Monday, May 30, 2016

Percy Nobleman Beard Grooming Giveaway

As I approach 1,000 Instagram followers not only am I amazed that I’ve managed to keep this blog going for so long without losing interest (I’m very much a here and now kind of person rather than planning) but that people actually read what I have to think on the various products, places and clothes I try out. As way of saying thank you, today I will be opening up a new giveaway competition that once again is available to all who visit my little corner of the Internet. In a few days I will draw the winner of the 100ml bottle of The Dreamer by Versace, but to keep you doing today I will be opening up the giveaway for June 2016 and this giveaway is for those who really like to see a well groomed beard and like to use good quality products to keep it clean, fresh and styled. Enter stage left Percy Nobleman and their exquisite range of all things beard care related.
So, what’s up for grabs? - I have one set of the Percy Nobleman Beard Grooming Kit (RRP £26.99) and a 75ml bottle of Percy Nobleman Face & Stubble Moisturiser (RRP £16.99).  
This is what the Percy Nobleman website says about the beard grooming kit here:

‘This kit is the perfect antidote for any gentleman commencing on their first bearded adventure. This pack holds the magic tonic (beard oil), the elixir of cleanliness (beard wash), wax to fend of wild beasts (or your moustache), and your trusted pocket comb. Each box contains 30ml of our best selling beard oil, 30ml of our beard wash, a 20ml tub of moustache wax and a pocket miniature moustache comb, which works great on shorter beards too!

So, if you're on the fence on which way to proceed with your beard grooming, take no risks and invest in this kit, which, if it's right for Percy, is right for you too! Revitalising and nourishing your beard doesn’t get easier than this!’
This is what they say about the face & stubble moisturiser over at the Percy Nobleman website here:


‘Prepare your skin and stubble for the day ahead with Percy Nobleman's fresh, nourishing and non-greasy Face & Stubble Moisturiser. A blend of the finest pure ingredients, our easily absorbed non-greasy lotion is a blend of light natural oils designed to moisturise and soften your skin and facial hair. Scented with Peppermint & Cucumber, this multi-purpose moisturiser is a first of it’s kind and has been specially designed to aid and moisturise both skin and stubble simultaneously helping you to feel fresh, invigorated and ready to face the day. Revitalising and nourishing your Face & Stubble doesn’t get easier than this!’

So go on, click on the Rafflecopter entries below and you could find this set and bottle winging its way to you.  Just for reference, this competition is open worldwide and you must be 16 or over to enter, unless you have parental permission because I will need your home address.  There are some mandatory entries which must be completed and failure to do so will disqualify your entry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck.

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Sunday, May 29, 2016

In conversation: Mr Jamie Stevens

You may have seen the post, but on 5 May this year I walked into the hair salon owned by Jamie Stevens and the way my hair looked, the way I styled it and the way in which  I cared for it changed forever. If you didn’t see the write up (it is rather gushing) of my new hair style I really recommend that you do (and you can do easily by clicking here). I found the entire experience amazing, and while I could remember some of what was said as we chatted I really wanted to share some of the conversation - so today you have a Q & A session with Jamie Stevens
In conversation: Mr Jamie Stevens
Source
This wasn’t your run of the mill conversation with a hairdresser or barber, you won’t find any “are you going anywhere nice on your holidays” patter here. Instead we talked about why Jamie became a hairdresser, and as my hair was styled I had the opportunity to ask about the MR range from Jamie Stevens while picking up some tips.
In conversation: Mr Jamie Stevens
Why did you want to become a hairdresser?

My mother, grandmother and great-grandfather were all hairdressers so you could say hairdressing runs in my blood. By the age of eight, I was already helping my Mum in her salon which I then went on to take over from her at 18 and have never looked back.

When did the MR range launch?

We launched the MR by Jamie Stevens range in October 2015 going directly into 360 Boots stores nationwide.

What inspired you to create your own range of hair styling products?

