Gruhme for Him EDT

It was quite by chance that I was offered the opportunity to try out Gruhme for Him, a new aftershave that I hadn’t ever heard of until a brief exchange over Twitter. When the lovely branded box arrived I was not only delighted with the size of the signature fragrance sample (a 100ml bottle) but also the fact that it oozes style and cool. 

Opening the box had that "wow" factor and as far as first impressions go, it was a thumbs up from me, but looks can be deceptive so it was seconds before I had this out of the box and sprayed all over. Now my first whiff of this triggered a whole host of feelings until I finally nailed what it reminded me of (you‘ll have to read further to find out what).

Rather than let first impressions cloud my recommendation I have been using this each day since receiving it bar yesterday when I started tested out a another aftershave. Over those weeks I’ve had the chance to not only get a real feel for the fragrance, but it has also allowed me to get the thoughts of friends and family to it. 

If you like how the fragrance sounds, and my recommendations hold any weight at all, then you can buy a bottle direct from the Gruhme website here.

So this, is what Gruhme say about their signature fragrance:

‘Sensual aromatic woody accord with top notes of juniper berry, organic black peppercorn, bergamot, lemon and lavender, a heart of patchouli and cedar, on a base of oakwood amber musks interlaced with traces of cumin, celery seed and petitgrain.

What is Petitgrain? Petitgrain oil is extracted from the leaves and green twigs of the bitter orange plant but was once extracted from its green unripe oranges, when they were still the size of cherries, hence the name Petitgrain or ‘little grains’. Petitgrain is believed by many to calm and soothe the mind, while relaxing the body, perfect for balancing our non-stop modern way of life.

The fragrance along with its packaging has been designed and made in the UK.’

The notes to Gruhme for Him are outlined in the marketing blurb above so I won‘t be repeating them here, instead I‘m going to plough straight into how it smells, how long it lasts and whether it had the effect of attracting or repulsing those close to me when wearing it.

When I first applied this I thought it had an identical hit on the nose with a sharp yet light citrus of the lemon as Acqua di Parma does with it‘s orange citrus, but it almost immediately changed and became heavier and reminded me of the new Sanctum Soho fragrance as the peppercorn and lavender provided extra body. It was light and then so much heavier in almost an instant. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement, and understated this fragrance is as it ticks every box.

Within fifteen minutes the heart notes of patchouli really calm this down and the fragrance oozes masculine as the base of musks provide warmth to this lovely aftershave. That warmth evolves ever so slightly to provide a hint of spice after a few hours leaving one hell of an amazing aroma.

Despite having a heavy base of alcohol this aftershave doesn’t dry out my face or neck, and in terms of lasting power it kicks the aforementioned Acqua di Parma into the long grass. Perfect for daywear and social occasions I have found that both I and those around me can still smell this (and love it) over ten hours later. Whereas other fade into the skin this stays strong and suits my skin perfectly.

At just £35 for a 100ml bottle I can’t recommend this enough. It goes ooze class and will make you stand out in a crowd. I have been raving about this since I received it and will continue to do so. It’s an exceptional fragrance with a value for money edge that sets it above the rest. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED   

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Burt‘s Bees Natural Body Wash for Men

The bees, the bees, they’re everywhere……well, my bathroom is packed with things from Burt’s Bees, does that count? 

If you mentioned bees to one of my former colleagues he would slap his head and look as though a little bit of his own life force had been drained, hence why I have warped, yet funny flashbacks every time I use Burt‘s Bees Natural Body Wash for Men. 

This came to me along with a host of other products thanks to the lovely PR people for the company. When they said ‘samples’ I didn’t expect the 350ml bottle of the body wash that arrived. If you want to buy the same bottle you can do for £10 here.

Now £10 for a body wash will probably get Lynx users (Axe for my European readers) fainting in the aisles, but I think £10 for 350ml is actually not a bad price, and if it had that little goes a long way going for it then the initial purchase price shouldn’t turn into a factor when considering whether it represents good value for money. 

This is what Burt’s Bees say about the product over on their website:

‘Wake up with the invigorating buzz of Burt’s Bees Men Body Wash. Get an intense clean with this energizing and purifying body wash, containing lemon, orange and petitgrain oils it washes away dirt and odour, leaving your skin refreshed.

