Grooming: ManCave Men's Grooming Gear

For a few months now I've been sampling on and off with products from Mancave, a British start-up company that launched in 2012. I'd seen the products on Instagram for a while and was more than happy to give a couple of their products a road test. Through the letterbox popped three products, one of which I managed to leave in a hotel room after having to vacate at speed - no it wasn't a fire alarm, I had the worst hangover of 2017 and had approximately ten minutes to shower, dress and get out! Typical Stephen behaviour all truth be told.

Anyway, enough of my mystery drinking tours of obscure Welsh hotels and back onto the grooming products. Today I'll be looking at ManCave's Protective Moisturiser and their Lemon & Oak Shower Gel. 

ManCave has a clear mission statement, to bring a fresh and inspiring regime of grooming essentials - developed and formulated as a natural defence for man!

This is what they say about their products over at the ManCave website: 

'With an ingredient-focused approach that delivers a natural grooming regime packed with essential oils and premium natural extracts, you will find a brand that has removed harmful ingredients and find one which offers vegan friendly products that are free from parabens, sulphates and petrochemicals and are never tested on animals.'

Protective Moisturiser with SPF20 - 100ml £8.99

First up is the Protective Moisturiser - it uses UVA Filters to help protect from UV rays whilst locking in hydration and helping to counteract signs of premature ageing with Shea Butter and Radicare.

Personally I found this product to be an absolute face saver after a recent foray into the Suffolk sunshine. After wandering in the early morning sun down the coast to say I was burnt was an understatement - within four hours my face was dry and towards the evening I could see exceptionally dry patches appearing just under my eyes and on my forehead. This was not a good look. 

When I realised I hadn't moisturised that evening I applied just a pea sized amount and within two hours the dry patches had gone - my face looked and felt hydrated.

After using for a week each morning and night my skin (above the beard) was much smoother and genuinely looked more supple. In terms of applying it couldn't be easier, it lacks the greasiness that comes with some male moisturisers which means it's a case of slap on and watch it be absorbed into the skin at a fair old rate of knots. For the lazy man out there (like me) this is a no fuss, good for results moisturiser.

When you throw into the mix the fact that this costs just £8.99 you have cracking value for money.

Lemon and Oak Shower Gel - 200ml £3.99 - This is actually the second shower gel (the first was Cedarwood) in the ManCave range - and was developed to uplift, invigorate and stimulate (sounds like my missus). 

So, what's it like? Bloody brilliant! For £3.99 you really cannot argue about the value for money if it does what a shower gel should - wash of the grime, leave you smelling lovely and good on the skin. 

Personally I really do have an affection for the fragrance of this shower gel - the lemon has that zesty citrus punch to the face that I need first thing in the morning but it also oozes a rather subtle masculinity with the oak giving it a touch of warmth after the citrus blast. Yes please, more of the same.

The shower gel lathers up brilliantly with only a small amount, around the size of a fifty pence piece needed to generate a mini-foam party in the shower. 

I've been using this on and off for a few months now, it sits in my travel bag when I go away on business and it's great - not only do I feel confident that I'm clean, I actually feel clean and the fragrance that's left on my skin doesn't alter my aftershaves. 

What we have here is not a failure to communicate as Guns N Roses once said, what we actually have is a brand with a series of exceptional quality products that are priced very reasonably. Trust me, you can fork out up to ten times more for products like this that will come nowhere near to delivering the same results. 

For me, it's a massive yes to ManCave.

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Bulldog Skincare For Men Gift Collection

A Bulldog is not just for Christmas…but it’s a great start. That's what the marketing blurb for the Bulldog Skincare for Men Christmas Gift Collection shouts out straight away, and after receiving two to try out, I'm inclined to agree, they're not just for Christmas but all year round. 

I'm a bit of a Bulldog Skincare freak, I love their moisturiser (still puzzled why I've never written about it) so when these two gift sets popped through the door (read wife walked to the sorting office to pick up) it really was like Christmas morning, and I still have a wry smile now, some weeks later.

So, award winning skincare brand Bulldog Skincare For Men has launched five new gift sets that will bring seasonal cheer. With a brilliant selection of their products available in each gift, and at what I would call massively affordable prices you can do a lot, and I do mean a lot worse when weighing up what to buy the bloke in your life this year.

Available from Boots, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the range offers a choice of stocking fillers, secret Santa gifts and ‘proper presents’.

