Win £49 to spend at Trendhim

When looking for accessories the first stop is always the site Trendhim, whom I’ve featured on my blog before. This time I am back with a giveaway, offering you the chase to win £49 to spend on site, which could mean grabbing that last minute gift for the man in your life.

Trendhim opened back in 2007 and are a Scandinavian brand based in Denmark. If you hadn’t guessed by now, Trendhim are all about accessories for men and on their website, you will find items such as bags, belts, jewellery, ties and so much more.

I have a growing list of items I really like from Trendhim which include the following:

• Moody Mason Jax Stainless Steel Cuff Bracelet- This silver-tone men’s cuff looks simple enough from the top… but turn it over and you’ll see 2 skulls staring back at you. 
• Warren Asher Skull and Crossbones cuff links - Crafted from super-strong silver-toned alloy, these edgy skull-and-crossbones cufflinks will keep your shirt cuffs in order. 
• TND Basics Black and Silver Tone Rosary Beads - A pendant inspired by The Miraculous Medal joins the chain together. A crucifix is suspended at the end of the necklace. 
• Fawler Freddie Black Urban Scarf - A chunky men's scarf features a variety of textures, including classic cable knit. 
• Lucleon Smith Dark Brown Leather RFID Blocking Wallet - This wallet features room for 4 cards and a flap to hold your ID. Hold cash in the 2 currency pockets, while other cards or receipts can be stored in the 2 slip pockets. 

As you can see from my list, there is a whole host of different products to choose from, and this isn’t even half of them! Hopefully this list has tempted you into taking part in my competition which is detailed below.

COMPETITION

So how can you be in with the chance of winning £49 to spend at Trendhim? All you need to is go over to the Trendhim website and let me know using 8 words or more - what would you spend the voucher on and who would the gift be for? 

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• Please remember that you must complete the entries as set out on the Rafflecopter widget. Failure to do so will mean your entry will be null and void.
• This is a UK only giveaway and you must be 18+ to enter or have parental permission
• There is no cash alternative

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House of Fraser - Men's Accessories

House of Fraser as a store sticks in my head for all the right reasons. In my early twenties (heady days before Internet shopping was a pipe dream) it was the only place that sold my favourite aftershave of all time, Bvlgari Pour Homme. When I was asked to take a look over their male accessories to see what they had to offer I didn’t have to think twice after all I could happily bankrupt myself when wandering around one of their many stores. 

Instead of looking at the usual items, such as cufflinks, ties and belts to accessorise an outfit I thought slightly outside the box and have gone for some lovely items that cut across a broad range of budgets and covers everything you need when it comes to mens accessories. 

So, what did I spot that I could see myself buying? Here’s what…

Wrist action 

A stylish update of a classic Casio design, this timepiece is built for classic and street styling. The piece features a daily alarm, 1/100th second stopwatch and illuminator backlight and is 30 metres water resistant perfect for everyday styling.

I’ll be the bag man 

Tommy Hilfiger Ethank Mini Flat Crossover Bag is described as being a small messenger bag which is perfect for London travel and again, you won't be annoying anyone on the tube in rush hour with your backpack

Wallets, and not a mothball in sight

Paul Smith London Small billfold colour flash wallet which is suitable for both cards and cash and by cash I mean notes and not change!

Did you really think I wouldn’t pick out cufflinks? 

Simon Carter Rope ball cufflinks, made from metal they are the kind of cuffinks which can be worn casually or more formally, simple in design and detail, they tick all boxes.

Bracelets 

Yes my obsession continues in this department and I have chosen The STORM Cog Leather Bracelet. It features 3 separate leather bracelets held together with a highly polished stainless steel magnetic fastening, featuring intricate cog detailing.

I spy, with my little eye 

An essential for sunny weather, these sunglasses have a classic gold-tone design of these aviator sunglasses is complemented by the simplistic detailing which makes them an ideal outfit addition whether you`re close to home or away on holiday. 

Whatever your tastes (unless you are a massive goth - nothing wrong with that) there are literally hundreds of male accessories to choose from at House of Fraser. I have to admit, when I was asked to take a peek through I expected to spend around an hour going through the site. Instead, I've spent hour after hour over the past week picking out some excellent products from reputable fashion houses and building up an online wishlist on their site for when payday comes around.

Go on, head over there and take a look, I'm 100 per cent certain you will find at least one thing you really want to buy.