Burt’s Bees Men Body Wash uses natural and refreshing ingredients to invigorate your skin and your senses. Coconut, sunflower and citrus oils cleanse while cypress and fir oils energize for skin that looks, smells, and feels its natural best.’

Normally the first thing that strikes me about a product is the way it smells. It could be me, well hell, I know its me, but before I try anything, drinks, food or beauty products I give them a good sniff first (I say it’s because I can detect all major poisons so my family don’t try a random assassination - this is a joke for the avoidance of doubt). 

In this case it wasn’t the fragrance of the product but the texture that had me having my WTF moment. While in the bottle the liquid looks just that, quite runny, to the point that I made a mental note to be careful not to let too much be dispensed and subsequently flow off my hand. This is where it got a bit strange, as I poured some out it almost has the texture of washing up liquid in that as soon as it hit my hand it seemed to sticky and become a bit thicker. Run off my hand this will not (sorry, random Yoda moment). 

A lovely, light citrus, with lemon being the order of the day is perfect for a body wash, and with slight hints of bergamot this packs a fragrant punch that will not just wake you up in the morning, but it will also leave your skin with a delightful lingering aroma that ensures that body odour is gone, and stays gone. Happy days.

Unlike other body washes where the fragrance explodes into life when it comes into contact with warm water this one remains the same. Understated would be a good way of describing the lovely aroma that comes with the overly rich lather that helps scrub away the dirt and grime that has built up over the course of a day or night. 

It takes a bit to work up the lather, but once the body wash has made its transition from thick liquid (I am yet to find something where so little results in such a large amount of lather) an amount the size of a fifty pence piece is all that is needed to bring on enough of the lather to wash a full grown man from head to toe.  

So, was the dreaded BO (body odour) banished? Hell yeah, it was kicked to the curb, taken out with the trash (insert another generic saying) lol. On a serious note, all that was left after showering and using this body wash was a very, and I mean very subtle hint of lemon.

While washing using this is initially like smearing yourself in honey, and while weird at first I simply couldn’t fault the final results. The subtle aroma, the way my skin was left so smooth I couldn’t help but poke my arm to feel how soft and supple it had become. 

Lush - there you go, this stuff is amazing. I have been using it on and off now since it arrived in December and I’ve used about a quarter of the bottle. On the value for money test it works for me, and is likely to stick around for at least an other six months before the bottle needs replacing. 

While this was a PR sample, the acid test is would I part with my own money for the product. Well yes, yes I would. Taking everything into account, including no a hint of dry skin anywhere on a my body or irritation then this is one that people should take a serious look at, I know I will be searching it out when I need to replace my bottle.

RECOMMENDED  

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Burt’s Bees - Therapeutic Bath Crystals

When it comes to stress relief (no rude comments please) nothing can beat a long soak in the bath, and to say that my bathroom resembles an online boutique of lotions and potions is something of any understatement. Burt’s Bees Therapeutic Bath Crystals have been a welcome addition to my baths for well over three months, mainly because they contain Eucalyptus oil that helps open up my airways and helps me breath more easily.

Burt’s Bees Therapeutic Bath Crystals - filtered photograph

As a bit of background before I unleash my opinion of the product I should point out that I have serious sinus problems and a degenerative lung condition (not helped by my addiction to the demon weed - that’s cigarettes for the avoidance of doubt). Anything that helps me take in air by clearing my sinuses or chest is most welcome.

The salt crystals are infused with essentials oils and a little goes a long way - just two tablespoons of the crystals are needed, thrown in casually as the bath is filled with hot water. 

Burt’s Bees Therapeutic Bath Crystals - the crystals

Burt’s Bees Therapeutic Bath Crystals - the crystals remind me of rock salt

Eucalyptus is released as soon as the crystals come into contact with the warm water. What I found weird was that after around five minutes of the water running hints of lemon started to blend with the Eucalyptus - awesome, I love the smell of lemon! Oh my lord, the fragrance is so warming and the impact on my chest was almost immediate. When I first started using the crystals I freely admit I was struggling to breathe at all - inhalers, steroids and antibiotics were being popped at an alarming rate with no relief. While using the crystals didn’t and would never cure my problems they did provide relief and that was erm…….a relief. 

