When one the world's largest goods producers drops $200 million to promote a new product and there's a gay angle, they certainly attract our attention. Unilever is opening its fat wallet for the U.S. launch of Sunsilk shampoo, hoping for one of the biggest splashes in the company's history. So why do we care? Because the shampoo – aimed at women – is being marketed with three gay "best friend" types who will be pivotal to the marketing push. The Wall Street Journal reports Unilver

[...] will position them as style experts and they will write advice columns in magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Star, appear as commentators on television, and diagnose shoppers' hair problems. [...]

Unilever is paying to have the trio's hair advice column appear in some magazines, such as Cosmopolitan. Star will take it as a regular editorial contribution in its August edition. The men will be among the commentators who riff about celebrity news on cable-TV channel VH-1's "Best Week Ever."

Don't get us started about pay-for-pay (i.e. disguising paid-for advertising spots as editorial) in magazines — but the idea is damn brilliant. It remains to be seen whether Unilever can execute this brand splash without tripping over the Queer Eye factor, but they've got some clout: Sunsilk is already hugely successful in Europe, Latin America and Asia. The new shampoo hits the American market this month and is already taking a huge step in ensuring its success: two of its eight variations are aimed specifically as Hispanic women, targeting the fastest growing demographic in the country. You know, beside fag hags.

(The WSJ article is only available to paid subscribers.)

Unilever's Sunsilk(TM) to Debut in the U.S. [Business Wire]

Many of us consider it our gay duty to tame the wanton hairs that sprout up in unlikely places on our bodies, and it can become quite a mundane chore, especially when nose and ear hairs grow back so quickly. We personally get some masochistic pleasure from ripping out our nose hairs while we blog, but for those of you not into the pain, we have found a humorous alternative method that could possibly add a giggle to your trimming time. Possibly. If you find this sort of thing funny.

Finger-shaped trimmer [Harriet Carter via Uber-Review]

The Metrosexual movement is way over, with the prevalence of beards and hairy chests showing up on men (which we love!). But Norelco missed the memo, and is still marketing its Bodygroom Razor, which you use to shave around your carrot, walnuts, and fuzzy peach. Honestly, which part is the "fuzzy peach"? Between the legs, or…further back (and up)? It could be either. Whatever the case, Norelco wants that part of your body bald and they have the razor to do it.

Honestly, it doesn't seem practical; manscaping should still leave the suggestion of hair, at least, and this razor looks like it will rob you of everything you've got. Clippers suffice, thanks.

Click on this link and watch the video. Funny. Although if you're going to remove hair, waxing is the way to go. No rugburn-producing stubble. Think of your partner, please!

Shave Everywhere via [MrNightlifeHollywood]

Anyone who has seen Britney Spears in the last year knows how fat Starbucks can make you, but it's hard to give up coffee, if only because the caffeine has a medicinal purpose for a lot of us (as does the whipped topping, but that is a different issue). We might have a solution though with this new pepperminty soap that helps wake you up not just by the tingly sensation it gives your balls, but by putting 250mg of caffeine into your system with every shower. That's like drinking two cups of drip coffee, and it doesn't even turn your teeth brown.

Caffeine Soap [Hacked Gadgets via Gear Factor]

Even the butchest among us has felt the need to pluck a stray eyebrow hair, and it's hard to do with your fingers. That is where these new slant tweezers from Tweezerman come in. They come in red, white, and pink, but make no mistake, these are not for girls. They are called TweezerMAN after all. Get it? MAN, as in a man who uses pink tweezers.

Tweezerman Tweezers [Sephora via Uncrate]

• Radio With A Twist launches this weekend all over the USA and the first guest is Margaret Cho. We’ll be listening. [Radio With A Twist]

• George Clooney on Sam Alito, “I don’t want to do any damage to the Alito nomination, but Grant and I were at a midnight screening of Brokeback Mountain last night. Judge Alito was there. He had been there since, like, 3 o’clock I think. Wearing chaps. A big cowboy hat, chaps and that funny bolo tie thing.” [Open All Night]

• Poor Kathy Griffin! Divorce filings, being fired from E!, and now a botched Lasik surgery. Girl has some bad luck. [Lady Bunny]

• The Gays love their hair. A San Francisco doctor has advice on products, coloring, and what to do when you start losing your hair. [Gay.com]

• Can’t get gayer than this: Images of Rafael Verga mashed with Madonna’s “Hung Up.” Seriously, we’re sure Apple is even over the song by now. [Oh la la Paris]

One of the first signs of ageing, and a particular problem for many gay men (too many parties,) is tired, puffy eyes. Dark circles, crow’s feet, and the like just aren’t cute and lord knows the only bags you want around on Saturday night are your girlfriends.

