

Sephora – The mothership of beauty products has an extensive collection of products for men including hundreds of colognes. Look for Anthony Logistics, Zirh, Ole Henriksen, Clinique, and Lab Series. That’s just for starters.

SpaceNK – Part of the British Invasion of SoHo in NYC, Space NK is an awesome shop to find hard-to-find products and a number of products from the other side of the pond. Check here for The Art of Shaving, MenScience, Philip Kingsley, Frederic Fekkai, Dr. Hauschka, Diptyque, Eve Lom and more!

MenEssentials (Canada) – The Canadian motherlode of grooming products features everyone from Men-U, Truefitt & Hill, Urth, Marvis, Sharps, Proraso, Nickel and Jack Black, American Crew and more.