Purifying Face Wash for Skin & Stubble by L'Oreal Men Expert

I have always wondered whether face scrub actually does anything to soften my grizzly stubble as it slowly turns into a scraggly beard! I can’t say I’d ever noticed a great difference until I started to use beard oils, so after moaning about the lack of male grooming advent calendars (gents, there are loads for women but not none for us), Mankind, those lovely purveyors of all things for male grooming sent me a sort of consolation package which included Purifying Face Wash for Skin & Stubble by L‘Oreal.

Result! Thanks guys, when you said goodies, I didn’t expect a much needed aid package for my face!

Even at first glance this had me chuckling - on the rear the first things are “Feeling Dirty? Feeling Rough?” - erm, yeah, that’s me every day….

A 150ml tube of this face wash from the L’Oreal Men Expert range costs £6.35. 

This is what the product claims to do:

‘Eliminates impurities, skin instantly feels refreshed and energised and no feeling of tightness in the skin.
For Your Stubble, it eliminates dirt & pollution from stubble and beard area, and conditions and softens the feel of facial hair’

So, with a filthy mind (I mean face) and feeling extra rough I took my face, stubble and half asleep body into the bathroom to give this a try as soon as it arrived. It was the shiny tube that drew my eye and meant it got first dibs in the testing stakes.

God it smells gorgeous, it has the familiar aroma of the Men Expert range but it is far stronger on the nose, it’s like someone has rammed some Aloe Vera up your hooter (in a nice way). Unlike other face washes however, once it comes into contact with warm water it doesn’t get any stronger and any fears of it masking or lingering on the skin and stubble proved unfounded (I even got the other half to give it a whiff after rinsing to see if it had lingered - it hadn‘t).

The pale blue face wash isn’t that thick in texture which I found rather surprising, but that didn’t hold me back. A quick rinse of the face, a good blob of it in my hands and away I went. After closing my eyes and rubbing away for what seemed like an age I could tell that this had lathered up, the bubbles were really evident as I gingerly opened my eyes. It had covered my face, had turned a bright white (strange) and it seemed to be slightly absorbed as I stared vacantly at myself in the mirror! 

After rinsing the face wash off I was rather sickened by the colour of the water - a very murky colour that made me feel slightly ashamed, even though I’d been out of the razz for a good ten hours the night before. 

It says it shifts impurities - well, I haven’t got any litmus paper to test the Ph levels, but boy it shifted the build up of dirt and pollution that comes from living in filthy London. So, massive tick in the box that says ‘does this face wash actually wash’.

But, that was day one, I was particularly interested in the softening effect - did I notice anything on day two, three or four? Erm…….nope. It wasn’t until day five when the other half commented that the bristles were getting long but felt much softer that it dawned on me - I’d had a stroke and had lost the feeling in my hands…..(I jest and before you all get some mock outrage there is serious information about Stroke prevention here), I just couldn’t tell the difference, but I’m assured that my stubble and eventually beard was softer to the touch.

The Men Expert range for L’Oreal was in my opinion the first product that made me think seriously about how I look after my skin, and this is a lovely addition to the range. It’s affordable, lasts for ages, has a great smell, removes grime from the face and has the added bonus of softening my stubble and beard. 

At these prices, and based on the results I would recommend this as a staple for every bathroom. 

RECOMMENDED

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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.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Scaramouche & Fandango 'Hy' Hydrator

I have had the Scaramouche & Fandango 'Hy' Hydrator since just before Fathers Day. It came with two other Scaramouche & Fandango products as part of an amazing £25 male beauty box from Selfridges&Co.

It wasn't until early July that I got around to using this hydrator and putting it through its paces, I had been using the amazing The Bluebeards Revenge (TBR) Cooling Moisturiser and based upon the smooth and fresh face I had at the time it was going to be a stiff challenge, especially as the heat wave hit London.

Now this stuff is not cheap, oh boy no, a 100ml tube will set you back at least £10. Now to me as a tight wad I think that is quite a bit of cash when brands like L'Oreal and TBR are offering something that is basically the same with a made up scientific name on the side for less.

Anyway, what do Scaramouche & Fandango say about 'Hy' (so hip)?