450g for £10.99 - unfiltered photograph of Burt’s Bees Therapeutic Bath Crystals

Now this is what Burt’s Bees say about the crystals:

‘Strenuous exercise can be great for the body, but hard on muscles. Indulge in a warm bath of salt crystals and essential oils after a workout to help release the lactic acid that builds up during physical activity causing muscle ache. The penetrating action of Burt's Bees' all natural Therapeutic Bath Crystals essential oils helps stimulate the elimination of waste products, helping muscles feel as good as new.’

In terms of soothing aching muscles I have to say that I do come out of the bath feeling more relaxed and less tense, but this could be down to the long soak in the warm bath. 

450g tube of the bath crystals will set you back £10.99 from here. Now considering that I have been showering in the morning and bathing every night for months these still haven’t run out. These crystals represent excellent value for money.

*Digression warning* I am a big fan of Calvin Klein Eternity Bath Salts - not only do they turn the water a stunning deep blue they leave my skin looking hydrated, feeling soft and smooth and smelling beautifully of Eternity. While Burt’s Bees crystals don’t leave the skin smelling as great, the results are equally as appealing. Skin is left feeling soft and smooth, the essential oils are absorbed really quickly and even when dried off completely I find that my skin has a wonderful glow. 

Add in the fact that the steam, infused with Eucalyptus and hints of lemon clears my sinuses and helps loosen any build up in my lungs and I’m a very happy camper.

If I had to choose between my favourite CK bath salts/crystals and Burt’s Bees I’d struggle pick. If bathing before a night out I would go with CK, but for more regular use it has to be Burt’s Bees Therapeutic Bath Crystals. 

RECOMMENDED

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Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb by Lush

I’m not a child, well not in body but I make up for this by having the mental age of an eight year old and constantly mess around. I’m also a bit of a fidget, especially when it comes to settling down and sleeping at night. If it isn’t my chest making me cough, the voices in my head making me laugh or just general unease, in the words of the band Faithless - “I can’t get no sleep”.

Enter various products containing menthol to clear my chest and lavender to try and knock me out. The first of the products used to try and help ease me to sleep was the Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb by Lush.

This is what Lush have to say about their Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb:

‘A gentle lavender bath bomb to relax children before bedtime. This is a bath bomb designed to look after young children’s delicate skin, and is so gentle it’s suitable for babies over six months. Its aromatherapy oils also work to soothe irritable cherubs before bedtime. Lavender is a calming aromatherapy oil, used in traditional medicine to treat skin irritations, sunburn and insect bites.’ 

Unlike most bath bombs that look like and are the same size as a softball the Ickle Baby Bot actually is moulded to look like a robot. The child inside my head screams, that is soooo cool.

Source

At this point I would add photographs of it fizzing away in the bath but *cough* someone in their infinite wisdom decided to re-format the laptop and all of my images have been wiped. You’ll have to trust me on this one people. 

After being lobbed into the bath there is in my opinion a distinct lack of aroma - with other bath bombs its like a fragrance haze wafting from the water but Ickle Baby Bot is far more subtle. It doesn’t belt you in the face thankfully but you can pick up hints of lavender. My first thoughts were that this didn’t stand a chance of relaxing me and on further inspection of the water I couldn’t see any of the oils floating on the surface. Had I just lobbed the proverbial lemon into my bath?!?

Well yes and no. While the fragrance is subtle the longer you soak into the water the more you recognise it. Normally after exposure to a smell for a prolonged period I become used to it, but as this continuously alters you can tell its there but it is no way overpowering.

I soaked for an hour and again didn’t feel any of the oils in the water. After washing again my skin wasn’t that soft or smooth to the touch. It took about another hour after bathing for the full effects to come to the fore. Even though only mid afternoon I started to feel very relaxed and drowsy even after having a good nights sleep the night before. The following day my skin was very soft to the touch, so much more than usual.

Designed for small children and big adults with small brains (me) this ticks all of the boxes bar one. At £1.95 per bath I just think it’s a little too much when you can hardly ask a toddler for their feedback on the relaxing properties of the product.

I would recommend this for occasional use (if I had kids) but personally will veer away from this in future opting for the Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb. It has a stronger, more full bodied fragrance, can be broken in two to increase the value for money element and leaves my skin super silky soft.  

RECOMMENDED for kids....

