Nivea Men 48 Hour Silver Protect Antiperspirant

It’s safe to say that I’m not a big fan of Nivea products and when using their deodorants in the past, particularly Cool Kick 48 Hour Deodorant, I was left massively underwhelmed. At Christmas, not knowing my borderline hatred of their products my younger brother bought me a Nivea gift set (cos I really need more grooming products) and in it was a can of Nivea Men 48 Hour Silver Protect Antiperspirant. After running out of my regular BO spray (as I call it) and with a heatwave in London a few weeks ago I hesitantly reached into the bag and tried it for the first time.

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

‘NIVEA MEN Silver Protect Anti-Perspirant Deodorant with anti-bacterial silver ions helping to eliminate bacteria and prevent body odour.  Delivers 24 hour confidence and anti-perspirant protection keeping you fresh and dry all day long.

With anti-bacterial silver ions helping to eliminate body odour. 24 hour confidence, anti-perspirant protection and gentle Nivea care. No alcohol or colourants. Dermatologically approved’

After applying it on the first day it did make my armpits itch slightly, in part I think due to the aluminium by-product it contains. That said, the irritation was very mild and I’ve been using it every day since with no repeat of the itching.

What the product does do is protect you from fear of body odour, I found that I didn’t get any wet patches under my arms or on my back despite the temperatures that would put Las Vegas to shame. I genuinely felt more confident wearing this and was espousing the virtues of it to every else in the office who appeared to be melting.

At just £2.50 for a 250ml can this isn’t going to break the bank, but those around you on public transport or in the office will thank you for your purchase. Not only has this kept me sweat free in the searing heat of London Underground and banished any hints of body odour it does actually work and works well. I don’t know anybody who would actually wear this for 48 hours to check the claims that it lasts that long, but after spraying it on at 7 a.m. in the morning, enduring over two hours on the tube and stupidly hot temperatures at the end of the day I still feel fresh. I really can’t put a price on the confidence that this gives me.

Using as an emergency stop gap has moved me away from a hatred of the brand and actually, given the results and value for money I’ll stop my self-imposed boycott of the brand and look at trying more of their products. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Nivea for Men Cool Kick 48 Hour Deodorant

Now, I don’t have a BO problem, I wash religiously, in fact it’s borderline OCD as I really do fear smelling, or the people around me thinking that I smell anything other than lovely, or of Eau De Embassy Number 1 at a push (I smoke, for shame). To keep this self-doubt in check I really do rely on good deodorants.

Throughout my youth I was a firm convert to the Sure range of deodorants for men, they knocked the spots of everything else on the market in my opinion, and to steal their own marketing slogan, Sure didn’t let me down. As I aged (badly some would say) I found myself drawn to Right Guard, and it did offer excellent protection against that dreaded problem of body odour. Despite wracking my brain, I have no idea why I decided it would be a good idea to jump into the unknown and give Nivea for Men Cool Kick 48 Hour Deodorant a go.

At £2.29 for 150ml can this really is quite cheap. I thankfully didn’t even pay that, I received a 35ml can, I think in a beauty box. 

This is what they say about the spray over on the Nivea site here:

‘NIVEA FOR MEN Cool Kick Deodorant with its cool-care formula delivers 48h confidence and antiperspirant protection keeping you fresh, dry and invigorated all day long.

It’s the perfect combination of NIVEA‘s mild care and reliable protection.’

First thing first, it smells actually rather lovely. It does have a fresh kick to it and unlike other sprays it doesn’t come across as overly artificial - and even better, it doesn’t leave white residue under your pit or down the side of your clothes, which is a blessing for me given the sheer amount of black clothes I wear (closet Goth alert). 

With claims of 48 hour protection I had very high hopes for this, but after a brisk walk to work, a bit of lifting (that would be my laptop from my bag to my desk so nothing too taxing) the fragrance had changed from being fresh to slightly warm, and musky. I started to fear the worst.

After four hours on and very little exertion in a fairly cool office I was sure I could detect a hint of BO - first thought “oh Christ no”. After another hour my self-confidence had evaporated (like the spray) and I actually had to go and buy a can of Right Guard. A quick pop into the shower room at work and boom, the confidence was back.

