BEARDS: Schwarzkopf Got2b Beard Oil

Last week a massive box of the new products from the Schwarzkopf Got2b Phenomenal range was delivered - everything from a beard trimmer, hair paste, wax and sprays. As part of the package was Schwarzkopf Got2b Phenomenal Beard Oil, and for the last seven days I've been slapping it onto my ever growing beard, stepping back and then making the other half feel the results.

Given my experience with this beard oil I thought it deserved a post all to itself, so check back over the coming weeks if you want to read more reviews of the range.

What does the marketing blurb say about the beard oil under review?

'Discover the real gentleman in you. The lightweight conditioning oil softens and tames your beard, leaving it well-groomed and non-greasy.'

I had no idea that this sat firmly in the budget range of grooming products (it's RRP is £4.07 for 75ml) but prior experience with the got2b hair styling range meant that I had some pretty high hopes. Had I seen the price beforehand I would have expected little.

So what did the product do? Well, it surprised me immensely from the moment it left the bottle and for hour after hour later. Why? Well, many reasons. The first being the silky smooth oil that really could not be simpler to apply. Two to three pumps from the dispenser should be enough according to the directions but given the longer length of my facial foliage I use two to three on the beard on my cheeks and chin and another two to massage into the shaft of the hair that hangs about five inches down from under my chin and on my neck.

The oil is a lot thinner than pretty much every oil I've ever used before but this helps with the absorption into the hair and within a matter of seconds you'll hardly know that you've applied it - it isn't greasy as promised and washing it off your palms is much, much easier than other premium brands.

The results are out of this world - after three days of using this my beard was noticeably softer to the touch, and I mean really soft so much so that I spent most of last week stroking my beard. Normally if using oil on my beard this would result in residue bein transferred to my fingers and the risk of oil stains on my clothing but not with this - excellent.

The beard some six hours after using Schwarzkopf Got2b Phenomenal Beard Oil

While much runnier than normal this doesn't detract from the hold it provides when styling the beard - I've found that it keeps my long beard in place for a good seven hours before the hairs start to lift up off my face and look untidy. That's much better than oils you can find yourself paying upwards of £20 for elsewhere.

They say that the Got2b range is truly phenomenal and when it comes to the beard oil I'm inclined to agree. Not only can you pick this up for under £5 when fully priced (you can get it from Superdrugor just £3) it also leaves you feeling like you've just stepped out of the barber's chair. I has a fragrance that will throw you back to your childhood (it reminds me of the smell of Barbicide used by barbers) while also taming your beard - it softens so well, in fact, better than any other beard oil I've used and it keeps my fairly long beard well and truly under control.

Price, availability and results taken into consideration and pow, you have an absolute belter of a beard oil.

HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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BEARDS: Modern Day Duke Beard Wash & Tonic

Where has he been for months I hear you say? Growing a beard. With that in mind expect one or two posts on beards over the coming weeks and months, but today I'll start off with two cracking products from Modern Day Duke - Luxurious Beard Wash and Superior Beard Tonic.

So, who are Modern Day Duke? You can read all about the company and it's ethos over at their website here:

LUXURIOUS BEARD WASH

A 200ml bottle of the luxurious beard wash will set you back £16.95, which compares favourably with other beard washes on the market. There are a number of things that I genuinely like about this beard wash - it smells lovely, it lathers up a dream, it cleans away grime and doesn't dry out my skin. 

Those four things above make this a must-have product for any beardy weirdy like me.

But saying that it smells lovely is a bit vague and really doesn't do this justice. It blends together cedarwood (a favourite base note in many an aftershave in my collection), lime and aloe vera. The cedarwood gives it an earthy masculine nose but the sharpness of the lime gives it a fresher tangy citrus waft that personally I've found a touch addictive.

Just two pumps of the beard wash, slap it onto a wet beard and you're away - it's like an explosion of lather that intensifies the fragrance two-fold. Result! 

Last but not least, my beard feels clean, smells clean and fresh while also have a softer, smoother feel. 

