#1006 Infused Maleness

One of the most lucrative product categories to open up in the last twenty years has been men’s personal care. Ever since Madison Avenue convinced young men they should stop applying a little dab of Brylcream, and instead invest in gels and meese, things have taken off.
Back in the old days we had Vitalis, Brylcream, and for a while Dippity Doo. Dippity Doo was like a wax and a gel. I would put some on and then run my fingers through my hair to create a wild and random looking mess. I was going for accidental beauty.
I called it serendipity do.
Some of the young bucks achieve that same look with more expensive products today. One of the new products on the market has kind of a strange name. It’s called Gillette Sculpting Paste.
I’m not sure “paste” is the right name to invoke when talking hair products. Sorry, it just doesn’t sound sexy. It sounds like what kids eat in kindergarten. Or someone getting hit. “Dude, he pasted him.”
Maybe they’re trying to invoke some computer document feel. Go into your stylist for a cut and paste. Instead of getting a new hairstyle, you can say your head’s been reformatted.
It’ll probably catch on. I didn’t have much hope for mousse either, and it jumped from culinary treat to hair product without a kink.
The Edge shaving gel people are making a new bid for attention too. They aren’t content to just be a gel anymore. Now they have a line of “infused” products. For hydrating and moisturizing and stuff.
They’re now a “lotionized” gel. So the whole idea of Edge was it’s a gel. Now you’re changing it into a lotion? And their term...
I guess saying it’s now a “lotionized gel” is better than say it’s now runny.
But here’s what makes me want to buy this snake oil. It’s a shaving gel that’s infused with vitamins and antioxidants. Dude! Vitamins for your face.
And antioxidants. Oxidants are bad. Because they oxidize you?
“I need antioxidants in my shaving gel man, cause I’m worried that what I have is not just a red beard. I think my face is rusting.”
America, ya gotta love it.