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Regal Gentleman - Taylor of Old Bond Street Coconut Luxury Shaving Cream

For the last couple of months my face has been rocking either stubble or a full blown beard. Not because I’m a trendy hipster, no, its because I hate shaving and am generally the most lazy person you will ever find….EVER (that‘s a guarantee folks).

When approached by any shaving people I always jump at the chance to try new things and regularly seek out new products to try. When Regal Gentlemen asked me to try a new product they were stocking I jumped at the chance to compare Erasmic with Taylor of Old Bond Street Coconut Luxury Shaving Cream. 

I hate shaving - it’s a pain, I slash my face and I get irritation after I’ve finished. I found solace in Erasmic Lather Shave Cream and loved using the old style shaving brush. In a previous post I mentioned that I had a weird flashback to my youth when I first used the brush, and being lazy (as mentioned above) I have copied this from a previous post (so sue me):

‘My late grandfather would always shave using one, normally at the kitchen sink so he could gain easy access to the rear garden (yard for my American readers - so thoughtful) to terrorise any passing squirrels with the nuts (and I don’t mean literally) to pass through.

I can see him now hunched over the sink in his trousers, white vest and shaving kit. It always seemed to take hours!’

This is only the second shaving cream product I have ever tried that involves using a brush and deciding yourself how thick you want the lather. 

I received a 150g tub of the Coconut Luxury Shaving Cream from Regal Gentlemen about five weeks ago when I had a five o'clock shadow, by the time I managed to open it I had whiskers like Captain Birdseye*. I struggled so much to get the lid off I would try three times a day, sit and ponder new approaches and tactics. In the end there were direct messages on Twitter to see if I was doing something wrong when trying to unscrew a lid. Two more weeks passed and I had a brainwave (can you still say that in a politically correct world?!?) I would use power tools…….

I’m joking, I used a knife to pry the lid up a bit and it opened a dream. Opening this tested my sanity and I know its probably all my own fault.

After the laps of my flat in joy and I’d finished high fiving all of my cats (even if they didn’t want to) I set to work. Removing the plastic protector for the cream I thought I had been sent a lemon. It wasn’t a cream but it looked fairly solid to me. It then dawned on me that it needed wetting.

All joking aside, as soon as the protector was removed my nostrils filled with a lovely, fresh coconut - it was so present yet subtle on the nose so evident but not overpowering. After wetting and dabbing the brush in the aroma only intensified, for the better. I’m not a fan of coconut - the body butter knocks me sick, and I only just got over my entire coconut hatred with Dirty Works Coconut Body Scrub.

I love the smell of this - there, boom, in six rather than 500 words.

This lathers up brilliantly - a wet brush dabbed and run around the rim of the tub once resulted in my massive face being covered in a lovely smelling thick, rich lather. Happy days as they say.

I left it for a few minutes to soak in as I hadn’t used anything to soften my beard and hacked away with the razor (after I had trimmed it down to the bone using a beard trimmer). The shave was smooth, the lather didn’t block the blades that much but the best was yet to come.

After I had finished shaving and washed my face off their was a noticeable coconut fragrance following me around for a good few hours. After an hour usually I have a rash or some burning - I had none, and in fact instead of a red rash I had silky soft skin to the touch.

Thinking the coconut smell would alter my aftershave I was surprised, it didn’t. It instantly faded away so thankfully no deep wood infused with coconut poisoning the people around me.

This does the job brilliantly, costs £8.95 for 150g and will last me probably six months if I have shave daily (which I won’t).

An amazing quality product that will give you value for money. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

*This is Captain Birdseye for those who haven't experienced their brand of 'fresh' fish....

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Aqua Zinger by Zing Anything

To say that I'm not a fan of drinking water is an understatement - back in my teens I was hospitalised a few times with severe dehydration simply because I couldn't bring myself to drink water unless infused with super strength coffee or in the form of a 2 litre bottle of Coca Cola.

This was not good, actually pretty life threatening and while I have got better and cut out the Coca Cola and started to drink at least one litre of water a day, the Aqua Zinger has been a god send.

Available for under £20, the Aqua Zinger fell into my possession thanks to a competition run by Zing Anything and Chloe at Clo's Beauty Spot blog.

