How to Look Good Every Day

Look your best every day with simple lifestyle habits, smart grooming, and a practical routine any man can follow.

Source: Pexels

I’m not going to lie. I loathe the grooming process. It’s time-consuming and tedious.

But it’s non-negotiable.

It benefits me professionally and privately.

It shows that I set standards, that I’m in control, and that I’m ready for upward mobility.

This has nothing to do with being flashy, showing off, or changing who I really am. It’s about consistent self-maintenance.

And because I hate it, I plan ahead so that I don’t have too much to do on any one day. But that’s only part of the picture.

Before we move on to the grooming process, let’s take a look at simple, achievable lifestyle choices that make a huge difference to the way we look.

Lifestyle Adjustments

To look your best, you must take care of yourself.

Losing Bad Habits

Two challenges I conquered many years ago were quitting smoking and changing my sleep schedule—I’m a natural night owl.

I’d drop off in the early hours, wake up late with only a few minutes for the bathroom, then spend the day guzzling coffee and puffing cigarettes to stay alert.

As a result, I looked tired and gray.

Maintaining Fitness

I’m the quiet, unassuming type. You won’t catch me pumping iron at the gym, nor running around the block in compression tights for all to see.

But instead of hopping in the car, I walk short distances and use the stairs instead of the elevator. Among other simple activities, these increase NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), which keeps me trim and fit. I also eat a healthy diet, practice intermittent fasting, and take my supplements.

What are your weaknesses? Do you have enough time to get ready in the morning? Have you acquired a nasty habit that’s sabotaging your appearance? Are you neglecting physical fitness? There’s always something you can do without adopting a lifestyle you don’t want, and it’s probably not as hard as you think.

If you look relatively vital, you’ll have a good canvas with which to work.

Source: Pexels

Grooming to Look Good Every Day

For optimal skin and dental health, you’ll need a twice-daily routine.

The Morning Routine

In the morning, I need time to wake up. I don’t eat breakfast. Instead, I sit in front of my computer for 45 minutes with a cup of coffee. Then it’s time for the bathroom, for which I allow myself another 45 minutes.

This is when I get the bulk of my grooming tasks out of the way, which sets me up for the day ahead.

The Basics

I do a little more than just clean my teeth, shave, and shower. These are the bare basics every man should manage within about 20 minutes.

➜ Brush Your Teeth

To lift coffee stains, I use baking soda and a squirt of 3% hydrogen peroxide, plus a purple toothpaste to counteract yellowness. I like to think it works.

My teeth have remained whiter for longer since my last professional cleaning, but I suspect the real reason is my sonic toothbrush, which is timed for two minutes.

Later in the shower, my water flosser finishes the job.

➜ Shave

I lather up and shave with an old-fashioned safety razor. Unlike multi-blade cartridges, it cuts whiskers above skin level, sparing me unsightly razor bumps.

While shaving, I check for stray hairs in my nostrils and earholes, and whether my mustache or eyebrows need a trim. If so, I attend to them during my pre-shower maintenance, which I’ll come to in a moment.

➜ Shower

Showering rinses away shaving and sleep debris while stimulating circulation.

To boost alertness and skin tone, try showering cold or finishing with a cold-water blast.

Maintenance

This includes tasks you fit in as and when. Spreading them out over the week is key to consistent grooming. Nobody should notice that you’ve finally gotten around to cutting your nails or tidying your beard. The idea is to always be on point.

Like skincare cosmetics, which we’ll get to later, proper maintenance is what makes you appear polished—and it takes only a few minutes each day between shaving and showering.

➜ Nose and Ear Hair

Hairs growing from these regions are hormonally driven and most prevalent in mature men.

But there’s no need for a waxing session at the barber’s. A battery-operated nose and ear trimmer offers the same aesthetic in about 30 seconds.

➜ Eyebrows

Like nose hair, overgrown brows are another hormone-related inconvenience.

Some nose trimmers include an eyebrow attachment. I prefer scissors or a beard trimmer set at 5 mm.

Although you need to go slowly and be precise, it still takes only a minute or so.

➜ Mustache and Beard

To keep my mustache strong and well-conditioned, I don’t apply shampoo or cleanser daily; I use only water. But I do exfoliate and remove debris with a boar bristle brush.

I then snip off hairs that won’t lie flat.

➜ Dyeing Brows and Facial Hair

If you’re graying unevenly, you may want to improve the color.

It sounds like a big job, but takes only about 15 minutes.

I try to fit it into my weekend routine, but if it can’t wait, I do it during the week before showering.

➜ Head Shaving and Buzzing

This is another task I save for weekends, but a midweek going-over does no harm if you have an important date or appointment.

To buzz my horseshoe fringe, I set my hair trimmer to 3 mm.

If you shave your head daily, the quickest, easiest, closest, and least irritating method is with an electric foil shaver.

Shaving and buzzing are something you can do while waiting for dye to develop, a clay mask to dry, or a chemical exfoliant to activate.

➜ Nail Care

Nails, too, can be done while something else is working.

I know mine are too long when they occasionally hit the keys while typing.

For a quick fix, I trim in three snips with toenail clippers and follow with a glass file. Unlike other files, glass allows a fast back‑and‑forth motion without breakage or splitting.

Source: The Neat and Tidy Man

The Evening Routine

After a hard day at work, I’m too tired for a complex skincare routine. All I really want is to crawl into bed.

