It's no secret that our favorite female celebs depend on a team of nail artists, hairstylists, makeup artists, self tanning pros, and facialists to get them "red-carpet ready." But what about the men? Their clean-shaven chins and chiseled jawlines don't necessarily land them on the Best Beauty Looks list, but would you ever guess hours of prep go into those beards, too? The women have boob highlighter, velcro rollers, and $400 facials, and the men, well, they have groomers.
Groomers are responsible for just about everything that a typical six-person glam squad would do; at least, that's the case for Marissa Machado, the groomer to Rami Malek, Miles Teller, and all three Jonas brothers (Kevin, Joe, and Nick).
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Ask Machado exactly how grooming for men differs from women and she'll say that, once upon a time, it was everything from the neck up (facial hair trimming, brow tweezing, skin maintenance, beard combing, hair shaving, etc.) Now, it's a head-to-toe job. "Say a client is shooting Men's Health tomorrow, and I know they're going to be shirtless. I'll go to their house the night before and spray tan them," Machado explains. "The one thing that used to make me a little bit crazy was people would say to me that grooming men means my job is so much easier, but that's not always the case."
We asked Machado to give us a closer look at what her job is actually like — and with all eyes on the youngest (and most recently engaged) Jonas brother, we talked a lot about Nick. Keep reading to find out the secret behind his trendy Met Gala haircut, the body foundation that makes his chest gleam, and the contouring trick she uses for his abs — yes, abs.
Boy Band Mania
"One day, my agency called to ask if I wanted to assist a men's groomer, Catherine Furniss, for this group called the Jonas Brothers. I'd heard their songs on the radio and figured this was an opportunity I had to take. That was in May 2008 and by September, I was grooming all three boys for their show on Disney. I had been in L.A. five years hustling, but my life really did change once I was in their world."
"One day, my agency called to ask if I wanted to assist a men's groomer, Catherine Furniss, for this group called the Jonas Brothers. I'd heard their songs on the radio and figured this was an opportunity I had to take. That was in May 2008 and by September, I was grooming all three boys for their show on Disney. I had been in L.A. five years hustling, but my life really did change once I was in their world."
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"There was always something to be done during that Beatles-esque period of time for the band. I did every talk show, every magazine cover; they had to look perfect at all times. They couldn't leave the hotel without hair and makeup, because there would always be thousands of fans waiting outside. So many of the grooming lessons I learned were during that first year; it set me up to be confident in every situation since."
The Big Three
"For Kevin, I would use a bigger curling iron to make some of the curls wider, then a smaller iron on the sides, then take a blowdryer and blow everything out. On Joe, I used a smoothing cream, blow dried his hair straight, and then flat-ironed it.
"For Kevin, I would use a bigger curling iron to make some of the curls wider, then a smaller iron on the sides, then take a blowdryer and blow everything out. On Joe, I used a smoothing cream, blow dried his hair straight, and then flat-ironed it.
Out of all the Jonas boys, Nick has the most hair. Do you remember, back in the day, he had one curl that would hang right down his forehead? I would have to dry his hair on the lowest heat seating and just twirl and twirl and twirl. He was so particular for a 16 year-old; he's the guy who would already have his hair done before I got there because he knew exactly how he wanted it."
Self-Made Man
"I fully believe Nick could groom himself. There have been times when he's gone on tour when I can't be around and I'd just put together a little kit for him to take and that's it. If he has a blemish he needs to cover, he could totally do it on his own. Nick is the most put-together man I know.
"I fully believe Nick could groom himself. There have been times when he's gone on tour when I can't be around and I'd just put together a little kit for him to take and that's it. If he has a blemish he needs to cover, he could totally do it on his own. Nick is the most put-together man I know.
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"We were in Paris last year, and [Nick] showed me this hair product he found in some random boutique in New York. He said to me, 'I don't even know what is, but I love it." So we kept using it for the Jumanji press tour without any idea what it was or who made it. It must've been after we posted a photo on Instagram that I came home to a box of hair products from v76 by Vaughn. Nick goes, "Mariss! That is the product we've been using!" So, technically he introduced me to the products I now use all the time on other clients."
Men Get Body Makeup, Too
"Body makeup is all about finding the right bronzer without shimmer. I like Dr. Hauschka's liquid bronzer because I can mix it with body lotion to apply all over the body. Another key product for me is the Artis brush. A year ago, I did that Flaunt magazine cover with Nick and it was the first time he was coming out as this, like, sexy man. I was basically painting his body [in bronzer]. I pulled out the brush to blend something on Nick's body and he goes, 'What is that? It's the most relaxing thing I've ever felt in my life.' He said it was like being petted."
