Friday, October 30, 2015

Wrapping up warm for Winter walks

Now that the clocks have gone back it’s officially British wintertime. The gorgeous autumn leaves on the trees have all started to fall off and the chill in the air means that winter is just around the corner. There’s nothing better than going for a walk in the countryside and kicking all the leaves and finding the conkers before they’ve all gone. But what to wear for winter walks?





Despite being in the middle of the woods with the squirrels and birds for company looking good as well as being practical is always essential. The trickiest bit of getting dressed for winter walks is layering up without looking and feeling like the Michelin man. Follow the below formula for a winter walk wardrobe worth having:

Shoes
Shoes are the most important bit of the outfit. Muddy terrain and uneven surfaces combined with the potential to stand in a puddle or even an unpredicted snowfall means that often wearing the most fashionable shoes isn’t always practical. Wellies or walking boots are the best bet although there not exactly trendy; if you have a pair of Hunters of course get them out but a sturdy pair of boots makes for a solid footwear choice. Make sure you have a pair of comfy socks on underneath too to prevent blisters.
Layers
The best way to stay warm is the wear lots of layers rather than one big coat. If you’re doing some serious walking bear in mind that you might get too hot and need to take a layer off. Usually a t shirt, jumper, hoody and coat does the trick. If you’re heading out in the middle of winter you could even add a thermal vest underneath for extra warmth. The men’s knitwear at M and M Direct is great value for money and won’t break the bank. A more expensive outer layer is usually required though, it’s worth investing in a proper winter coat like a parka or a waterproof jacket so that you’re prepared for all weathers.
Accessories
The best way to style up to your outfit with a scarf, hat and gloves. A matching set often looks really nice especially if you can complement the colours to your coat. If you want to add some extra style points you could go for a colour combination to beat the winter blues. Try wearing a beanie or bobble hat for maximum warmth.

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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Crabtree & Evelyn Shave Soap in a Bowl - Moroccan Myrrh

What do you buy the guy that has everything? Personally I would say a nicer Bvlgari watch but I’d be likely to be punched square in the face by my other half. In the interests of matrimonial bliss instead, and as a second choice you couldn’t do better than Crabtree & Evelyn Shave Soap in a Bowl - Moroccan Myrrh as a stocking filler, or hell, it‘s that snazzy, as just a nice gift for someone who is, or should be into their grooming routine.


Crabtree & Evelyn Shave Soap in a Bowl - Moroccan Myrrh

As a firm convert to shaving soap I had been expecting this to come in paper packaging (I find that incredibly irritating for shaving soap) so when it arrived from their lovely PR people I was shocked by how much it weighed when there was apparently only 100g of the soap - had I developed a muscle wasting disease overnight (not a stretch of the imagination with my health history)? No, much better, as soon as I read the front that it was soap in a bowl I could wait to take a peek.

It just looks so cool - this is something I’d have on display in the bathroom constantly, not hidden away in the cupboard (like the other soggy wrapped shaving soaps I use). It oozes class and the bowl comes with a handy lid - personally I like to leave the lid off for a while so that the fragrance fills the bathroom. Ah, the fragrance, yes……


Crabtree & Evelyn Shave Soap in a Bowl - Moroccan Myrrh
Crabtree & Evelyn Shave Soap in a Bowl - Moroccan Myrrh
Crabtree & Evelyn Shave Soap in a Bowl - Moroccan Myrrh

This smells sooooooo good it’s fine…..OK, a bit more depth you say? Well, most shaving soaps that I’ve come across tend to be either Old Spice replicas or they dominate the room with their fragrance either leaving you gagging or thinking you can smell it lingering on the skin for the rest of the day. Not this, it has a very subtle aroma, oriental with a hint of spice that gives it a warmth on the nose without being overpowering. The bergamot acts as a wonderful balance to the spicy Myrrh. It is a perfect blend and I personally was impressed, having smelt a Myrrh based fragrance once and being repulsed I find myself strangely attracted to this.

This is what that say about the soap at the Crabtree & Evelyn website here:

‘There’s something quite reassuring about shave soap. Our rich-lathering, dermatologist-approved Moroccan Myrrh Shave Soap updates this classic with an intriguing, exotic fragrance. An experience that gentlemen across all ages can enjoy.

Contains skin-conditioning Moroccan Myrrh extract.’

A quick swirl around the bowl with a damp shaving brush and this lathers up brilliantly, although it feels a bit of a shame to ruin the way it looks with the branding on the top. Rich, creamy and long lasting the lather here doesn’t start to evaporate off your face the moment you move on with the brush. Reassuringly thick I have to say it doesn’t seem to clog my safety razor, something I have found when using gels in the past. 