This is what the Zing Anything website has to say about the product:

'As most of us know, we need to drink more water, but even in concept it can come off as a chore. The Aqua Zinger offers a fun new way to enjoy drinking water and reduce food cravings.
With the Aqua Zinger you can drink significantly more water and still satisfy your palate, as well as your body’s need for hydration and energy.

The Aqua Zinger water bottle works by subtly infusing water with flavours. From cucumber to lemon and lime, to blackberries, kiwi, strawberry, raspberry, peach, ginger, or even mint and basil – your Aqua Zinger can infuse them all.

Mix and match and get creative; the flavours and ingredients are only limited by your imagination.
The Aqua Zinger has the unique ability to create all-natural beverage options that are light and refreshing.'

So easy to use is the Aqua Zinger that a simpleton like myself can manage to infuse fruit into water which with anything remotely technical is a hurdle that has to be overcome. I first of all tried infusing lemon, and duly added half a fair sized lemon to the bottom and left for an hour.

After unscrewing the lid and pouring out some of the water it was obvious that thee fruit juice had mixed with the water - I could see little bits of lemon floating around in the water. More importantly I could taste the lemon but it was a subtle infusion, not too bitter and certainly not overpowering. It also tasted a lot better than the flavoured water you can buy in the shops.

I've tried lots of different flavours since receiving the Aqua Zinger and none have left me thinking I needed the flavour to be stronger. Personally, my favourite is orange and lemon, it blends brilliantly and the flavours linger on the tongue. It's also an excellent way of taking on board some much needed vitamin C.

Each grind of the fruit section should deliver two drinks that are free from artificial sugars and ingredients and that to me makes this a great little gadget that has got me drinking even more water on a daily basis - so fear of dehydration reduced (bonus) and vitamins pumped into my body (bonus). 

While this isn't something I would ever have thought to buy I wouldn't be without it now. It fills up a bottle of flavoured water for me to take onto the underground in the morning. Usually I spend around £3 a day on bottled water while travelling to and from work - even if I spend £1 a day on fruit to infuse I'm making a clear saving, not using up so many plastic bottles and have tastier drinks. 

On a value for money test this pays for itself in just weeks and would be ideal for someone like me who detests drinking plain water, someone (not me) who treats their body like a temple or will appeal to people who just like fruit flavoured water. Winner!

RECOMMENDED

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Eros by Versace

Aftershave finds its way into my collection in a number of ways - PR companies send me samples, I buy some or they arrive from the other half in an attempt to cheer me up. In the case of Eros by Versace I had just been foiled in an attempt to have a go in a dune buggy while on holiday.

To avoid the risk of me tripping over my bottom lip we stepped into a perfume store and I left loaded down like a pack donkey but with a huge smile on my face.

After testing everything in the store, and I mean everything I had nailed it down to four that I really wanted. 

What was surprising was that I fell head of heels in love with the new fragrance from Karl Lagerfield but chose not to buy it, instead opting for Eros, the subject of today’s post a bottle of Uomo by Valentino.

I had seen the bottle to Eros in the past and thought “not for me” and gone on to instantly forget about it. My favourite Versace fragrance had always been Dreamer and that was what I was looking for without success. 

One glance at the notes to Eros however and I couldn’t wait to give it a blast, hey I even started to like the dark blue frosted bottle with bling-tastic Versace emblem on the cap.

The marketing blurb to Eros as outlined by Versace is:

‘Love, Passion, Beauty and Desire: these are the key concepts of the men’s fragrance by Versace. Eros, God of Love, able to make people fall in love with his bow and arrow. A luminous aura with an intense, vibrant and glowing freshness obtained from the combination of mint leaves, Italian lemon zest and green apple.

An addictive sensuality delivered by oriental, intriguing and enveloping notes like Tonka beans, Ambroxan (amber), Geranium flower and vanilla.

A racy virility symbolised by woods such as cedarwood from Atlas and Virginia, vetyver and oak moss, providing intensity and power.’

The official notes are:

• Head: Tonka Bean, Ambraxan, Geranium Flower
• Heart: Mint, Lemon, Apple
• Dry-down: Vanilla, Vetyver, Oak Moss, Cedarwood

As a fairly new fragrance on the market (it was launched in 2013) I had moderate expectations but was immediately blown away, so much so that Eros now sits as one of my favourite aftershaves, bumping old favourites like Acqua di Gio out of contention.