Not wanting to sit here and write up a scathing analysis unfairly I did try it again when off at a conference in Perth recently, but alas, in a warm conference hall it’s claimed antiperspirant were nowhere to be seen and for a good four hours I was praying for time to pass quicker so that I could get back to my guest house to shower and apply some Right Guard (as an aside, and to add some positivity to this post - if in Perth you could do a lot worse than the Clunie Guest House - lovely Adele and Hatem, the owners were so friendly, it’s very clean and reasonably priced).

Anyway, back to this excuse for a deodorant - It doesn’t last for 48 hours, eurgh, the thought of how I would reek 48 hours after applying doesn’t bear thinking about. I found that after five hours I just couldn’t get comfortable knowing that my colleagues might think that I stink, or lord, hadn’t washed properly. Yes, it’s cheap, yes it has bold claims but avoid this like the plague as it simply does not do the job. 

Buildings burn, people die, but my hatred for this product will last forever!*

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

*this may have been adapted from the closing line of one of my favourite films, The Crow.

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Scaramouche & Fandango 'SW' Sports Wash

I’m a big fan of ‘Hy’ Hydrator, ‘Fs’ Face Scrub and ‘Bw’ Body Wash by Scaramouche & Fandango, so when I was asked if I would like to try their new ‘Sw’ Sports Wash (it really is a little like the intro to Breaking Bad with all of these periodic table like abbreviations) I started with high hopes. 

Now call me a cynic, but first there were two in ones, then three in ones, and now, we have a four in one - the 'Sw' Sports Wash from Scaramouche & Fandango is not just to banish those BO (body odour) blues, oh no readers, this baby is also designed for hair, face, body and for shaving.

Now you are more like to win Euro millions (current odds 1 in 116.5 million) than you are to see me in the gym at the moment so my take on this is purely as a four in one and whether I would recommend it - the 250ml tube I have costs £9 from here.

This is what Scaramouche & Fandango say about the benefits of Sports Wash over at their website here:

‘Energising caffeine extracts pack a punch in this invigorating 4 in 1 sports wash. Taking care of both hair and skin, the Guar Gum moisturises and conditions whilst also allowing for that perfect shave.’    

Texture and consistency wise this is quite runny for a product of this nature, usually when it comes to the all in one kind of products I have found them to be quite thick but this bucks the trend and as soon as it leaves the tube you immediately get a manly fragrance, it’s like a cross between a rugged earthy aroma blended with floral notes. Thankfully, the masculine nature of the fragrance leaves no doubt in my mind that this beast is designed for post workout washing.

As you can see from the picture, it is quite runny! 

I have been using this for a few weeks now, the tube is about half empty and I have to say I have been impressed with three of the four uses it is intended for.

Yes, the fragrance and washing power is exceptional, it really does banish BO and using only a tiny bit of the wash (roughly an amount the size of a fifty pence piece) is enough to wash my hair, face and body. A little goes a long way and the fragrance kind of explodes into life and strength as soon as it connects with the warm water. Personally, I love the smell and it lathers up wonderfully.

No, showering is not like the Olympics!

  
After drying the subtle fragrance remains on the skin for a few hours and the way it leaves my skin feeling leaves me smiling, and for that and the fact that an hour after drying off my skin feels great, my face doesn’t dry out and there is no need for copious amounts of moisturiser (just a touch though). Result! 

Using the Sports Wash has cut a lot of faffing from my daily shower routine which is brilliant if in a rush, making this great for those who do need to cut down on the amount of time spent in the shower. 

While I wouldn’t use this as a shaving aid, the skin around my face is far too sensitive, it is a great body wash and face cleanser. In addition, unlike other all in one products it doesn’t leave my hair feeling like straw (which is a massive plus) and removes the various hair products I use to style my hair.

At just £9 for a tube I think this represents good value for money and is a product that works. The caffeine does pack a punch and acts as an additional wake up call for my body. This would be a perfect addition to a gym bag or like me, just for day to day use.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

You can read my thoughts on other products from Scaramouche & Fandango by clicking on the links below:

Hydrator 'Hy'
Face Scrub 'Fs' 


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Burt‘s Bees Natural Body Wash for Men

The bees, the bees, they’re everywhere……well, my bathroom is packed with things from Burt’s Bees, does that count? 