So, I keep it as short and simple as possible.

The Basics

➜ Dental Hygiene

Because saliva flow decreases at night, the oral cavity is more vulnerable to bacteria. This is why evening dental care is so essential.

No matter how late it is, I brush for a full two minutes with a xylitol toothpaste, which fights bacteria, prevents plaque buildup, and neutralizes mouth acids. You might choose fluoride.

Flossing is another important step. It doesn’t only remove particles; it prevents inter-tooth discoloration.

➜ Skin Cleansing

Skin that’s properly cleansed can regenerate more effectively during sleep. I use micellar water for this.

Micellar water is technically a detergent that uses micelles (molecules with a water‑attracted head and an oil‑attracted tail) to lift dirt, sweat, and cosmetics without rinsing. Applied to a cotton pad, it takes only a few swipes.

If you wear all-weather mustache wax, you’ll need a two-phase micellar water containing oil.

➜ Apply Skincare Products

We’ll cover this properly in a moment, but serums and creams always follow cleansing.

➜ Facial Hair Conditioning

Massage your beard or mustache with oil. Whether it’s coconut, jojoba, castor, or argan, these protect against pillow friction, thus preventing breakage and split ends. The result is added strength and volume.

➜ Optional

Tanning

If you expect to get little sleep or anticipate a hangover after a night out, a self‑tanning product can help.

Apply it overnight so that you appear less fragile in the morning.

Tanning towels are the most effortless and foolproof option: these are wipes soaked in self‑tanning lotion.

Distribute over your face, neck, and dome, going into every crevice and not forgetting your ears. While depositing product, towels behave as a mild mechanical exfoliant, which helps prevent patchiness. But in case you do notice unevenness upon waking, showering with a mild body wash rectifies it.

Hair Removal

If you remove body hair, you may be sensitive to deodorant, cologne, and sun exposure afterward.

Therefore, depilate in the evening so your skin has time to recuperate while you sleep.

Weekend Routine

Reserve more time-consuming tasks for weekends.

These may include blending out grays, visiting the barber, more substantial facial hair trimming, pushing back cuticles, applying masks, and hair-conditioning treatments.

Source: The Neat and Tidy Man

Hair

Scalp hair can be a nuisance for several reasons: you can’t be bothered to get it cut regularly; it doesn’t look good without extensive styling; it’s dyed and constantly needs touch-ups; it’s thinning and you’re trying to disguise it with concealers and fibers; or it’s too greasy or too dry to appear consistently groomed.

You can eliminate these issues by:

• adopting a longer style that needs fewer trims
• adopting a more manageable style
• letting it go gray,
• or keeping it buzzed or shaved

I buzz once a week on weekends, which is sufficient to keep me looking neat and tidy throughout the week.

Skincare Products

I’ve left serums and creams until now because they come last in both the morning and evening routines. Apply them after showering or cleansing.

Exfoliants are often the exception: a body scrub is used while bathing, and facial chemical exfoliants can be applied after a quick cleanse with micellar water and rinsed off in the shower. These remove dead cells for a fresher appearance.

Which skincare products you choose depends on the time of day and your skin type.

My Skincare

Using myself as an example, I have mature skin.

I cleanse with a pH‑neutral body wash in the morning and a micellar water formulated for dry, sensitive skin in the evening.

➜ Morning Regimen

I first apply a copper peptide serum while my skin is still damp from showering, followed by a calcium day cream with an SPF of 15. I also massage these into my mustache.

My final step is The Ordinary’s Pycnogenol serum. This supports elasticity while adding color, leaving a radiant but natural-looking finish. I apply it to my face and dome, omitting the neck to avoid staining my collars. For pasty men, it’s better than self‑tanner, which can cause the skin to take on a yellow or orange hue when used frequently.

Sometimes I add an undetectable transparent perfecting balm (M. Asam Magic Finish) to improve skin texture. Using blur technology, it softens lines and wrinkles while minimizing the appearance of pores. You’ll need to remove it at the end of the day with an oil-based cleanser or two-phase micellar water.

Beard balm and/or mustache wax provide a final touch, depending on my current style.

Before leaving the house, I blot my face with a tissue to take off excess shine.

➜ Evening Regimen

After cleansing, I apply A‑Game retinal—a vitamin‑A‑derived product that supports cell turnover and collagen production. Because retinoids are unstable in ultraviolet light, it’s best worn overnight.

I follow with a peptide moisturizer.

A layer of petroleum jelly as a final step gives a slugging effect, which prevents moisture loss while sleeping.

For added volume, I massage a copper peptide serum into my mustache, followed by coconut oil for protection and conditioning.

This may sound complicated, but it keeps me in the bathroom for no more than ten minutes.

➜ Understand Your Skin

For a better understanding of how to treat your skin type, I’ve compiled the following articles:

• How to Know Your Skin Type: A Guide for Men
• Aging Men and Skincare
• The Nighttime Cleansing Problem—Avoid Stinging and Discomfort
• Build a Facial Care Routine That Works for You
• How to Stop Pimples
• How to Care for Men’s Dry Skin

Source: The Neat and Tidy Man

Dressing

In the era of business casual, we may no longer wear suits for the office, but your wardrobe still matters.

Keep your clothes properly laundered, your dress shirts pressed, and your shoes polished.

And don’t forget the significance of color: choose shades that flatter you while influencing others. In the end, that’s what all of this is about.

© 2025 J. Richardson