Thursday, December 25, 2014

A Very Merry Christmas



To you all, I wish you all a very





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Sunday, December 21, 2014

Soap & Glory Giveaway

This may be my last post of 2014, I’m guessing that Christmas will be a busy so as a thank you to those have read my blog throughout the year, and for those future readers I thought I would add a bit of festive cheer by giving away not just one, but two gift sets from Soap & Glory.


VaVa Groom & Sweet Lime

Unfortunately, due to postal restrictions this giveaway is only open to those with a postal address in the United Kingdom. Don’t worry though, in the New Year, and when I reach 1,000 Twitter followers I will run a global giveaway.

So what am I offering to you lucky, lucky readers?

VAVA GROOM


Vava Groom Gift Set

A Soap & Glory gift set for guys which includes:
  • Soap’er Man - Hair and Body wash
  • Eau Man - Body Spray
  • A Man’s Gotta Dew - Facial Moisture Balm
  • A Shave to Lov - Shave gel plus a barbershop striped comb
  • A black Soap & Glory toiletries bag 
YOUR OWN SWEET LIME


Your Own Sweet Lime Gift Set

A take anywhere sized collection featuring popular Soap & Glory products such as:
  • Sugar Crush Body Wash
  • Sugar Crush Body Scrub
  • Sugar Crush Body Buttercream
  • Sugar Crush Hand Food
  • Super Smoothing Body Polisher 
All you have to do to enter the giveaway is fill out the entries in the Rafflecopter bar below.

The giveaway will be open for a month and the winner will be notified by e-mail by 21 January 2015 - so a nice start to the New Year.  This is a UK only giveaway and some of the entries are mandatory, so please ensure you enter correctly or your entry will become null and void.


Good luck and to everyone who reads and comments, have a Happy Christmas and a wonderful 2015.

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Thursday, December 11, 2014

Chatham Kensington Chelsea Boots

My boots were the source of much amusement amongst my friends, I have had the pair below for years and years (and I would hope so, they have a ten year guarantee). They are so old in fact that one of the boots has a grey tinge to it where I balance on one foot at bars waiting to be served!  A change in style and direction was needed so when I was approached by Chatham I jumped at the chance to try a new style of boot and a different colour to go with my evolving wardrobe (it has gone from predominantly grey and black to all sorts of colours now).



Step forward (pardon the pun) Chatham Kensington Chelsea Boots, in a tan colour. Available from the Chatham website here for £69.

Chatham are a British based company who for the last twenty five years have traded on a nautical traditional of quality, and is now growing into one of Britain's key lifestyle footwear brands. They say about themselves that quality, durability, marine aesthetics and performance form an integral part of all Chatham products.

Committed to creating a range of classic sailing kit, country footwear, all served up with Chatham’s very British style. Combining traditional craftsmanship with innovation, durable materials with attention to detail.

All of their footwear is designed to be comfortable, functional and able to withstand all that nature can throw at it.

This is what they say about the Kensington Chelsea Boots:

‘Kensington Chelsea Boots - Tan. The traditional Chelsea boot with a modern twist. Kensington is made in premium leathers on our popular rubber crepe textured sole. Elasticated entry, contrasting back panel, and padded insock. A popular choice for all the gentlemen among us.’

When the boots arrived the wrapping was torn away to a lovely branded box - you get the immediate impression that they are very proud of both their British roots and their background in the nautical business. 




Needless to say my old boots were thrown to one side and these were slipped on in a jiffy. Smaller than my usual boot the elasticated entry meant that slipping them on was really easy, even though I have really wide feet. Comparing these the Chelsea boots I where with my suits they are a breeze (it takes about five minutes to unfasten the laces enough to get them on).

No additional insoles where needed as the boot - the padded insock of the boots provide enough bridge support and cushioning that the fit is snug and comfortable.  

Now this is where it gets a bit comical for me - my older boots weigh about six pounds each - yes, it is like having weights on the end of your feet! These are incredibly lightweight, so much so that I felt and probably looked like a newborn foal when breaking then it. It was just such a lovely sensation not to have to put any effort into walking! 

As the cold weather creeps in I can also gladly report that the grip on the sole is fantastic. Outside my flat gets really icy and with a lack of handrail when walking up and down the outside staircase it can be like dicing with death. Even with the cold snap earlier this week I didn’t end up slipping or sliding across my terrace or swan diving down the stairs. Result!