SUPERIOR BEARD TONIC 

Having now come down with a massive dose of OBD (Obsessive Beard Disorder) keeping it in shape and trying to avoid looking like a hobo means carefully oiling and brushing down the stray hairs. Get a crappy oil and you'll be wiping oil it off your face, hands and sometimes clothing all day. I'm happy to report that this is not one of those lemons!

While the oil itself is quite thick any fears that this would just be smeared up and down my face were quickly allayed - a couple of drops from the applicator, a quick warm up between the palms and it's ready to go. Being, well, an oil, it is smoothed onto the hair really quickly and is absorbed by the hair and skin in under a minute. Excellent.

Throw into the mix once again that lovely fragrance, this time with hints of bergamot, patchouli and grape. It's fresh, it's fruity and for some reason whenever I use this I have an urge to grab an axe and chop some wood.

Styling my beard is a doddle using this - the one day I didn't use it my lovely aunt commented "you look homeless", which says it all. 

Saving the best for last - my beard does grow quicker using the tonic - in just four months I've managed to grow a beard that would have taken at least a year. Indeed, the people I work with have commented on how fast it has grown. 

50ml of this will set you back £18 and at that price, if you have whiskers, you shouldn't be without this.  

I've been using both products on my ever-growing (and greying) beard now for a good four months. Those four months have seen my beard grow at a speed I've never known before, not a hint of beard itch or scratching and the oil leaves the longer style of beard in a position where brushing and styling is a breeze.

They (Modern Day Duke) say that with a great beard comes great responsibility. Not too sure about that, but when they attach phrases like superior and luxurious to these products I'm more than inclined to agree with the assessment. Both products are reasonably priced, I've been introduced to a brand I will be using again (when this batch runs out) and I know I'll be supporting a company that manufactures here in England. 

Summarising in one word how my beard feels after using? Majestic.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Giveaway: Modern Gent's Shaving Kit by The Body Shop

Over two years ago (doesn't time fly?!?) I wrote about the amazing male grooming gift sets available from The Body Shop and just before Christmas I was sent two of the Modern Gent's Shaving Kit to see what I thought of them. At the time I'd completely forgotten that I'd already tested and recommended it.

With that in mind, and the fact that the products are well worth a look I have a spare kit and rather than let it gather dust at my place (I don't shave that often at all anymore) I'm making it available here for one lucky reader to win. 

All you have to do is follow the Rafflecopter prompts below. So what's up for grabs in the kit?

1 x 200ml Maca Root Shave Cream

1 x 125ml Maca Root Face Wash

1 x 100ml Maca Root Energetic Face Protector

• The giveaway will be open to anyone with a postal address in the United Kingdom. 
• If you are aged under 16 you will need parental permission to enter as I will need your name and postal address if you are selected as the winner.
• The winner will be selected at random from Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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BEARDS: The Beard Mate - Shaping Tool

Did you know that the average bloke has about 615 hairs per square centimetre, which can equate to around 25,000 hairs on the entire face. That's a lot of hairs to keep under control and when you throw into the mix that the average bloke will see his beard grow up to six inches every year it's obvious that grooming is essential if you want to avoid looking completely unkempt. I'm on month four of beard growing and after having my flowing facial foliage trimmed and shaped by the fantastic folk at Ted's Grooming Room on Charlotte Street a couple of weeks ago it's now time for me to have a crack at keeping my beard trimmed and shaped. Trying to shape free hand would be foolhardy, my hands shake far too much, so, to encourage me to keep the beard the missus bought me The Beard Mate Beard Shaping Tool from Amazon for £9.95.

The shaping tool is plastic, feels sturdy in the hand and is easy to keep hold of even with wet hands. The whole point of the shaping tool is that you place it to your face and then with a razor you follow the lines to obtain an even and symmetrical shave.

Being able to see where my beard had been shaped previously made the job a lot faster as I didn't have to decide where to start but I was more impressed with the ease with which razor swept around the template and left the beard on point.

