Beauty Tested, Beast Approved is a grooming blog for normal guys. My wife, Amy (the beauty director of Allure magazine) has tried thousands of products over the years—mostly on herself, but often on the human guinea pig who sleeps next to her. Here are some of my picks, and for all Beast Approved entries, head here.

I’m a beard lifer, so unless I decide to join the military or get drafted by the Yankees (fat chance to military—and double fat chance to the Yanks), I’ll probably sport one for the rest of my life. But I do still pine for the ritual of shaving—enough so, that I occasionally shave off my entire beard…just so I can promptly start growing a new one. It’s also a good opportunity to try some of the new shaving products that have been accumulating on my desk. The best from my most recent round of testing: Eshu’s Skin Assist Shave Cream ($16 at eshu.com.au).