Hair loss is a big concern and causes real fear and anxiety for a lot of men, whether they care to admit it or not. As someone who has thinning hair, I hope that getting men to talking about the issue will stop them suffering in silence whilst also addressing how prolific and serious it can be for self-esteem and confidence. The solution doesn’t have to be expensive - I wanted to create high performance products that combine effective treatment with the best ingredients so that men no longer have to be afraid. 

What has the feedback on your products been so far?

We have overwhelming feedback, it has been incredible so far, actually really emotional for me as so many men and also women have sent us messages saying it's changed their lives and made them feel so much more confident. This is why we aim to continue developing and giving something new to the market.

If you had to pick your favourite product from the range, what would it be and why?

Salt spray has to be my favourite, it is a versatile product that can be used to blowdry into the hair to give the hair a slightly thicker feel or you can spray into wet hair and let it dry in which gives the hair a matt like beach look.

The disguise sprays, there is nothing like it out on the market, a water resistant colour spray which instantly makes your hair look thicker.....It's like having a hair transplant but in a bottle and it's only £18 not thousands of pounds and best of all it's pain free! 

Did you see a gap in the market, was there something about the offer already out there that you didn’t like or you found frustrating?

Working in men’s hairdressing for so long and winning a lot of awards I felt the market was crowded in styling but nothing was there for an inexpensive alternative to helping people with hair issues. I felt this was a big part of the market that could really work for so many people and is one of the reason the disguise spray and fibres are such a significant part of the launch. It helped create a men’s range for everyone plus the range is suited to all ages from 16-60. 

Most of the products have our trademarked ingredients system PPX which helps reduce the rate of hair loss and keeps the hair you have thicker, fuller and stronger.

Do you see the range expanding further?

I always see the range expanding, we have had a great initial launch and I always see us adding to that and tinkering so watch this space. 

How did your life change when you became hairdresser in residence for the X Factor?

It changed in a big way as it gave me a platform to be showcased to 10’s of millions of viewers in the consumer market and allowed me exposure to many more people, with the continuation of my residency my profile continually raised and got me to a point where I felt confident enough to launch the range.

If you could offer one haircare tip to a regular man on the street, what would it be?

So many guys don’t actually know how to treat their hair so I would say make sure you use a specific shampoo and conditioner for men and not just whatever is in the shower, e.g. your partners or shower gel and most importantly when you get out of the shower don’t dry your hair roughly, pat it dry, I know so many people really rub their hair aggressively with a towel to dry it and this undoes so much of the smoothing work done in the shower. Invest in quality products to look after your hair as you only have it once! 

If you could give one styling tip to someone like me who uses a lot of product, what would it be?

Try cocktailing, where you use a base of wax and then your usual styling product of say a paste. Apply it  from back to front rather than from front to back, you’ll find less product build up at the front and it makes styling so much easier, particularly for your new style where you don’t want too much volume on top.
Source
Source
In conversation: Mr Jamie Stevens
I will be writing about my experiences with the products over the next few weeks now that I have had the chance to really give them all a good try. While Jamie said that one of his favourites from the range is the Salt Spray (which I agree is great), for me at the moment I'm torn between the cocktailing wax and paste to style my hair or the shampoo and conditioner which have left my hair feeling and looking fantastic. 

My hair is naturally very fine but there is a lot of it. After my hair had been cut using the shampoo and conditioner for three weeks solid has added body to it and keeping the style flat to my head not only makes my massive forehead look smaller, but it also covers the receding zones brilliantly, even when stood in really bright sunlight, or well lit rooms. 

If you haven't seen the MR range yet, go on read Jamie's blog The Grooming Room where you can see the positive effect his products can have on your life.

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Sunday, May 22, 2016

New Rock Itali Biker Boots

Well, it’s World Goth Day and as someone who loves all things dark, warped and generally off beat I thought it would be a perfect time to show off my New Rock 7605 ITALI Biker Boots. It was either that or plumb the depths and actually review some guyliner. While my new footwear is just a few weeks old I’ve actually been wearing this brand and style of biker boot for well over ten years after venturing into the New Rock shop on Camden High Street and picking up a pair for £110 in 2005!
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
So, what do New Rock say about themselves? 