With a touch more oil in this I think the glide would be perfect as the razor passes over the skin, but as it is I have to say it’s good, not great, but good. Maybe I’ve turned into a shaving snob, I’m not sure, but after using a few creams with Argan Oil I’ve found there to be no razor burn or irritation. Using this I feared the worst, but it wasn’t as bad as I feared.

I had a few nicks here and there, but in terms of razor burn and irritation there was none. The nicks probably did come from me thinking so much about how the soap had lathered rather than concentrating on the razor blade running millimetres from my jugular. 

At $25 for this lovely bowl and enough of the soap to keep you shaving for months on end then I think you can do a lot worse, I know I have in the past. This not only looks uber cool (I know it’s not cool to use the term uber anymore) in the bathroom, it smells divine and lathers up better than about 99% of the soaps I’ve tried. As I said at the start, this would make a perfect stocking filler or just a random gift - did anyone say Secret Santa (too early?!?!?)?

RECOMMENDED


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Thursday, October 22, 2015

Joules Design A Welly Competition




So, have you ever wanted to design your very own wellington boots? Yes? Well Joules have got a great competition for you. As one of Britain's best loved lifestyle brands, Joules are well known for their outdoor wear with clothing collections for men, women & children. 

The opportunity to design a pair of Joules wellies could see you win a competition that will not only see your design put into production but you could also be in with a chance to win a luxury forest holiday worth £5000! All proceeds from the sale of the limited edition winning welly will go towards CHARITABLY JOULES.

To enter the competition just go to http://getcreative.joules.com & submit your design. The design process is very simple so it's well worth entering even if your digital drawing skills aren't quite up to scratch. 



It would be fabulous to see your very own welly design on sale at joules.com and at the same time have the chance to win a holiday worth £5000, there will also be ten runner up prizes who will each receive a £250 Joules gift card. I have already entered, so fingers crossed I win!

The competition closes on 4th December 2015 and a winner will be chosen on 23rd December. If you are taking part, good luck!
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Thursday, October 15, 2015

David Hampton Leather Coat Wallet

No, I’m not breaking out into song, but……last Christmas (crap Wham reference there……)….I reviewed my current wallet as a possible gift idea for him - it was an expensive number (not as expensive as the Mont Blanc one I managed to lose) and one that has served me well. But, a certain little darling of a wallet has arrived courtesy of David Hampton - step forward stage left, the David Hampton Leather Coat Wallet in Malvern.


David Hampton Leather Coat Wallet

Well hello……


David Hampton Leather Coat Wallet

At £80 for a wallet this clearly is a luxury item but it does ooze class, and it gives off that reassuringly classy leather aroma. 

Now personally I’ve always been one for a rather chunky yet bulky wallets that fit neatly in the back pocket of a pair of jeans kind of guy but the chance to try out the longer wallet version was too good to pass up - so yes, this was a sample from the company, but I promise to be objective.

So, who are ya? Who are ya? This is what they say over on their website here:

'David Hampton, makers of superior leather goods since 1989: beautifully crafted wallets, purses, travel good and luxury leather gifts for men and women. David Hampton offers a selection of luxury ladies' purses, gentleman's wallets and business card holders, travel accessories and fine desk accessories created and available exclusively with a host of premium quality leather good to suit every taste.'

The wallet came gift wrapped, and as always, like a child I got giddy as I unwrapped the box and then removed the wallet from the dust sleeve (dust sleeve, yeah, a bit too classy for my blood). Loved it on first sight, but that just increased as I ran my hands over the outside before running my fingers across the lining, which is actually Champagne

With eight card slots, four pockets for cash (three of which will invariably be taken up by receipts) and a ticket pocket this can hold a mass of cards and cash. Had I not managed to lose all my cards on a recent trip up to Manchester (slow clap for Shawcross) the images would probably demonstrate this, but I’ve tried to show how many cards etc it can take using what I managed to retain while dodging protestors (and police), crawling from bar to bar or scaling a 6 foot (spiked) fence……


David Hampton Leather Coat Wallet

The neat David Hampton logo is embossed and incredibly discreet - I actually didn’t notice it at first.


David Hampton Leather Coat Wallet

I’m really pleased with my new wallet - it is perfect that use when out in a trench coat, blazer or lounge suit and has already drawn comments from friends (the only printable one is that it’s way too posh for me). At £80 I personally haven’t seen anything of this quality available which also has the functionality and looks to rival it. A perfect gift at any time, but now that Christmas is getting closer you could do so much worse than picking this up as a stocking filler for your fella.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Friday, October 09, 2015

Hanz de Fuko Gel Triq Extreme Hold

So many jokes with this product, particularly if you take it’s full name into account – "you can turn some ‘triqs’ with Hanz de Fuko" – boom boom! No, seriously, today and forever more (the Internet never forgets a wise man once told me) every time I apply this I pull my tee over my head and pretend that I‘m either Beavis or Butthead (of early 1990s MTV fame) crying out that they are the great buttholio!

