The Grooming Editor Approved Products of January 2022 - Men's Folio
Grooming, Fragrance, Skincare

The Grooming Editor Approved Products of January 2022

  • By Bryan Goh

The Grooming Editor Approved Products of January 2022
I was at a product launch meets lunch session — dine, drink, play with products and make merry — yesterday when a brand person asked me about my thoughts on how to market products to men. My answer? A point-blank response that frankly, despite the genetic differences in the skin between both genders, men and women want the same thing: a product that improves the look of their skin. It has to be efficacious, pleasing to use in terms of formula and feel, and most importantly, it has to be communicated in the simplest way possible.

Post-six meal courses later, the latter point I raised got me thinking about how Men’s Folio has been talking about products (both geared towards men, women, or both) for the past few years. Have we been simplifying concepts and science for our audience? Are we encouraging men to be more adventurous with their routines? Are we also giving them options in a non-biased way?

I’d like to think that we’re addressing all three points well except that we sometimes have our quirks and hang-ups for the latter (for example, I’m honestly not big on pressed powders because I love to look like a glazed doughnut) so here, the grooming editor-approved products of January 2022: tried, tested and useful for the different lives we live.

Pictured Above: The texture and method of use of the Sigi Skin Bright Skies Gentle Gel Exfoliator will be familiar if one used the Cure Aqua Gel of the early noughties. It is a gel you apply onto clean skin, rub it in circular motions, and then look back at all the dead skin on your face that appears. What does it do better though? It contains a blend of goji berries, pumpkin extracts, and spinach extracts that chemically exfoliates without stinging your face. I highly recommend leaving it on for two to three minutes to let the enzymes do the work before getting to work rubbing it in.

The Grooming Editor Approved Products of January 2022
The Caudalie Vinergetic C+ Instant Detox Mask or the Vinergetic C+ line in particular is what I consider the amped-up version of the existing Vinoperfect line. It contains Vitamin C that has been stabilised four times (hence the C+) for maximum freshness though I’d still recommend storing it in a cool and dry place. How effective is this mask though? It tightens pores upon first use (you can even use it as a spot treatment) and if you used it on skin that has bloating due to water retention, tightens it thanks to tannins. As for whether it gives you a glow like a Vitamin C product does, I’d encourage you instead to pair it with the rest of the series which includes products like serums or moisturisers.


One of the most exciting grooming products of January 2022 is the Dior Capture Totale Intensive Lotion Essence because everything the French House produces works and delivers results quickly. One use of this serum (it contains two types of hyaluronic acid to hydrate and a skin-strengthening solution) instantly alleviated the post-squeaky feel that came from a face wash. It also gave me a glow that meant my skin was genuinely happy to absorb this product and it lasted for about eight hours. If you give it a week too as I did, try pulling the skin on your face and watch it bounce back immediately. That is how truly effective it is.

The Grooming Editor Approved Products of January 2022
My usage of the ést.lab ActivCalm Quick Soothing SOS Serum is a bit of an anomaly because I usually give products a trial week of one to two weeks. Post committing the grooming cardinal sin of using makeup remover wipes last night, my skin felt red and raw which this serum managed to alleviate. While the product claims to be formulated with a blend of mood-enhancers to reduce irritation to the skin and “de-stress” it, I think it simply makes for a good soothing product. Warning though, it has a slightly tacky texture when you dispense it but it absorbs quickly and does not pile under whatever else you put over it.


Whatever Glow Recipe launches instantly becomes one of the most exciting grooming products — the Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum is their January 2022 highlight — simply because they’ve managed to put the joy back into the way skincare is developed. The packaging will give one a serotonin boost and the scent of its products are natural which I find commendable. How good is this serum though? It contains a next-generation hyaluronic acid that hydrates multiple layers of the skin and plum extract to boost its hydrating properties. If you’re intensely dehydrated, I’d even recommend you to use it as a leave-on night mask.

The Grooming Editor Approved Products of January 2022
Good news: the brand now has its standalone store at Ngee Ann City. Even better news: you can shop the entire range in person with a customised gift option of printing polaroid photos to “frame” the packaging. What I find particularly interesting about Maison Margiela Paris’s fragrances though would be how whatever scent you spritz out closely resembles its name and Jazz Club is a prime example. Rum absolute, vanilla extracts and tobacco leaf takes me back to exhilarating nights at Gibson. As for its sillage, most Maison Margiela Paris’s fragrances last for six to eight hours which should just be enough in today’s context.


If your skin is perpetually red, itchy and if it also hurts to smile, then the Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer works as daily reinforcement for your skin. You can even be using it both day and night before tapering off once your face well, finally resembles a face. If you’re looking specifically for a treatment to boost your skincare routine (strengthening, repairing, or restoring) then you can use this product sparingly as a leave-on mask before going to bed. Interestingly, this mask can even double up as an intensely conditioning lip mask if once again, it physically hurts to smile.


How has the Orcé Cosmetics Come Closer Perfecting Setting Powder convinced someone so averse to powdering to claim it as one of the best grooming products of January 2022? It’s talc-free (talc itself, is so drying), blurs the appearance of pores and fine lines and most importantly, works for all skin tones. The latter, I’ve asked my friend of a MAC NC45 skin tone to try. Two more things I like about this product: it mattifies without removing the glow on your face (though I’d encourage you to tote it around to reapply it) and the underside of its cap is rounded for you to swirl your brush to “catch” the powder. That is design genius.

Once you’re done with this story about the best grooming products of January 2022, click here to catch up with our December/January 2022 issue!