‘New Rock boots, shoes and accessories are the ultimate statement in alternative footwear and clothing. New Rock are famous for both their originality of product design and the quality of the product it supplies.’ 

Personally it was the buckle design on the side of the boot that drew me to these originally and as soon as I picked them up and tried them on I knew they were for me. There is so much room inside the boot that they don’t tend to rub about the ankle or further up the leg. I did find that my foot would move around slightly inside the boot and I’d suggest some decent insoles to combat this.

The sole is just over an inch thick and has a cushioned feel when you walk, and walk taller! 
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
I wore my first pair into oblivion - they came with a ten year guarantee from the shop and they lasted for the full ten years before they gave up the ghost and the sole split. Now, even with a slight split (which became bigger) they still remained a decent pair of knockout boots, I just couldn’t wear them to the office any longer. 

There is a collage of the boots after over ten tears of near daily wear below just to show you how they hold up.
New Rock Itali Negro Biker Boots
These boots regularly sell for around £170 but you can, as I did pick them up for just over £100. When you consider the sheer amount of wear, tear and abuse these boots endure on my feet and how long they last for it works out at less than £10 a year for a cracking pair of alternative footwear. New Rock have an extensive range of alternative boots and if I was so inclined I’d have no hesitation in recommending their quality. For me however, the fact that I have gone out and bought exactly the same style and make of boot should tell you everything about how I feel about the brand. Top notch New Rock, top notch.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Friday, May 20, 2016

Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss

If you mention the words Hugo Boss and aftershave together I automatically get a shudder down my spine. Not in a good way! Since my first foray into Hugo Boss aftershaves (shudder) with Dark Blue which to be blunt was awful they have actually released a number of good scents for men such as Just Different and Man. Trying to put my prejudices to one side, Beautyqueenuk asked me to get my sniffing tackle around Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss.
Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss
Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss
Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss
At £60 for a 100ml bottle this bottle, the fragrance launched in 2014 sits in the medium bracket in terms of affordability so I was expecting good things from this in terms of not just fragrance but also staying power and evolution of the notes.

Without boring you with the marketing blurb I’m going to launch straight in. These are the notes for Hugo Boss Bottled Unlimited:

  • Head: Iced Violet Leaves
  • Heart: Pineapple
  • Dry-down: Sandalwood, musk
From this I would have expected a light floral fragrance with the slight bite of the citrus from the pineapple. To be honest, I can’t recall another fragrance that I’ve tried over the last year with a citrus heart note - just seeing this made me more curious as to what it would smell like, and whether indeed it had the decent base on which to act as a hardwearing aftershave.

So, on with the sniffing….

Spray one and you think wow, this is strong, and by spray three (I spray quickly) you are thinking “seriously, can an aftershave be this strong”. The strength of the fragrance as it leaves the bottle is like an unexpected slap to the face…..from Floyd Mayweather which makes it pretty hard to bring your senses to bear on it. It took thirty seconds until I had my senses back and could indeed detect a strong floral scent, it wasn’t as subtle as I had expected, this was much stronger and it wasn’t for a good fifteen minutes until this dried down a little and the light citrus from the pineapple came through. It is lovely as its as though the fragrances melted into each other. 

It takes around an hour until this starts to lighten, it’s really noticeable to me as I move around but it loses some of it’s heavy top notes and becomes slightly lighter, yet with a warm finish on the nose. The sandalwood is light so not to overshadow the floral and citrus and the blend is simply amazing.

This lasts for well over ten hours and I think will appeal to those who light their fragrances light and citrus to those who prefer a heavier and warmer floral. With it being so strong a little really does go a long way with only three sprays needed at the start of the day. It’ll last for ages even when worn for daywear, nights out or those special occasions. Go on, treat yourself to a bottle of Hugo Boss aftershave (no shudder anymore) and take a closer look at Bottled Unlimited by Hugo Boss.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This article was originally posted on BeautyqueenUK.

