Gifts are great, but this Father's Day, maybe give Dad something that'll last a little longer: good advice. It's personal—and hey, it's free (for you)! So we polled ITG & Friends about their fathers' relationships with beauty, and how they'd provide some guidance where necessary. Read on:
Emily Weiss : “My dad looks to me for fragrance advice. He's a Barbasol and hotel-shampoo kind of guy—simple, but really enjoys a nice, luxury cologne. His favorites are Santal 33 by Le Labo, and most recently, this scent-sampler three pack that Byredo just came out with for guys.”
Jane Bishop : “Before you could buy Labello lip balm in the states, my dad would buy it in Paris and bring it back in bulk. I remember as a little girl thinking it was really cool that my dad had such good taste in beauty products because he loved Labello, which I thought was a great delicacy. It was from Paris! My tip for him: Sunscreen. Any SPF, from any brand will do. He's a Southern California kid, a real beach bum at heart, and it kills me when I catch him laying out without applying sun protection. I lecture from a place of love. “
Stacy London : “My dad has truly impeccable style. It took a while for him to abandon the double breasted jacket with pleated pant thing, but now he rocks suits like nobody's business. He taught me that fit is everything. And as my stepmother LOVES to kvell, she thinks he looks sexiest in a pair of white jeans. The man also knows how to rock a pair of sunglasses, dayum.”
Leandra Medine : “Actually I don't think I've ever talked with my dad about beauty. I will say, he has good eyebrows, which I appreciate. He also understands that he looks better clean-shaven, even though he likes his scruff—which I also appreciate. One thing I do remember is that he had to have his nose powdered on my wedding day, but only because the makeup artist forced him.”
Joana Avillez : “My dad may not have needed any beauty advice from me—I'm biased—but he was in particular an exceptionally elegant man. He liked Kiehl's and wore Lagerfeld cologne and was obsessed with it and very upset when it got discontinued. I cut his hair from when I was 9 years old on—he preferred it and said I knew what he wanted in a way no hairdresser could. I used to do the whole shebang—towel, comb, hair scissors, and ambiance. I'd transform the room into a salon for 45 minutes. The only beauty advice I could think to give him now would be to lay off the beard because why hide a cleft chin from your greatest fan—me.”
Lizzy & Darlene Okpo : “Giving our dad advice is hard because it's usually him who's very honest with us and gives us a hard time to make sure we moisturize our skin and be up and clean before 8am every day. So for me, all we can say is, 'Stop dying your gray hairs!''
Annie Kreighbaum : “I think my dad looks great. Both of my parents are beautiful people. I've genuinely never given my dad a piece of beauty advice or really even talked about beauty with him at all after he made me walk halfway to school because he hated the perfume I had on and wanted me out of his car.”
Marguerite Wade : “My father has always been a well put together kind of guy. He's getting older now, which in my mind opens up the style possibilities considerably. However, about a year ago he came to NYC for a weekend visit with a very different look. 'What is up with your hair?!' My sister Liz and I shrieked when we saw him. He informed us that he was inspired by Morgan Freeman and decided to let it grow and, sort of, brush it back. Yes, Morgan Freeman looks good, but that hair on my dad was about as fitting as him getting Mr. Freeman's matching earring. It just wasn't the right lid for that pot. We promptly took him to the barber shop and said, 'You know what to do.' They combed it out before they cut it off, and we all agreed that he did look more like Don King than Morgan Freeman, and we all—barber included—had a hearty laugh. But I will say that I appreciate him trying something new and the conviction for which he fought for that hair until we wore him down. Thats what children are for.”
Emily Ferber : “I wouldn't call my dad a stylish guy so much—but he gets by. He's always clean-shaven and I don't think I've ever seen him use moisturizer, which is a wonder to me, because I honestly don't think he needs it. One thing we did start to talk about once he went gray was how to deal with frizz. Whenever we go on vacation together, I like to pat his hair down with argan oil or Hairdresser's Oil so that he looks less frazzled in pictures.”
Stacey Nishimoto : “My father doesn't carry a trace of vanity, except for softening the fine lines on his face, ha! He has asked me not too long ago what can he do to keep his skin in shape. I think men should start using serums, since they are extremely picky on texture and heaviness on their skin—a serum would be perfect. Age-defying serums are lightweight and easy to use. Right after shaving, apply a serum then moisturizer, and you're good to go. Caudalie's Vinexpert Firming Serum is super lightweight and feels glorious on the skin, and it's power-packed with ingredients to fight wrinkles, firm, and lift skin—all that a dad can want. I bought it for him for his birthday, and he is ADDICTED.”
Liz De La Piedra : “My dad's a tradey in Australia so number one rule is sunscreen. I'd also let him know if he would like me or my sisters not to attack the black heads on his nose, he should exfoliate.”
Britt Morgan-Saks : “This has been a point of a contention all my life. My dad's a sloppy Joe, and I am not. Historically, we’ve been diametrically opposed in terms of style and all that. He'd get dressed, and I'd look at him and ask, 'You're going to pick me up at school in that?' But I don't think I could give him much in the way of beauty tips—I would advise ,and he would never take! However, as he’s gotten older, he’s learned to put value in what he looks like to the world—his pants fit better, and he seems more put together. He's gone gray, and I love that more distinguished look on him. I’ve taken a more lax approach to dressing myself. I think we’ve rubbed off on each other.”
If advice isn't enough, get your dad something other than a card this Father's Day.
