Your Engagement 101 has a list of the top 5 things never to do when proposing marriage.

1.  Proposing empty handed – Talk about bad foreshadowing of the future ahead!  Please, man, buy the ring before proposing.

2.  Proposing on a Holiday – Be unique in your timing.

3.  Not Asking Her Family – As old-fashioned as this sounds, it is really proper to ask her family for their blessing.  Their reaction might save you money and heartache in the long run…

4.  Hiding the Ring – Haven’t you heard the story of the lovesick man who hid the engagment ring in his girlfriend’s milkshake.  It would have been great had she not swallowed it…oops.

5.  Telling her that you are “Settling” – Really, would anyone really mention this during a proposal?

Lastly, don’t take any advice from Ryan Jarvis.  He wanted to propose to his girlfriend over the Christmas holidays.  So, Jarvis headed to Zales to look at engagement rings.  After one hour of looking, he found one that he loved.  It was a one-carat diamond solitaire ring.  The beauty of the diamond must have altered his rational thinking.  Jarvis ran out of the jewelry store with the hot ring in hand, ready to propose to his unsuspecting girlfriend.

Well, Jarvis proposed and she accepted!  She was so excited about the ring and their engagement, that she uploaded pictures of her new ring on Facebook.  After receiving tips from some of her Facebook “friends”, the Burlington police caught up with Jarvis and the ring.

Be smart with your proposal and good luck!  Remember all women appreciate a clean, close shave.  Happy Shaving from your friends at J.Paul!

We have met many nice people from all over the country.  We are so excited to tell them our company background and introduce our men’s grooming product line.  Our booth traffic has been busy and consistent.

We met David Shockley yesterday.  David owns Savile Row Custom Clothier and Shirtmaker in St. Louis.  He started the business twenty-five years ago to provide the St. Louis area with high quality men’s clothing.  Savile Row specializes in making custom suits, sportcoats, dress shirts and trousers.

The latest news about David Shockley and Savile Row is their new partnership with J.Paul Skin Care for Men.  Our products will soon be available in their store!

If you are in the showroom or in the Chicago area, come visit us.  We are in booth #4067!

Any comments on our blog will receive free samples of our Glide Shave Cream! Happy Shaving from your friends at J.Paul!

The Chicago Collective opens January 29 and runs through the 31st.  The trade show is held in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, which is  a massive building of over 700,00 square feet.  It hosts shows ranging from furniture, fashion to education.  This trade show attracts the best menswear exhibitors in United States.  With over 100,000 square feet, the trade show has over 300 registered exhibitors.  Some of these exhibitors are Hickey Freeman, Gitman Brothers, Peter Millar, Michael Kors, Southern Tide, and of course, J.Paul Skin Care.  In other words, the Chicago Collective is HUGE.

Besides seeing the latest in menswear, there is a Whiskey Tasting Night on Monday, January 30.  It is being hosted by the SDI, Scottish Development International.  The tasting can be found in booth # 4032, which is really close to our booth, #4067.  So, visit the whiskey tasting and swing by our booth.  We would love to meet you and provide you with samples from our men’s grooming product line.

One additional exhibitor in the Chicago Collective is Spanx for Men.  Oh, that sounds wrong, doesn’t it?  If you are also heading to the Chicago Collective, let us know.

Happy Shaving from your friends at J.Paul!

My gym is a great example.  They started a New Year’s program to motivate members to get back into the gym.  The program is called The Killer Chiller Challenge.  It is an 11-week program that requires members to have 50 registered workouts.  Instead of dangling a carrot, my gym is offering a small credit towards new workout clothes.  Considering the state of my workout clothes and my diet during the holidays, I signed up immediately.

The gym has created many ways of holding participants accountable.  My trainer holds me accountable by looking at my attendance and my progress.  The gym has started posting large flowcharts at the front desk reflecting our attendance and rank within the Challenge.  Wow, talk about accountability and embarrassment all rolled up in one sweaty towel!

Another great example is Weight Watchers.  Here is a company that helps people achieve weight goals with a weekly accountability meeting.  Whether these meetings are physical or virtual, they make the member accountable for their progress or lack of progress.  Don’t you know Charles Barkley is receiving tons of feedback, and other sarcastic comments, from his friends and followers!

In my research, I also stumbled upon Dallas Travers.  She is a motivational coach for actors in Los Angeles.  She has multiple accountability partners that help with her in growing her business.  Each of Travers’ partners help her and business goals in different aspects.  They have a scheduled session that is structured in format and time.  It’s really interesting to read her view on the subject.

Let us know your thoughts on this subject.  Happy Shaving from your friends at J.Paul Skin Care.

My sources all agree on the first step:  Reflection.  Before touching your beard,  look in the mirror and admire it.  Let’s be honest, who knows the next time you will have the opportunity to grow another beard.  The Bearded Gentleman suggests playing a funeral march cd and shutting the bathroom door securely, so no one will hear your loud sobs during the shaving process.

The next, serious step is shaving to trim the outer, longer hair.  This is not the “final” goodbye, but just trimming the beard roughly, so the actual shaving process isn’t so laborious.  Now, take a hot shower.  The warm water will ready your face and soften your facial hair.  This step might be when the loud sobbing commences.  Get it all out now, because the close, final shave is next.

