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.

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Clinique Happy for Men

It's been a while since I posted - I was going to take a bit of a break throughout August as I go and soak up the sun but my blog draws me back. 

Happy by Clinique wasn’t something I’d wanted to try but after a friend encouraged me to buy a bottle on the assurance that it was ’the best ever’ (vague to say the least), I parted with cash and took the plunge. 

Coming in an orange card box, the bottle looks tacky to say the least, oval in shape, the overall first impression was "eurgh" but the looks were indeed deceiving.

On removing the lid I was greeted with a fruity citrus aroma that reminded me more of a bowl of oranges (hence the colour of the bottle I'd say) and upon inspecting the notes, this is marketed as a refreshing masculine scent made from a blend of lemons, mandarins, oranges and grapefruit and is recommended for day wear around the office.

Source

The full notes to Happy are:

• Head: Lime, green notes, mandarin orange, lemon and sea notes;
• Heart: Freesia, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and rose;
• Dry down: Cypress, musk, guaiac wood and cedar.

Taking the blend of ingredients into account it wasn't surprising that my first impression of the fragrance was one of a very acidic, fresh and citrus aroma. As stated earlier, the overbearing initial fragrance is oranges, but once applied it fades quickly and after around 30 minutes the entire fragrance is subtle, the lime and jasmine begins to stand out over the other ingredients. 

Over the course of the day, the lime fades and lemon and oranges are again the predominant fragrances.

This is not what I would call a masculine aftershave, but it is still lovely.

I can't stress enough how subtle this is. Without actually sniffing at area's I had sprayed I wouldn't have known I was wearing this. Saying that however, it is a sign of a good quality aftershave and that it blended well with my skin and can’t actually smell it.

Bearing in mind I couldn't smell this after an hour you would think that quite a large amount of the aftershave would be needed for a day in the office. You'd be wrong, three to four sprays from the 50ml bottle is all that is needed for well over 12 hours of smelling gorgeous.

At under £30 for 50ml, this is a real bargain and is an ideal stocking filler for that man in your life.

Clinique Happy:

• Smells gorgeous
• Is reasonably priced
• Long lasting
• Refreshing
• Will get you noticed for all the right reasons
• Is a versatile fragrance, ideal for office wear, but personally I prefer to wear it when out on the town.
• The only faults I could find with this fragrance were the actual bottle design which to this day looks completely out of place. It is neither unique nor pleasing to the eye and after shaving it stings like no other aftershave I own. I put this down to the actual citrus and alcohol ingredients, but it is seriously sore for a few minutes after applying.

Taking everything into account, and the fact that you will get noticed wearing this it can only receive the thumbs up from me. 

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The Bluebeards Revenge Eau De Toilette

Until I started this little corner of the Interweb, I had never knowingly smelt, seen or bought any products by The Bluebeards Revenge. I'm pretty certain my vice like memory that never lets go, would remember the very cool styling of the packaging had it ever crossed my vision.

The first time I clocked (that's Mancunian for saw) the brand was over on The Ged Lab blog, where I can recall leaving a comment that I needed to get my hands on some of their stuff to try.

Roll forward a couple of months and the beautiful, nay gorgeous PR people at the company asked if I would like to try their aftershave and moisturiser. I didn't have chance to respond myself, BeautyqueenUK had already said yes (made me think I might be starting to smell a bit).

Enter via my local Royal Mail sorting office a 100ml bottle of The Bluebeards Revenge Eau De Toilette which has a recommended retail price of just £19.99, yes under 20 pounds! 

The last time I bought aftershave for under 20 quid it was vile, gave me a rash and generally was used to keep foxes out of the garden all summer (seriously Diesel Zero Plus trickled around a garden fence will keep 'em away).

The marketing blurb for the aftershave says:

'The Ultimate Fragrance for Real Men! - Refreshing new fragrance aimed at the modern, masculine man

This refreshing new fragrance opens with ozone notes accented by Sicilian bergamot and Ligurian basil. The heart features a rich blend of jasmine, black tea and watermint, while the rich base notes include Madagascar vanilla highlighted by sandalwood and patchouli along with oakmoss and musk.

Inspired by the real life heroes and other larger than life characters who put the "Great" into Great Britain, this eau de toilette features an atomiser spray that is easy and efficient to use.'

I didn't investigate the notes before trying this, so without any preconceptions of what it would smell like I just sprayed and prayed (hey I managed to get a MAC10 machine gun joke into an aftershave post) - and to cut a long story short was impressed, not just by the fragrance, but also by the bottle, the lasting power and the way in which it changed but remained as marketed.

