David Hampton Leather Coat Wallet

No, I’m not breaking out into song, but……last Christmas (crap Wham reference there……)….I reviewed my current wallet as a possible gift idea for him - it was an expensive number (not as expensive as the Mont Blanc one I managed to lose) and one that has served me well. But, a certain little darling of a wallet has arrived courtesy of David Hampton - step forward stage left, the David Hampton Leather Coat Wallet in Malvern.

Well hello……

At £80 for a wallet this clearly is a luxury item but it does ooze class, and it gives off that reassuringly classy leather aroma. 

Now personally I’ve always been one for a rather chunky yet bulky wallets that fit neatly in the back pocket of a pair of jeans kind of guy but the chance to try out the longer wallet version was too good to pass up - so yes, this was a sample from the company, but I promise to be objective.

So, who are ya? Who are ya? This is what they say over on their website here:

'David Hampton, makers of superior leather goods since 1989: beautifully crafted wallets, purses, travel good and luxury leather gifts for men and women. David Hampton offers a selection of luxury ladies' purses, gentleman's wallets and business card holders, travel accessories and fine desk accessories created and available exclusively with a host of premium quality leather good to suit every taste.'

The wallet came gift wrapped, and as always, like a child I got giddy as I unwrapped the box and then removed the wallet from the dust sleeve (dust sleeve, yeah, a bit too classy for my blood). Loved it on first sight, but that just increased as I ran my hands over the outside before running my fingers across the lining, which is actually Champagne

With eight card slots, four pockets for cash (three of which will invariably be taken up by receipts) and a ticket pocket this can hold a mass of cards and cash. Had I not managed to lose all my cards on a recent trip up to Manchester (slow clap for Shawcross) the images would probably demonstrate this, but I’ve tried to show how many cards etc it can take using what I managed to retain while dodging protestors (and police), crawling from bar to bar or scaling a 6 foot (spiked) fence……

The neat David Hampton logo is embossed and incredibly discreet - I actually didn’t notice it at first.

I’m really pleased with my new wallet - it is perfect that use when out in a trench coat, blazer or lounge suit and has already drawn comments from friends (the only printable one is that it’s way too posh for me). At £80 I personally haven’t seen anything of this quality available which also has the functionality and looks to rival it. A perfect gift at any time, but now that Christmas is getting closer you could do so much worse than picking this up as a stocking filler for your fella.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Like what you see? You can keep up to date and follow Beautykinguk.co.uk using the various social media below:

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin

Facebook

View Post

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #6 - Hugo Boss Wallet

Today’s post is a gift idea based upon one that I have received in the past - that’s right, a wallet. Boring but functional. So today you are to be treated to why anyone should splash out £75 on something that should be used to contain the notes just splashed on the purchase of a Hugo Boss Orange Wallet.

I’ll confess straight away to being a bit of a wallet snob - it still makes me cringe when I see grown men remove oily ten pound notes at a bar from a fluorescent wallet they bought on holiday circa 1983 - the ones with the Velcro…..you know the ones…..

As mentioned being a wallet snob meant that I had a very nice Mont Blanc leather wallet for five to six years until it started to look a bit beaten, the thread was worn and the compartments for my cards started to split. I was happy to carry on using it but Beautyqueenuk (also known as the ball and chain - wife) had other ideas.

On unwrapping the Hugo Boss wallet to be greeted with an orange box emblazoned with Hugo Boss branding left me intrigued. I kind of hoped it was a watch but realised from the weight that it wasn’t. That said, I did beam from ear to ear when I opened the box to be presented with quite possibly the biggest wallet I had ever seen.

Made from faux leather my version of the wallet has 8 card slots - the updated version has four card slots with a little pouch for loose change. Mine doesn’t have this, but in all honesty I wouldn’t use it even if it did.

With two compartments for notes - one for notes, the other for receipts. It is spacious, can carry a large amount of notes - I’ve had 35 twenty pound notes in their before it struggled to close.

Overall, this wallet looks the part, is really well made (there are no signs of fatigue in the faux leather or seams) and does the job. The card slots haven’t worn or split so far and despite taking a battering on a daily basis as I swipe my Oyster card (it’s a swipe card to ride public transport in London that you top up with credit) to get out and about.

Yes, this is expensive for a wallet, but as a main present for the man that usually has everything it is a winner. 

Hugo Boss have lots of wallets available (some at eye watering prices) here, but you can buy the wallet pictured from Northern Threads here for £75. 

RECOMMENDED

You can read my other Christmas Gift Ideas for Him by clicking on the links below:

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #1 - Superdry Varsity Track T-Shirt

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #2 - Starbucks Sprinkler & Mug Set

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #3 - Aromatherapy Associates Refinery Shaving Essentials 

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #4 - Intense He Wood by DSquared2

Christmas Gift Ideas for Him #5 - Ted Baker On Course Ted Messenger Bag

You can keep up to date and follow Beautykinguk.co.uk using the various social media below:

Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Google+
Bloglovin

View Post

Mont Blanc Legend Intense

I've always loved Mont Blanc pens and cherish the one I own. It was a few years ago that I tried their Presence for Men and I actually rated it for a while but its draw wore off and I went back to firm favourites.

A 50ml bottle of Mont Blanc Legend Intense fell into my possession thanks to Beautyqueenuk when she returned from France - she dodged the cigarettes I asked for and brought me aftershave, the one thing I don't think I've ever needed. OK, rant over, I feel much better now.

Dexter stands guard over my aftershave

Anyhow, a 50ml bottle of this baby will set you back around £40 for something that is marketed as: 

'Legend reflects the contemporary elegance of the Montblanc brand - both modern and timeless.