Anyhow, I’m going off on one before I’ve even said what I’m going to be reviewing today – which is Hanz de Fuko Triq Extreme Hold Gel, which came as part of the beauty bag I lightly reviewed back in July here. Now, when I first wrote my review of the bag in July I hadn’t tried this so when I did finally get around to it I was shocked – especially when I saw that it was £14 for just 118ml of the stuff!


Hanz de Fuko Gel Triq Extreme Hold Gel
Dexter keeping guard over the gel.....
This is what they say about the gel over on the Selfridges website here:

‘Hanz de Fuko's Gel Triq extreme hold gel is perfect for short dramatic styles or for total control over longer hair for the entire day. It dries quickly, won't flake and leaves hair with a high-shine finish. A little goes a long way.’

Having never used (or heard of) this before I was expecting the usual 99p crap that you can find as a filler for any blokes beauty bag, but boy have I been shocked, and this is why……

While it does have the consistency of the 99p gel that you could find in a corner shop that is where the similarity ends – it is thick when it leaves the tube, reassuringly so in fact, so that when applied to dry hair it means you can instantly style. Apply it to damp hair and while it takes a few minutes, run your palm through three or four times and it starts to set, and set it does, like glue, no, like cement.




To the touch it isn't the greatest – personally I hate my hair feeling crispy to the touch, but if you read on you’ll understand why I tolerate it. After a weekend in Manchester with no rain (I know, that never happened in the 24 years I lived here) on the Tuesday (this Tuesday) the heavens opened and the rain came in sideways it was so hard. Now, my hair was spiked, and after a good twenty minute walk in the rain, a quick dog like shake outside my hotel door and lo and behold, the style has not altered one jot. Even better (and something that happens a lot with hair styling products) it hadn’t run down my face leaving it all sticky – happy days.

Pretty impressed that despite the monsoon rains the spikes remain....

When using in non-monsoon conditions (read London, rather than Manchester) this keeps short and spiky styles erect and looking good (with a wet look) for a good ten hours. In fact, I applied this at seven thirty on Monday morning and after waking on Tuesday morning my hair looked exactly the same – yes it had lost the wet look and had a matte finish but the spikes where still rock hard and stood up straight like a guardsman outside Buckingham Palace – excellent.

This isn’t cheap stuff, but for the fact that has the longevity of Tom Jones (if you don’t know who Tom Jones is, then please stop reading my blog) I can’t help but recommend it. Personally I find it has excellent hold, but for the price I prefer Osmo Clay – it does the same thing, in the same conditions for half the price. If you really don’t care about cost then go ahead.

I recommend this stuff, but purely down to the fact that it does what it says on the tube (not tin, sorry Cuprinol) and for that it cannot be faulted. Want a hair gel that will give you an extreme style? This’ll do the triq!

RECOMMENDED

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Tuesday, October 06, 2015

Structure Transform Spray Clay

I have something of a soft spot for hair products from the Structure range, in fact, one of the first I reviewed here on the blog was a sample of Structure Paste Flexible Adhesive which, to be blunt was the bomb so when I was asked if I wanted to try Structure Transform Spray Clay I jumped at the chance.


Structure Transform Spray Clay

Structure Transform Spray Clay

This is what the company say about themselves here:

'Structure is a salon professional hair care brand, featuring a range of styling products for men and women alike. With edgy packaging, high performance formulas and a full product range, Structure is a must-have for anyone who's passionate about their hair and style! If you want style, you want edge and you want your dreams to be realised; you need Structure.'

With a hold level of three out of five I wasn't expecting a solid and crispy hold, and on further investigation this is recommended for short styles. I have to say, at £9.50 for a 150 ml tube it actually is quite cheap in the great scheme of things when you consider that only a few squirts will have your hair rock solid for hour after hour.

Seriously, three sprays onto slightly damp short hair, a quick run through with the palm of your hand and whack, the spikes are there - and it dries stupidly quickly which means no messing in the mirror holding them in place for ages until you have to leave the house (which is good in my case as I'm always running late).



