We hope to see you there!

Beards and holidays go hand-in-hand like milk and cookies. Just ask Santa Claus—our favorite Bearded Gentleman.

The Bearded Gentleman makes a great gift or stocking stuffer for:

• a father or uncle who has had a mustache since the ’70s or ’80s.
• a little brother who just started shaving.
• an older brother whose Movember mustache has been growing strong… since November 2008.
• a boyfriend who needs a little extra help in the facial grooming department.
• a friend who has been rocking the playoff beard long past the end of the World Series.
• a nephew who recently graduated and landed his first big job.
• a barber or hair stylist.

Buy a signed copy using Google Checkout now!

The Bearded Gentleman: The Style Guide to Shaving Face is available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and many retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Today is November 1st, also known as the first day of Movember!

If you’re not familiar with the Movember, it’s the world’s largest fundraiser for prostate cancer research.

For 30 days, guys who sign up agree to grow mustaches and ask friends, family and coworkers to support them by donating money to the cause. Instead of a one day walk or marathon, the mustache creates a unique conversation-starter. Curious people will undoubtedly ask, “Dude, what’s up with the ‘stache?” and the Mo’Bro will have a unique opportunity to say, “I’m growing a mustache to raise awareness and money for cancers that affect men. Did you know that prostate cancer kills 32,000 men each year?”

The donations benefit The Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG.

And let’s be honest, Movember is a great excuse to finally take that mustache for a test drive.

The first rule of Movember is that Mo’Bros must begin the month clean-shaven. Nick Burns, co-author of The Bearded Gentleman: The Style Guide to Shaving Face, decided to shave his beard for the first time in two years! He visited barber extraordinaire Shorty Maniace for a straight-razor shave. And here’s the video to prove it!

You can donate to Movember and sponsor Nick in his fundraising efforts by clicking here. For every dollar Nick raises, his employer will match—so every dollar is worth two!

If you’re interested in growing a mustache of your own and raising money for a great cause, visit Movember.com.

For a limited time, Wahl is offering a limited-edition Movember facial hair trimmer! Buy a trimmer from Wahl, and the company will donate $10 to Movember. Visit WahlNation.com for more details!

Download a copy to your favorite e-reader, Kindle, iPhone or iPad today and never be without sound style advice.

Amazon Kindle: $9.99 (black and white), Amazon.com

Apple iPhone and iPad: $13.99 (color), available in Apple’s iBooks store.

For a limited time, The Bearded Gentleman is available at a discount of 25% off the list price; we’ll also include a $5.00 rebate coupon for the Wahl Lithium Ion Trimmer, now available from Wahl Home Products (see their website here).

To order, visit ArsenalPulp.com. To get your 25 percent off the list price, enter promotional code BEARDED during checkout.

Click here to buy the Wahl Lithium Ion trimmer from Amazon.com.

By Jessica Lothstein for Men’s Life Today

You wouldn’t keep a new car hidden away in the garage. You’d show it off, right? So why are you still hiding your hard-earned pecs and quads behind a bear suit? Have you not heard of body shaving and trimming — aka manscaping?

“Hair really does hide muscles and obscure their definition,” says Cynthia James, a former professional bodybuilder and a judge at the International Federation of Body Building. “A hairless body is the only way to show off the details of your muscles and physique and reveal symmetry.”

The good news is you don’t have to invest in any new products to manscape for bigger-looking muscles — the tools you use to groom your facial hair will do. In fact, all you need is an electric trimmer, a five-blade razor, shaving cream, a full-length mirror and a nice long shower.

“If you’re going to shave your body, you always need to prep it first with water and soap,” says Dr. Jeffrey Benabio, a clinical dermatologist and skin care expert in San Diego and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. “It softens the skin and hair so that you get the closest possible shave, and it helps prevent razor burn and ingrown hairs.” A good rule of thumb: Wait until the end of your shower before body shaving. But if you have the time, try soaking in a hot bath — it’s much more effective at softening skin than is a shower.

