My morning routine is relatively brief since I don’t sleep much at night and I usually sleep through my first alarm and have to rush to get ready. I generally have a pretty good idea of what I’m going to wear and throw it on in about 5 minutes or so. Once I’m done I head into the bathroom, throw some American Crew Fiber product in my hair to style it a bit, brush my teeth, mouthwash, and 2 spritzes of cologne and I’m out in again 5 minutes (I shower and shave at night). Then I grab my personal items off of my night stand and head out. It’s a great routine and I’m comfortable with it for the most part but with the summer heat kicking in I think it’s time to switch hair product. The Fiber is pretty thick and at the end of a hot day gets weighed down and uncomfortable. I don’t feel like cutting my hair just yet since I spent 4 months in Italy growing it out so I’m thinking of going with Bumble and Bumble Grooming Creme. It’s a product that still gives good texture and hold without being heavy, greasy or shiny. It shouldn’t add any time to my morning routine, will give me relief from my Mike Tyson of heavyweight texture creams for the summer and works well with the way I’ve been wearing my hair lately. Available in a 5 oz. and a 2 oz. travel size tube.

Now that I am back from Italy I am home in New York getting ready to start my Summer. After a series of pretty catastrophic haircuts in Florence I was glad to be back in the States where I could have faith in a barber, or at least curse him out in my native tongue if he effed up. Usually when I’m down in DC during the school year I go to the Grooming Lounge, where I’ve been a regular for 3 years and even worked for a 6 month period before heading off to Italy. Much to my dismay I couldn’t drive down to DC just to get my haircut so I settled for a more local option, although in retrospect I would hardly call it settling. F.S.C Barber has three locations, I chose the 8 Rivington St. shop located in the back of the Freemans Sporting Club store just a few blocks from the 6 train’s Spring St. Subway station. Traditional barber shop style where you sit and wait until your name is called, plenty of chatter including debates over sports, music and politics and a very stylish atmosphere. The guy that cut my hair was a fellow Long Island native and did an excellent job. The price may be a bit steep for some at $40 for a cut but this is definitely my new spot for a cut in New York. Also open on 5 Horatio St. in New York and 696 Valencia St. in San Fransisco. No appointment needed, accepts credit cards.

The Sartorialist’s Scott Schuman has collaborated with Kiehl’s to come up with a limited edition dopp kit just in time for Father’s Day. The bag comes stocked with travel sized face wash, moisturizer, eye de-puffer, no-shine lip balm, and soap scrub all of which I’m sure would be a welcomed upgrade from Dad’s normal travel accompaniments. The kit comes with a black bag to stash it all in with the “The Sartorialst for Kiehl’s” patch embellishment. Currently only available on the French site www.colette.fr but I’m sure it will be coming to American sites as well as Kiehl’s retail locations in no time.

After 10 years the choice designer of Rock & Rollers like Cheap Trick, Velvet Revolver, and ZZ Top is still doing his thing and making some of the best designer clothes, shoes, and accessories with a bit of an edge.  Not to mention he single-handedly made Converse cool again.  As a huge fan of John Varvatos I am very excited for this new fragrance.  Currently I use the John Varvatos Classic Scent but everything from the bottle design to the promise of bergamot and citrus over subtle notes of cinnamon draws me to getting my hands on the 10th Anniversary Fragrance.  If you’re looking for a new signature scent I strongly suggest giving this a try.  Check it out in a store first since it is Final Sale on the JV website. I’m sure they have it at the downtown New York flagship store at 315 Bowery (formerly the infamous CBGB rock club).  Look out for JV getting a Style Icon of the Month nod coming up in the near future too.

Acqua Di Parma has been a leader in the grooming industry for quite some time now. Well known for high quality products from the finest ingredients and made in Italy.  It is no surprise that their newest men’s fragrance is right on par with what you would expect from ADP.  The scent is a mix of woody and citrus flavors that is fresh and uplifting while still maintaining  a healthy dose of manliness.  A bit more difficult to catch but perhaps my favorite hint that you get from this spray is Lily of the Valley, which is a sweet floral scent that is soft and not at all overbearing. Other notes are Neroli, Rosemary, Vetiver, and White Musk. A great every day fragrance that the ladies will love (so ladies reading this, buy this for your man). Available in 3.4 oz. and 1.7 oz. (travel size) bottles.

Tip from the Editor: Keep it to 1-2 sprays. Even colognes that are not strong or overbearing can be overdone by irresponsible spritzing. So… “Spritz Responsibly”