Prepare face with a high-quality shave cream.  This shave cream should be glycerol-based, that will keep your skin moisturized during the shave.  Since it has been awhile since you have shaved, your face is very sensitive.  A great product to use is J.Paul Skin Care’s Glide Shave Cream,  It contains Vitamin B5, Vitamin E, Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil to keep skin moisturized during shaving.  The Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil create a natural barrier between the razor and skin, thus protecting the sensitive facial skin and extending shelf life of the razor.

With the a new, sharp blade, your face is ready to shave.  Start with the smoother areas of your face first, then carefully move to the coarser areas.  Take your time shaving, embrace your manhood, and for goodness sakes, dry your eyes.

Have any other advice for shaving that beard?  Or better yet, any great before and after photos of your beard?  Send them to us and you will receive free tube of Glide Shave Cream!

Happy Shaving and Happy New Year from your friends at J.Paul Skin Care.

I do believe that beards do make you look heavier.  I think a beard makes the face look chubby and puffy.  I also believe that it gives the overall appearance of being unkept and sloppy.  Wow, that sounds harsh.  It might sound old fashioned, but nothing is more slimming than a close, fresh, clean shave.

There are some exceptions to the rule.  Here is a list of the top 5 Bearded Gentlemen in History, according to The Bearded Gentleman written by Allan Pertkin and Nick Burns:

1.  God

2.  Santa

3.  Jesus

4.  Uncle Sam

5. Abe Lincoln

We would love to know what you think?  Send your comments to our blog and receive free samples of our products.  What a deal!!

Stay tuned for my next blog where I cover the crucial steps for shaving your Santa Beard.  Happy Shaving and Happy New Year from your friends at J.Paul.

With the toasting of a New Year, come the resolutions.  Along with dropping a few pounds, I have a great resolution for you to ponder.  Listening more and Talking less.  Sounds easy enough, right?

My inspiration for today’s blog was found yesterday at the barber shop.  While my son was getting his hair cut, I couldn’t tune out one of the other barbers.  His mindless chatter was excruciating and unending.  With his noise, I couldn’t think straight or concentrate on my competitive game of Words with Friends.  I thought the barber shop’s walls were caving in and my death was imminent.  Well, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but you can get my point.

So, my New Year’s Resolution is to Listen More and Talk Less.  It may not lead to world peace or even whirled peas, but it just might make my life better.

We would love to hear from you.  We have many exciting plans for our company that will make this year memorable, so continue to check in with our blog.  Happy Shaving from your friends at J.Paul!

Among the other commentators, Kurt Warner stood out.  He wore a tailored suit, exquisite shirt, beautiful tie and styled hair.  He looked so perfect except for one thing…his stubble.

I know, I know, it’s cool to have stubble.  I maybe old-fashioned, but a clean shave completes any look.  I know the clothes Warner was wearing were worth a few thousand dollars.  His threads were classy, but if he would’ve had a clean shave, his appearance would have gone up to the next level.

Away from the football field and television studio,  Warner continues his life’s theme of putting faith and family first.  He and his wife created First Things First Foundation to make a difference in his community and world.  The Warner’s foundation “is dedicated to impact lives by promoting Christian values sharing experiences and providing opportunities to encourage everyone that all things are possible when people seek to put first things first.”  Check out his website because it is really impressive and inspirational.

Kurt, we would love to send you a complimentary Glide Shave Cream.  Our shave cream would work wonders with your coarse beard.  And, keep up the great work!

Comments or questions?  Happy Shaving and Happy Holidays from your friends at J.Paul Skin Care.

J.Paul Skin Care offers a full line of grooming products including a preshave, shave cream, aftershave, lotion with sunscreen and a body wash.  J.Paul offers several gift set options:  product gift set $80.00; product gift set with razor $95.00; and travel-sized product set $36.00.

It is great to give, but it is really fun to receive, too.  With the purchase of any gift set, J.Paul will add a free Glide Shave Cream.  The free Glide ships in a beautiful box, which could add another gift under the tree for some lucky person.  Or, you could keep the Glide for yourself to enjoy.

Glide Shave Cream crosses the gender lines.  It is ideal for men’s coarse facial hairs and also the ladies’ bikini area.  Allure Magazine and Texas Monthly have recently raved about the product and it’s “crossover” features in recent issues.

Have shaving questions or comments?  Let us hear from you on our blog.  Happy Shaving from your friends at J.Paul!

Men’s Journal consulted a New York City Dermatologist, Dr. David Biro, on how to protect the skin during the cold winter months.  Dr. Biro describes our skin as having a brick and mortar composite.  “The bricks are cells; fatty acids are mortar.  Everything is compromised when skin gets dry. Mortar chips away, bricks fall askew, and the whole wall starts to crumble.”

To combat these dry skin issues. Dr. Biro recommends looking for facial moisturizers and grooming products with humectant ingredients, which helps bind moisture to the skin.  One example of a humectant is glycerol, which is found in Glide Shave Cream.  The shaving process can be very drying to the face, especially when the face is already in winter distress.  Since J.Paul’s Glide Shave Cream is glycerol-based, it helps the face retain moisture during the shave.

Check out the full article in this month’s issue.

Shaving questions?  Send them to our blog and we will help AND send you some free samples.

Happy Shaving from your friends at J.Paul!