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!   

Like what you see? You can keep up to date and follow Beautykinguk.co.uk using the various social media below:

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin

Facebook 

View Post

Eau de Cade by L’Occitane

Fragrance, particularly aftershave is such a personal thing, and while I like the opportunity to test out my nose when trying new fragrances (I try and detect the notes before looking them up to see how I’ve done - hours of fun for the family) I have to say that light and citrus head notes (that initial blast of fragrance) in an aftershave usually mean that I’ll be a happy camper with it. Eau de Cade by L’Occitane has turned this on its head.

My 100ml of Eau de Cade was kindly sent to me by L’Occitane along with a number of other products in the male grooming range. Apparently, when asked if I wanted to sample some products my response of “yes, but can I try something that isn’t overly girly” caused much amusement in the PR office.

Rather than lump them all together I have to say my levels of happiness with the products means that it would be remiss of me not to outline each individually. If you read on, I’ll tell you why - yes, I am a tease… 

A 100ml bottle of Eau de Cade is available here from the L’Occitane website here for £42, which makes it a mid-range fragrance in my collection in terms of price, but as with all things smelly, the acid test is fragrance, longevity and how it reacts with skin. 

This is what they say about Eau de Cade in the marketing blurb (the finest piece of copying and pasting on my part that you are likely to see this side of Christmas):

'The Cade - Eau de Toilette is a spicy, woody fragrance that evokes the dry woods, red soil and hot stones found in the sunny Garrigue landscape of southern France. Top notes of bergamot lead to a generous heart of cedar wood and pink pepper. A base of cade wood and citrus linger on the skin throughout the day. Enriched with essential oils of cade wood and pink pepper, this eau de toilette complements all of the products in the Cade collection, emblematic of L’OCCITANE.

For generations, Provencal shepherds have handed down from father to son the secrets of Cade wood, a symbol of a tenacious character and strong values of tradition and generosity.’

Well there you have it, from the marketing blurb this fragrance shouldn’t really appeal to my nasal palette (I really couldn’t think of a better phrase) due to the warm and woody tones but actually, after getting over the incredibly strong first blast from the atomiser it has an almost addictive property that made me sit and sniff away at my wrists as I tracked how it changed over time.

At first whiff this transported me back to the mid 1980s - I can’t put my finger on it but it reminds me of an aftershave my father used to wear when he was still working for the 5-0 (go me with my street slang, I do of course mean the police). I have been wracking my brain for weeks trying to nail this down to no avail. That said, that initial first blast was so strong it actually had me thinking that I’d literally sprayed myself in liquid wood and moss - heavy is an understatement. If I spray this in the bathroom it seeps across my entire flat - potent! 

Fearing that this fragrance would trail after, and gag those around me I waited a good ten minutes before realising that it had faded dramatically and taken on a warmth that would make this amazing as a winter EDT. The bergamot is really over-riding at first but dries down more of a spicy  

I’m sure I can pick up hints of juniper, if anything it made me crave a gin and tonic (and I haven’t had one of those in years).  

After around thirty minutes you can pick up a hint of spice from the pink pepper, and as the heart blends with the dry down notes it takes on a more rugged scent, it becomes lighter and more subtle yet retains the ability to turn heads for all of the right reasons. 

Three squirts from the atomiser and you are good to go - and this will stay on your skin and remain evident to those around you for a good eight hours at least. It had body to it and longevity that makes it a little cracker in my book and actually really good value for money. 

Eau de Cade oozes those deep, warm woody and earthy notes from every fibre of its being (obviously it doesn’t have fibres being a liquid but stop splitting hairs). This screams “I am man” (from a fragrance perspective), remains fresh for hours until turning into a warm and spicy blend where you can certainly pull out the juniper note. 

I like this, I like it much more than I expected to when I first cast my beady eyes over the notes. Not being one for the heavy and warm fragrances I was surprised by how quickly I converted to this, particularly when using it with the Eau de Cade moisturiser and Eau de Cade hair body wash from the same range.