The number one problem is puffy eyes. Usually caused by water retention after a long night of drinking and a short night of sleeping, puffiness can be minimized with DDF’s Soothing Eye Gel if you’re a big spender, or, if you’re cheap like us (please, God no) good ole’ Preparation H works wonders. Just be sure to get the cream not the ointment and stash it in another container when traveling, lest your partner think you got the ‘roids.

For dark circles, you need to lay down serious cash for the Hylexin. Sounds scary, we know, but this science-based product actually works (Mom raves about it). Not into paying the 95 bucks? Get a cheap concealer, just be sure to blend, blend, blend.

Of course, you can always just say ‘fuck-it’ and pull on a pair of Mary Kate oversized sunglasses. We won’t tell a soul what’s underneath.

Hylexin [Sephora]
DDF Soothing Eye Gel [Dermstore]

It’s time to take a look at what you’re wearing down there. No, not down there, way down there, on your feet. A good pair of shoes can give you that extra bit of style that can be the difference between going home empty handed or hand in hand.

Though we hate the billboards, Kenneth Cole makes some of the best shoes around: classic, well made and stylish. His simple black “on the double” can’t be beat.

When it comes to sneakers, you could go with old standbys Nike, Adidas, or Puma, but why not try a pair of hipper Ben Shermans. We’re all over the black and gold Athens Action gym shoe. Of course, there’s always a pair of Chuck Taylor’s. Those old Converse look good on just about everyone.

Even Politicians need to look good. All that spinning can only truly succeed with the appropriate smoke and mirrors. That consists of gorgeously manicured nails, a fabulous haircut, and a clean shave.

Blocks from D.C.’s gay Dupont Circle is the city’s most upscale men’s salon, The Grooming Lounge. A perfect location for Barney Frank who might want to stop by for some pampering before one of his regular P-town jaunts.

The Grooming Lounge has been making the men of D.C. beautiful for only a few years but they’ve become popular enough to warrant the opening of a second location. They ain’t cheap but they insist on quality. Their small selection consists only of superior products that you can’t pick up at Rite-Aid.

They’ve come up with cute political names for their grooming services. Our favorite is the Commander in Chief:

A business manicure will make his hands look professional while a foot treatment will soothe his “barking dogs.”

Unfortunately they don’t offer a package that soothes lying dogs. We checked.

Each Sunday night we switch on Desperate Housewives not to watch those middle-aged bitches further ruin their already messed up lives but to marvel at that 8th Wonder of the World: Jesse Metcalfe’s overly-manscaped eyebrows. They’re so carefully waxed that they’re just a little too perfect, too unnatural. Of course, we’ll forgive Jesse, but we ain’t forgiving you.

Use a pair of tweezers for plucking. It’s safe and easy but plucking one hair at a time can be time consuming. Keep in mind constant plucking from the root can eventually cause them to stop growing altogether, causing you to look like a drag queen before the show. Sephora stocks our favorite tweezers.

If you’ve got the dough, you can have someone do the work for you. Get them waxed by an expert. New York’s Nickel Spa will only set you back twenty bucks, but bring those D&G sunglasses to your appointment, so you can leave without anyone seeing the redness and irritation.

One last thing. If you’re going to go with electrolysis, go to a pro. We really don’t trust any form of home electrolysis, even if the battery-operated gadget promises “permanent hair removal.” The last thing you want is for some cheap machine to scar up your skin so it ends up looking like Seal’s.

Proper nail grooming is too frequently overlooked by homosexuals. That it’s also overlooked by heterosexuals is no excuse. Just a few minutes of daily attention can make the difference between your being a suave cosmopolite or a chewed-up, white vertical lines disgrace.

Regularly consuming a balanced diet is fundamental to nail health. Beyond that, a weekly manicure will help keep your hands looking their best. Debate rages over whether cuticles should be trimmed; however you may feel about that question, massaging a good cuticle oil into yours daily will help keep them properly hydrated.

