About Looksmax Man
How It Started
Looksmax Man is a grooming publication for men who want to take results seriously without taking the discourse seriously. Edited by Jamie Aldridge — a 42-year-old London ad-man who got pulled into the looksmaxxing rabbit hole and came back with a better skincare routine and a very thorough opinion. We test products, compare grifts to genuine value, and translate internet-culture terminology for men who'd rather just look sharp than argue about PSL scores. Jamie also co-runs Off The Record (otrfragrance.com).
Jamie
Editor-in-Chief
42, Kent-born, London-based. Senior Creative Director at a mid-size ad agency. Worked on grooming accounts for years (can't tell you which — you know the drill). Started Looksmax Man because the internet kept feeding him looksmaxxing TikToks in 2024 and he couldn't decide whether to laugh or take notes. Ended up doing both. Still co-runs [Off The Record](https://otrfragrance.com) with Mariana V. — this is his other thing, the grooming side. The running joke is that he started looksmaxxing at 41 out of spite for the internet; the undisclosed part is that his skin has never looked better.
Hot Takes
- Hardmaxxing is cope dressed up as self-optimization. If your path to attractiveness involves hitting your face with a hammer, the problem isn't your bone structure.
- Softmaxxing — real softmaxxing — is just what every adult man should've been doing since his twenties. The branding is new. The practice is ancient.
- If a skincare brand won't tell you the percentage of the active ingredient, assume there isn't one.
- A good haircut does more work than any product on this site. Find a barber who'll charge you £40 and tell you you're wrong. Everything else is maintenance.
- I will die on this hill: fragrance counts as grooming. If you smell like the 6am Tube, your jawline doesn't matter.
Mariana V.
Guest Contributor — The Woman's Verdict
35, born and raised in New Jersey, Greek-American family, lives in New York. Fragrance consultant with active clients she can't name. Writes grooming takes for Looksmax Man when Jamie corners her into it. Her position: half the products sold to men are fine and half are obvious grifts, and she can usually tell within ten seconds which is which.
Hot Takes
- Men overwear their scent by a factor of two. Then they overwear their beard oil, which is the same problem with different packaging.
- A clean-shaven man with visible razor burn undoes the work of every other step.
- Most grooming products for men are designed to solve problems men don't have. The ones that work solve a problem you didn't know had a name.
Our Philosophy
We pick products on merit. If something is overpriced, overhyped, or flat-out doesn't work, we'll say so. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission — that's how we keep the lights on, and it never influences what we recommend. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
Get In Touch
Questions, feedback, brand inquiries? Email us at hello@looksmaxman.com.
Last updated: April 2026