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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Charcoal & Volcanic Ash Unclog Pore Strips by Montagne Jeunesse

This could quite possibly be the shortest post on my blog ever - there is only a limited amount you can say about strips that are designed to rip out any blockages from the pores in your face I suppose. So today, and for the first time ever I’m going to don a Montagne Jeunesse Charcoal & Volcanic Ash Unclog Pore Strips. I confess that I only tried these after seeing the packet in my box of things to try, taking a look in the mirror and thinking yeah, there are a few blocked pores there that could be on the verge of getting unsightly - I do after all spend two hours every day trapped on London Underground with the grime and pollution. 
Charcoal & Volcanic Ash Unclog Pore Strips by Montagne Jeunesse
Charcoal & Volcanic Ash Unclog Pore Strips by Montagne Jeunesse
Charcoal & Volcanic Ash Unclog Pore Strips by Montagne Jeunesse
At 90 pence, yes 90 pence for a pack of three strips from Primark these aren’t exactly going to break the bank, and if they didn’t work it wasn’t as though much cash had been laid out on them.

This is what they say about the product over at the Montagne Jeunesse website here:

‘Mens nose pore strips enriched with Natural Charcoal that helps to absorb excess sebum and blackheads for cleaner, less visible pores around the nose, whilst Volcanic Minerals help to clear dead cells.’

After rinsing my face and leave it wet I removed one of the strips, ripped off the protective plastic and slapped the strip onto my nose. Applying pressure for about a minute and it stuck like glue, and I really do mean, like glue. There was no way this was falling off or showed any signs of peeling away from the skin.
Charcoal & Volcanic Ash Unclog Pore Strips by Montagne Jeunesse
After around two minutes it started to get a bit warm, nothing uncomfortable just slightly weird as I hadn’t expected that to happen.

Now, with ten minutes to kill until I could rip it off like a crusty old plaster I went to take a look in the mirror where I was immediately hit with two thoughts which seemed to come at the same time - the first was a flashback to the mighty Robbie Fowler in his Liverpool glory days (see picture below) and the second was a mild worry that as my nose is so massive if this was great it might leave a stripe where blocked pores remained. To say I was curious about the results was a understatement and then came the moment of truth….
God
Charcoal & Volcanic Ash Unclog Pore Strips by Montagne Jeunesse
With it’s adhesive nature in mind I was surprised how easily it peeled off and the fact that it was entirely painless. But, did it unblock my pores, draw out dirt and grime while removing any dead skin? Yes, yes it did. After rinsing off my face my nose was noticeably smoother to the touch, where there were blocked pores before there were none now and generally I have nothing but praise for these unblocking pore strips.
Charcoal & Volcanic Ash Unclog Pore Strips by Montagne Jeunesse

These won’t break the bank, they work and work well - with that in mind, my advice is give them a try.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Sunday, May 15, 2016

Westfield London - Suit Style

Suits used to be an obsession of mine, I still have a wardrobe full of them, from French Connection and Ted Baker to a series of lovely numbers from Tom English. Being colour blind I’ve never been one to opt for a whacky suit or louder colours, instead opting for solid colours or the boring old navy blue pinstripe. Wearing a suit was a must when I worked in financial services and also when I found myself running press offices for Councils. My latest job (which is by far the coolest) while still dealing with the media doesn’t require me to wear a suit, we go smart casual. So when I was asked by Westfield London if I would like to go in centre and find some accessories to show off my style I was apprehensive but thought in the end, why not, I will have to wear a suit again. So when I head off to conferences, how am I going to accessorise my suit?
Westfield London - Suit Style
As a bit of a closet goth I do quite like to break from the norm and I think this comes through with some of the items I bought.

As full disclosure, I was provided with a Westfield card charged with credit but alas, there are no images of me actually shopping as there was a mix up with my press pass to allow me to do so. 

That said, on with the show….