Unlike your face, your body’s unique bulges and curves require individual attention. Here’s how to conquer them all.

Chest

Show off your:

Pecs and abs

Manscape plan:

First off, if you’ve really got the goods (a well-defined chest and a 21-pack or whatever), you’ll want to lose all the hair (no need to keep the treasure trail when the real treasure is right there in view!).

As for your plan of attack, when it comes to chest hair, you want to shave with (not against) the grain of the hair. “Chest hair tends to be coarse and curly,” says Benabio, “and if you shave against the hair growth pattern, you could accidentally shave the hair beneath the surface, causing it to curl up under the skin” (read: ingrown hair).

One more thing: Mind the nipples. You might even want to put round adhesive bandages over them before you shave. Sure, they’re not the most manly of body parts, but fess up, you’d miss them if they were gone.

Legs

Show off your:

Quads and calves

Manscape plan:

Take out most of the bulk first with an electric trimmer or grooming scissors before you try to tackle it with a razor. Then use long, smooth strokes in a downward motion and let the razor lightly glide across the surface — using too much pressure can cause nicks and razor burn. Pay attention to curves and bony areas, like your knees and ankles, and adjust the direction of the razor accordingly.

“You shave your face every day, so you’re used to the contours,” says Benabio. “It’s like brushing your teeth, you get used to the routine. But when you’re shaving in new places, you have to be more careful.” One trick is to think of your razor as a paintbrush and use the same loose wrist motions that you would use when painting.

Arms

Show off your:

Biceps and triceps

Manscape plan:

Shaving your arms is a lot like shaving your legs: Trim first with clippers before you pick up the razor, then use long, smooth downward strokes.

But the tricky part is figuring out where to stop and start. If your arm hair is light in color and not too dense, you can probably just shave from your shoulder to your elbow and leave the rest alone. On the other hand, if your arm hair is dark and thick, you’re better off shaving all the way down to your wrist for a more uniform look.

Backside 

Show off your:

Glutes

Manscape plan:

If you really want to show these off, then we’re assuming you’re going to be wearing something a little tighter and formfitting than surf trunks, so you’re going to have to manscape the hair back there (and down there, in the front groin area between your thighs). First, you’ll need to get a good view, and a full-length wall mirror usually isn’t enough. Instead, try squatting over a small mirror placed on the floor. Next, take your time. Women are experts at this, but men need a little practice. “The trick is to use lots of shaving cream, pull the skin taut, and shave using short, light strokes,” says Benabio. “And remember to rinse out the razor blade between every single stroke; a clogged razor will prevent you from getting the smoothest possible shave.”

Jessica Lothstein is a freelance writer and former editor at Best Life magazine. She writes on a range of subjects, including grooming and fashion.

Gilt MAN Bookmark

Gilt MAN, our favorite high-end/low-price shopping site, and Men’s Book editor-in-chief Matt Lee hosted a wonderful party to celebrate the release of The Bearded Gentleman in Chicago on May 25th.

Dozens of gentleman (both bearded and clean-shaven) stopped by John Allan’s penthouse salon for some whisky tastings from Johnnie Walker, custom shirt fittings by Clifton Charles, and of course, shoe shines, hair trims and grooming services by John Allan’s stylists.

Gilt MAN dressed Nick for the occasion. He wore a jacket by Band of Outsiders, shirt by Ralph Lauren Purple Label, jeans by Rag & Bone, and a tie by John Varvatos.

If you couldn’t attend the party, here are some photos!

Photos by Barry Brecheisen, courtesy of Gilt MAN

It’s not too late to join Gilt MAN, the private and exclusive site for men’s fashion, grooming and more. Visit giltman.com/tbgchicago to sign up and get up to 70 percent off designer duds!

A very special thanks to Martial Vivot and his incredible staff, Janice, Wahl, Gilt Groupe, Hunter PR, Nutter Media, and everyone who helped out at the event–especially Robert for shaking up some great drinks and Heather for the countless things she did.

If you missed the party, check out the photos below! More to come!