Structure Transform Spray Clay

Even with as I let my hair grow longer about a month ago this was a godsend and after styling into a cross between curtains and a quiff it kept my hair in place, even after a bit of rain and some pretty strong wind (the weather kind, not the type after a night on the curry)

For me hold is important, how long it lasts and whether it leaves any residue as it starts to wear off. With spray clay it has a vice like hold (despite only being mid-range in their hold ratings), lasts for a good eight hours (even if I run my hands through - which I do a lot) and there are no hints of the dreaded white flakes. In the words of Alan Partridge - "back of the net".

This came as a PR sample some three months ago (they probably think I forgot about them) and I admit, I use it probably three times a week and still now I have over half of the bottle left. I had considered attempting to do a written Peter Kay impression (Clay.......in a spray? It'll never catch on) but hey, this stuff is the bees knees and if you are looking for an easy to apply hair styling product them this is for you. Affordable, great hold and no flakes. Get some, you won't be disappointed! 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


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Saturday, October 03, 2015

Ted Baker - Ted's Grooming Room


I’ve been writing this blog for over eighteen months and it has seen a wide variety of beauty and grooming products reviewed, which included a large number from Ted Baker’s Grooming Room. So when I was asked if I would like to go and try out one of their legendary salons I couldn’t wait, and asked if there was anything they could do with my hair, eyebrow (I say eyebrow as I’ve had a mono-brow for about thirty five years) and beard.

Ted Baker - Ted's Grooming Room

After being booked in for ‘the works’ it was simply a case of turning up – in my case in particular I opted to go along to the shop tucked away in Holborn on Theobald's Road, it being just a twenty minute walk from my office. You can see a full list of their locations, plus their new premises on Commercial Street here.

Upon arrival I thought I’d got the wrong place – while looking effortlessly cool with a number of barber’s chairs and a hive of activity I wondered where the luxurious experience was going to take place. After giving my name my photographer in chief (aka beautyqueenuk) and I were guided downstairs into a cool, and rather open area.


Ted Baker - Ted's Grooming Room
Ted Baker - Ted's Grooming Room

After being offered a complimentary cocktail (I declined wanting to keep a clear head) the other half jumped at the chance and after trying it I really wished I’d gone for one – it had rich flavour and a kick like a mule! Anyhow, we weren’t there to get sloshed, we were there to sort out my face…..



‘T’, my barber for the evening was given carte blanche to do whatever he wanted to my hair, but the sad fact was that it was actually too short to do anything drastic to the style and as I have quite straight hair we settled on a much shorter style than usual, down to the bone at the back and sides with a very short messy top – a sort of cross between bed head and spikes. What struck me first was that rather than reach for the clippers to shave around the back and sides everything was done using scissors and the look of concentration was intense as the scissors snipped away. Clearly a man with symmetry on his mind, T really knows his craft and within thirty minutes my hair looked perfect – I was delighted, but this was just the start of my happy surprises.



The moment I had been dreading arrived – the treading of the brow (yes, dreading the threading)! Christ it hurt and I could hear a light cackle coming from the direction of the missus (who was filming at this point). It actually wasn’t that bad, the worst part was when T uttered the words “so you did want them looking feminine?” and my heart stopped! He was joking and within a minute my brows has been separated and shaped without completely altering how I looked. Nice, neat and tidy and something I will have done again.


Ted Baker - Ted's Grooming Room
Ted Baker - Ted's Grooming Room



After the brows (it still seems weird talking about them in plural) came the beard – I opted for a trim rather than cut throat shave and this was done without incident, the beard being trimmed and shaped properly (for the first time ever). This followed with the hairs in my ear being burnt away. I admit seeing a flame getting so close to my face had me getting a little bit nervous but it was painless and the inside of my ears are now incredibly smooth (like you needed to know that!)


Finally, and this really sealed the deal for me – for months I’ve had a trapped nerve in my elbow which has caused mild numbness in my left hand. Step forward T with the most relaxing massage – a hot towel was placed over my face which nearly sent me off to sleep and then crack! I have no idea what he did to my arm but ever since the numbness has gone and I feel like a new man! Awesome!

The full treatment would have cost £75 and I have to say, just the massage alone and removal of the pain in my elbow makes this worth it. Add in the fact that my hair looked and still does look neat and tidy with a nice twist on my usual style and you have a winner here. It’s strange having two eyebrows, and I’m sure they will take time to maintain but I think the whole package has improved how I look, which ultimately is the point of such obsessive grooming!

I have nothing but praise for T and the folk at Ted’s Grooming Room – it was an experience I’ll never forget and I will be back again in a few weeks when my hair and brows need doing again. This may have been provided gratis but I wouldn’t hesitate to stick my hand in my pocket and pay for this myself.

FORGET THE REST, TRY THE BEST

You can see the full list of treatments available here.
  
You can read more of my reviews of the Ted’s Grooming Room range by following the links below:

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