Finland should be known for more than their Nokia cell phones. Meet Pirkko Vaisanen, the Artistic Director of Paul Labrecque Gentlemen’s Salon & Barber Shop at The Chatham. The Gentlemen’s Salon, which is going on its third year of existence, is located on the second level of the award-winning Paul Labrecque Salon & Spa East on 65th St. & 3rd Ave. With a new year comes the opportunity for us men to learn how to take better care of ourselves. Thanks to shows like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and role models like David Beckham, today’s average male is starting to realize that pampering is OK! However, he often has no clue how to go about doing such lifestyle changes.

The private men’s suite at Paul Labrecque offers male clientele indulgent grooming and pampering services in a quiet, private room that’s separated from the normal hustle and bustle of the salon’s usual services. Barber shops of old used to be a haven where men could unwind, vent, or just bask in silence away from the usual stresses of a routine life. Under the direction of Pirkko (pronounced Peer-ko), The Gentlemen’s Salon & Barber Shop successfully achieves that third place between work and home where men can literally free their worries under the hands of trained professionals. Services include straight-edge razor shaves, cuts, color, scalp treatments, facial trims, shoe shines, sports manicures and pedicures to name a few. I had the privilege of interviewing Pirkko while experiencing one of her famous triple-treatment scalp therapy and a sports manicure and pedicure. All three grooming treatments took about 45-minutes in total, which is ideal for the no-frills, in-and-out New York male. Finnish born and European trained, Pirkko discovered her passion for the industry while watching her mother run her own salon. She arrived on American soil in 1970 on the streets of Manhattan, not speaking a lick of English. Before long, Pirkko built a reputation as a men’s grooming specialist. When asked why she chose to specialize in men’s hair and beauty, she simply replied that men were less complicated; she saw that men wanted to be pampered and cared for but often did not know how to go about doing so without threatening their masculinity. That might sound a bit trite, but I can definitely affirm that getting a manicure and pedicure for the first time in a huge room full of women who often stare at you can be a bit unnerving for any male. Pirkko’s draws techniques reserved for women and translates them into fashion-forward effects for men while cutting and styling men’s hair.

You can walk the walk, talk the talk, but you are just a poseur until you smell like a billionaire. Are you listening Donald Trump?

Created in 1948, Cypres Musc was worn by none other than Greek shipping magnate and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s second spouse, Aristotle Onassis. Mossy and woodsy, it oozes machismo and mucho money. English mint enhances the cypress accord, along with ambergris and musk.

Aristotle Onassis and CREED Cypres Musc

This fragrance is expensive; you may not have enough change left to buy a Vente Latte. No worries, one spritz of Cypress Musc and you’ll feel like the next Howard Schultz (founder of Starbucks), except you’ll make your first billion somewhere with much better weather.

Cyprus Musc is one of the seven Creed fragrances comprising the Private Collection. It is available in flacons of 8.4 ounces only at Bergdorf Goodman.

Mark Birley and Mark Birley for Men

Mark Birley for Men is the type of scent that brings to mind all that fascinates us about the Brits—scandal, adultery, money, royalty, yet low key and proper. Mark Birley, the legendary British entrepreneur, restaurateur, night club owner, men’s clubs and hotels (including Annabel’s and Harry’s Bar) passed away in 2007, but his jet set legacy lives on, fragrantly through this elegantly constructed cologne. Birley teamed up with Frederic Malle, one of the leading perfume experts in France and Pierre Bourdon, the father of contemporary men’s perfumery to create this cologne. Mr. Birley was not an easy man to please; it took 32 revisions to create the final fragrance; created using all natural ingredients, Mr. Birley must have driven his perfumers mad globe trotting to hunt for Bergamot from California, Orris from Florence, Vetyver from China and Cedar wood from Texas. Hopefully they flew first class.

Available at www.luckyscent.com

One of the biggest trends in the (fine) jewelry industry right now is men wearing jewelry. Making fashionable choices well beyond the staple watch and wedding band combo, men of style are experimenting. Not one to go for the ‘bling’ look, I wanted to find a collection of men’s pieces that would correspond with my own laid-back, more hipster than hip-hop, eco-centric style. Oddly enough, I didn’t have to look any further than BN’s publisher, Kimberly McDonald.

Kimberly’s fine jewelry line, which she affectionately calls her “Rockras” (a word she coined to describe these rocks for your charkas), has an earthy yet sophisticated vibe. Recently Kimberly launched a collection of cufflinks for men. Unique geodes are hand set in 18k gold and diamonds. McDonald also creates petrified wood pendants that hang on sturdy gold chains and Tibetan Prayer Wheels – created in 18k gold, they not only look good…they enable the wearer to send good thoughts and vibes out into the world with a spin of the wheel.

Kimberly’s collection is currently available at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City, London Jewelers in the Hamptons, 4510 in Dallas, and Musina in Malibu.