If you mentioned bees to one of my former colleagues he would slap his head and look as though a little bit of his own life force had been drained, hence why I have warped, yet funny flashbacks every time I use Burt‘s Bees Natural Body Wash for Men. 

This came to me along with a host of other products thanks to the lovely PR people for the company. When they said ‘samples’ I didn’t expect the 350ml bottle of the body wash that arrived. If you want to buy the same bottle you can do for £10 here.

Now £10 for a body wash will probably get Lynx users (Axe for my European readers) fainting in the aisles, but I think £10 for 350ml is actually not a bad price, and if it had that little goes a long way going for it then the initial purchase price shouldn’t turn into a factor when considering whether it represents good value for money. 

This is what Burt’s Bees say about the product over on their website:

‘Wake up with the invigorating buzz of Burt’s Bees Men Body Wash. Get an intense clean with this energizing and purifying body wash, containing lemon, orange and petitgrain oils it washes away dirt and odour, leaving your skin refreshed.

Burt’s Bees Men Body Wash uses natural and refreshing ingredients to invigorate your skin and your senses. Coconut, sunflower and citrus oils cleanse while cypress and fir oils energize for skin that looks, smells, and feels its natural best.’

Normally the first thing that strikes me about a product is the way it smells. It could be me, well hell, I know its me, but before I try anything, drinks, food or beauty products I give them a good sniff first (I say it’s because I can detect all major poisons so my family don’t try a random assassination - this is a joke for the avoidance of doubt). 

In this case it wasn’t the fragrance of the product but the texture that had me having my WTF moment. While in the bottle the liquid looks just that, quite runny, to the point that I made a mental note to be careful not to let too much be dispensed and subsequently flow off my hand. This is where it got a bit strange, as I poured some out it almost has the texture of washing up liquid in that as soon as it hit my hand it seemed to sticky and become a bit thicker. Run off my hand this will not (sorry, random Yoda moment). 

A lovely, light citrus, with lemon being the order of the day is perfect for a body wash, and with slight hints of bergamot this packs a fragrant punch that will not just wake you up in the morning, but it will also leave your skin with a delightful lingering aroma that ensures that body odour is gone, and stays gone. Happy days.

Unlike other body washes where the fragrance explodes into life when it comes into contact with warm water this one remains the same. Understated would be a good way of describing the lovely aroma that comes with the overly rich lather that helps scrub away the dirt and grime that has built up over the course of a day or night. 

It takes a bit to work up the lather, but once the body wash has made its transition from thick liquid (I am yet to find something where so little results in such a large amount of lather) an amount the size of a fifty pence piece is all that is needed to bring on enough of the lather to wash a full grown man from head to toe.  

So, was the dreaded BO (body odour) banished? Hell yeah, it was kicked to the curb, taken out with the trash (insert another generic saying) lol. On a serious note, all that was left after showering and using this body wash was a very, and I mean very subtle hint of lemon.

While washing using this is initially like smearing yourself in honey, and while weird at first I simply couldn’t fault the final results. The subtle aroma, the way my skin was left so smooth I couldn’t help but poke my arm to feel how soft and supple it had become. 

Lush - there you go, this stuff is amazing. I have been using it on and off now since it arrived in December and I’ve used about a quarter of the bottle. On the value for money test it works for me, and is likely to stick around for at least an other six months before the bottle needs replacing. 

While this was a PR sample, the acid test is would I part with my own money for the product. Well yes, yes I would. Taking everything into account, including no a hint of dry skin anywhere on a my body or irritation then this is one that people should take a serious look at, I know I will be searching it out when I need to replace my bottle.

RECOMMENDED  

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Molton Brown Templetree Body Wash

Anyone who casts their eyes over my little blog on a regular basis may have seen me write up my thoughts on Molton Brown Black Peppercorn Body Wash will know that I loved the manly fragrance and the fact that it banished BO (body odour). I was impressed, so when that ran out and a bottle of Molton Brown Templetree Body Wash appeared I couldn’t wait to try it out. 

I was so eager to try it that once again I committed the cardinal sin of beauty blogging by using it before taking photographs from several thousand angles - you would have thought I would learn but…..