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Westfield London - Suit Style

Suits used to be an obsession of mine, I still have a wardrobe full of them, from French Connection and Ted Baker to a series of lovely numbers from Tom English. Being colour blind I’ve never been one to opt for a whacky suit or louder colours, instead opting for solid colours or the boring old navy blue pinstripe. Wearing a suit was a must when I worked in financial services and also when I found myself running press offices for Councils. My latest job (which is by far the coolest) while still dealing with the media doesn’t require me to wear a suit, we go smart casual. So when I was asked by Westfield London if I would like to go in centre and find some accessories to show off my style I was apprehensive but thought in the end, why not, I will have to wear a suit again. So when I head off to conferences, how am I going to accessorise my suit?

As a bit of a closet goth I do quite like to break from the norm and I think this comes through with some of the items I bought.

As full disclosure, I was provided with a Westfield card charged with credit but alas, there are no images of me actually shopping as there was a mix up with my press pass to allow me to do so. 

That said, on with the show….

I’d never been to Westfield London before so after arriving at Shepherd’s Bush underground station the better half and I (she always comes shopping with me to help with colours) followed the signs to be greeted by a very long street of bars and restaurants - you can read the full list of places to eat here but needless to say, within ten minutes I was really hungry and after spotting a Five Guys there was no other place I wanted to go. So before the shopping I topped up my burger levels, chowed down on some amazing Cajun fries and was raring to go.

Picking up the Westfield Card was really easy - I had received codes for the card by text and found the nearest concierge desk, of which there are lots scattered throughout the centre. The process was incredibly quick and painless and the concierge couldn’t have been more helpful. Step one of the process went well.

Taking a map of the centre I was impressed with the sheer number of quality outlets there are - you have everything from run of the mill Next and River Island to Tesla and Thomas Sabo within the centre. You can see the full list of stores at Westfield here.

After a casual wander around the first floor we can stepped into Beauty Base with the wife muttering something about it being a poor mans beauty store. She came to eat her words some seconds later as like a child in a candy store I developed a crazed look, cheeky grin and moved towards the aftershave section as though I was going to hug them. Wow, the range of aftershaves on sale was immense and the prices ridiculously reasonable. I picked up a bottle of The Dreamer for myself and another bottle as a giveaway for my blog readers (you can enter the draw to win a bottle of The Dreamer until 31 May 2016 here). I didn’t use my Westfield Card, although I did think to myself “can I spin an aftershave purchase as an accessory” before opting to pay cash. 

So what did I buy to accessories my suit?

First up was a pair of cufflinks - they were only £20 from Menkind.

Second up was a bit of a chunky belt with a slight industrial twist in my view not the usual subtle number I would wear normally with a suit. This one wouldn’t look strange with a pair of jeans. This was £10 from Next. I also picked up a pack of five pairs of socks for only £12.

As I mentioned earlier, being a bit of a closet goth I really wanted to pick up some bracelets and after popping into River Island I picked up a pack of four bracelets for just £8.

We did go for a wander into Debenhams where I could have gone wild in the suit section. I saw a lovely light blue suit from the Jeff Banks range for just £250 and a few ties and pocket squares. I actually opted for two ties that came in at £25. When I took them to the checkout there was a problem with the card and it had been blocked. By this stage we had been walking around for nearly four hours taking in the vast nature of the stores on offer and rather than go back to get the card unblocked we called it a day and headed home (it was also one of the hottest days of the year so far).

I enjoyed my walk around Westfield and picked up a few things that I believe show off my style (dark and humourless - joke). The range of stores available to shoppers is jaw-dropping and I was impressed with the sheer number of luxury outlets. Personally I will be going back (if only to pick up the Jeff Banks suit for summer) and can see the pain that my new found love for Westfield London will have on my bank balance. There really is something for everyone and every individual style at Westfield London. Give it a try, you’ll lose a day of your life wandering around the stores. 

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For the avoidance of doubt, this post has been sponsored by Westfield, by way of credit on a Westfield card used to make the purchases on the day. No further payment was or will be made.

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Wrist Porn: Atolyestone London

For the last twelve months I've had something of an accessory addiction and have coveted a number of male bracelets. If you didn't see my wishlist from 2015 you can here. This however is just the tip of the iceberg and on Pinterest here I have a rather large board that has everything from £5 to £5,000 (a man can dream) bracelets to adorn my wrist. It was on Pinterest that those purveyors of fine jewellery for men Atolyestone London got in touch and asked if I had ever seen their range. I must confess, at the time I hadn't heard of them or seen their website but with two clicks of the mouse I was in luxury bracelet heaven.

