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. 

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.

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….

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.

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

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LUNA™ for MEN By Foreo

It wasn't until I got told off for trying the Foreo Luna Mini by my other half that I realised how much these things cost, and lengths that people will go to in an effort to keep their skin cleansed and looking good. I was merely using it because it amused me (yes, I'm a skincare heathen at times), so when I was given the chance to try the Foreo Luna for Men I actually took it a bit too seriously. I cut down on my normal cleansing and moisturising routine to see what benefits this offered. 

At upwards of £120 for the device and £25 for the cleanser it is by no stretch of the imagination on the cheap side, but given the results I had achieved with the mini, and the childish giggles that come when using it, I couldn't resist giving it a try. I've been using this for over two months now, and as a cleansing and pre-shaving device it is exceptional, and it isn't just a one trick pony.

This is what they say about the device over at Foreo here:

'THE ULTIMATE PRE-SHAVING DEVICE & FACIAL CLEANSING BRUSH FOR MEN The LUNA™ for MEN's brush surface has been specifically engineered to refresh and cleanse men’s thicker and oilier skin by being composed of broader touch-points that channel T-Sonic™ pulsations more directly for a skincare solution custom-made for men.

The LUNA™ for MEN’s cutting-edge T-Sonic™ pulsations deliver deep facial cleansing that ensures a closer, smoother shave after just 1 minute’s use.'

Personally I use this twice a day and have combined it with the Foreo Revitalising Face Cleanser. Even a little applied to the face of the device lathers up brilliantly and with a slight stubble you can feel the pulsing of the brushes massaging and opening up the pores in your face. 

After a minute of using this and rinsing off my face, even after regular use removes all sorts of dirt and pollution. It really does work as a deep clean for your skin, and with it's gentle exfoliation it makes it great just before shaving. 

After running it over my beard for around ninety seconds the bristles feel a bit softer and don't get stuck in my safety razor as much, and there is a lot less irritation or razor bumps once dried off. The cleanser doesn't dry out my skin, and it feels hydrated, soft and smooth, and for that I am truly thankful. 

For the first four weeks of using this I didn't even need to moisturise after shaving - a quick touch of aftershave balm and boom, I was ready to rock and roll. As the temperature has dropped slightly over the last few weeks I have needed to apply a little but I have to give credit to Foreo, it does exactly what it says it will and the pulsating face of the brush always makes me laugh.

Charged using a USB I haven't yet needed to recharge it, in fact, it works now with as much power as it did the first time I used it. Brilliant.

If you are serious about skincare and are looking for something to keep your face looking good then seriously, check this out. It's great for those who suffer when they shave and it removes the gunk and funk of daily life with little effort.

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Men-ü Matt 'Skin Refresh' Gel

The last thing anyone wants is a face that shines either due to far too much moisture on the face, an overdose of moisturisers or the dreaded greasy skin - eurgh. It’s not a good look. In a hands up confession I have to say I suffer from none of these things (it’s a blessing and a curse to have this skin) but when the chance comes to give a new product a try  I’m not one to say no, so when the chance presented itself to try out Men-ü Matt Skin Refresh Gel on my face, and more pressingly on my crows feet I jumped at the chance. 

Winding its way through the snail mail a 100ml tube of the gel arrived and was put to one side to give it a good couple of weeks as part of my daily cleansing and moisturising routine.

A 100ml tube of the gel will set you back £14.45 (a weird price for anything) from Mankind here.

This is what Men-u say about the gel as part of their sales pitch:

‘An anti-shine, fragrance free gel with natural salicylic acid & witch hazel that leaves your visual frontline looking better for longer! For normal, combination and oily skin. Removes & controls excess oil that contributes to blocked pores & breakouts. Cleans pores from impurities, toning & tightening the skin. Soothes & calms – great after shaving & helps overcome ingrown hairs. 

Use on towel dried skin after shaving or washing and as required. Contains willow bark extract that has been used for centuries as a mild analgesic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. If using a moisturiser, men-ü matt moisturiser recommended.’

Now I think I have normal skin, well as normal as the skin of a 36 year old smoker can be. Anything that can freshen my face up is welcome and as a long time user, and possibly abuser of the L’Oreal Men Expert range I couldn't wait to see what this could do for me.

A quick shake of the tube and I was surprised that the contents sounded like shaking fluid in a flask, if anything I was going to have to be careful, I didn’t want to dispense too much, particularly if it was going to be uber runny. With two pumps of the dispenser I had enough of the gel in my palm to cover my huge face and really work the gel into problem areas (at my hair and jaw lines in addition to around my eyes).

Yes, it isn’t strictly a gel, it has a consistency of a watered down hair product and without being careful if is likely to run off your hand. Be careful. 

In terms of fragrance this screams “I’m a product for blokes” with a very basic, yet masculine fragrance. Thankfully, the fragrance isn’t that synthetic, I like the subtle notes of bark that make this stand out as a little bit rugged, a little bit earthy. Spot on people, spot on.

The fragrance aside, after all, if it’s pants the fragrance is irrelevant, it’s the results that matter. The gel is absorbed really quickly and at the first time of using I actually re-applied and again, that was absorbed really quickly which suggested to me that my skin needed a bit of love. After about a minute on the skin I could feel a change in my face, not numb, but that sensation you get when extreme cold touches your skin and is then immediately removed. Weird, but actually a little bit enjoyable. If anything, it means that something is happening.

Once absorbed there is no shine on the skin, and the matt finish gives that natural look. There is no danger of looking like you have just stepped out of a make up artists chair.

On day one, I noticed that my skin felt tighter on my face, particularly around my forehead, eyes and cheeks. Nice one.

By day three the tingling sensation had stopped and only one application a day was needed first thing in the morning. Each time of using the results were the same, a lovely tightening sensation and visibly clearer skin. 

When making a comparison on day seven I was astounded by the results. The Gordon Ramsey trenches (also known as the stress lines on my forehead) and crows feet were less pronounced. They weren’t gone, but boy, they definitely were not as deep and noticeable as before and that readers is something on a par with a miracle considering the depth of them before using. 

I’m really glad I had the chance to try this out and will be looking to add more of their products to my daily cleansing and moisturising routine in the mornings. At the moment I am complementing this with The Bluebeards moisturiser but will be taking up the Men-u recommendation and trying their own matt moisturiser.  

The tingling, the fragrance and the results are to be blunt bloody brilliant and well worth the initial purchase price. At just shy of £15 for a tube this represents good value for money and will last for ages. After ten days of using I’m delighted with the results and have used around a tenth of the tube.

Banish impurities, unblock pores and let your face breath, Men-ü Matt Skin Refresh Gel is for the gent where performance matters.

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