The Art of Shaving Dubai Mall | The Esquire Review

The posh barber trend shows no signs of abating.

Just last week I walked through my old neighbourhood and saw that the local shawarma shop had been turned into a temple of the hirsute man. The barbers wore suspenders, trendy beards and quiffs, and it was packed with punters looking for a brand new look.

But the king of trendy barbers has to be The Art of Shaving. This New York export specializes in hair and beard care, and since opening its first store in Manhattan in 1996, has gone on to produce a huge range of shaving products (with a little help from its partner company, Gillette).

The brand has just pulled the wraps off its third location in the UAE, now at The Dubai Mall – which is the world’s largest mall by total area. We headed down to check it out.

The Art of Shaving Dubai Mall: What’s the vibe?

The new store follows the same stylings as the brand’s previous barbershops. Think wood floors, wall-to-ceiling products on display, suspender-wearing barbers, and, of course, the cutting room – complete with a proper barber chair.

What makes this new store interesting – or a total nightmare for those with agoraphobia – is that the barber room features two walls made of glass. That means those walking by the store can easily glance in and see whatever state your haircut is in at the time.

It also affords the general mall-goer a glorious view of the crotch while your hair is being washed (although fortunately, the glass is partly-frosted – much to the chagrin of the crotch-watching shopper, we’re sure).

The Art of Shaving Dubai Mall: How’s the trim?

The Art of Shaving prides itself on its signature shave, which is named rather presumptuously: The Perfect Shave. It’s a four-step process that ranges from preparing your face with oils, lathering up, the shaving bit, and finally a quick moisturize.

That last step is done differently here than you might expect. Instead of them slapping on some moisturizer, they pop two cucumbers over your eyes and paint it on. Then they leave you alone with your thoughts for five minutes, while your skin laps up the moisture.

It sounds a bit much, but we rather enjoyed it. Having a bit of time to yourself is never a bad thing, and the cucumbers on your eyes stop you being able to see shoppers ambling by gawping at your bright, whitely-moisturized face.

The Art of Shaving Dubai Mall: What’s the verdict?

As previously mentioned, the posh barbershop isn’t going anywhere soon. So if you’re in the market for some primping and preening at the hands of a mustachioed-suspender wearing master barber – along with all the pomposity that goes along with that – then you may as well go to the best one around.

And, as a bonus, not only is The Art of Shaving at Dubai Mall one of said best, but it lets the entire mall-going crowd look on with jealous eyes. 

The Art of Shaving Dubai Mall: Where is it?

The Art of Shaving is located at Dubai Mall, on the first floor relatively near the main entrance. For more information, check out http://theartofshaving.ae