My shaping efforts for the last twenty years has in 95% of cases resulted in me having to completely shave off my growth as I couldn't get the beard to look straight around my neck or even on my cheekbones. With The Beard Mate I've used it twice now and it's been great each time. 

If you want a fairly cheap way of grooming your growth without any hassle then you should really take a peek at this. I think I'd be lost without this now and look forward to many more months of using it before I finally opt for a good old full clean shave. At under £10, this should be a staple in the grooming kit of any bearded bloke who struggles to shape their facial foliage.

RECOMMENDED

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BEARDS: Peppermint Beard Remedy by Alchemy

My facial hair has the tendency to itch and generally be annoying until it gets to about two inches in length. If you throw into the mix the fact that my beard is quite thick and acts as a barrier between my face and any moisturising products and personally I find that my face while looking beard strong looks a little bit well, rough. Beard oils have been a revelation and a casual glance at my posts over the past few months will show you an assortment of oils that have been great at taming my mane and with price tags to suit any budget. Today I'm going up the price range and looking at Peppermint Beard Remedy by Alchemy.

So, who are Alchemy? Well, they are hair oil specialists who don't test on animals and who detest parabens and all of the other nasty additives you find in a lot of products out there. So they normally specialise in products to help stimulate hair growth on the head but they have branched out and produced a this lovely beard oil that contains just essential oils - 100% natural.

This is what they say about the Peppermint Beard Remedy: 

'A fantastic minty fresh beard oil to stimulate growth and treat common beard concerns. An all natural remedy which can be used daily or as needed to improve the condition of your beard.'

My first impressions of this were holy cow, the peppermint is strong, very strong. It also blows the sinuses away it has such a refreshing and cool fragrance. The mint on first application does actually make my eyes tingle which is a weird sensation but not irritating thankfully as I could sit and sniff at this for hours on end. It's lovely.

The remedy blends peppermint essential oil, organic rosechip oil, organic Avocado oil, fractionated Coconut oil and Argan oil but you will only ever detect the minty freshness of this, even after drying down I can't detect any hint of coconut. 

The remedy is absorbed into the beard and skin really quickly - I find that five drops rubbed between my palms, smoothed onto the beard and then worked in with my fingertips is enough to cover my full beard. While it does add shine the beard doesn't look greasy which is something of a surprise to me considering the number of oils. 

I use this oil twice a week in the evening. The peppermint soothes my sinuses, my beard can be brushed into shape and the hair feels so incredibly soft and smooth from the moment it is applied to when I wake up in the morning. The Argan Oil is also working wonders on the condition of my skin around the beard. For bonus points I've also not experienced any irritation on the skin after using this.

If I had to identify one drawback it's that if I used this in the morning I would be unable to wear a fragrance as this would overpower anything that I put on. I like Peppermint but I refer a more subtle fragrance for wandering around the office. That said, as a night time remedy to keep my beard conditioned an feeling great I can't argue with the product. It does what it says it will do and yes, my beard does seem to be growing faster in the weeks since I started using this.

Strong conditioned beard - check
Smooth skin - check

Can't say fairer than that.

This isn't the cheapest beard oil around at £21 for a 40ml bottle but you can pick it up direct from their website here.

RECOMMENDED

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National Grooming Day - my routine

When I started writing this blog back in January 2014 I had what I considered a bit of an over the top grooming routine to try and hold back the ravages of time (and alcohol and cigarettes). The use of a shampoo and conditioner was a given, but from time to time face scrub, moisturiser and more care in the shaving stakes formed a routine that took minutes each day. Fast forward to today and it takes bloody ages…and that’s without all the face masks I keep slapping on!

So, what has been part of my grooming routine over the last few weeks?

IN THE SHOWER

Take two bottles into the shower (remember that advert folks?), not me, I take a bag full!

With all of the gunk that I add to my hair, particularly recently with the longer locks I do need something to strip it out before styling again. In the past I’ve been a fan of and written about Osmo Detoxifying Shampoo as a way of removing residue from waxes, gels and clays, but step aside…..I now have…..