While I’m still getting used to wearing much lighter shoes the opportunity to try styling brown with my wardrobe has been greatly appreciated. After receiving these boots I have been back to look through the Chatham website for a pair of similar boots in a darker shade of brown as well. I can live with the fact that I look like I belong in the Ministry of Silly Walks, especially as I don‘t feel like I have run a marathon (a regular feeling with my old boots).

Well made, reasonably priced considering how well made they are and given the nod by friends as a refreshing change to my wardrobe. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Speaking of friends, Bailey has to get a mention here, when she saw me wearing different boots she said I had to mention here that these boots would be a perfect accessory for someone looking to channel/style their inner lumbersexual - someone looking to hold onto an outdoor rugged-ness in a Ryan Gosling style.


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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Six of my top hairstyling picks for 2014

As I mentioned in my last post about hair products (Osmo Grooming Gift Set 2014), in my first year of blogging my hair has taken a pounding with new products as I search out the best fit for my hair and my limited styling abilities.

Today I will be counting down my five favourites from 2014 based upon the five criteria below:

  • HOLD
  • EASE OF APPLICATION
  • STYLING 
  • FRAGRANCE
  • LACK OF RESIDUE

Over the months I’ve posted about fifteen different hair styling products, the first being one of my first ever posts - Fishshape Hair but alas this beauty doesn’t manage to hit the top six and the competition if you’ll pardon the pun has been stiff, in fact it’s been tricky to select my favourites from the year so ranking them was impossible. 

While Fish Soho have become a massive favourite of mine, over the last month or so I have tested and fallen for a few newbies to my collection.

SuperFish Fishpaste Hardcore Hold Matte Effect Putty



How could I leave out the first product that I took with me as part of my #hairontour trip to Amsterdam? I was drowned by torrential rain, blown about like a rag doll in the wind and still it kept my long (much longer than usual) spikes up. In addition, once wet it didn’t run off down my face, which was a massive bonus at the time as I styled the drowned rat look.

Easy to style with, no residue at all and cracking hold. You can do a lot worse than this.

Structure Paste Flexible Adhesive


Now this has the hold, look and texture of cement. I’ve never used a product that could, if left, probably hold a style for well over five days! It is tremendous in terms of hold but it was like applying a thick clay to my hair.

Styling took longer but boy, it did the business for me. The only flaw was actually washing it out - it is that strong it clings to the hair shaft. 

SuperFish Stiffish Cream



I didn’t write about this one until recently, and I don’t know why. Why the hold isn’t solid the cream is so pliable it makes styling of short to medium lengths so easy it literally takes me two minutes in the morning. The cream isn’t that thick meaning that fingertips can be used to style rather than palms.

While it isn’t a solid hold this works wonders for holding my spikes in place for hour after hour.

Closed on Monday  Deluxe Pomade



 

The first pomade I have ever tried. I had low expectations and was blown away by the level of hold, how little was needed to spike my hair and the lack of residue. The hold was so strong it lasted for well over a day in the end. Top notch stuff

Osmo Matte Clay Extreme



If you had said to me three months ago that I would be including any clay into a top five list I would have called for the men in white coats. It has always been a natural enemy of my hair and I have always found styling with it a nightmare. With excellent hold, a beautiful fragrance and styling ability that is a breeze this is now a firm favourite. 

The Legends London Maximum Hold Hair Gel




Last but not least we have this offering from The Legends London and wow, it is quite possibly the best gel ever to grace my hair. Both unique in the fact that you can apply to wet and dry hair for different finishes, if the style droops in any way a dab of water and its ready to style again. Get in!

The luminous pink gel is really strong, and sticky. Styling is easy to damp hair and it is perfect for medium to longer lengths as once set this holds hair brilliantly although hair becomes concrete like in texture.

With an amazing hold, really affordable price and the fact that you can just wet and go in the morning means this finishes off my list for 2014.

All of the above get my seal of approval. 

Have you made any hair styling discoveries in 2014?

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Tuesday, December 09, 2014

Osmo Grooming Gift Pack 2014

Like Structure Paste Flexible Adhesive I have no recollection where the Osmo Grooming Gift Pack 2014 came from (until I was reminded it was posted to me months ago - sorry @lauzzenger), it seemed to just appear one day, was placed into the bathroom where it sat until I couldn’t find my usual hair styling product as I rushed out of the door (probably late for something or another).