"Body makeup is all about finding the right bronzer without shimmer. I like Dr. Hauschka's liquid bronzer because I can mix it with body lotion to apply all over the body. Another key product for me is the Artis brush. A year ago, I did that Flaunt magazine cover with Nick and it was the first time he was coming out as this, like, sexy man. I was basically painting his body [in bronzer]. I pulled out the brush to blend something on Nick's body and he goes, 'What is that? It's the most relaxing thing I've ever felt in my life.' He said it was like being petted."
The Happy Trail Stays, Always
"Depending on the client, [body grooming] could be as simple as trimming down the chest hair to the point of it just being scruff or, if a man likes his chest hair, we leave it, and tweeze or trim the stragglers sprouting out of random areas. For Flaunt, I did clean up whatever was necessary for [Nick's] chest and stomach hair, but just a little bit.
"Depending on the client, [body grooming] could be as simple as trimming down the chest hair to the point of it just being scruff or, if a man likes his chest hair, we leave it, and tweeze or trim the stragglers sprouting out of random areas. For Flaunt, I did clean up whatever was necessary for [Nick's] chest and stomach hair, but just a little bit.
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"The happy trail? I think it's masculine — and body hair, in the right way, is sexy on a man. The thing you have to do with thigh or stomach hair is make sure it's going in one direction, blended with the bronzer, but kind of messy so it looks natural. Around [Nick's] stomach, I use the Artis brush to pull the hair to the middle line and go downwards, which can help shape the abs. I've definitely been known to contour abs. There are a few selfies out there that had some Marissa contouring, for sure."
The Party Starts Before The Show
"[Nick] is all about setting a vibe. This year [for the Met Gala], we were at The Mark Hotel and he ordered in a whole spread of sushi and oysters, drinks for everyone, and tons of music. When we did the VMAs three years ago, Nick and Joe rented out the penthouse at The Greenwich in New York, had a masseuse come in and give massages to people before the show, a manicurist to do everyone's nails, Nick even brought in a tattoo artist so he and Joe could get tattoos together. As I said, [Nick] pays attention to every detail."
"[Nick] is all about setting a vibe. This year [for the Met Gala], we were at The Mark Hotel and he ordered in a whole spread of sushi and oysters, drinks for everyone, and tons of music. When we did the VMAs three years ago, Nick and Joe rented out the penthouse at The Greenwich in New York, had a masseuse come in and give massages to people before the show, a manicurist to do everyone's nails, Nick even brought in a tattoo artist so he and Joe could get tattoos together. As I said, [Nick] pays attention to every detail."
The Truth About That Met Gala Haircut
"Originally, Nick and I had talked about him doing a mustache — I wanted the mustache so bad. I knew it would be really cool, but we just decided it wasn't the moment. The idea for the shape of his hair came after we'd seen what he'd be wearing. We wanted something really tight on the sides, almost completely shaved, sort of like a Roman Emperor. So, Nick's barber, Ronnie [McCoy], came in and cut it."
"Originally, Nick and I had talked about him doing a mustache — I wanted the mustache so bad. I knew it would be really cool, but we just decided it wasn't the moment. The idea for the shape of his hair came after we'd seen what he'd be wearing. We wanted something really tight on the sides, almost completely shaved, sort of like a Roman Emperor. So, Nick's barber, Ronnie [McCoy], came in and cut it."
The Wedding(s) We're Waiting For
"I have three guys getting married: Miles, Joe, and Nick. I don't want to be too cocky, but I assume I'd be getting them all ready for their weddings. I did Kevin for his wedding to Danielle. I'd take it as seriously as if it were the Oscars or a red carpet. But the real thing to consider will be where the weddings are and the attire; I think that will vary.
"I have three guys getting married: Miles, Joe, and Nick. I don't want to be too cocky, but I assume I'd be getting them all ready for their weddings. I did Kevin for his wedding to Danielle. I'd take it as seriously as if it were the Oscars or a red carpet. But the real thing to consider will be where the weddings are and the attire; I think that will vary.
"I have spoken to Joe about his hair for his wedding. The thing with Joe is that he's really quite beautiful, so I've asked him if he's thinking about keeping his hair long for the wedding and he was like, 'I don't know maybe I will, maybe I won't.' I'd love if he kept it long this whole time, then went back to a classic cut, 'Handsome Joe' for it."