SINCLAIR MEZZO WATCH

I have a bit of a thing for watches, ever since my beloved Bvlgari watch died after a fall from height I've tried numerous different watches from an array of brands and none of them have felt quite right. The latest watch to my collection was kindly gifted to me via Trendhim, a website which designs quality men’s accessories that are fashionable and affordable. They currently have 13 brands within their portfolio and offer everything from suit accessories and wallets to Jewellery and watches. 

I chose the Sinclair Mezzo Watch (£69) which features a Danish design and it features a Japanese Quartz movement.  I was drawn to it because of the watch face, a design that I haven't come across before and I also liked the look of the watch strap too.

Made of Stainless Steel for the strap, the watch also features a Zinc Alloy Case. With regards to the dimensions, the strap is 2cm wide with the face diameter being 4cm.  The watch face itself is quite plain, the brand name quite clearly positioned at the top, but the only numbers visible sit in the middle of the face, at first, I thought this was a sticker, but it is in fact part of the design and around it, the hands work their round, so it is still easy to tell the time, without the numbers.

I like that this watch is one which could be worn for any occasion, not that we have been out much since the lockdown came into play, but it works just as well with formal attire as it does with the casual.  The watch is also really lightweight, you barely register that it is on your wrist, which for me is another plus.

For £69, this watch is beautifully designed and made, it fits snug to my wrist without being too tight and I think I made a really good choice of watch. As an added extra when making a purchase, you can also choose whether or not to engrave your watch, add gift wrapping and even swap the box it is presented in to something a little more hard wearing too.

A lovely comfortable watch, it looks great and won't read the bank.

RECOMMENDED

View Post

AFTERSHAVE: Michael Bublé Pour Homme

When it comes to celebrity fragrances I tend to steer well clear, they often smell cheap and nasty and I'm convinced (with zero evidence to back up this feeling) that more often than not it's just cheap stuff whacked in a bottle and flogged to the gullible. I've had to kind of reassess this after being asked by the wife to review Michael Bublé Pour Homme.

 At £39 for a 70ml bottle or £55 for 100ml, this I think sits in the mid-range for aftershaves - anything over £60 and I take a serious whiff of it before forking out my own cash. The attractiveness of the bottle, with its sharp angles and lines, are said to have been inspired by the microphone with the shade of blue being a reference to Buble himself and his usual choice of suit (or so I'm told).

MB Pour Homme is described as a rich signature scent for the sophisticated modern gentleman. The notes to Pour Homme are:

• Head: Grapefruit, bergamot and pink pepper
• Heart: Geranium, neroli and blond wood
• Dry-down: Patchouli, sandalwood and musk

Almost as soon as this left the bottle I was in love with the fragrance - it's unique, fresh and has a depth of fragrance that sits right in the middle of the woody and spicy fragrance family. The freshness of the citrusy notes really make this fragrance for me and blended with the Patchouli, you have an aroma that seamlessly takes you from day to night and one which is suitable for absolutely any man in your life.

My only question is if you've sold 55 million albums worldwide, why would you branch out into aftershave? You can't be short of a few quid. The many questions that run through my head aside, this is a lovely fragrance that isn't too heavy or warm on the nose. If you are looking for something a little unique this summer then you can do a lot worse than this. 

In terms of celebrity aftershaves and fragrances, this stands head and shoulders above any other I've had the chance to sniff at. 

Perfect for any occasion, this is one where throughout the day you'll close your eyes and think "mmm, yes, this is actually a good fragrance" and you'll be feeling good.

RECOMMENDED

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

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin

Facebook

View Post

HAIR: Just for Men Control GX - Grey Reducing Shampoo

There comes a time in every man's life when the old colour in the hair starts to fade and those pesky grey hairs start multiplying faster than a rabbit colony subjected to Barry White on a constant loop. For me, that time came when I was fourteen, yes, fourteen - WTF!!! I've been dying my old barnet for well over 20 years, but in recent years I've tried to grow old gracefully, that was until the grey got out of hand, and with a longer style it was becoming too much. Step forward Just for Men Control GX, a shampoo that promises to gradually reduce the appearance of grey hairs.

Rather than being a conventional dye that blasts the hair and leaves a uniform colour, this promises to leave hair looking natural by reducing rather than completely covering the grey.

Bold claims! 

So, for just under £10 for a 147ml tube I set off on my grey reducing journey. If you want to pick up a bottle after reading this (seriously, read the whole post first) you can pick it up at most high street chains - Superdrug, Boots, Tesco and Sainsbury's. 

First up was the 48-hour allergy test - seriously important given the plethora of chemicals and to avoid looking like your face has been attacked by a hive of angry bees.

The instructions advise to run the shampoo into your hair using your palms to avoid staining of the fingers and with that, on went the shampoo and boom, the bathroom smelt like a chemical spill. Pungent is something of an understatement but I'd expected this - it's no more powerful than the ammonia smell you get from permanent hair dyes. 