Man Up (£6, yes, just £6 from Boots)

Now this is by far and away a great little gift and would be perfect for Secret Santa - not too pricey, but actually not just a great grooming product, but the tin is also a money box with a nice opening in the lid.

This is what the marketing blurb says about this gift set:

'The Bulldog Man Up Sensitive Moisturiser Tin is a great man’s gift this Christmas. This set contains Bulldog Sensitive Moisturiser, which is specially formulated with 2 essential oils, green tea, green algae, konjac mannan and vitamin E to help rehydrate sensitive skin. These powerful ingredients can help revive and rehydrate the skin. Plus, this moisturiser absorbs quickly and won't leave your face and hands oily or greasy after use.'

I really do have affection for this moisturiser, it is brilliant when i shave regularly and it doesn't inflame my skin further, even if I shave in a rush and have razor burn. It smells wonderful to boot - fresh, clean with a bit of bite from the tea notes, this ticks all the right boxes.

It's absorbed into the face quickly, doesn't leave the face looking greasy and best of all, after I started using this, after a week my skin did feel softer, smoother and looked incredibly hydrated.

Pardon the pun, but this is the dog's b******s.....

‘The Kennel’ (£12) 

In a neat, and clean looking presentation box, and with a budget price tag this is the perfect alternative to the usual Lynx guff gift sets that get thrown around at this time of the year (in laws, family and friends take note, I despise Lynx gift sets). 

This is what they say about this gift set in the marketing blurb: 

'The Kennel contains a trio of Bulldog products; Original Face Wash, Original Face Scrub and Original Moisturiser bedded down in a fun presentation box. The recipient of this gift is guaranteed to love the superb skincare results of the products as well as the iconic bulldog ‘at one with nature’ on the box.'

Again, while I can't argue with the benefits that come from using the moisturiser, my personal favourite from this gift set has to be the face scrub. It smells lovely, not a hint of any chemical aroma and the scrub is really gentle and feels so natural as it grinds off the daily build up of free radicals (ooh, check me out, I do of course mean dirt and pollution).

Combining the face wash, scrub and moisturiser for the last five days and I seem to have developed a glow. Now that has nothing to do with me entering into the Christmas spirit early, and everything to do with these great products.

So, considering the price these gift sets represent excellent value for money. They are well presented, do what they say they will do, and do so with no fuss or drama. For this I am eternally grateful. Still not convinced? Well, I give up! 

Need a gift for your fella this Christmas? These would make great stocking fillers and you get to support a British business in the process. It's a win all around.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Finally, Hector wants to know why you haven't already gone off to pick up your own Bulldog Gift Set!

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Xanthe Men Post Shave Serum

Today I will be giving my considered thoughts on Xanthe Men Post Shave Serum, a balm like product that claims to be a soothing and calming light hydrating serum for use after shaving. 

Products like this used to be a godsend after I had been hacking away at my face with a razor. In fact, my shaving ability has been so bad over the years that at times my face has looked like I had been slapped after shaving by Freddy Krueger (from Nightmare on Elm Street). If I wasn’t feeling faint from blood loss (I’m overplaying it a touch, but not much) I would suffer with irritation, blotchy face and razor burn (not a great feeling if I‘m perfectly honest).

While I have found some amazing products, when I was asked if I wanted to try Xanthe Men it was a case of nothing ventured, nothing gained. Now I have been using this on and off for well over a month after shaving off varying lengths of stubble and in two cases, a full grown beard I think I'm in a position to give a reasoned and balanced opinion of the product. 

Paraben and alcohol free, Xanthe Men is a skin soother and hydrator to help protect from free radicals (aren't they an American jazz band?!?) and UV damage, replenish lost vitamins and minerals while calming irritation. Suitable for all skin types it doesn’t contain any artificial fragrances or colouring and best of all, it isn’t tested on animals. 

All things being considered, I expected a rather bland product where my ultimate recommendation would be based solely on the results after using. 

I’m not sure what I expected when I took it from the packaging, it certainly wasn’t the heavy canister I was presented with. It had much more weight than I expected from a 30ml canister but actually it felt really solid in my hand and you can’t criticise the packaging for not being hard wearing - I immediately dropped it onto my tiled bathroom floor. Thankfully it didn’t smash, in fact it didn’t even crack the outer shell of the canister (phew, in the heart stopping moments as it fell I had visions of canister shrapnel embedding itself in my bare feet.