Osmo Grooming Gift Pack

Osmo Grooming Gift Pack

Having spent my 20s using solely Wella products the last year has been a bit of a rollercoaster for my hair, and it has been spoilt (look out for my 2014 top five hair styling products coming soon) in the most part with some excellent gels, pastes, creams but it has also been battered by some dross. 

Bearing the above in mind and having never, ever heard of Osmo I expected the latter, dross, especially as the gift set included a large tube of clay, my hairs natural enemy.

So what do you get in the grooming gift set? Well, for £14.95 (available from the Feel Unique website here) you get:

- Osmo Matte Clay Extreme 100ml


Osmo Matte Clay Extreme

Osmo Matte Clay Extreme

A clay that claims to provide extreme hold using a texture wax for natural expression. With a matte finish it should take only a small amount to style and shape styles.

- Osmo Shaper Maker 100ml


Osmo Shaper Maker

Osmo Shaper Maker

A versatile cream shaper, for moulding, styling, texturising whilst adding shine and control.

- Osmo Effects Detoxify 250ml


Osmo Effects Detoxify

Osmo Effects Detoxify

A deep clarifying cleanser designed to effectively strip away the build up of other products on your hair removing impurities whilst retaining the hair's natural moisture which should in theory mean heavy and shiny finish.

On the Osmo website here they talk the gift set us as:

‘One For The Boys!

‘A slick, stylish and seriously cool range designed to deliver the ultimate in originality, texture and look definition.

SUITABLE FOR:

All you smooth, slick operators who crave staying power!’

Well, all of the products smell amazing - the clay and cream give off a very fragrant fresh fruity aroma - a blend of watermelon and apple while the shampoo has a blend of eucalyptus and tea tree which is really refreshing and cleansing.

The shampoo, while lathering up well, this comes from chemical agents that have been added.

As I said earlier, I first used the Osmo Shaper Maker in a rush, but the cream was really easy to scoop out, spread through my hair and style my usual spiky look. Boom, done, but the residue on my hands was sticky and needed me to abort quick exit to wash my hands properly. The hold was magnificent - it kept my spikes up for well over ten hours before it started to lag a bit. Bearing in mind that this has an Osmo Hold Factor that is mid range. 

There were no flakes on my clothes and the residue in the morning was minimal. In terms of finish to my hair it did look shiny, like I had applied a gel in fact. Top marks for me on this one.

Finally, with a bit of time to test and style my hair using the clay. I’m not a fan of clay, I actively hate it. I’ve never found one that is easy to apply and style with. I have now. The clay becomes really pliable really quickly when rubbed between the palms. Only a tiny amount the size of a fingertip is needed and applying to hair is simple.

With such a tiny amount I expected little hold but it styled into a fantastic matte look that held again for in excess of sixteen hours. My style actual held as I slept and was ready to go again in the morning. It has the top Osmo Hold Factor and boy, it holds.

Each product has the potential to last for ages as very little is needed to wash or style with which means this isn’t a set that will be in with the empties within a month. I would expect the hair products to last for months on end, even if used on a daily basis.

Taking the £14.95 price tag into consideration this gift set represents excellent value for money and would make a great gift. I’m not a fan of the shampoo, but for the hairstyling products alone and the hold they achieve I would recommend this either as a gift or for someone looking to try a different solution to their hair styling issues.

RECOMMENDED

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Monday, December 08, 2014

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #6 - Hugo Boss Wallet

Today’s post is a gift idea based upon one that I have received in the past - that’s right, a wallet. Boring but functional. So today you are to be treated to why anyone should splash out £75 on something that should be used to contain the notes just splashed on the purchase of a Hugo Boss Orange Wallet.



I’ll confess straight away to being a bit of a wallet snob - it still makes me cringe when I see grown men remove oily ten pound notes at a bar from a fluorescent wallet they bought on holiday circa 1983 - the ones with the Velcro…..you know the ones…..

As mentioned being a wallet snob meant that I had a very nice Mont Blanc leather wallet for five to six years until it started to look a bit beaten, the thread was worn and the compartments for my cards started to split. I was happy to carry on using it but Beautyqueenuk (also known as the ball and chain - wife) had other ideas.

On unwrapping the Hugo Boss wallet to be greeted with an orange box emblazoned with Hugo Boss branding left me intrigued. I kind of hoped it was a watch but realised from the weight that it wasn’t. That said, I did beam from ear to ear when I opened the box to be presented with quite possibly the biggest wallet I had ever seen.