This is what they say about themselves over at the Atolyestone London website here:

'Atolyestone is a high-end jewellery brand with our head office based in London. Our aim is to harmonise the traditional bead and charm bracelets with modern silver gold and silver moulding techniques. Today, Atolyestone is staying loyal to its original ideas and reinterpreting the world of high-end jewellery.'

As a bit of a disclosure, I was offered the opportunity to pick a product from the site and then entered a period of calm (read neurotic indecision) as I tried to settle on one particular bracelet.

In the end I opted for the Lava Skull Beaded Bracelet at £70, fired off my request and sat back with the giddy excitement of a four year old on Christmas morning. I didn't have to wait long. My ordered was placed on Saturday and after another ugly Monday I arrived home to a card from DHL advising that the bracelet had been signed for by my neighbour (cheers bud). I was that excited about my new bracelet that I (for the first time in my thirty seven years) kept checking the online tracking system from DHL.

The anticipation could not have prepared me for the sheer "wow" factor when opening the package. Not only did the bracelet come in the chunkiest and weighty box, it oozed quality, and that was before I had opened it. 

Opening the box brought a bigger smile to my face - there is was in all it's glory - the black lava stone wrapped around its own little cushion, the sterling silver skull staring back at me. Pleased is an understatement of epic proportion. 

Well made, oozing class and more importantly, looking stunning I am delighted with my choice.

Yes, Atolyestone London in my view falls into the luxury category but they are well and truly worth the additional expense. My ASOS bracelets now look like paupers when placed next to my new offering, which means that I'm going to have to upgrade my collection (double edged sword time). 

If I had to pick other bracelets from the range available on the Atolyestone London website my favourites have to be these babies:

With colours and ranges to suit all tastes, and bracelets, bangles and cuffs that cost from £40 to £245 there is something that will appeal to every taste (it's not all skulls). If you’re not treating yourself, these would make a perfect gift for the man in your life.

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I Just Love It - Personalised Gifts

I do like a good personalised gift, and despite being completely stumped on what to buy as gifts this year, when Ijustloveit.co.uk offered me the chance to pick a few gifts I rather selfishly opted to buy myself some things, and then in a pang of guilt changed the order so it was 50/50 between I and BeautyqueenUK.

So, what was on offer?

Well, I have to say I was impressed with the sheer range of gifts available, and the range of personalisation that could be added to each one. The website was easy to navigate, the gifts were sorted into relevant categories brilliantly (for a lazy bloke like me simply clicking on ‘gifts for her’ narrowed down my browsing time) and it’s rare that I say this, but the site seems to have something for everyone, from personalised whiskey, cufflinks to candles, and all for a very reasonable price.

Sooooo, what did I opt for?

Engraved Men's Leather Clasp Bracelet £19.99

2015 has seen me really get into accessorising – and bracelets have been a bit of a feature for me throughout the year. This engraved men's leather clasp bracelet features a brushed stainless steel tag which I personalised with my initials and year of birth. I did consider using my old numberplate off my car ‘666 SJS’ but thought better of it.

The bracelet is handmade with three strong leather cords and is finished with an alloy clasp. The clasp is a bit fiddly, but it is solidly made and looks the business. Personally, it’s now my favourite.

Personalised to the Moon and Back Candle £8.99

My wife is candle obsessed, and when I say obsessed I’m not joking. You cannot move in our living room for the bloody things, so in a moment of madness I thought, that’s what she needs, another candle!

Ideal for giving to someone special on Valentine's Day or to your partner on your anniversary, this lovely candle is presented in cellophane and tied with a pretty ribbon for the perfect finishing touch. It has an impressive 150 hours burn time and looks the business. Winner!

Happily Ever After Hanging Heart £16.99

My missus and I got married on Christmas Day back in 2004 (insert joke about getting less jail time had I murdered her). Joking aside, trying to find an anniversary present was a bit of a pain – I did find something in the end in a shop in Wales (possibly the most racist shop ever) so this turned into just a surprise, aren’t I lovely gift.

First of all – it’s bloody huge – I expected something quite small but oh now – it’s the same size as my head (which is big). It is solidly made though and it has been personalised with our names and the date we got married – all together now awwwwww (pass the sick bucket).

Personalised Map Cufflinks £24.99

Now these really caught my eye – being a Manchester native living (read existing) in London I really liked these cufflinks with maps built into them. Well, actually they are digitally printed maps in round silver plating settings covered with a glass dome to stop them being damaged. They really are a chic gift (for myself). Rather predictably I opted for, yes, Manchester and London and I have to say, I can’t wait to get them on.

At £25 for a pair of cufflinks I think they would make a really brilliant gift for him. Sod Christmas, these would make a great gift idea for birthdays, anniversaries or just for a man who is a nightmare to buy for!