I’d never been to Westfield London before so after arriving at Shepherd’s Bush underground station the better half and I (she always comes shopping with me to help with colours) followed the signs to be greeted by a very long street of bars and restaurants - you can read the full list of places to eat here but needless to say, within ten minutes I was really hungry and after spotting a Five Guys there was no other place I wanted to go. So before the shopping I topped up my burger levels, chowed down on some amazing Cajun fries and was raring to go.

Picking up the Westfield Card was really easy - I had received codes for the card by text and found the nearest concierge desk, of which there are lots scattered throughout the centre. The process was incredibly quick and painless and the concierge couldn’t have been more helpful. Step one of the process went well.

Taking a map of the centre I was impressed with the sheer number of quality outlets there are - you have everything from run of the mill Next and River Island to Tesla and Thomas Sabo within the centre. You can see the full list of stores at Westfield here.

After a casual wander around the first floor we can stepped into Beauty Base with the wife muttering something about it being a poor mans beauty store. She came to eat her words some seconds later as like a child in a candy store I developed a crazed look, cheeky grin and moved towards the aftershave section as though I was going to hug them. Wow, the range of aftershaves on sale was immense and the prices ridiculously reasonable. I picked up a bottle of The Dreamer for myself and another bottle as a giveaway for my blog readers (you can enter the draw to win a bottle of The Dreamer until 31 May 2016 here). I didn’t use my Westfield Card, although I did think to myself “can I spin an aftershave purchase as an accessory” before opting to pay cash. 

So what did I buy to accessories my suit?

First up was a pair of cufflinks - they were only £20 from Menkind.
Westfield London - Suit Style
Westfield London - Suit Style
Westfield London - Suit Style
Westfield London - Suit Style
Second up was a bit of a chunky belt with a slight industrial twist in my view not the usual subtle number I would wear normally with a suit. This one wouldn’t look strange with a pair of jeans. This was £10 from Next. I also picked up a pack of five pairs of socks for only £12.
Westfield London - Suit Style
Westfield London - Suit Style
As I mentioned earlier, being a bit of a closet goth I really wanted to pick up some bracelets and after popping into River Island I picked up a pack of four bracelets for just £8.
Westfield London - Suit Style
Westfield London - Suit Style
Westfield London - Suit Style
We did go for a wander into Debenhams where I could have gone wild in the suit section. I saw a lovely light blue suit from the Jeff Banks range for just £250 and a few ties and pocket squares. I actually opted for two ties that came in at £25. When I took them to the checkout there was a problem with the card and it had been blocked. By this stage we had been walking around for nearly four hours taking in the vast nature of the stores on offer and rather than go back to get the card unblocked we called it a day and headed home (it was also one of the hottest days of the year so far).
Beautykinguk
I enjoyed my walk around Westfield and picked up a few things that I believe show off my style (dark and humourless - joke). The range of stores available to shoppers is jaw-dropping and I was impressed with the sheer number of luxury outlets. Personally I will be going back (if only to pick up the Jeff Banks suit for summer) and can see the pain that my new found love for Westfield London will have on my bank balance. There really is something for everyone and every individual style at Westfield London. Give it a try, you’ll lose a day of your life wandering around the stores. 

RECOMMENDED

For the avoidance of doubt, this post has been sponsored by Westfield, by way of credit on a Westfield card used to make the purchases on the day. No further payment was or will be made.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Morgan's 3-in-1 Shampoo/Wash/Shave


After a self-imposed exile of just over a year from the place of my birth (Manchester) I returned home a couple of weekends ago for not one party but two. My little sister Lily turned 7 and the old man (dad) turned 60. There were parties galore (read lots of alcohol). Having not packed my best party dress (joke) I had to make sure I looked my best (read not looking like an extra from The Walking Dead). Not wanting to pack too much stuff (I had presents to carry after all) I opted to not pack individual shaving cream, shampoo and face wash and instead took my lovely metallic bottle of Morgan’s 3-in-1 Shampoo/Wash/Shave.
Morgan's 3-in-1 Shampoo/Wash/Shave
Morgan's 3-in-1 Shampoo/Wash/Shave
This came some weeks ago as a PR sample but suspecting I may be off on my travels I have been saving it. A 100ml bottle costs just £9.50 and if you fancy a bottle you can buy it here. I’d never heard of Morgan’s, but after a touch of research (I’m a lazy man, so you can be assured that it wasn’t much research) it appears that it has been around since 1873. If it’s being going that long it’s either a) a decent company that makes some good products or b) a family owned company with deep pockets.

