The ‘How Long Gone’ Beauty Cheat Sheet For Men

February 5 | 4 minute read

Words by Kerri Gordon

If one thing’s certain, it’s that Chris Black and Jason Stewart – bicoastal co-hosts of the How Long Gone podcast – have taste (or as they phrase it, “Just swag, baby”).

And while I believe there are many men who should not be left in a room with a microphone and internet access, that’s not at all the case for Black and Stewart, whose oozingly cool and quick-witted musings on style, culture, food and beauty I practically eat up.

With a roster of global guests including Jamie Oliver, Allison Bornstein, Molly Baz and Mark Ronson, their recordings play like ear candy, with 600-some episodes seeming not nearly enough.

Sitting down with Black and Stewart at MECCA HQ to induct them into the MECCA Collectiva was as fun as one might imagine – and has resulted in the ultimate beauty cheat sheet for men. “Men here [in Australia] all have bad haircuts and moustaches,” mused Black, adding, “Which I'm sure is a problem for you.” He wasn’t wrong. Boys, take notes...

My ultimate beauty muse is…

CB: Jacob Elordi, and Rihanna.
JS: Rihanna has never not been glowing. With or without child. She’s timeless.
CB: I just think that I would like to look younger, obviously. And Jacob Elordi embodies that. And he's lusted after by men and women. And that's a powerful position to be in.
JS: Chris is pandering. He knows who vegemites his bread.

The one beauty product I always come back to is…

CB: La Mer’s The Eye Concentrate. I've used it on and off for years, but it's good. It's just the right consistency. Not too thick.
JS: Morning Chess by Vilhelm Parfumerie.

My last great trip was to…

JS: It’s happening right now. This is my last great trip.
CB: I would say Stockholm for me. I really like it. I'm gonna try to go back a couple times a year if I can. I just like it.
JS: Actually, my last great trip was to Sea Ranch. It's in Northern California. It's a beautiful coastal town. It's where I go to relax my mind, body and spirit.

In my carry-on bag, you’ll always find…

JS: The Buly Scented Matches– they’re always in my kit. They turn any hotel room into paradise.
CB: I always have my Comme des Garçons Wonderwood EDP that’s my signature fragrance. And I also always have fresh socks.
JS: Yeah, I like to do it with a white tee. I spill a lot.
CB: He's kind of like a food guy. So he's always spilling stuff.
JS: There's always... [in an Australian accent] tomato sauce.

My go-to spot for a facial treatment is…

JS: Biologique Recherche.
CB: There's a place in New York that my friend just opened and her name is Raquel Medina-Cleghorn. I got a really great facial there; it's like a real hour-and-a-half experience. There’s a place in LA called Formula Fig that I go to as well. It's 30 minutes, but they don't skimp – there's some microdermabrasion. It's apparently very popular with men because it's like, no-one wants to be there for two hours, but it's great before an event or something. I want to look de-puffed and glowing.

My ultimate indulgence is…

CB: I spend a fortune on exercise and things that help me exercise better.
JS: I would say food is my indulgence. I spare no expense when I'm grocery shopping or restaurant-visiting. I go grocery shopping maybe three or four days a week. I think the overarching storyline is that Chris spends his money on things to put on his body and I spend my money on things to put in my body. He likes it on the face, I like it in the mouth.

The greatest meal I’ve ever had is…

JS: To me, the greatest bite of food is bread, butter and salt. I went to this place in Melbourne called Julie for lunch and that was one of the best bread-and-butters I've ever had.

My latest beauty discovery is…

JS: The infrared sauna. I sauna many times a week and that's kind of the one thing that I really am diligent about. I also do the 'ice face plunge', like when you get a bucket of water or a big salad bowl, fill it with ice and then smash your face in there. I do sauna, cold face, sauna, cold face.
CB: The Face Gym facial that's like a workout for your face – it feels good, and you look great afterwards. It’s a nice little treat. When I discovered that, I went crazy. I gotta go once a week.
JS: He’ll do anything with the word ‘gym’ in it.

The one song I always play when getting ready is…

CB: I listen to upbeat Britpop when I'm getting ready – not sad stuff, but not crazy stuff either. It’s like, middle-of-the-road 'getting ready' music.
JS: I listen to ambient music to relax my pores. That's usually all I listen to – ambient soundscapes, nature, waterfalls.