The Grooming Guide Article

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Gerard Butler

‘My go-to product is a good moisturiser’

If ever there was a stylish guy, Gerard Butler is he. With his perfect understanding of the ‘groomed but rugged’ concept, Gerard has a lot going for him as he’s also a trained lawyer and charity organiser. His latest venture sees his face gracing the new Hugo Boss scent, Boss Bottled, as the #ManofToday. Jealous, us?

Star of films as diverse as P.S. I Love You and 300, Gerard is a down-to-earth witty kind of chap who doesn’t take himself too seriously. What can we say, he’s a modern renaissance man and you’ve got to hand it to him, he does it all very well.

What was your first fragrance and what memories does it evoke from your youth?
It was actually stolen from my step-father – Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent and Paco Rabanne… that says a lot about him doesn’t it? I remember it felt like an armour, suddenly I felt I had something else going for me, I felt sexy and cool. Nowadays I find it as another way to express myself, fragrance is such a nice finishing touch. That’s always the way fragrances have been for me. It’s kind of like taking out your best buddy with you.

What do you look for in a fragrance?
I’m from Scotland and I love being around nature, all the forests and pine trees, it really inspires me, gets my brain going. Anything that is peaty and has wood tones really brings me back. Something to remind me of cottages and wood fires. Definitely spicy and musky scents are great as well.

When do you think Hugo Boss Bottled is best to wear?
Certain fragrances I would wear more in the evening but this I would wear any time. It has a certain playfulness to it which I like.

Do you have any advice for women buying a fragrance for their man?
Keep the receipt! Ha, no but buy the one he likes and the one you like. Then, whenever he wears the one you like completely ravish him! Scratch his back and pull his hair, he’ll soon catch on. Actually I reckon that could work in pretty much any situation…

Complete this sentence: Boss Bottled is ideal for…?
Tricky, it’s so versatile! I think you can wear it day or night, it’s got a great signature. It doesn’t smell of formality, informality, or midformality…

What does your grooming routine look like?
My go-to product is a good moisturiser. When I use it I’m really proud of myself! It feels good to look after your skin. I use hair cream too, I used to use hair paste but it was making my hair too dry. At the moment I’m living in Malibu so I surf a lot and because I’m Scottish I absolutely fry in the sun! So a good sunblock is a must. Oh and toothpaste. I can’t think of what else there could be… does that make me more manly? Keep it minimal.

Have you ever had any grooming related disasters?
Oh loads, too many! Actress Josie D’arby once straightened my hair. It was all fluffy and horrible, I don’t think I’ve ever looked worse in my life. I asked her to fix it but alas she wouldn’t so I ended up going to a meeting with this ridiculous hair. Oh and once this poor hairstylist on set put the trimmer on the wrong setting…and shaved my whole beard off! We were right in the middle of filming so the two scenes don’t follow through too well… The hairstylist tried to fix her mistake by drawing a beard on with some black marker, definitely a filming inconsistency!

What is your top tip for looking your best?
In the morning, before you jump into your day properly, get up and do stuff! I mean like have a shower, meditate, do some cardio – set time aside to feel good before you start your day. You’ll have that sparkle in your eye for the rest of the day.

What’s your fitness regime like?
I usually exercise first thing in the morning or after work, or during work…whenever I can! But really it depends on what movie I’m working on. When I found out I was playing a God for Gods of Egypt I was like ughh oh no! When it’s like that you know you’ll be spending the next three months in the gym. I am motivated by fear though. At first I’m so scared about how good I have to look, but then I let it inspire me to see how good I actually can look. It’s really rewarding to see it all pay off. I don’t know what it’s called but it makes me happy. Endorphins that’s it! But in an upcoming film I’m playing a scientist/engineer so I’m not training like mad. If I don’t need to train excessively I’ll do what I enjoy, so that means fun and challenging things like hiking or biking. I definitely make the most of time when I can enjoy sport.

What’s your agenda like for the rest of the year?
Lots of movies, a sub-marine movie. And London Has Fallen. And a film in November with Dean Devlin, exciting stuff!

Imogen Orchard