Personally I wouldn’t wear this on a night out, but for daywear this sits up there with Fahrenheit, Gruhme and Invictus as perfect for days in the office. Your colleagues will thank you for wearing it. 

Go on, pick up a bottle, ewe (feel free to groan, I accept that this is a poor reference to the marketing blurb about shepherds) know it makes sense.

RECOMMENDED

You can keep up to date and follow Beautykinguk.co.uk using the various social media below:

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin
Facebook

View Post

Essence Perfectrice Skin Perfector by L’Occitane

The battle with the bags (eye bags that is, not the fish wives who live on my block) continues and while my eyes have never looked better there are still days when they can look a little puffy, be a touch blemished and the lines more pronounced.

I’ve tried a couple of things with success and when the opportunity to try L’Occitane Essence Perfectrice Skin Perfector I could resist the temptation. If I’m going to be honest, when approached by the PR company it was basically the least feminine thing in the new range. As an aside by taking the plunge my eyes have since been opened to the Cade male grooming range also from L’Occitane (a couple of posts to watch out for there).

A 30ml bottle of the Skin Perfector will set you back £38 and can be bought here, and while £38 may seem like a lot, when you compare it to other eye creams. 

Personally I only have two issues, my eyes and the deep ridges and frown lines on my forehead. Some serious plastic surgery is required for the forehead so I didn’t expect much from the product there, but around my eyes the lines are more shallow and I started using this in the hope that it could help me out.

This is what they say about Essence Perfectrice Skin Perfector over on the L’Occitane website:

‘Ideal for all skin types, this fresh and ultra-light serum, with an expert second-skin-like texture helps to visibly improve skin quality. Skin texture looks smoothed and refined, pores seem tightened, fine lines and imperfections seem reduced. The skin reflects light better, looks more even and its radiance is boosted. 

Each day, your skin reveals its natural beauty, it feels ultra-smooth and velvety, and your complexion looks more even, fresh and glowing

L'OCCITANE has extracted from peonies growing in the Drôme Region of France, a perfecting concentrate. Rich in natural plant sugars, this patented extract acts on skin cells to help visibly correct complexion and texture irregularities.’

First of all this does scream feminine from the bottle to the fragrance. That said, I don’t tend to mess around applying this stuff in public (although by publishing this here, in theory I actually am - one to think about) so even I could throw aside any potential jibes and gave this a try.

The creamy textured Skin Perfector has a fairly subtle floral fragrance, in fact I was surprised by how faint it was. It got additional points in my book for not interfering with my aftershaves after I had used it, and in fact, within a couple of minutes you could be forgiven for forgetting that you had this on your face, that is until you start to feel your pores tighten.

I applied this after showering so the pores on my face were open when I rubbed it gently around my eye area and forehead. After around fifteen minutes I could feel a rather strange sensation as though the skin was tightening. It actually made me feel more awake as my eyes tightened and opened a little bit more than usual. Impressed is a slight understatement at this point.

After an hour I went back to take a look - the skin tone was far clearer, and looked smoother to me. The fine lines around my eyes (read crows feet) were substantially reduced and in parts no visible without a good hard look. The ridges in my forehead as I said earlier would take some serious work but even they seemed more reduced in depth, and just by removing the blemishes just above my eyebrow looked so much better.

The acid test for me when using these products is whether I feel more confident about how I look after using them. In this case, yes, yes I did, and in fact I could see a noticeable difference in my skin texture after a few days of using this. Over a week later my eyes just weren’t are dark in the morning which helps to avoid that moment of shock when I clap eyes on myself after getting up!

The purchase price may put some people off, the packaging will probably put a lot of blokes off this but if you want my advice, take the plunge and invest in some. I love using it and it boosts my confidence knowing that make face looks even better.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

You can keep up to date and follow Beautykinguk.co.uk using the various social media below:

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin
Facebook

View Post