When filing your nails, work from the side to the center, not in a see-saw motion, as see-sawing promotes nail splitting. If your nails are correctly filed, they will not snag when you run them across a pair of pantyhose. For cleaning, you should have a quality nail brush, such as Crabtree and Evelyn’s olive wood model, while for filing you could do worse than 14-karat gold. To the extent possible, moisturize with a nutritive nail cream after washing your hands. Remember, when your relatives gasp and say “Your hands look gay!” tell them you learned everything you know at Queerty.com.

Westsiders in LA will soon have a new place to get manicures, pedicures, and haircuts. It’s a salon exclusively for guys. And macho guys at that. Service Station Barber + Body is an uber-masculine salon and just like the name implies, the look and feel of the place will be Exxon meets 76 meets Mobile. We suspect it’ll probably end up looking more like a Bel Ami film set.

Says founder Scott "don't call me metrosexual" Holmes:

For anything beyond a simple haircut, I was forced to be in a place designed primarily for women. This made me uncomfortable and I wasn’t the only one: I heard so many of these stories, that I set out to create a place men could receive great grooming services and personal attention in an environment designed specifically for us.

And by “us” we think he is actually referring to closet cases.

We hope Service Station keeps with the cool vintage 50’s look from the few pics on their site. After all, that is our favorite decade (think James Dean, Marilyn, and Singin' in the Rain) and it’ll make us much more willing to give this place a shot.

There’s no firm opening date just yet. When we called we were given a vague response of “sometime mid-December” but they are taking appointments. We’re thinking of going in for a facial. If we like the way they handle our supple skin, we might come back for a haircut. But we don’t trust just anyone with our locks.

Remember that old Head and Shoulders commercial, where the hot guy enters an elevator packed with women, who all think to themselves, "he's cute… only a few flakes?" You don't want men reacting that way to you.

Head and Shoulders is still the number one selling dandruff treatment, but when have we ever wanted to do anything in the mainstream. We loved Alley Sheedy in The Breakfast Club but we don't want our hair to do that gross snowflake shake she did. Buy a bottle of Aveda's Scalp Repair. Natural botanicals and zinc allow this leave-in treatment to shovel those unsightly flakes while leaving a pleasant smell.

If you need something stronger, head to your local drugstore for some Nuetrogena Tsal tar shampoo. It's stinks as bad as Kevin Ferderline and looks even worse. But dammit it works, and that is the only thing that matters.

If your navy American Apparel T still looks like Boy George has pulled an all-nighter back there, then you give Nizoral a shot. A 2 percent solution is available over the counter and if that doesn't work, you need to see your doctor for a stronger version. Added bonus: some say Nizoral blocks DHT, one of the leading causes of hair loss.

Any true card-carrying queen knows how much of an ultra-mega grooming faux pau nose hair is for us. A definite no-no. So any of you caught with even a single strand of hair jetting from your nose like that bush from Drew Barrymore’s pits should be slapped silly.

But if they’re showing up as often as you’re hearing about Madge these days, it’s no big deal. All those stray nose hairs only mean you’re no longer the little twink you once were.

You've had enough practice with vibrating phallic devices, but here’s the equipment you'll need for the job: Panasonic’s Nose Hair Trimmer. It’s fast, clean, and precise. Much better than old-fashioned scissors you’ll get in any of these manicure sets. But whatever you do, stay away from novelty trimmers. Stay classy. You're not in college anymore.

Just make sure you avoid plucking those unwanted nose hairs or else you’ll risk infection. We don’t need a bleeding nose. Stick to your bleeding heart.

Your hands never get much rest. Day and night (God, every night when we were single), they’re constantly working, being exposed to the elements and all sorts of nasty chemicals. Most of us don’t think about proper hand care but it’s best not to neglect them. We take great care of the skin on our face so it maintains that youthful gay glow. But come middle age, we don’t want withered Michael Douglas hands that give away how old we truly are.

We use a high duty hand wash from California North. From tough grease to that exploding bottle of Wet, it can remove any gunk from your skin.

Finish off with Clarins Active Hand Care treatment. It will comfort your skin so use it anytime, anyplace and won't leave them feeling like you've just yanked them out of a vat of Vaseline.

We don’t like to go to bed wearing much of anything so these sleeping gloves that moisturize your hands overnight are not an option. It’s much too Michael Jackson-like and we absolutely refuse to go there.