The fragrance starts with the fresh aromatic duo of Italian Bergamot and French Lavender.

The heart note is magnetic, revealing a unique woody note - White cedar.

The dry-down owes its unforgettable signature to an overdose of virile Oak moss.' 

Now that marketing blurb would suggest to me a very masculine, earthy fragrance that screams out at me usually to steer clear. In the end I looked up the full notes before trying it out.

They are:

• Head: Italian Bergamot, French Lavendar
• Heart: White cedar
• Dry down: Oak Moss

It's exactly, yes exactly as marketed. 

First impressions when taking it out of the box were 'wow', the bottle is shaped like a hip flask and looked like it had been coated in chrome. It looks uber cool and you can't help but stare at yourself in the bottle.

Two squirts from the atomiser and boom, it was a fragrance explosion - the bergamot and lavendar combine brilliantly and form a strong and floral scent that lingers for some time. The first blast remains for well over 10 minutes and is warm as it dries down to a light woody undertone.

The white cedar is subtle yet after about an hour it felt warmer again, the earthy tones and oak moss brought out a depth that was actually quite overpowering at first. I got used to it and it passed the office smell test.

I really liked this and would say its probably best for daywear, around the office or doing something manly and rugged. You will get noticed wearing this and it is so inoffensive you can do no wrong. However, it is pricey and for that I expect something extra special - well this does it. It has exceptional, nay obscene staying power like no other aftershave. 16-18 hours after applying people still notice it and compliment.

For this and the lavendar explosion I have to say its worth it - just for the cool bottle.

RECOMMENDED

View Post

Mont Blanc Presence

If you think of Mont Blanc the first thing that would probably spring to mind is overly priced writing instruments. At a push jewellery and other assorted items from a luxury range that has diversified faster than speeding bullet may be conjured within your cranium.

For me, considering buying an aftershave from a company better known for pens than perfume would put me off. Presence was one of the first fragrances released onto the market by Mont Blanc back in 2001 and while I prefer to stick with favourites from the Bvlgari range due to my love of fresh, fruity fragrances Presence has skilfully worked its way into my affections.

The flowery marketing blurb from Mont Blanc tells you that Presence is about the presence of a man in a woman’s life. It embodies the wearer’s personality, charisma, aura and scent. It goes on to claim that the presence of the wearer evokes the emotions of the woman. Clearly while writing this sort of guff is like paying good money for old rope the key to a good fragrance in my books can be judged on a number of factors, most important is obviously whether it smells good to the wearer and those you come into contact with, longevity of the fragrance, price and overall the value for money it provides in comparison to other brands.

My first bottle (and actually like most of my aftershave) was a gift. If you had to part with your hard earned cash you’ll struggle unless you buy direct from Mont Blanc or live close to one of their stores. When I last tried to find a bottle I received a number of blank (I was so tempted to say Blanc looks there) in Boots and the Perfume store. A 75ml bottle will set you back just shy of £40. That to me seems expensive and I could roll out a very long list of cheaper aftershaves.

The notes to Presence are:

• Head: Bergamot, ginger and cardamom.
• Heart: Cinnamon, sage, apple and heliotrope.
• Base: Tonka beans, sandalwood and musk.

The notes suggest a heavy, very spicy fragrance with fruity undertones while the base notes suggest a warm and very masculine aroma. With a personal preference towards light and fruity fragrances I wasn’t sure I would like Presence but the proof of the pudding was to be in the tasting, no not literally but I couldn’t wait to give it a try.

Source

The difference between the two bottles - old above, new below.

Source

Two light sprays from the atomiser releases enough of the aftershave to give full coverage, and as a word of advice, close your eyes, it really does spray widely.

After shaving as you would expect there is a very nasty burning sensation which dissipates very quickly leaving just the warm spicy tones from the head notes. The bergamot citrus aroma is most evident and blended with the ginger gives an initial strange warm fragrance that is both fruity and spicy.

The general assault on the senses is pleasant, not too heavy and not so light it could be confused as a perfume. As with all male fragrances, the initial fragrance doesn’t tend to linger for long and with Presence the heart and base notes contain so many heavy duty ingredients that within 5 minutes that initial pleasant fragrance falls away as it becomes heavier and even warmer.

As the bergamot becomes less prominent you would expect the heart notes to come to the fore but alas they do not, the cinnamon and apple are never identifiable within the fragrance and only a hint of sage comes through taking the edge off the fruity aroma which makes the ensuing fragrance even spicier. After 30 minutes of blending and being absorbed by the skin what is left is completely different to the fragrance that left the bottle.

The woody, earthy base notes become the overlaying fragrance and the musk and sandalwood dominate the senses. With the fragrance still being evident on the skin over 10 hours after spraying on the aroma has the same strength from that that formed 30 minutes after application and that is a fragrance that not only is fresh, warm and masculine but also very subtle.

Presence does not sit in with the style of aftershave I like yet I’m strangely drawn to it. The fragrance is completely unique, so subtle so people can pick up on it without overpowering and very hardwearing meaning that it is perfect for romantic nights out, office and casual wear.

With a little of the aftershave going a long way and a reasonable price tag the product has every ingredient of a good aftershave.

The bottle may have been a nightmare to use (it used to be a half-moon shape which was a nightmare but has been re-designed) but thankfully my future purchases haven’t been blighted by this little hiccup. If your own personal preference when it comes to aftershave is like mine I would urge you to branch out and give this a try, you will be surprised by the way in which the ingredients blend together. This is very much a luxury version of Christian Dior Fahrenheit, just not so heavy.

Given that a little really does go a long way a 75ml bottle will last an absolute age making it good value for money.

You could do a lot worse than Presence.

RECOMMENDED

View Post