'Benefits:

CHRONODYN^TM

A cell energiser from a unicellular pseudo algae. Clinically proven to help firm and tone the skin to fight against the signs of fatigue.'

Now my face takes a pounding from the filthy London air, I work on one of the most polluted roads in Europe and don't exactly take the best care of myself so my skin reflects this and hence why I cleanse and moisturise on a daily basis.

The moisturiser is white in colour and as soon as it leaves the tube it has a potent aroma. It's very, no extremely clinical and synthetic in smell and it lingers in the air.

When placed on the back of my hand it didn't soak straight in, in fact it just sat there. It has quite a thick consistency so no danger of it running off my hand and down my shirt - nightmare and its happened in the past.

After rubbing it onto my fingertips I gently applied it into my forehead (a notorious spot for me to get dry skin in between what I call my Gordon Ramsey lines) and it spread easily. A peanut sized blob was enough for me to cover my whole face (and I have a big face, huge Herman Munster forehead).

It was absorbed by my skin really quickly and any worries about the smell were gone. It loses its aroma very quickly once it dries into the skin so no danger of it interfering with an aftershave if applying it quite quickly afterwards.

As the heatwave hit about a week after using this I noticed a bit of dry skin on my hairline. I simply applied a little more of Hy and it cleared the next day - result. 

All in all I was really pleased. Through massive temperatures, long stints on London Underground and lots of sweat (nice), my face has remained moisturised and feels soft and smooth. You can't say fairer than that.

I think it's expensive but if you don't mind the cost you have a product here that does the business.

RECOMMENDED 

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Fish Sportfish Revitalising Hair, Face and Body Wash

I’m kind of going through a Fish love-in at the moment so when I was asked if I would like to try Sportfish, their new three in one body wash I jumped at the chance.

While I love the hair care range, with Fishshape Hair and Superfish Fishpaste Hardcore Hold Matt Effect Putty I wasn’t overly keen on their sculpting wax.

I hadn’t known that they had branched out from hair care products, so to receive a 250ml bottle that retails at Boots for £3.99 I couldn’t wait to put it through its paces.

Sportfish, revitalising hair, face and body wash. It sold as:

"Cleanse and revive your entire body post workout with the 3 in 1 Sportfish Revitalising Hair, Face and Body Wash.

Developed by cutting edge Fish Hairdressing Salon in Soho, London, this is the ultimate sports bag essential for men who like to play hard, yet look great, with minimum fuss.”

First things first, I had a flashback to my youth and the dawning of the “take two bottles in the shower, not me I take 2 in 1” adverts. It made me giggle slightly but anyway, I digress.

As this claims to be a three in one I’m going to rate the product based upon the effect of:

• Cleansing and removing body odour;
• Fragrance;
• Effect on face;
• Effect on hair;
• Value for money.

The cleansing ability of this wash is not to be underestimated - it lathers up brilliantly into a lovely rich foam. It covers easily and not much is required which means that this 250ml bottle will last for a few weeks. In the words of Mr Burns from The Simpsons “Excellent“!

What is surprising with the body wash is that the fragrance is quite subtle. Normally with a body wash for men it tends to be really strong to try and wash/mask the manly body odour we build up generally just being men.

After using the product even after a night crammed into a sweaty bar there are no hints of stink - and that ladies and gentlemen is key here.

As the body wash starts to lather up the fragrance does become more pronounced. It has top notes of coconut but actually then becomes slightly chemical - it doesn’t feel organic so to speak. It isn’t bad, it just isn’t fantastic. However, in terms of something for the bag I’d say its completely inoffensive.

Using this on my face I found that it really did leave my face feeling smooth and fresh. The only drawback was that prolonged use did see my forehead starting to dry out more. I combated this by reverting to a double dose of my L’Oreal Men Expert moisturiser.

I don’t know about sports bag essential for me, I’ve broken out into a sweat thinking about reaching for my tea but it certainly is a very nice product that would suit someone on the go - the bottle is compact, a little goes a long way, it has good results in the three key areas it claims to and does smell that bad.

In my books that means that it’s recommended, however if you have a certain need such as dry skin and are looking for something to moisturise your skin I would say you would need any additional product to go with this.