Fish Soho Fiercefish De-Gunking Shampoo

A 250ml tube of this costs just £3.99 here. It promises to cleanse and remove product build up without leaving hair looking fluffy. Now I like this, it has a lovely fresh aroma that starts to wake me up in the shower, lathers up brilliantly and doesn’t morph into some chemical nightmare. That to me is a massive plus, but here it is, it actually does remove even the most stubborn hair product and does so without the need to endlessly massage your scalp and the strands of hair. 

If you haven’t tried it, you really should and soon.

Then it’s onto the face and prior to shaving I either use the awesome Face Scrub from Cornerstone (it’s soooo cool) to open up the pores on my face or alternatively….

Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Scrub

This has a delicious citrus aroma and the scrub itself has the same properties as an orbital sander - the grains really do smash the dead and dry skin from your face as it removes any hints of dirt that can build up. As the grains are really abrasive little effort is required (always a bonus in my book) and as soon as it is rinsed off my face always feel so much cleaner, smoother and soft to the touch. Maybe its all in my head (a lot of stuff is) but it I swear using just this knocks years off me.

L’Occitane Cade Reinvigorating Shower Gel

The entire Cade range is fantastic - the aftershave is actually one I’ve written about before and is actually a good one for daywear. The shower gel however is a deep woody number that banishes body odour and lasts for ages. The fragrance of bergamot blended with juniper really does pack a punch and screams “I am rugged man”. 

At £14 for a 250ml tube of Cade this it does class it as expensive but a little goes a long way and it does last for ages (well over two months). If you haven’t smelt or tried this yet then why not?  

SHAVING

The Beard Doctor Forest Fuel

At £9.99 for 30ml this is quite reasonable and I’ve included it here as without this my shaving experience would probably be more brutal than normal. This is what they say about Forest Fuel over at the Beard Doctor site:

‘The Beard Doctors signature scent; Forest Fuel Beard oil conditions and nourishes the hair with vitamins. This promotes further hair growth. Forest Fuel will soften your facial hair which prevents irritation, beard itch and beard dandruff. The oils used in our formula are the closest match to oils that your skin naturally produces.

This scent oozes 'Alpha Male'.

Smells like: A fresh, deep spiced forest.’

As my beard grows I do suffer with that dreaded itch on my face - this does soften the bristles and I find that shaving after using (and once full beardage has been achieved and I’ve got bored of it) is a breeze, it also has a cracker fragrance to it and when they say it oozes alpha male they aren’t kidding. The blend of sweet almond, jojoba, cedar wood and pine really do gives this an earthy feel as soon as it wafts up the nostrils. That said, it isn’t actually that overpowering and doesn’t seem to interfere with aftershaves or colognes that are applied afterwards.  

Got a beard? Grab yourself a bottle of this beauty here. 

Wilkinson Sword Shaving Soap & Shaving Brush

After spending twenty years using gels and foams I’ve really gotten into using the old school brushes now and shaving soap. The shaving soap from Wilkinson Sword however is ridiculously affordable and a 125g bowl of the soap is just £2.29. The brush however will set you back £4.29.

The brush is actually much smaller than the other two that I have but I prefer this, it makes applying the soap far more precise and even when too much pressure is applied you don’t find rogue soap in your hair/ears/eyes because of long bristles. Good call designer type R & D people….

I really like the soap - it could be rubbish (it isn’t) but for me the fragrance is the clincher - it reminds me of my late grandfather. Don’t ask me why but it does and I can’t for the life of me put my finger on what it is. It is clean and fresh, subtle yet strong enough to leave just a hint on the skin for a good half an hour after shaving. In terms of how it helps with shaving, well it lathers up with minimal water, creates a good consistency and doesn’t clog razor blades which cuts down on actual shaving time.

Well worth a punt.

Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Groomer 

I was in two minds whether to try this razor, I’ve been really enjoying using a safety razor recently but thought what the hell. I haven’t used a Wilkinson Sword razor since I was about twenty and their ‘safety’ disposable razor resulted in me slashing my face to bits. Boy they have come on a bit and this new offering is actually a good razor - with as the name suggests five blades. On top of this, it also has a built in trimmer for those sideburns and beard.

The trimmer is perfectly sized and after having my hair cut at the weekend I used it to square off my beard with my sideburns and I was pleased with the results.

At £14.99 for the shaft and one blade and with a four blade refill pack costing £9.99 it’s a on par with other similar products and thankfully for my wallet I still have some RazorBrite solution left that makes my blades last even longer.

The razor slices without dicing and as you would expect delivers a cool and clean shave. You won’t get that cut-throat razor shave feel but you won’t in my view with any razor like this on the market so you really can’t knock it for that. 

BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE

I’m all about the face contouring……erm…..not…..but I do now apply all sorts of lotions and potions. For the last week or so I have been using….

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Dynamic Hydration Rich Cream

This came into my collection of lotions and potions after the other half attended a blogger event. It’s not a brand I had heard or, cared for or would be likely to just pick up but I have to say it does have a lot going for it. You can pick up a tub for under £20 and it promises to provide continuous hydration, for up to 48 hours intense comfort and protection against daily aggressions. 

It won’t stop a vicious mugger outside King’s Cross station on a dark December night but it does pack the skin with hydration and personally my skin looks revitalised after applying this. The dry patches of skin at my hairline were gone in a matter of hours and when looking in the mirror I think I look better at the end of the day so it does seem to keep on hydrating without leaving any greasy residue.

Rogue Lifting, Brightening Eye Serum

I have written about this before and it is still managing to hold back the years - it reduces the bags under my eyes, rivalled only by another brand I will be writing about soon (one to look forward to). Fine lines and blemishes are kicked well and truly into the long grass and that makes this one to definitely look out for if you suffer with dark or patchy eyes. 

You can read the full write up here. 

L’Occitane Eau De Cedrat EDT

I will be writing a full analysis of this beautiful fragrance from L’Occitane soon. In the meantime my first impressions! This is summer in a bottle, so light, fresh and packed with citrus it is perfect for long summer days and would work for daywear and those special occasions. 

A 100ml bottle of this baby will set you back £42 here.

This is what they say about the EDT over at the L’Occitane website:

‘The first impression of Cedrat Eau de Toilette is a cascade of freshness: a green, citrusy, joyful, sparkling scent. Then, very quickly, the undeniably delicate nature of the fragrance is revealed through the bitterness of the woody rind. Fine and distinguished, cedrat asserts its innate elegance, which blends harmoniously with that of bergamot. Aromatic spices and a slightly smoky, woody base enhance the overall impression of sophistication.’

I’m inclined to agree with that analysis to a point but actually I don’t think it dries down that much from the initial fresh citrus blast, but for me that is no problem, I love it. The absence of a woody base makes this a rival to a fair number of far more expensive aftershaves that have similar compositions.

Structure Transform Spray Clay

Clay? In a sparay? It'll never catch on......or will it? Well this has been keeping my locks firmly in places for weeks now. Even when my hair was really long this kept each strand in place, but it is short styles where this comes into its own. 

With spikes about two to three inches in length this is exceptional. After drying my hair it is simply a case of three sprays and then running my palm through my hair and it's done. No faffing, the spikes look choppy and they hold in an instant, the spray drying so quickly you really do have to act fast.

You can pick this up for around £7 for a 150ml tube and it is worth every penny.

I have written about Structure hair styling products before here and I'm yet to be disappointed. No residue, no mess, just a style that will stay in place for well over ten hours. 

So there you go, it’s National Grooming Day today, hence why I’ve decided to share my current routine. It goes without saying that I wouldn’t still be using these products if they were a bit rubbish but actually each one surprised me, particularly the Wilkinson Sword Shaving Soap.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Both the actual grooming and the products themselves!   

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