So, does it live up the marketing blurb and what does it actually smell like I hear you demand?

In short, yes it does and I love it.

The head notes of Tonka bean combined with hints of Geranium explodes out of the bottle and has an immense strength and depth which I found quite heavy on my nose, not because it is earthy, but just so evident - it is so sweet that I was actually scratching around to see if there was anything being used in the ingredients to do this artificially. There isn’t. The Tonka bean smashes out light hints of vanilla and it becomes lighter and lighter the longer it stays on.

After the initial head notes the citrus and fruity elements of the heart notes shone through making what was on first application a rather heavy fragrance so light and fresh. The apple is to thank for this but it blend with subtler notes of mint beautifully.

After about an hour the head and heart notes dry down, but rather than leaving the top notes to be dominated by the dry down they remain and flawlessly blend. Yes, vanilla becomes more evident as the Tonka bean and vanilla mix but it becomes much warmer as the oak moss provides depth.

At £46 for a 50ml bottle and just a few squirts from the atomiser to keep this lingering on and around you for well over 10 hours then this represents an aftershave excellent value for money. Throw into the mix that people around you both male and female will love it and actually enquire as to what you are wearing then you have the perfect mix of an aftershave that sits head and shoulders above the rest.

Perfect for daywear, special occasions and those romantic nights out I promise you that this would make an excellent addition to any collection either for yourself or as a gift for a loved one.

FORGET THE REST, TRY THE BEST

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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. 

RECOMMENDED

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Shockwaves Style Control Spray

After having my hair cut quite short I went through a rotation of trying different hair products to find the best hold that looked cool. I first picked up the Shockwaves Style Control Spray from Boots after being impressed with their mousse and at £2.79 for a 250ml can the voices in my head said give it a try - nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The spray once dried is meant to give a strong hold for hours for every type of style. I chose the ‘strong’ version thinking it would be easy to apply as my hair tends to spike naturally after years of the same style - how wrong I was.

After washing and drying my hair I held the can five to six inches away from my hair and started to spray fairly liberally. 

Having something of a childhood flashback I expected the spray to have a strong chemical smell that would seem to remove all oxygen from the room. Instead I was greeted with an extremely pleasant clean and fresh fragrance (bonus). It wasn't as harsh as other brands and didn't make me cough or retch.

I had spiked up my damp hair and after spraying noticed that they spikes had gone flat very quickly, and before it had dried. I put this down to fact that I might not have dried my hair enough and set about styling the spikes back in.

My can went straight in the bin after a styling nightmare, hence a stock image

The spray seemed to dry very quickly after this (in less than 30 seconds) and my style was set. In the time it took top put on a shirt and return to the mirror the spikes that I had thought had dried solid had actually become lopsided and weren't being held up at all by the spray (not a good look - think Tin Tin stuck in a wind tunnel).
I applied more spray and tried again to style, by this point I had used what felt like a third of the can. Again, after around five minutes of restyling my hair had gone flat again, my hands were sticky and I had to go back and wash my hair before using a different product. 
The actual feel of my hair when styling with the spray was crisp to say the least and it gives the impression that your hair isn't going to fall out of place. The problem though is that the solid crispy hold was of a style I didn’t want. 

Even though I was trying to get my hair styled into a spiky effect I have in the past used hairspray that did the job very well. The Style Control Spray didn't come close to having the hold of other brands. 

So, the good points:

• Cheap. Usually retails for £2.79 in most supermarkets and large chemists.
• Dried quickly. No hanging about waiting for it to dry.
• Nice smell.

The bad points:

• Doesn't give a strong hold, although it does give that impression on first application.
• Lasts for about 10 minutes at a time!

Overall I wasn't impressed with the Style Control Spray. It didn't do the job it was meant to and in comparison with other sprays it is a weak contender in the market. 

In short, it’s a lemon on short styles and there are much better products out there.

NOT RECOMMENDED

Have you picked up a lemon hair styling product? What would you avoid in the future?

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Cerruti 1881 Pour Homme

With a sensitive nose and obsession never to give off an Old Spice aroma my favourite aftershaves tend to be light, fruity numbers that have long lasting staying power and the head turning factor that boosts the confidence.

As regular readers will know, my current favourites include anything from the range by Bvlgari, Joop and Davidoff Game all of which are rock solid performers in the aftershave stakes.