I thought I'd cocked up after the first application as my hands went a sort of dirty purple colour which only got darker and darker as the day progressed and it was a nightmare to remove. On second, third, fourth and fifth applications I was incredibly careful not to use my fingertips but again, my fingers, nails and the palms turned a dodgy colour just hours later. Not the look I was going for, and scrubbing most of the skin off my hands to remove the stains wasn't a pleasant experience. Could the results redeem this product?

The quick answer is - NO.

After using this fifteen, yes, fifteen times a comparison of before and after across the root, shaft and tips of my hair showed zero effect, in fact, to me the tips looked even more grey than before. In terms of masking this is, to be blunt, appalling. 

Less than impressive results after fifteen washes over 6 weeks

Who remembers the original marketing slogan for Wash & Go? "Take two bottles into the shower, not me, I just take Wash & Go. Well in the case of Control GX I not only take the tube in the shower but also gloves, a nailbrush and some serious cleansing agents. It's fiddly to use, stains your fingers and palms and in my case did not one jot to reduce the grey in my hair. While it does leave my hair feeling clean, in term of its primary purpose of reducing grey hairs, this is a lemon.

NOT RECOMMENDED

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

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin

Facebook

View Post

BEARDS: Modern Day Duke Beard Wash & Tonic

Where has he been for months I hear you say? Growing a beard. With that in mind expect one or two posts on beards over the coming weeks and months, but today I'll start off with two cracking products from Modern Day Duke - Luxurious Beard Wash and Superior Beard Tonic.

So, who are Modern Day Duke? You can read all about the company and it's ethos over at their website here:

LUXURIOUS BEARD WASH

A 200ml bottle of the luxurious beard wash will set you back £16.95, which compares favourably with other beard washes on the market. There are a number of things that I genuinely like about this beard wash - it smells lovely, it lathers up a dream, it cleans away grime and doesn't dry out my skin. 

Those four things above make this a must-have product for any beardy weirdy like me.

But saying that it smells lovely is a bit vague and really doesn't do this justice. It blends together cedarwood (a favourite base note in many an aftershave in my collection), lime and aloe vera. The cedarwood gives it an earthy masculine nose but the sharpness of the lime gives it a fresher tangy citrus waft that personally I've found a touch addictive.

Just two pumps of the beard wash, slap it onto a wet beard and you're away - it's like an explosion of lather that intensifies the fragrance two-fold. Result! 

Last but not least, my beard feels clean, smells clean and fresh while also have a softer, smoother feel. 

SUPERIOR BEARD TONIC 

Having now come down with a massive dose of OBD (Obsessive Beard Disorder) keeping it in shape and trying to avoid looking like a hobo means carefully oiling and brushing down the stray hairs. Get a crappy oil and you'll be wiping oil it off your face, hands and sometimes clothing all day. I'm happy to report that this is not one of those lemons!

While the oil itself is quite thick any fears that this would just be smeared up and down my face were quickly allayed - a couple of drops from the applicator, a quick warm up between the palms and it's ready to go. Being, well, an oil, it is smoothed onto the hair really quickly and is absorbed by the hair and skin in under a minute. Excellent.

Throw into the mix once again that lovely fragrance, this time with hints of bergamot, patchouli and grape. It's fresh, it's fruity and for some reason whenever I use this I have an urge to grab an axe and chop some wood.

Styling my beard is a doddle using this - the one day I didn't use it my lovely aunt commented "you look homeless", which says it all. 

Saving the best for last - my beard does grow quicker using the tonic - in just four months I've managed to grow a beard that would have taken at least a year. Indeed, the people I work with have commented on how fast it has grown. 

50ml of this will set you back £18 and at that price, if you have whiskers, you shouldn't be without this.  

I've been using both products on my ever-growing (and greying) beard now for a good four months. Those four months have seen my beard grow at a speed I've never known before, not a hint of beard itch or scratching and the oil leaves the longer style of beard in a position where brushing and styling is a breeze.

They (Modern Day Duke) say that with a great beard comes great responsibility. Not too sure about that, but when they attach phrases like superior and luxurious to these products I'm more than inclined to agree with the assessment. Both products are reasonably priced, I've been introduced to a brand I will be using again (when this batch runs out) and I know I'll be supporting a company that manufactures here in England. 

Summarising in one word how my beard feels after using? Majestic.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin

Facebook

View Post

Aftershave: The Scent Intense for Him by Hugo Boss

The Scent Intense by Hugo Boss is a very new aftershave into the ever growing collection and I only first got my sniffing tackle around it for the first time on Sunday evening after returning from an eventful week away. That said, it had an instant impact and while other aftershaves can sit on the shelf for months, just like my previous post I feel almost compelled to write almost immediately about this offer from the Hugo Boss stable.  

Marketed as an irresistible and unforgettable fragrance for him, you can pick up a 50ml bottle of the aftershave from Debenhams for £54. That price places this in the mid-range in my opinion and when you read further on about how long lasting and noticeable to others this is it actually represents good value for money.

