As much as music was part of my identity in high school and college, I’ve never been a huge audio guy. I didn’t own any vinyl, and the only lamentation I had about shifting all of my music from CD’s to my phone was that it didn’t play as loudly in my car. I’ve never installed an aftermarket stereo system in a vehicle and my home isn’t equipped with a sub woofer and surround sound. Basically, I’ve been pretty content with anything that comes out of the box.

It should come as no surprise that the same standard applies to my headphones. I’ve been using the standard white earbuds for as long as I’ve had an iPod or iPhone and they’ve done the job just fine. However, when LSTN reached out to me to see if I was interested in reviewing a pair of their headphones, my curiosity piqued and I wanted to see what the world of the audiophile was like. Would a different pair of earbuds really change the way I listened to music?

LSTN makes all of their headphones, both earbuds and over-the-ear options, with reclaimed wood. They source from materials like cherry, beachwood, and ebony. Initially I believed it was purely aesthetic; don’t get me wrong either, the wood looks awesome and makes each pair of earphones unique. However, it serves a practical purpose as well. Wood is used in classical instruments like guitars, drums, and pianos because of the effect it can have on sound. It can increase the warmth and quality of the audio coming through the player.

This opened up an entire new experience for me. I hadn’t realized how tinny and distant my music was until I started to use these headphones. Warmth is really the best word to describe the improved sound. The best comparison I can give is that of firelight vs the fluorescent bulbs lining a Wal Mart. Sure they both provide light, but the light of the fire does more than just that. It feels more natural, more social, and more inviting. The improved sound from these headphones creates a similar effect. I felt more like I was experiencing my music like I would at a live show, as opposed to just passively listening to it.

Out of the box, they come with a small, burlap carry bag and different-sized rubber cups. These were a huge benefit to me because apparently I have little-girl ear canals. The standard-size cup they provided was too big and felt extremely tight and uncomfortable, so the foresight in recognizing that people need size variations was a welcome inclusion.

I also am a fan of the no-knot nylon cable. I try to neatly wrap my chords but even the best wrapping can still get caught around other things in my bag or twist up on myself. By using a nylon cable as opposed to the standard earphone wiring LSTN made something that doesn’t tangle, nor does it crease and break. If I do see minor kinks when pulling it out of my briefcase or gym bag, I simply hold one end and run it through my hand all the way to the other, leaving it straight and ready to go. Of course they’re not the only company to do this, but I’m glad it’s part of their process.

The cable comes with an in-line microphone and one-button stop/play control. This is my largest complaint with these earphones because there is no option for volume variation directly on the cable. This is most frustrating in the gym when I have my phone in an armband and the controls on its side aren’t as easily accessible. Even after two months straight of using these, I still miss having the volume control right there on the cable.

The last major difference I noticed between these and my white earbuds, is the passive noise cancellation. I’m still surprised every time I put these on at how little I can hear around me. This is especially helpful at the gym because it helps keep me focused and I can feel like I’m in my own world. While I haven’t had the opportunity to try these on an airplane, I would imagine their cancellation properties are a huge improvement on the standard, white buds in that situation as well.

Aesthetically the Bowerys aren’t much, and it’s too bad. The great cherry wood on mine is hidden by my ears and all that’s visible is the black nylon chord. However, they have some over-the-ear phones that appear refined and well-crafted and would look much more appropriate when worn with a business suit than the brands you see sold at Best Buy or sponsoring snowboard competitions.

All in all, I’d say these are a worthwhile purchase. If they had volume control on the in-line mic they’d be perfect. Even still, at $50 for the Bowerys, they’re not much more expensive than replacing standard-issue headphones and the noise cancellation and sound improvement makes the extra money worth it.

Whether you’re jumping on the growing trend or you’ve been sporting a beard since it was just high-school peach fuzz, there’s a right way, and a wrong way to do it.

Too many people believe that growing a beard means just quitting shaving and calling it good. However, to effectively pull one off without looking like a hobo, requires some care and attention. Things like continuing to shave the neck and cheeks to give it shape, using shampoo and conditioner on a longer beard to keep it clean and healthy, even trimming it as often as getting a haircut to create uniformity and consistency are all key aspects of a well-groomed, good-looking beard.

To add to the list of beard maintenance tips mentioned above, I suggest trying a beard oil. It’s used to soften the hairs, making them more malleable and shiny.

To help me on my quest for an improved mane, the guys over at Beardbrand were willing to send me a bottle of beard oil and their mustache wax.