With a collection of aftershaves that now requires draw space in addition to shelves in my wardrobe one of the aftershaves that I tend to be use infrequently is Cerruti 1881 Pour Homme.

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A 50ml bottle of the 1881 Pour Homme version of the aftershave will cost anything from £30 to £40 making it quite expensive in comparison to other leading aftershaves on the market, however, shopping online can lead to some serious savings.

Given my final summary of the fragrance at the bottom of the review, I would strongly suggest testing the fragrance on the high street and then if you like it, placing an order online where the prices make it a reasonable purchase.

The bottle to 1881 Pour Homme is actually quite unique in shape and look, with frosted glass and pale looking contents it gives the impression that water has frozen to the sides. This is pretty funky in my view and was the original reason I bought it. Impulse control is not one of my strong points!

This odd shape actually makes the bottle really easy to grip in comparison to aftershaves that simply have smoother shaped bottles. In a nutshell, it looks rather classy from the moment it is removed from the box.

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The notes to 1881 Pour Homme are vague and opt to give pretentious marketing blurb instead of just giving a breakdown between the head, heart and base ingredients to enable an informed opinion to be given on how the fragrance should smell over the time it’s worn.

From what I can gather from a little bit of research into the fragrance and the exchange of one or two emails with the makers is that 1881 Pour Homme is unique in the fact that it has few head and heart ingredients.

Before going any further I will explain the differences between head, heart and base. The head note ingredients are usually the first ingredients you will smell in an aftershave or perfume. In light a fruity fragrances these tend to be citrus fruits or plant extracts. The heart notes provide the deeper body to the fragrance and usually consist of tobacco, berry extracts and milder spices while the base notes provide the long lasting fragrance when combined with the head and heart notes.

Cerruti advise me that the ingredient notes are:

• Head - Rose blossom, lemon and lavender.
• Heart - Blackberry extract, gingko and clove.
• Dry down - Sandalwood, musk and saffron.

Taking these notes into account, the aftershave should initially be light and fruity with a fragrance that remains light for a few hours before becoming warmer as the day/night progresses, with the gingko and lavender giving enough body to make it a long lasting and very masculine aroma.

As I write this I can from memory smell this aftershave on my dad and this is how it does smell on him, and I'm sure how it smells on my dad is how Cerruti intended it to be.

If I had to rate it based upon how it smells when my dad wears it I would without hesitation give it 5 stars and a hearty recommendation but my personal experience of the aftershave is completely different. That is not to say I dislike it, I actually find it neither amazing nor repulsive.

A few liberal squirts of the atomiser release enough of the aftershave to keep the fragrance in your nostrils and the nostrils of those you are close to for well over 8 hours at a time making it incredibly long lasting and good value for money in aftershave terms as a bottle is likely to last for a good few months even when used on a daily basis.

First impressions when I spray this are indeed of a very light, almost unnoticeable fragrance, the only ingredients picked up are of the lemon that give it a refreshing citrus zing that lasts for around 30 minutes before it begins to blend with the other notes and alter on my skin.

Over time, the rose and lavender notes become more pronounced with the lemon becoming less obvious. None of the heart notes are actually detectable at any time but after around an hour the fragrance stops being light and settles down to be reasonably heavy as the sandalwood and musk base notes give it much more of a masculine aroma.

My main bugbear is that when others wear 1881 Pour Homme it remains light and airy with the lemon and citrus fragrance being the overwhelming note however when I use it the musk and sandalwood dominate the fragrance making it much heavier than my personal taste deems acceptable.

Cerruti 1881 Pour Homme is an aftershave I can take or leave, it is one of those aftershaves that has a distinctive fragrance that changes dramatically depending upon the wearer.

When my dad wears this it is instantly recognisable and smells wonderful, on a par with some of my favourite aftershaves, but when I wear it I have to admit it smells very mediocre, and doesn't give that air of individuality that comes with more refined fragrances such as Bvlgari Extreme or Bvlgari BLV Pour Homme.

This is the first time I have been unable to give a firm recommendation when reviewing an aftershave and this is because the fragrance can alter so much depending upon the wearer. My experience is that 1881 is inoffensive, pretty decent for daywear around the office but lacking that something that makes it just that little bit special. This is an aftershave you really should try before you buy.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

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