Despite being free of any artificial fragrance it does actually smell really good - it is a subtle fragrance as you would expect from a hydrator/post shave serum and the only fragrance I could detect was an incredibly light Aloe (I love Aloe). 

So, on the fragrance front it’s a thumbs up, but does it soothe and hydrate? Well yes, yes it does, and it does it in a no fuss way. The serum is absorbed quickly, the irritation I had around my jaw line after shaving when first using this was soothed and cooled - in fact, as you leave the serum to soak in I could feel my face cooling down after around two to three minutes. 

After using it during the recent hot spell in London I can hand on heart confirm that it does keep your face hydrated. After one particular long day in the sun and travelling on public transport in epic temperatures my face feel rather dry and tired. Layer after layer of this was applied to my face and soaked in instantly - after three applications my face looked hydrated, thos pesky dry patches that can break out on my face around my hair line were banished and overall, I have to say my skin felt smooth and soft to the touch. Result!

This isn’t just for after shaving in my opinion, it makes a bloody good hydrator for the face and after I had suffered a mild reaction to applying too much ginseng laced products to my face this cleared up the ensuing dry patches around my forehead. For me, the fact that it was soothing after shaving and doubled as a regular moisturiser really impressed me.

At around £20 for a 30ml canister of the post shave serum this doesn’t by any stretch of the imagination fall into a budget category but for the price and considering the results I think it is the bees knees. Cracking stuff that does what it says on the tin with no fuss and few frills.

Go on guys, give it a try. 

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Wingman Skin Fuel

It has been a while since I was originally sent and opened (with glee) a massive package from the lovely folk at Wingman. I had expected maybe the face scrub but instead I received the entire Skin Fuel range and have well and truly put it through it’s paces. 

So what will I be talking about today? Well, I’ll be giving the low-down on the face scrub, face wash and moisturiser.

Purifying Face Scrub Ginseng + Vitamins  - £4.49 for 150ml

If you follow the link, you’ll actually get to the apricot, ginseng and vitamins page for the face scrub - I actually received the scrub with just ginseng and vitamins although I really like the idea of an apricot fragrance and infused scrub and will be one I try out.

So, this is what Wingman say about the face scrub: 

‘Purifying cream scrub exfoliates dead skin cells, unclogs pores and removes impurities like oil and dirt. Ginseng helps stimulate and activate the skin, leaving it looking fresh and feeling smooth.

At Wingman we favour a no nonsense approach. We make awesome products that are easy to understand and do exactly what men need them to do.’

Thick in texture as soon as the scrub is released from the tube you can see the little flecks that will act as the abrasive when massaging into the face. I was surprised that it seems to lack a powerful fragrance instead opting for a subtle yet clean and fresh smell. In my opinion you can detect a touch of ginseng but there is nothing here that lingers on the skin longer than a few minutes after using it and rinsing your face.

As it’s massaged into the face you can feel the fine sand like particles brushing across the skin - not too abrasive but clearly (from the colour of the water) removing the dirt and oil that had built up on my face.

It spreads really easily and after rinsing off my face (with a beard most of the time) not only did my skin have that just scrubbed glow but it stayed, I was positively radiant all day when I caught glimpses of myself in the mirror. Now that’s good.

To the touch my skin felt smooth so step one gets a thumbs up from me.  

Sensitive Face Wash Aloe Vera + Vitamins - £3.00

So, this is what Wingman say about the face wash:

‘Foaming gel cleanses dirt and debris from sensitive, dry or easily irritated skin. With soothing Aloe Vera to help reinforce natural defences, skin will be nourished and refreshed.

At Wingman we favour a no nonsense approach. We make awesome products that are easy to understand and do exactly what men need them to do.’

Now this has a stronger fragrance, and boy you get a good old blast of strong Aloe Vera (which I love) as soon as you squeeze it into your palm. The fragrance only intensifies as soon as it comes into contact with warm water and lathers up surprisingly well considering the fluidity of the face wash. 

While the face scrub removed any grime and dirt I found the face wash to be really soothing, and leaving on my face for a good 30 seconds before rinsing resulted in a fantastic cooling sensation. Despite the cooling effect that radiant glow on my cheeks, nose and forehead remained. In the words of Mr Burns from The Simpsons……”excellent” (if you can, picture me tapping my fingertips together with a slightly manic grin….).

After rinsing my face again I was again surprised that the face wash had removed another layer of grime (or I missed a spot with the scrub - I’ll never know) and the water was slightly discoloured (ewwwwww).