Anyway, a small 100ml bottle of Templetree appeared, spookily a day after I had commented on a picture of it on Instagram saying I wanted to try it. Not spooky really, I could probably pick fifty random beauty products and the missus will have it somewhere. Needless to say, you don’t have to fear that my opinion has been influenced in any way. 

If you want to pick this up for yourself you can get a 300ml bottle direct from Molton Brown for £18 here. 

Like my last post, it could be me being tight with money or just because I have no idea how much things cost nowadays but £18 seems a lot to pay for a body wash. Go on, say it, I’m tighter than the rear end of a fish..….

This is what they say about Templetree over at the Molton Brown website:

‘A blissful bath and shower gel blended with moisturising algae extract and purifying templetree flower extract.

The fragrance
Top note: fragrant jasmine.
Middle note: fruity Rose.
Base note: sandalwood. 

Formerly known as Blissful Templetree’

Well, I now know what it used to be called, and the way my brain works I’ll retain that useless fact until the day I expire! 

Like other Molton Brown body wash this lathers up really well even when using only a little. If you look at the bottle in the pictures you can see how much has been used - that is after I had used Templetree for three days, so a little goes a long way, and in fact this what I consider small 100ml bottle will last for ages.

The fragrance is the clincher for me when I thought about whether I would recommend this. The jasmine and rose give this an incredibly strong aroma that is only magnified by the hot water of a shower. The lather retains it’s rich texture for ages and as it is absorbed into the top layer of skin you really start to just pull out the rose notes. 

While a lovely fragrance not that manly - so I was pleased that like an aftershave, once dried it took on a warmth as the rose was replaced by subtle hints of the sandalwood. For me, once dried off the fragrance is perfect for both sexes, not too feminine and not too masculine. 

But does it banish BO? Yes, yes it does, and even better, once it has helped wash the stink off it does have a positive effect on my skin, it does feel smoother - it’s not groundbreaking but there is an obvious difference.
Like most things I suppose, it depends upon your own personal preference, but if you like subtle floral fragrances with a solid warm base that will help clean away your sins in the shower then this baby is for you. Personally, and considering I’m tight I will buy this when the current body runs out. Hell, a 300ml bottle would probably last me for months! 

Try it, I think you’ll like it.

RECOMMENDED

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Prince Charming Shower Gel by Lush

I challenge anyone over the age of 35 to take a bottle of Prince Charming Shower Gel by Lush into the shower and not hum a line or two of the early 1980s song (1981 to be precise) ‘Prince Charming; by Adam and the Ants. Embarrassingly I do this as I wash away my sins on a daily basis.  

To be honest, whereas other shower gels like Multi-Task, Fish Soho 3 in 1 and Springwash have enough menthol and tea tree to spank a Rhino awake Prince Charming is far more subtle and lacks that punch. It does however make up for the lack of immediate invigoration by having one of the sweetest and addictive fragrances ever.

Far from being masculine, the pink shower gel is everything but, and it took me a while to actually take this in hand and use it. I wish I hadn’t waited so long.

Musical interlude:

Don't you ever, don't you ever
Stop being dandy, showing me you're handsome
Don't you ever, don't you ever
Stop being dandy, showing me you're handsome

Forgive me….on with my thoughts….

This is what Lush say about Prince Charming:

‘With marshmallow root, Fair Trade vanilla and fresh pomegranate juice, Prince Charming will sweep you off your feet and carry you off into the sunset, leaving your skin silky soft and smelling lovely’.

On the camp-o-meter the write up from Lush registers a good nine out of 10.

Not put off by potential attacks on my masculinity and in the interests of thorough research I had to get past the jibes that would come from those who know me when writing this, and frankly, its that good they can say what they like.

Musical Interlude:

Prince Charming
Prince Charming
Ridicule is nothing to be scared of
Don't you ever, don't you ever
Stop being dandy, showing me you're handsome

I think I may need help…….but I digress….As soon as the gel is unleashed into your palm the rich and sweet vanilla and pomegranate blend to become so pronounced that it is like you have buried your nose into a tub of old school sweets. With its rather thick consistency it teases as though it is going to be more of a body wash than a gel.

As soon as the gel comes into contact with warm water the fragrance explodes yet again - there is no escape from this rich, lovely aroma. 