RECOMMENDED 

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You want me to put WHAT on my face?

As I get increasingly older I’m always on the lookout for new products in an attempt (failing) to turn back the clock to the days when blackheads, dry patches and broken skin were just a pipe dream.

With a vigorous facial cleansing routine to ensure that my face radiates and projects a clean image I was more than impressed to find a 50ml tube of Thalgo Men Descomen Deep-Cleansing Scrub sitting in the bathroom cabinet.

As a firm advocate of the Men Expert range by L'Oreal particularly the Skin Renovator, I am increasingly being won over by the range of facial products produced by Thalgo.

Thalgo Men Descomen Deep-Cleansing Scrub claims within the marketing blurb to rid the skin of impurities and smooth away imperfections leaving the skin fresh, clean and invigorated.

 

Source

Most skin exfoliators I have used in the past state clearly that twice weekly use is more than adequate, however Descomen Deep-Cleansing Scrub should only be used once a week according to the instructions for use.

The main ingredient is Algue Bleue Vitale which isn't not something I have heard of before, but the helpful notes included put my inquisitive mind to rest. Thalgo state that the product is specifically designed for men, but why? Thalgo claim that Men's skin is much thicker and richer in sebum and is easily stressed by the daily process of shaving.

The Algue Bleue Vitale has the ability to be both anti-aging and anti-fatigue at the same time, calming down the skin to repair and smooth any stressed cells.

The product is alcohol free and uses silica and polyethylene beads to act as the exfoliant. Finished with hints of menthol the product should be the daddy of all exfoliants.  The exfoliator itself is a light blue colour and within the cream are darker blue beaded shapes which are the actual pieces of Algue which act as the exfoliating scrub.

To the touch you can feel the abrasiveness if you press it hard enough on your hands but because this product has been designed for use on the face and neck where the skin is less tough, it is actually not that noticeable when being used.

After splashing my face with warm water to open my pores, I squeezed several dots of the exfoliator onto the palm of my hand and then onto my face where I began to massage the scrub into the skin in a circular motion as directed. As soon as I started to massage it into my skin I was amazed by three things:

• Firstly it spread really well from a tiny dot placed in the middle of my forehead, one on either cheek and a dot on my chin was needed to completely exfoliate my face meaning that very little was needed each time I used it.
• The second revelation came from the fragrance as soon as it started to be absorbed into my skin. It became so much stronger and the smell reminds me of the sea, clean and fresh with the hint of menthol giving a slight waft of mint.
• Finally, the aroma becoming more pronounced whilst finally and most importantly the actual texture became slightly abrasive but not as much as similar products as other exfoliators used in the past. Knowing what to expect the slight harshness on the skin when massaging was needed to help remove all of the dead skin and impurities.

As the product is massaged into the face you are basically left with what feels like finely ground sand on your fingertips and I for one could only keep rubbing it into my face for around a minute before I rinsed my face. I was horrified by the colour of the water. I had expected some sort of residue but it was really brown and dirty looking. *cue much retching and muttering of being a filthy boy*

The product had obviously removed a hell of a lot of dead skin from my face and in doing so had fulfilled the first part of the product promise.

To get top marks from me though depends upon how it leaves my face looking and feeling after rinsing and drying. This is the acid test. I have to say that like the Dead Sea Facial Peel I usually use the end results were perfect and highly satisfactory.

My face looked a lot cleaner and comments were passed about the healthy glow to my skin. My pores seemed totally unblocked so there were no blackheads and since using the incidence of spot outbreaks have been kicked to the kerb. No sight of a zit. Result!

To top it all off, days after using my skin remained baby soft.  In the past I have been very sceptical about deviating from L'Oreal Men Expert or from what I consider the best exfoliator ever produced, Dead Sea Facial Peel but Thalgo really have won me over.

Dead Sea Facial Peel will probably remain my favourite because I can see the dirt and grime being removed but as a more regular treatment for my face Thalgo really knocks the spots (pardon the pun) off the Men Expert Range.

With all of the wonderful things I have had to say about the product surely there is a drawback, and that it the price. Thalgo aren't the cheapest products around but you do really get what you pay for, although many will see the purchase price of £16 for a 50ml tube from places like FeelUnique and baulk, in terms of value for money and longevity it actually works out at around the same price as the L'Oreal Men Expert Skin Renovator.