After patting dry I have to say I got that feeling that face was truly clean - my pores felt unclogged and my skin not as tight. Did my face feel refreshed? Oh yeah…...

So all that is left for me to say about the face wash? Nice one (said in a deep Mancunian accent). 

Sensitive Moisturiser Aloe Vera + Vitamins - £5.99 for 100ml

So, this is what Wingman say about the moisturiser:

‘Hydrating gel with Aloe Vera helps soothe sensitive, dry or easily irritated skin. Actively supporting natural defences, it moisturises and mattifies with a non-greasy finish.

At Wingman we favour a no nonsense approach. We make awesome products that are easy to understand and do exactly what men need them to do.’

With a slightly more subtle Aloe Vera fragrance the moisturiser to me seemed a little too thick when I first dispensed it. The touch of concern that niggled for just seconds that it would take an age to be absorbed or from the feel of it that it, would leave my face greasy were thankfully unfounded. 

Absorption is quick, really quick in fact and it spreads across the face becoming clearer in colour. It soaked into my skin so quickly that I actually went back and applied a touch more. 

No signs of a greasy face, in fact my face just had a rather matte glow and I was impressed.

To the touch my face was soft and smooth - it certainly felt hydrated and for that I am truly grateful! 

So after using these as part of my day to day skincare regime I have to say I was impressed with the range. While I found that I had a bit of trouble when applying too much product containing ginseng this speaks more about my skin than the product.

When I consider the results and the fact that these products to me fall into the affordable to the masses category there is no reason for blokes out there to neglect their faces. They do what they say on the tin, the products aren’t tested on animals and they look manly enough that even the hardest of hard men wouldn’t be embarrassed about having these in the bathroom.

Most blokes at some stage of their lives have had a wingman (reference Men Behaving Badly circa 1992), as I grow older, this is the only wingman I need. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

As a post note, it is worth me pointing out as a final clincher that Wingman products are endorsed by Help for Heroes, the UK charity who give practical, direct support to wounded and injured men and women from the armed forces. Every time you buy a product Wingman make a donation to an incredibly worthwhile charity.

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SPONSORED: Get Your Skin Ready for Summer

The weather has gotten a lot warmer in the past few days, which has naturally meant that sitting at the office is twice as tough (not for me at the moment, which means big grins all around).

Now just like your mind needs a little boost to get the party summer smile on, your skin also needs a bit of a makeover after the exhausting cold winter. After all, you want to feel gorgeous inside and outside once you are finally free to roam the sunny parks (that's not meant to sound like my inner stalker speaking).

Here are some tips for preparing your skin for summer.

Start Off with Exfoliating

It all starts by exfoliating the skin properly. Don’t just exfoliate the face either; your whole body could do with a bit of a rub. 

There are great products for men, such as the Yves Rocher Blackberries Exfoliating shower gel. But you can even consider trying a simple homemade, natural exfoliator. For instance, the oatmeal and sea salt exfoliator recipe at Inhabitat is a good pick.

Add Extra Moisture

If you have a tendency for dry skin, you’ll definitely need much more moisture after the long cold days and nights of winter. Although lotions are typically the first choice, you could swap the usual lotion to an oil-based moisturiser for summer.

The oils can actually enhance your tan while keeping the skin in top condition, not to mention the extra moisturising effect of oils!

Now it must be said that oils can take a bit getting used to. The chances are your skin is already really dry and adding a bit of oil for the first time makes it feel…well oily.

Use a thin layer for the first times at home; after a few applications, your skin should be more open to the oils! Very oily skin can actually be a symptom of dry skin, so don’t automatically assume your skin’s too oily!

Get a Proper Sunscreen

The biggest mistake to make when preparing your skin for summer is to skip the sunscreen.

You don’t want to be sitting under the shade all day long (or maybe you do!), so adding enough sunscreen will guarantee you don’t look like a cooked lobster once the summer sun dies down.

If you don’t like adding lotion, get one of the spray bottle options instead!

Don’t Shy Away from Shaving

You don’t need to go hairless, but you’d be feeling much better if you at least keep your hair under control. Shaving during summer just seems like the right thing to do to me.

Remember to shave after you’ve warmed the hair follicles. This isn’t anything fancy; just sit in a warm bath before bringing out the razor. 

Remember proper moisturising to prevent ingrown hairs and itching!