Made from faux leather my version of the wallet has 8 card slots - the updated version has four card slots with a little pouch for loose change. Mine doesn’t have this, but in all honesty I wouldn’t use it even if it did.



With two compartments for notes - one for notes, the other for receipts. It is spacious, can carry a large amount of notes - I’ve had 35 twenty pound notes in their before it struggled to close.

Overall, this wallet looks the part, is really well made (there are no signs of fatigue in the faux leather or seams) and does the job. The card slots haven’t worn or split so far and despite taking a battering on a daily basis as I swipe my Oyster card (it’s a swipe card to ride public transport in London that you top up with credit) to get out and about.

Yes, this is expensive for a wallet, but as a main present for the man that usually has everything it is a winner. 

Hugo Boss have lots of wallets available (some at eye watering prices) here, but you can buy the wallet pictured from Northern Threads here for £75. 

RECOMMENDED

You can read my other Christmas Gift Ideas for Him by clicking on the links below:

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #1 - Superdry Varsity Track T-Shirt



Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #2 - Starbucks Sprinkler & Mug Set









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Sunday, December 07, 2014

Closed on Monday Deluxe Pomade

My Limited Edition Birchbox for Men came with lots of goodies for me to try - everything contained in it was new to me and I’m yet to find something in there that I don’t like. The Mazorin Wash Trade Face Scrub left me speechless while earlier in the week I took the plunge and for the first time used a pomade to style my hair. The pomade in question? Closed on Monday Deluxe Pomade.


Closed on Monday Deluxe Pomade

Closed on Monday Deluxe Pomade

Before I started blogging about beauty products and general things that I like I had never heard of pomade, in fact it wasn’t until around April this year that someone stumbled across my site after using Google to search for the phrase ‘cool grease z ultra hard hair pomade’. After my WTF moment I went to take a peek at what they could have been looking for. 

After reading about pomade I have to say it didn’t really strike me as something I really needed to try and thus until this arrived it was pushed to the back of my head with all the other unimportant stuff in my brain like how to cook, pick up clothes after myself and iron. 

I realise I’m waffling, so, what do Closed on Monday say about themselves and their Deluxe Pomade (lifted directly from their website - their capitals, not mine)?

‘CLOSED ON MONDAY, A GROOMING RANGE DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN BRITAIN.  OUR PASSION AND COMMITMENT TO THE CRAFT OF BARBERING CULMINATES IN A DELUXE POMADE, BEARD BALM, MATTE MOISTURISER AND DELUXE WAX THAT EMBODIES THE DISCERNING MODERN GENTLEMAN.

CLOSED ON MONDAY — PURVEYORS OF GOOD TASTE.

HAND MADE THIS TRADITIONAL POMADE HAS A MILD SANDALWOOD AND VETIVER FRAGRANCE AND LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE A LIGHT GEL WAX.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE:

RUB AN AMPLE AMOUNT OF CLOSED ON MONDAY DELUXE POMADE INTO THE PALMS OF YOUR HANDS UNTIL IT SOFTENS, THEN RUB THE FIRM BUT PLIABLE WAX ON YOUR FINGER TIPS AND WORK FROM ROOT TO TIPS AND STYLE TO ACHIEVE YOUR DESIRED LOOK.’

The first thing I did when I pulled this from the box was unscrew the lid and take a long deep sniff of the contents - boy, you really can detect the Sandalwood and Vetiver (two of my favourite smells). If anything, the Vetiver really comes through as the dominant fragrance. For those who haven’t come across it in the past you probably have, you just don’t know it. Vetiver is within around 90% of all perfumes and aftershaves! It is an earthy, grassy essential oil that is added as a base note.

Personally, I love the fragrance but was a little confused as to how a product that looks a bit like and has the consistency of Vicks Vaporub was going to keep my spikes up for a sustained period of time. My hair was cut down to about two inches in length and I was ready to try the pomade. 

I took a healthy blob of the pomade (as instructed) and rubbed it between my palms until it took on a nice silky consistency before rubbing it from root to tip. It was fairly easy to apply actually, as it warmed it became much more pliable and really easy to style with. As a first time user I posted this picture to my Instagram account to show off my attempt.


Ignore the crows feet and focus on the spikes!