Thalgo Men Descomen Deep-Cleansing Scrub is exceptionally masculine, smells beautiful, is slightly abrasive and does everything it claims to do. Given that only a tiny amount of the exfoliator is needed the tube has lasted for months and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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I got the Liebster Award!

For those of you that don't know, the Liebster Award is a way of promoting fellow bloggers with less than 200 followers and helping them to gain a little more exposure. I was lucky enough to be nominated for this by Elena from Bella Vita, so thank you so much.

If you are nominated you have to answer 11 questions that have been set by the nominator (is that the right way to say it..?), and then create 11 more questions for 9 other bloggers that you choose. So without further ado..

Elena's Questions

What are your hopes for your blog?

What is your one holy grail beauty product?

What is your biggest fear?

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

Out of all the places you have visited, which is your favourite?

What is your favourite skincare brand?

If you could, what one piece of clothing would you ban forever?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

What/who inspired you to start your blog?

If you could meet one celebrity/famous personality - who would it be and why?

One top beauty tip?

What are your hopes for your blog?

I have written for review sites on and off for a number of years but found the experience rather frustrating to the point that I stopped. I have some quite strong views on the products that I use myself and feel that with the advent and evolution of social media by blogging I’ll be able to reach a wider audience, exchange views with other like-minded people and hopefully use the blog to engage on a wider range of issues with people from across the globe.

What is your one holy grail beauty product?

I couldn’t live without my Bvlgari Pour Homme aftershave – it’s the one product that I HAVE to have in my collection. No other aftershave comes close to how refreshing it is, and how good it smells when I’m wearing it.

What is your biggest fear?

I’m petrified of needles – which is bizarre given I have a large tattoo on my upper arm, but I genuinely fear to the point of passing out having to have a blood test or injection.

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

A cat – I’d get to sleep for 16 hours a day, eat on demand and be tickled. My three favourite things! Not keen on being neutered, but I’m prepared to take the rough with the smooth.

Out of all the places you have visited, which is your favourite?

Las Vegas – I got married there and have spent holidays there sunning myself, eating, drinking and enjoying the American way of life. It really is an adults playground with everything for everyone.

What is your favourite skincare brand?

L’Oreal – their Men Expert range is fantastic and really delivers results.

If you could, what one piece of clothing would you ban forever?

Leggings – they look good on some people, but they should come with a warning to the wearer. Something along the lines of “these leggings will make your behind look bigger than it actually is”.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Sunning myself somewhere exotic after a stunning lottery win! Probably somewhere nice and quiet, hopefully still doing the same line of work but with less stress.

What/who inspired you to start your blog?

My better half – she had been blogging for a while and hadn’t mentioned it to me. When I finally read her posts it looked like a fun thing to do and the rest is as they say history.

If you could meet one celebrity/famous personality - who would it be and why?

Simon Cowell, is there anything this man cannot do? He is rich, successful, has amazing business acumen and everything he does is seemingly timed to absolute perfection!

One top beauty tip?

Don’t smoke – it really does screw up your skin!

My Blogger Nominations

Alex - Stella Etoile

Jesscia - Pretty Chit Chat

Gemma - The London Life

Gem - BeautyGem

Harriet - Project Flawless

Karen - My Beautopia

Helen - Unevenlemming

Taylor - taylorcollection

If you are a blogger with under 200 followers, leave a comment below and I will tag you in this.  If I have tagged you, please come and let me know when you have completed it and I will come and read your answers :o)

Here are my questions

What was the first blog you ever read?

Recommend a blog for me to read and say why you chose it

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given to you before you started a blog?

Which Blog post are you most proud of and why?

If you could recommend one blog for me to read, which would it be and why?

If you could be a guest blogger on another blog, which one would it be and why?

How would someone else describe you in one sentence?

Which 3 famous people would you invite round for dinner and why?

Who would play you in a movie about your life?

If you could shop in one shop for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

If you could give me one piece of blogging advice what would it be and why?

Thank you again to Elena for nominating me, and I look forward to reading the answers from the bloggers that I have nominated! 

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