Written by Paddy Maddison in Grooming on the 21st October 2016

Male grooming is an absolute minefield these days, there’s just so much to remember. What moisturiser should you use? What’s the done thing when it comes to venturing south with the ol’ razor? Should you get a back, sack and crack? Well let’s stop right there and say that no, you probably shouldn’t. However, we’ll do our utmost to answer your other queries and then some. Just make sure you’re not committing any of these cardinal grooming sins and you’ll be golden.

Unkempt facial hair 

A bit of facial hair is great but all too often we see guys who are just failing to keep theirs in check. If you’re sporting a bit of stubble then be sure to keep it nice and trimmed, or if you’re busy growing a beard then keep it tidy by trimming any stray hairs in the mirror with a pair of scissors. It really does make all the difference.

Too much fragrance 

This mistake is possibly the most common on the list but if you’re guilty of it then you really are shooting yourself in the foot... twice. Why twice? Well, it's because your aftershave is going to run out faster, which is going to cost you more money, and also because you’re going around smelling like the inside of Laurence Llewelyn Bowen’s handbag. Never a good vibe to give off.

Below the belt 

If you expect your other half to be nicely trimmed down below then it stands to reason that they should be able to expect the same from you. Now we’re not suggesting that you should book yourself in for a brazilian or anything mad like that but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a little tidy up with the scissors and a body groomer – just be careful.

Not moisturising 

If you’re not used to buying moisturisers then it can be a nightmare trying to pick out the right one. A lot of people will tell you that men’s and women’s moisturisers are exactly the same but it’s not true. Men’s skin is thicker than women’s skin and our moisturisers are designed to cope with that. Basically, just stick to anything with ‘MEN’ written on the packaging and you can’t go too far wrong.

Unkempt nose and ear hair 

You cut the hair on your head and we’ve established that you’re going to trim your beard and tidy up below the belt. So if that’s the case then why treat your nose and ear hair any differently? You don’t need to fork out on a trimmer, just keep it under control with a pair of scissors if need be. We’re pretty sure that there can’t be many things more off-putting for your date than sitting across the table from a guy who’s sprouting a jungle out of sixty percent of the holes on his face.

Going overboard 

At completely the opposite end of the spectrum is the most metrosexual of all the grooming errors – going overboard when it comes to body hair removal. The aim should be to keep everything nice and neat. The aim should not be to take a bath in a vat of hair removal cream and then book yourself into a salon to have your eyebrows shaped. A little bit of hair is good. It’s all about balance.

We look at male beauty faux pas and grooming sins in this guide to The Most Common Grooming Mistakes to Avoid.