Swagger & Jacks Premium Beard Oil

Finally a product that appeals to my inner child (it’s actually the reverse, I have an inner grown up), it’s Swagger & Jacks Premium Beard Oil. Why does it appeal to me? Well how cool is that packaging people? It looks like the protective shell for radioactive material (picture Jack Bauer holding the canister aloft and shouting “Mr President, I’ve located the stolen Uranium” - yes, I have played this out in my head).

The two premium beard oils I was asked to sample are new to the market and I’ll hold my hands up here, using beard oil, any beard oil is new territory for me. While I have been known to go months without shaving, there always comes a time when the bristles and hair itch, feel a bit too wiry to the touch and generally irritate me. Bang, when this happens the beard has to go. 

This is what Swagger & Jacks have to say about their new oils (lifted directly from their website):

'Swagger & Jacks Premium Beard Oil is perfect for day wear or for gentlemen who prefer a lighter cologne. It contains elements of a classic masculine Fougere fragrance, characterised by top notes of lavender and a heart of oak moss, coumarin and geranium. But is also features citrus top notes of bergamot and verbena to create a fresh light feel. The head and heart are supported by a base of sandalwood, tonga bean and evernyl.

Plus for those who prefer a more intense, spicier fragrance, Swagger & Jacks Ultimate Beard Oil  features ginger, clove and pink pepper top notes. These lead to a heart which includes jasmine, ylang ylang and rose combined with marine notes. The rich base contains notes of cedarwood, musk and vetivert with warmth and sweetness from vanilla and cinnamon.'

The chance to try something new that could possibly soften the beard up, help me style it a little easier and also leave a signature fragrance was not going to be passed up. Not when I can repeatedly pretend that I’m an extra in 24 every morning!

So, Swagger & Jacks have these two new oils available. At £26.95 (hurry, they are discounted for a while over at their website here) for both oils it seems a reasonable amount of money to pay, particularly if it helps with the pain (not literal) of growing a beard through the early stages.

The first, contains lavender with a heart note of oak moss and geranium that gives off a strong yet clean floral scent. I love it, and prefer to use this one in the morning as the floral tones blend down to a masculine and warm scent that sits brilliantly with my usual daytime aftershaves such as Invictus or Fahrenheit. 

The second is a more intense, spicier with ginger and pink pepper. These top notes really do deliver a punch of spice and once absorbed, calm down to a lovely sweet fragrance that compliments my evening aftershaves of Uomo or Eros. Perfection!

The oil, guess what, has an oily consistency, but fear not, it won’t leave your looking like you used your face to stem the leak from the Exxon Valdez (Christ, a reference of a 1989 oil leak in Alaska - how old is this man?!?).  

All Swagger & Jacks products are made in the United Kingdom and, I am happy to say are paraben free, which means once absorbed into those open pores and bristles sprouting from your face it doesn’t leave your skin dried out and feeling a bit “meh”. Personally, and I’m saying this from a position of being new to beard oil of any kind - it’s bloody good stuff. 

Consider this, both of the beard oils have their own unique yet reassuringly familiar fragrances (I just wish I could put my finger on what aftershave it reminds me of), doesn’t cost the earth and leaves the beard feeling soft, smooth and easy to style. If you throw into the mix the fact that the discomfort that comes with growing a new beard is significantly reduced makes me something of a cheerleader for these new oils.

While my beard has only three weeks of growth it helps to style the bristles into a single direction, helping me kick my OCD into touch. After using this with my beard I no longer resemble a hobo that has been dragged through a bush backwards - styled and groomed to perfection. You can’t argue with that.

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

Fourth in the Christmas Gift Ideas for Him series is an aftershave that has been in my collection since September - Intense He Wood  by DSquared2. How I am managing to restrain myself with a product that looks on the bottle to be called Intense Wood I have no idea. It’s licence for double entendres - I‘ll behave though.

A 50ml bottle of Intense He Wood will set you back £50 from the DSquared2 website here.

But at £50 for a 50ml bottle is it any good? Well yes, it’s actually one of my own personal favourites for a few reasons, namely - it’s a strong, delightful fragrance with a range of top notch notes to blend into a deep, warm masculine fragrance. It also lasts for well over ten hours and I am yet to find someone who hasn’t smelt this on me and said “wow, what is that nice aftershave?!?”

You can actually buy this a little cheaper from the Debenhams website here, and this is what they say about the aftershave:

‘The celebration of a perfume that marked the era in the modern olfactory landscape. WOOD. He WOOD. Made in the element of communication, attraction, design... Strong and determined character. Unique in uniting the ideal of sensuality to the concept of wood. An extraordinary fragrance, timeless, unique, inimitable, today rediscovers its original version in a strong, viril and sensual reminiscence of the genuine sentiment of the Caten twins for their homeland, Canada. The deep love for the natural element that characterised this land: wood. Intense He Wood DSquared2 is born.’

The bottle is actually made from Canadian Red Alder and really reinforces that earthy vibe about the aftershave. It actually drew my eye from across the shop when I first tried this and I was hooked after just one whiff.

