One of the most difficult things to get a man to do (aside from committing to a relationship) is to get him to take better care of himself. I’ve seen such behavior in my father, my uncles, cousins and guy friends. For some strange reason they think maintaining their caveman-like beer belly, ill-fitting clothes and excessive amount of facial fur makes them manlier. Don’t even get me started on the whole body hair issue. Fortunately, all those marketing geniuses in the big beauty corporations have been working overtime to overhaul the image of managing man mangy.

photos courtesy of Kiehls.com

Though the very first male make-up line from Jean Paul Gaultier wasn’t all that successful in its campaign to get guys primping instead of pimping (not everyone can pull off guy-liner), I think Kiehl’s , one of my most favorite skincare brands, has come up with an essentials kit with actual sensible must-haves that could convince even the most soap-averse dude to make the effort to keep himself looking and feeling  fresh & flea-free .

The Jesse James Dopp Kit is a namesake Kiehl’s collab with the West Coast Choppers proprietor (and hubby of Sandra Bullock) and is one of the most fuss-free grooming kits I’ve ever seen. The interests of Kiehl’s and Jesse James intersected with their shared love of the motorcycle. Aaron Morse, founder Kiehl’s, was a big bike enthusiast, this intense love most clearly vivified in one of the most prominent features of the Kiehl’s flagship store in New York, an extensive exhibit of vintage bikes, which is why it was but natural to consider Jesse James when they needed someone to do a men’s collection for them.

Handsomely packaged in a black biker-culture inspired bag, the set includes Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash, “White Eagle” Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream, Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap, Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment and a deluxe sample of Ultimate Strength Hand Salve. The selection is really quite brilliant because most of these items are stuff you could already find in a man’s skincare stash, you just up the skincare factor by replacing them with premium products that are more beneficial to the skin, because God knows what goes into that industrial-sized canister of Old Spice.

The Jesse James Dopp Kit is available at Kiehls.com but put the pedal to the metal because this is a limited edition item, quite a convenient excuse to go shopping for you too.