It lathers up reasonably well, and an amount similar in size to a 50 pence piece will provide enough of the lather to wash down your whole body. The lather is rich and again magnifies the aroma which weirdly becomes slightly floral as it is spread.

At this point you have to try and not lick your own arm for the following reasons - 1) you’ll probably be sectioned under the Mental Health Act, but 2) it smells better than it tastes.

As soon as the gel and lather has been rinsed off the fragrance subsides significantly but what is left is silky smooth skin and any hints of body odour are banished. It cleans, it cleans…result! Really, to the touch skin feels so much softer, my arms and in particular my tattoo where there isn’t much hair is as smooth as ice.

Musical Interlude:

Silk or leather or a feather
Respect yourself and all of those around you
Silk or leather or a feather
Respect yourself and all of those around you

While it doesn’t punch you awake, singing Adam and the Ants in the shower certainly does (especially when my cats screech while begging me to stop), therefore I can do nothing but recommend this beauty from Lush. It’s long lasting, the subtle fragrance stays on the skin for hours without altering aftershave that is applied and I have mad 1980s flashbacks.

All in all a really good product and one you should try.

RECOMMENDED

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Dirty Works Coconut Caress Body Scrub

Get the puns out the way early, that would be sensible advice had I not been writing about Dirty Works Coconut Caress Body Scrub - seriously, just drafting this resulted in lots of sounds reminiscent of an episode of Beavis & Butthead.

So, in the interests of moving on and getting these out of the way I will not be using phrases such as ‘Coconut Caress is Coco-nuts‘, ‘I’m a dirty boy’, ’getting down and dirty’ or ‘I’m a little scrubber’ from now on - promise.

To fully appreciate my experience you really need to know how I started using this - picture a man clinging to consciousness trying to get showered before work. Eyes haven’t fully opened and support being provided by both arms propping me up. 

I actually went to grab a different body wash but picked this up by accident. 

So, what do they say about it?

Clean up your act with this feel good scrub to leave you revived, recharged and ready to go!

Change your ways and buff yourself to innocence! With Walnut shell granules to help brush roughness away and Coconut Oil to condition and moisturise.

As soon as you step under the shower and squeeze the scrub out its like being smashed in the face with a bag of coconuts - wow, that coconut oil is strong! Really strong. It also requires far too much effort to squeeze it out as the scrub is really thick in texture.

I’m not normally a big fan of coconut but with this it is much sweeter on the nose. Yes, I can just sit here sniffing the tube. Sad, very sad but true.

Once I’d flexed my muscles and squeezed enough out it felt thick and gooey in my hand, no signs of any walnut shell granules. With Ted’s Grooming Room Step 01 Face Scrub I found that as soon as I put it on my hands I could feel the micro-beads. With Coconut Caress I had to rub this between my palms and as it spreads boy does the abrasion follow.

As I started to rub this over my body the walnut shell granules gently dug into my skin but in a way that you kind of knew that it was removing every inch of dead or dry skin from my torso. The scrub doesn’t lather but it is so smooth you can actually see the granules as they become more and more abrasive - too much pressure and you’ll find yourself losing hairs off your arms (I jest).

The granules don’t disintegrate like other products so until they are washed off you can continue to rub them over your torso which means you don’t need that much of this for a full upper torso wash and exfoliation.

After stepping out of the shower and drying, my skin did have a subtle glow to it and was extremely smooth to the touch. It was 100% clear to me on the day of using and still the day after that my skin had taken a pasting and had been treated to some TLC.

The coconut fragrance while strong when washing doesn’t stay that way. You can detect hints of the coconut oil for a few hours on the skin after using. Personally I don’t use this on my face as it does interfere with how my aftershave smells but for washing my torso - ’pits and body this is perfect. Not a hint of the dreaded BO after washing using this and with the lovely results I can’t help but recommend this to people who want a bloody good exfoliating body scrub.

Do I feel innocent after using this? Well no, but I also don’t feel like I’ve been robbed as 200 ml costs just a £1 if you shop around which represents exceptional value for money.

Do I feel revived and recharged? Well it certainly wakes you up, but recharged? That's just a claim too far. Even so, this has far too many positives to let the mindless marketing blurb stand in the way of top marks from me.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

One question that will nag away at me - why use walnut shell granules and why not coconut husk?

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