Headed to the Final Four: Best Grooming Products For Guys

Here’s something I bet you didn’t know about me, Taylor, your intrepid Culture Editor here at SG: I love March Madness. While the University of Kansas alum who introduced me to tourney fun a few years ago didn’t stay in the picture, I’ve retained my love of the tourney long after the relationship’s end. Every March I get excited to place bets, make picks based on team mascots, and say a little prayer that Kansas loses just when it hurts the most.

And speaking of love and basketball, let’s talk #SGMadness. This year, we partnered with Unilever, the company behind the Official Men’s Personal Care Products of the NCAA, to highlight great guys’ style, which starts with great guys’ grooming. All month long we’re pitting our favorite well-dressed celebs against each other in NCAA-inspired showdowns.

The final four remaining contenders will cut down their competition with ruthless sartorial slam dunks and looks more promising than Gonzaga’s starting lineup. To help them get there? They may want to check out our #SGapproved Gametime Grooming Final Four product picks—beloved by yours truly and littered with barely passable basketball references. (Oh snap there’s another one!) It wasn’t easy to narrow down from Unilever’s impressive, almost innumerable selection of men’s grooming products. We’re talking hundreds—from a formidable list of brands including Dove, Axe, Simple Skincare, Degree, Vaseline, Suave… I could go on.

Instead? Onto the finals:

Simple Moisturizing Face Wash, $5.

Every guy’s skin is different, so choosing a facial cleanser that agrees with your unique chemistry can be a challenge. That’s why I can’t recommend this Simple moisturizing face wash enough. There’s no fragrance, no harsh chemicals, and it doesn’t annoyingly lather up like you’re dunking your face (puns!) into a bubble bath. It will leave your skin refreshed, clean and feeling better than Dennis Hopper when he got that Oscar nom for Hoosiers.

Dove Men+Care sculpting pomade, $6.

If there was one universally appealing product I’d recommend for any guy’s mop, it would be a moldable matte pomade. I know, I know, a lot of you eschew hair styling products on the whole because you think you don’t really need them. (Your hair is maybe too short, too curly, etc.)

But! This one from Dove Men + Care can be reworked and restyled throughout the day (work, workout, date… you get the idea) and helps you maintain a natural, not-overly-fussy look with just a bit of texture—meaning it’ll work on just about any hair type. Consider it your secret weapon—as versatile as a center who can sink three’s. (I know this one works because I asked, okay?)

Degree Men Dry Protection Cool Rush Antiperspirant Deodorant, $4.

Degree Men products are sensitive and strong—much like my alma mater’s most beloved former basketball coach, Lute Olson. And since I learned the value of honesty at the esteemed University of Arizona… I’m not afraid to admit that this is the deodorant I use most days.

I borrowed it from a man friend once and never looked back. I love the smell—clean, crisp, not overpowering. It lasts through a whole day and night if I need it to (sometimes I’m very busy!) and it doesn’t irritate my skin. In the same way that you shouldn’t feel weird about using your girlfriend’s shaving cream if you dig the scent or texture, consider this stuff armpit-agnostic.

Vaseline Lip Therapy Advanced Healing, $3.

My last Final Four pick  is a real Cinderella story—an upset from the early elimination rounds that beat out staples in my medicine cabinet and shower like shampoo, soaps and scrubs to make it this far. Lips that are healthy, hydrated and soft are an essential part of being the well-groomed guy that you are. Keep one tube of this super-effective lip balm at your desk and one by your bed, ensuring you’re covered better than your favorite team’s offense. (I know I’m reaching at this point)

What’s that you say? You were looking for one last buzzer beater of a reason to take my recommendations and purchase all four of these grooming champions? Well, you’re in luck! When you take them all the way to the hoop—errr, checkout—at Target, they’ll reward you with a $5 gift card. Of course, you can choose any four Unilever products, but feel free to copy our bracket picks above. We don’t mind.

TELL US:

WHAT ARE YOUR #GAMETIMEGROOMING FINAL FOUR PRODUCTS? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW OR “@” US ON TWITTER!