I’ve been using it on a daily basis for a few months now and have seen a noticeable difference. My beard is softer and more workable. I have fairly wiry hair and it rejects most of my attempts to comb through it and retain any semblance of a shape. However, since I’ve been using this beard oil it has been much more submissive and keeps its consistency throughout the day.

It has removed most of the annoying itch factor involved in growing a beard from one stage to the next. I’ve been wearing a full beard since 2007. While most of the time I’ve kept it at less than a quarter inch long, over the winter I decided to grow it out to something a little fuller and more barbaric. What anyone will tell you when growing a beard out is to be aware of the itchiness involved. I’m pretty sure it’s nature’s way of telling your face it’s time to shave, and it was always how I gauged when I should trim things down in the past. After a couple weeks of using the beard oil at my regular length, I decided to grow it out and noticed a significant decrease in how much my face rejected the idea of it. The annoying, unsatisfiable itch went from an omnipresent hindrance of more than a week, to the occasional occurrence over a three day period.

After the weather started to warm up I decided to trim things back down to a more normal length. At first I thought I’d no longer need the oil but I still wanted to use it for the sake of experimentation. I was pleasantly surprised to find that using an oil is just as good for a short beard as it is for something longer. While the hair’s malleability isn’t as much of a factor, it still helps to alleviate itching and keep the fuzz looking healthy. I’ve used it on a short, medium, and longer beard and have found it to be helpful for all three.

Applying the oil is a simple process. One simply has to take a dime-sized amount, rub it once or twice between his hands, and apply it all over the beard. After that he can comb it out or walk away content.

Beardbrand has a number of different scents and and options for their oils. They sent me along the Tree Ranger and I’ve loved the smell. The only downside is that it doesn’t last as long as I’d like. I can’t smell it by the time I leave for work in the morning and I’d like a little more of a lingering effect.

For the man who doesn’t want competing scents (not that the competition would last that long anyway), they even make an odorless oil. I can’t vouch for their other products, but they have a great-looking lineup of grooming kits, boars-hair brushes, scissors, combs, and soaps.

At $25 a pop it can seem like a lot of money for a small amount of liquid. However, at the pace I’m going, I wouldn’t be surprised if this bottle lasted me an entire year.

Some may argue that the purpose of a beard is let it grow wild and avoid the constraints of sissified grooming routines. To that I say if beard styling and grooming was manly enough for the German barbarians who overthrew the Western Roman Empire, it’s good enough for me.

The Internet is full of frauds.

It doesn’t matter in what corner a man finds himself, the ease of use of social media and blogs is prime breeding ground for fakes and snake-oil salesman. On scales large and small, we’ve all seen it. It may be that friend from high school who’s always posting on Facebook about how hard they work – yet their labors never bear any fruit, or the self-professed ladies man who clams up like the bass player of a high-school emo band when in the vicinity of an attractive woman, or the scrawny guy who criticizes the form of men deadlifting three times their own body weight.

This isn’t to say that any man who is less than perfect has no business being online. Far from it. I enjoy those who catalog their growth processes because it can make aspirations seem more tangible and attainable. Rather, it’s to comment on the fact that anyone can be an “expert” in their field.

I know a man is an expert not by the number of comments his blog gets, or how many followers he has on Instagram, or even by a government-backed certificate saying he’s passed the right tests. I know a man is expert when he walks his talk.

The world of style blogging isn’t any more or any less immune to keyboard jockeying and frauds than any other interest group. Rather than pointing out the fakes, I want to hi-light one (in the future there will be others) of the men who is what he claims to be.

If you haven’t heard of Aaron Marino over at iamalpham.com, I suggest you check him out right away. Aaron’s worn different hats in the style world since clear back in 2006. He’s worked as an image consultant, written blog posts, and his bread and butter now is his popular YouTube channel.

Aaron covers all things aesthetic – from style, to grooming, to fitness, and even body language. Because he does it on the fly and in front of a camera, there’s not a whole lot of room for him to fake who he is. His confidence, physique, and style are all apparent in any one of his videos and it makes him more enjoyable to watch and also easier to trust as a valid resource. After having an enjoyable phone conversation with him last week I can say he’s the same one-on-one as he is in front of a camera.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so. He’s been consistently in Real Men Real Style’s annual list of top ten style bloggers and has received a fair amount of both local and national press. To cap it all off, Aaron’s doing this as a full-time job. It’s not some pipe dream, or even just a side hustle; the man makes a living on the Internet helping men improve their appearance and their lives.

Check out his intro video, and then dive into his site.