Men Confess: His Secret Pre-Date Primping Habits

Men don't generally have a reputation for primping and spending hours in the bathroom, but they do try...kind of. We asked the male members of Marie Claire Ask & Answer — Marie Claire's online Q&A community for dating, sex, and relationship advice — to tell all about their secret pre-date beauty routines. Some of their answers surprised us; some just grossed us out. Here are their confessions:

They Keep It Simple...at First

Going all the way on a first date? Not when it comes to grooming. When it comes to date prep time, ladies have men beat by a long shot. Most of the men of Answerology said they kept it pretty simple at first — shave, shower, and cologne (In fact, boxer1 keeps it so simple that his beauty habits consist of taking a shower..."if she's really hot"). Nothing wrong with minimalism, but c'mon dude, at least lather up!

They Take Care of Hairy Situations

Ladies, we're not alone — while we're plucking and waxing every stray hair, chances are, he's doing some body hair removal pre-date too. Answerology member joeblow1234 admits to breaking out the tweezers before a date, and guy506 admits that he takes care of his ear and back hair.

They Forget the Basics

They may be showering, spritzing on cologne, and shaving before a date, but sometimes, they forget the basic rules. guy506 (of furry ear and back infamy) says that if there's a chance for some action, "wear clean underwear is added" to his to-do list. Other Answerology males chimed in that they make sure they manscape below the belt...but usually not before date number three.

They're Sneaky

Some men are one step ahead of the game. Answerology member sammann shocked us with his confession: "I use to use Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo on my hair." He explains, "Women have always said I have such a masculine smell to me, but when they get close (and can smell my hair) they always would comment on how comforting and familiar it felt to have my arms around them and have my cheek pressed to theirs....we all have an attachment since childbirth to that smell, right?"