So, without further ado and more waffling, this is what the (actually blunbt and to the point) blurb says about the product over at the Morgan’s website:


'The perfect travel essential – shampoo, wash and shave with 
Morgan’s 3-in-1. Invigorating and refreshing. Versatile and 
effective formula that is easy to use.'


Morgan's 3-in-1 Shampoo/Wash/Shave
Morgan's 3-in-1 Shampoo/Wash/Shave
Morgan's 3-in-1 Shampoo/Wash/Shave
So, on with the testing:

What’s it like as a face wash?
I’m starting with my thoughts on this as a face wash as this for me is the best thing about the 3-in-1. This could punch a lethargic hippo awake and keep it awake, making it perfect for me (I’m not a morning person, in fact, afternoons are still too early for me). To suggest (as the bottle does) that this is invigorating is something of an understatement. It has a menthol/minty fragrance that is so strong that it almost assaults the senses (in a good way) and is refreshing on the nose.

Even as it leaves the bottle the strong fragrance is all you can concentrate on, but as you are being blind-sided by the aroma, you nearly miss the fact that this lathers up brilliantly. It’s not a rich thick lather, but actually rather watery which means a little goes a very long way allowing coverage across a face as large as mine (anyone over the age of thirty think of the film Mask starring Cher).

Looking at the colour of the water in the sink after using this it has clearly removed a load of grime and dirt from my face, which is erm, well what it’s supposed to do. It’s great as a face wash and after patting my face dry I don’t find that it dries out my skin excessively. It does dry it out a bit, but nothing just a spot of moisturiser can’t solve.

What’s it like as a shampoo?
Well, it smells the same (no shock there) and again it lathers up really well. Again, this can’t be faulted – it removes all of the product from my hair be it cream, wax or gel leaving it soft and ready for more punishment. Honestly, my hair does feel clean and weirdly, if I leave my hair to dry naturally it becomes really quite fly away. At the moment of writing my hair was the longest that it has been in twenty years (it was Robert Palmer) and it felts so light and fly away.

To summarise in one word: Win!

Shave
This is sadly for me where I have to be slightly negative – while it is probably good for when on the road, for me (an infrequent shaver) I was left feeling a little disappointed. First of all I had to use quite a lot of the gel like formula to get it to stay on my face and lather up to a thickness that made me able to see where I had already shaved and even then it was still a touch too watery. That meant most of it ran down my neck and onto my chest.

Hey, it’s not bad, it’s just not great. Personally I have loads of shaving products that knock the spots off this (in shaving terms) so while slightly miffed it’s not a deal breaker when I consider if I would buy this again when it runs out.  

It would have come highly recommended but personally I think this would be better marketed as a 2-in-1, but that is just my humble opinion. It wasn’t the best shave cream I’ve ever used and it’s not something I will use for these purposes again, but in terms of being a good face wash and shampoo you can’t go wrong. Combine that with:

· A very reasonable purchase price
· It lathers up really well removes hair styling product build up
· It looks cool
· It’s compact (so great for people on the road or train a lot)
· Leaves your face feeling refreshed


With the above in mind, if you are off on your holidays, or a traveller (of the non-caravan variety or even if you are) you should pick a bottle.

RECOMMENDED

Random fact not product related: Morgan’s are based in Whitstable. I reference it here because the best media officer I have ever worked with, Lynn, lives in Whitstable.  

Random pictures not products related: Here is a picture from the first party – my good self with my uber-cute sister Lily and my slightly older sister Lucy photo-bombing in spectacular style (where is Lucy’s body???) in the background.
Stephen with Lily
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