So, was everything great? Well from a product perspective, yes, the products are all of a great quality but I found the delivery to be slightly strange. After ordering four products together they then arrived on a kind of drip, drip, drip basis over the course of seven days. It would have been much more cost efficient for them to send all at once, but they did all arrive and arrive undamaged so in theory I should just shut the **** up.

Great quality gifts that will show that you’ve put a little thought into the person you are buying for, and even better, it won’t break the bank. I highly recommend using this site and have bookmarked it for use for every special occasion coming up in the future (family you have been warned lol). Personalised gifts – priceless.

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Jord 94A Wooden Watch

Every so often a product comes into your possession that captivates you, whether it is the scent, the style, how it is made, the colour or even it's packaging, sitting and looking at something thinking 'wow'. This happened to me, but the Jord 94A Wooden Watch was actually sent to my other half, but as soon as I saw it I knew it would be mine, all mine! 

JORD watches are made out of sustainably sourced wood from across the globe. Each watch is then lovingly crafted and are unique. I now have the 94A Series which is Jord's first mixed material watch, presented with a squared dial and metallic face, it really does look cool and is perfect when topped off with a few wooden bracelets. 

The watch itself is even more stunning than it looks online. It is so much lighter than I had expected it to be but it is the craftsmanship of the watch which is truly amazing. Being made of wood, there are no rough edges and whilst it is chunky, it looks amazing whilst being worn, it is so unique to have a wooden watch. It is also light as a feather so no feeling like you have a dead weight attached to your arm.

I personally think the 94A Series is more suited to a man than a woman (I would say that, and actually did to convince the other half to let me have it). That said, we both absolutely love it, so it will be a race in the morning to see who can wear it first.

If you want to take a look at JORD watches, you can see the range here. They are amazingly priced, this one is $159 which is around £100 and then delivery is $20 (so just under £10) which is couriered.

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Bracelets for Men Wishlist

I recently picked up a bargain pair of Buckle Boots from ASOS for £35. Not wanting to waste the rest of the voucher I had another £15 to spend and made light work of spending it by picking up a bracelet to go with my watch and usually dark clothing. 

So, you can thank ASOS for this wishlist of bracelets for men, and ones I will be getting my hands on over the coming weeks as I prepare my wardrobe for the summer. If interested, I have a board on Pinterest here with hundreds of bands and bracelets for blokes that vary in cost from a couple of pounds to a small mortgage.

These are my five favourites for this year that sit firmly in the could afford bracket rather than the 'if I win the lottery' category:

Colana Double Wrap Onyx Bracelet

This baby looks the part and certainly has a price tag to match costing £137. For me it is the fact that is has quite an intricate design interspersed with Buddha heads while retaining a rather understated look. It oozes class in my view and is one I will be buying.

Alexander McQueen

To say I’m a huge fan of accessories from Alexander McQueen would be an understatement of epic proportions. The skull designs really appeal to me and go with large swathes of my casual wardrobe (I shop on the basis that if it has a skull on it I’ll wear it) but McQueen also have some amazing cufflinks and bracelets for blokes that you can pass off, even with formal wear. 

The metal skull and woven bracelet is £185, but the weave and solid look appeal to me and my inner Goth. 

Men's Spiritual Evil Eye Protection

While my first two choices are on the expensive side in my opinion and rest within the luxury category of accessories this bracelet not only looks cool, it is made with a number of semi precious stones such as Tiger's Eye, Green Imperial Jasper, Bone, Lava, Amber Murano. The evil eye charm is made from copper and finishes off the look really well. 

This one is available here at the moment for just £29.95.

Rosary Bracelet for Men

While not overly religious (I only seek divine intervention after a heavy night out), I do like religious iconography and this hand-made bracelet jumped out at me. Made with black onyx gemstones, stainless steel wire, a magnetic clasp, bronze medals and brass spacer beads it is affordable (£18.64) and looks the business. 

It would make a perfect little gift and won‘t break the bank. In fact, the seller of this bracelet has a number of other equally awesome offerings and is worth checking out. 

Black Leather and Silver tone Cuff Double Skull 

Last, but not least and by far one of the cheapest and coolest bracelets from one of my favourite online retailers, Skull Clothing. This weave of leather with silver skulls would go perfectly with my watch and my usual all black clothing. 

Currently on sale for $16.95 this is affordable, looks awesome and is one that will be in my collection by the end of the month! 

I hope you liked my choices - do you think men can pull off bracelets or is it just a step too far?

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