You may need a few more beauty products for the above, check this out if you are looking for a bargain. VoucherBin has plenty of offers from top UK beauty brands, so you might end up saving a bit of money.

And don’t forget to check out the fashion section for summer styling tips!

*SP

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The Bluebeards Revenge Cooling Moisturiser

When it comes to soothing my face after shaving or after a day exposed to horrific levels of air pollution in London I’m not exactly short of products to use. I confess I don’t have that many firm favourites, Cooling Moisturiser by The Bluebeards Revenge is sitting pretty at the top of the moisturisers I’m currently using and liking, liking a lot.

I just love the skull and crossbones branding

(As an aside I have ‘it’s all about the face, about the face…..’ running through my head to the tune of ‘All about that Bass’ by Meghan Trainor - send for the men in white coats!)

Like all of the products from The Bluebeards Revenge, the cooling moisturiser is emblazoned with the skull and crossbones giving it a shiny edge when it comes to the canister (and it is a cool looking metal canister) standing out on the shelf in the bathroom - with my Magpie eye that’s probably why I reached for it in the first place. It looks cool and the coolness always goes that bit further with The Bluebeards Revenge products as every piece of packaging encourages the man using it to check for lumps and bumps in an effort to tackle testicular cancer.

For more information on Orchid, the charity that fights male cancer please visit their website here.

A 100ml canister will set you back £9.99, but what do The Bluebeards Revenge say about their cooling moisturiser on their website?

‘The Bluebeards Revenge 'Cooling' Moisturiser brings it’s typical semi-macho style into the equation with this new product featuring what they describe as the “manliest of ingredients” – in fact, who else could get away with creating a modern cosmetic laced with exotic compounds such as extracts of Prickly Pear, Stinging Nettle and Fenugreek! Not as vicious as they sound in fact as each of these compounds are highly regarded for their moisturising qualities and ability to re-invigorate the skin.

Having said that the brand has also strayed into its feminine side with the addition of Jojoba Oil as the main active ingredient. Jojoba enjoys a fabulous reputation as the only natural wax ester with an amazing similarity to the oils created by our own skin and is thought to help prevent oily skin and outbreaks of irritation.

The Bluebeards Revenge 'Cooling' Moisturiser contains a cooling agent making application to any part of the body a real pleasure. Luckily the brand has gone to great lengths to ensure that the product is free of those nasty Parabens, SLS and MIT.’

I love The Bluebeards Revenge packaging, it has my no-nonsense style - with the warning on the canister stating ‘only a total moron would choose to sneak a snack of this moisturiser - trust me it isn’t nice so best left off the menu.’ Classic! 

Anyway, back to my thoughts - so, it’s paraben free which is good news for the skin but what is it like?

Well, the size of the canister is spot on to enable grip and the pump dispenser is really easy to use, you won’t find yourself pumping away for ages with no benefit. It dispenses the white moisturiser in little blobs, and as the pictures show only a pea sized amount is needed to cover even my massive face.

Only a seriously small amount is needed

With a creamy texture this spreads easily and as soon as it first hit my fairly dry face it started to be absorbed immediately leaving a rather shiny finish for two to three minutes. While waiting for it to dry in I was struck by the lovely fragrance - it is so clean and fresh. You can pick out the Jojoba oil and for a bit I thought I could detect a bit of menthol but that could just be my dodgy sense of smell at the time.

Once it had dried in the fragrance completely disappeared and had no impact on the aftershave I applied afterwards, in fact it has never changed my aftershave which I find a massive plus in favour of the product. There is nothing worse than shelling out a wad of cash on an aftershave for its true fragrance to be altered by another grooming product.

An attempt at a dark and brooding photograph

More importantly, the results were breath taking. The moisturiser does cool, in fact it is like being slapped in the face with an icy glove (in a nice way) when first applied and as it is absorbed you notice a slight tingle. Awesome!

A good twenty minutes after applying there was no sign of the moisturiser yet my face still felt cool and to the touch this is where the cooling moisturiser earns its stripes. My skin is incredibly smooth and soft to the touch, even through three day stubble and my whiskers were noticeably softer. 

The dry skin patches I get around my eyebrows were eliminated after three days of use and now, after having used this since July I have to say it represents excellent value for money. I use this probably three times a week and there is still about half of the canister left. You really can’t argue with results, the fact it lasts for ages and smells divine. 

You can, and I have paid more for a moisturiser but this sits with Men Expert as one I’ll keep reaching for as an effective moisturiser that does the business. 

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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.

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