Just a few sprays from the atomiser fills the room with a rich and deep spice with hints of violet that dries down to a warm, rugged and woody base that reminds me of walking through a pine forest. It is do warm yet remains fresh. Before hitting the final settled base notes that rank this as one of the most masculine fragrances I own.

I’m not a fan of this kind of thing usually, but it is the perfect fragrance for the dark days of winter. The sandalwood, cedar wood and veviter blend to form a base that lasts, and lasts and then lasts some more. I can apply three sprays from the atomiser first thing in the morning and it will still be noticeable by those around me at bedtime some 16-18 hours later. You can’t argue with that kind of longevity.

£50 may seem like a lot of money but in the value for money stakes this is actually a good deal. A little goes a long way and I am yet to find anyone, either male or female who doesn’t like it.

Perfect for every occasion, if you buy this as a gift you will be noted down in the recipients good books.  

FORGET THE REST, TRY THE BEST

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 

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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.

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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. 

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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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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.

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

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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.

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Davidoff Cool Water Game!

When it comes to aftershaves I have a large and rather varied collection, some come and go without ever being replaced whilst a few firm favourites are bought well in advance of them actually running out.

Never being one to stay with just one brand I am obsessed with trying new fragrances and it was whilst out shopping I tried the tester to Davidoff Game. The tester had me instantly hooked due to the slap in the face refreshing citrus aroma and relatively bargain price.

Being a fan of the Davidoff Cool Water and Cool Water Deep range I had no hesitation in purchasing the full gift pack for £45, which included a 100ml bottle of the aftershave, moisturising lotion and shower gel. £45 may seem excessive but readers should bear in mind that 100ml of this aftershave (taking the other items in the pack out of the equation) will last for well over 9 months when being used on a daily basis and if purchased individually the price comes down to only £35 on the high street. Alternatively it can be purchased from several reputable online aftershave retailers with prices as low as £25.

The bottle to Davidoff Game is blue in colour, as are most of the aftershaves in the Davidoff range and totally unique in style. Made from thick glass the bottle is fairly heavy at first.

The sunken sections of the glass makes it very easy to hold onto even with wet hands removing the risk of injury should you accidentally let it slip from your grasp in the bathroom.

The actual amount of thought that has gone into bottle design isn't surprising, it is something of a Davidoff trait with all of their aftershaves having very novel bottle designs, the funkiest that springs to mind is Davidoff Echo, a great bottle but absolutely vile aftershave.

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.

The published notes to Davidoff Game are:

• Head: Grapefruit, watermelon and bail verbena leaves.
• Heart: Green Blackcurrant, gingko and lavender.
• Base: Cedar wood, patchouli and musk.

The marketing blurb to the aftershave (which I have to say is incredibly accurate) sells Davidoff Game as an aftershave that has notes that will spark you to life with fruity bursts of citrus that will contrast with underlying notes to produce a refreshing yet warm sensual masculine fragrance.

My own personal experience has actually been summed up in a rather brief manner by the Davidoff marketing department, but it doesn't give the full picture of how this aftershave changes over time, something it almost definitely does over the day.

As I have said, I was drawn to the aftershave when out shopping - it was an impulse buy so I bought it based upon the top notes and before actually trying it on myself over a full day.

The last time I did this I ended up with the lemon that is Davidoff Echo so I was eager to try it. Only 3 gentle squirts of the atomiser release enough of the aftershave to cover the face and neck and my first impressions were that I had fallen into a fruit salad. The grapefruit and watermelon are instantly noticeable and provide a very strong and refreshing assault on the senses.

The grapefruit provides the zesty citrus aroma that seems to linger yet as it blends on the skin the most evident fragrance is that of watermelon and this remains for around 30 minutes as it is absorbed into the skin.

The heart and base notes begin to become the dominant ingredients changing it from a light airy fairy aftershave into something deeper, warmer and far more masculine than I expected when I first tested it. This is not to say it is a bad thing, in fact I was actually surprised by how much I liked the fragrance after it had dried down.

It is rare that I personally like aftershaves that become heavier and warmer over time; Davidoff Game is one of the exceptions to the rule. As the watermelon fades so does the citrus vibe to the entire aftershave, the heart note of lavender then becomes most pronounced and as this blends with the cedar wood and patchouli it is as though the nostrils are taking in warm air.

The fragrance becomes almost floral with hints of a spicy wooden undertone and this is how it remains for hour after hour. Most aftershaves last around 10 hours, Davidoff Game can still be smelt 20 hours later its staying power is that good. While it does fade eventually I personally can't argue with an aftershave that I really like that is affordable, long lasting and has the ability to remain lovely late into the evening after applying first thing in the morning.

After wearing Davidoff Game on and off for years I have to say it is one of those inoffensive fragrances that will have something for everyone.

Those who enjoy their light, refreshing citrus fragrances will love the initial blast of watermelon while those who prefer their rugged masculine fragrances will be impressed with the dry down aroma.

I wear Davidoff Game around the office and when hanging around the house at the weekends.

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