As soon  as it is sprayed from the atomiser you know that it has a cool and refreshing aroma. Yes you can detect citrus but to me it had hints of what I would call soapy and quite rich, almost bitter on the nose. It is far more lighter on application than CK One or Acqua di Gio but seems to warm up within minutes with subtle hints of warm spice before drying down to a masculine woody base.

After an hour I can still smell this on myself and that is quite rare. What you can pick out is black pepper that gives the masculine edge with warmth through the spice down to the base.

It is just simply stunning to experience this fragrance change and even better, to smell it again 10-12 hours later as good as it was when it was applied. This has strength and longevity that gives the highest of the high end brands a run for their money.

On a personal note I like the aftershave a lot. It's hardwearing and excellent value for money. It will turn heads and is very different to anything I have smelt recently, but I will be using this for office wear and maybe the odd night out down the  pub.

If you like Fahrenheit by Dior but want something cheaper and lighter then you should get a bottle without delay.

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Finally the last cool thing about this company? On the inside of every box there is an advert for Orchid, the charity that fights male cancer along with advice for men in relation to lets be frank, their balls and checking for lumps.

Gentlemen, you should visit the Orchid site just for information.

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Mandara Spa - Tropical Blooms Softening Bath Milk

If you were to believe the musings of some a long soak in the bath is a cure for all of ills day to day life can throw at you.  I’m still yet to be convinced, but when it comes to chilling out in the bath I can’t help but add stuff.

Times have changed slightly from when you had a choice of Radox baths salts or nothing. It would now be virtually impossible to try and rattle off a list of all of the bath products out there that claim to do everything from ease your pain to invigorate your soul. 

Mandara Spa Softening bath milk with jasmine and ylang ylang is one of the new breed of cures for all known ills. But does it actually have any benefits?

Marketed as part of the calming ritual, the bath milk comes in a flash bright red 500ml container emblazoned with gold lettering. 

The blurb *rolls eyes* says…..

“From its beginnings on the spiritual island of Bali, Mandara Spa is known worldwide for luxurious spa experiences in beautiful exotic locations and indulgent city spas across the four corners of the globe.

“Our spa products have been specially created to bring the Mandara Spa experience into your own home.

“You will feel radiant, pampered and perhaps touched by a little of the legendary magic that has become the ethos of a Mandara Spa.

“Escape your world and indulge in ours.

*rolls eyes some more* - legendary magic….hmmmm OK. Well it was on offer for £2 when it was bought. Seems quite cheap to be ‘touched’ by magic. It normally retails at £9. 

As a bath milk I expected it to cloud the water - this didn’t happen. While milky in texture and colour as soon as it’s run under hot water is disperses brilliantly and there is a fragrance explosion much more noticeable than a bath bomb.

With sunflower oil, soothing hibiscus flower milk, smoothing sweet almond oil, fragrant jasmine, ylang ylang and acanthus, this is a strongly scented bath milk.
The Jasmine is the overriding fragrance but you really can pick out undertones of the ylang ylang. 

 

As the bath ran I could see an oily film to the surface of the water. I’ve only ever seen this once before and that was after stupidly believing that baby oil added to the bath enhanced a tan.

A 30 minute soak in the bath and the fragrances had been absorbed into my skin. What I found quite odd was that while in the bath my skin certainly didn’t feel any softer, or indeed any smoother. Normally my bath products have an instant impact - this didn’t. 

Despite this, the fragrance remained quite dominant and it was really relaxing to be in the bath.

After drying and getting changed I could still notice the fragrance on my skin - the jasmine was incredibly subtle though and certainly wouldn’t blend badly with an aftershave.

An hour after bathing the fragrance was still on my skin but what I found incredible was as the night progressed my skin was noticeably softer to the touch and felt so smooth I was actually really impressed. I also found myself becoming more and more relaxed.

At £9 for a 500ml bottle this in my opinion isn’t cheap but actually on balance given the results, the relaxing effect and lovely fragrance I can’t help but recommend it. 

Weighing up the amount used to create the effects I’ve experienced a 500ml bottle will probably last for a few months given the infrequency of my bathing.

Did the bath milk and bath cure all known ills? No, of course it didn’t but boy I do feel chilled out.

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Thank you for taking the time to visit and read my thoughts. 

What do you put in your bath?

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