Since then I’ve found the right amount to use (see picture below) for my hair and have mastered how to style the spikes properly (should I do a vlog?!?) to the point that one application is good enough to keep my hair styled for well over ten hours, and actually resembling the style from the day before when I get out of bed the following morning.


Closed on Monday Deluxe Pomade
Just a tiny amount is needed - yes, just enough to cover a fingertip

When looking at whether I would recommend a hair styling product I always look at the residue that is left on the shaft of the hair and how easy it is to wash out. I‘m pleased to report that there was no sight of white flakes coming from or on my hair, no sticky residue when touching my hair and it washed out really easily. Result! 

Onto the bits that surprised me - well unlike a gel, cream or wax it doesn’t leave your hands and fingertips feeling sticky after applying it, in fact, when I first used it I didn’t have the instant urge to wash my hands, I didn’t need to. In addition to this, the finish on my hair was incredibly matte in nature and looked as though I wasn’t actually using a hair styling product. 

While £14.50 for 100ml may seem like a lot for a hairstyling product as you can see from the pictures, after 4 days of use I have hardly made a dent in it. A 100ml jar of the Deluxe Pomade is available as part of the Limited Edition Birchbox for Men here or direct from the Closed on Monday site here


Closed on Monday Deluxe Pomade

It won’t replace my favoured brands completely but it is a great addition to my hair styling collection (which is growing like you wouldn’t believe) and I’m immensely impressed with the hold, the finish on my hair and the fragrance. 

Top notch stuff - having never heard of Closed on Monday I will be keeping an eye on their products. In my opinion they can add purveyors of quality British goods to their website to go alongside purveyors of good taste.  

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by this pomade convert

Have you made a beauty product discovery recently that made you go "wow"?

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Saturday, December 06, 2014

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #5 - Ted Baker On Course Ted Messenger Bag

If I said you could splash out £35 and end up with not only a Ted Baker branded messenger bag that looks the part, but also have the bag empty to unveil a whole host of Ted Baker Tour de Ted products you would probably phone for the men in white coats.

Ted Baker is not a brand I associate normally with ridiculously affordable prices, I put them into the ‘treat’ or ‘luxury’ category but I have to admit I was personally blown away by my gift set. 

I’ve been using the same man bag purchased from Camden Lock Market in the week before I started to work in Camden and quite fitting that it got replaced five years later in the week that I left. To be honest, my bag needed changing, over the years it had warped and was more twisted than a corkscrew.



The messenger bag is really well made and racing green in colour I would say (but don’t trust me, I’m colour blind - check out the pictures). In terms of size, it is perfect and can fit a decent sized laptop, iPad and papers without it bulging or having so much weight in it the shoulder strap cuts through your shoulder. Internally there are a few pockets for chargers, pens etc and that’s about it. It’s a bag, for blokes, we don’t really need anything else.




The internal fabric design

Personally I would have expected to pay over £35 for a Ted Baker bag, so when I opened it to be greeted with the products below I grinned from ear to ear. While not a fan of body sprays I have to say that I like the ones in this bag, they are fresh and provide a level of assured confidence that you would need after a trip to the gym.

So what do you get?

  • Ted Baker Orange Body Spray (150ml)
  • Ted Baker Orange Hair and Body Wash (200ml)
  • Ted Baker Green Body Spray (150ml)
  • Ted Baker Green Hair and Body Wash (200ml)
  • Wrapped Soap (140g)




The body washes lather up brilliantly and are good at getting off the grime and leaving skin smelling wonderful. The green version is much fresher, while the orange I find a little too synthetic. That aside, it does the job and washes and you can’t grumble at that. For me, my favourite is the wrapped soap - it has been so long since I've used soap it was like a little blast from the past and the fragrance had me reminiscing while staring off into the distance. 

What I found really surprising is that the hair and body wash didn't leave my hair feeling like straw. This is very common for me when using body washes that are allegedly also OK for washing your hair. With the Tour de Ted my hair was left feeling soft, smooth and shiny. 

This would make a great gift this Christmas - or you could break it down into several gifts for the men in your life. Available from Boots online here for £35 you can do a lot worse than this if struggling for gift ideas this Christmas.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

You can read my other Christmas Gift Ideas for Him by clicking on the links below:

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #1 - Superdry Varsity Track T-Shirt



Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #2 - Starbucks Sprinkler & Mug Set






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