• Head: Ginger and maninka fruit 
• Heart: Green cardamom and lavender
• Dry-down: Black leather and vanilla

A couple of sprays and "wow, that's not what I expected" - instead of a heavy, warm spicy offering that I'd expected just three sprays and the room (and my skin) was awash with a beautiful blend of spice from the ginger offset by the lighter fruity smell from the maninka fruit - yes, it's warm from the start but it calms down quickly, becoming more floral as it works through the heart notes. The lavender is actually a note that flits in and out as you move around - it isn't a static fragrance it's constantly evolving and from time to time you'll pull out one of the notes yet minutes later it'll be gone.

Fear not however, once it settles down some twenty minutes later you are left with one hell of an intense fragrance that'll blow your mind (in a good way). Combining a mild spice with light floral notes and then slapping leather into the mix should make this super masculine and very heavy on the nose but it doesn't, and that's because the vanilla provides a little bite of sweetness as it gradually rests into a heady blend of warmth with longevity to rival much more expensive brands. 

This lasts on the skin for well over twelve hours making it perfect for daywear around the office and then onto a night out. As a plus point, the sillage (the fragrance trail you leave behind) is I'm reliably informed so nice I found a few people leaning in to ask what that cool new fragrance was. Result.

It's the boss - lovely! 

RECOMMENDED

For information:

• This product was provided to me as a PR sample.
• I have not been paid to write this post. 

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

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin

Facebook

View Post

FASHION: Navy Performance Suit from Dobell

The problem with working in a dressed down office is that if you plop a suit on to style some pictures you end up with everyone thinking you are off to an interview after work - that didn't deter me however when I was asked if I'd like to try a suit from Dobell - and after selecting a suit from their range it was on and off to work to gauge the reaction - instead of the office it was to an event I ran in Liverpool last week.

Who are Dobell though, and should you really be buying suits online? This is what they say about themselves online here:

Launched in 2003, Dobell has established itself as the leading online formal wear store for men and boys of all ages. From day one our strategy has been to deliver choice, quality and unbeatable value, alongside comprehensive style advice and the very best customer care. Our customers say we are getting a lot right, but we’re determined to keep on improving as we grow! 

We pride ourselves on offering the most extensive ranges of tuxedos, men’s suits, shirts, shoes and accessories, at prices up to 50 % cheaper than the high street. Leading suit and shirt brands we retail include Paul Costelloe, Tommy Hilfiger, Noose & Monkey, Esprit, Lambretta, Paul Gross, and Alexander Dobell.

If you pop over to their website you'll find a plethora of suits to suit (pardon the pun) every budget. Suits for under £150, they've got you covered, want something a little more hard wearing, they've got you covered on that too.

I opted for this Dobell Navy Blue Performance Slim Fit Suit which should cost £79.99 and it is described as being a smart, durable navy blue suit from Alexander Dobell is guaranteed to impress at job interviews, business functions and formal events. Cut in the contemporary slim fit style, it hangs beautifully and will flatter in all the right places. Simple and elegant, this single-breasted navy jacket has a double vented back section, notch lapels, two button front fastening, and jetted side pockets with flaps.  Mine came as a PR sample but after choosing a darker blue I realised I needed a pair of brown shoes to really make sure I looked the business. So with new suit sized to perfection and new shoes slipped on, this is what I ended up looking like:

POW - a really comfortable fit, which is surprising given my weird body shape (it's more hourglass due to an absence of kidneys where they should be). The material is nice to the touch (the suit is made from a high performance blend of polyester and viscose that is easy to keep clean and comfortable to wear) and the stitching doesn't look like it has been thrown together - it looks like it has come off Savile Row, and when comparing with my Ted Baker Endurance suit it's on a par I'd say, except this suit retails about £350 cheaper.

RECOMMENDED

Oh and just a little catalogue pose...

View Post

Grooming: Moose Head Jump Start Face Wash

"There's a moose loose aboot this hoose".......who remembers that advertising campaign from 1993? It was for Maynard's Wine Gums and if anything proved that the use of cocaine and other mind-altering substances were rife back then in the advertising world! I don't know why but every time I pick up Moose Head Jump Start Face Wash that song runs through my head - I'm freakin' weird. 

Moose Head Jump Start Face Wash is the latest male grooming product from Moosehead, an Australian grooming brand and along with the Moose Head Smoothly Does It Hydrating Moisturiser are now available in Primark stores nationwide for just £4 each, yes, £4.

I had heard of Moosehead and their range of hair styling products before, mainly after following images on Pinterest and seeing reviews from a range of Aussie grooming bloggers, all of whom were positively glowing of the results. Not surprising really, you don't become the best selling hair styling brand by pumping out crap. With my limited knowledge and high expectations I couldn't wait to give this face wash a go on the old visage.

This is what they say about Moose Head Jump Start Face Wash:

'Created with natural walnut scrubbing particles, the face wash works to remove dirt and impurities whilst softening the skin and beard. The scrub helps to loosen and remove dead skin cells creating the perfect pre-shave base.'

First of all, I can't comment on how this helps as a pre-shave base as I'm currently growing out my beard to Nordic levels, but on everything else, you can now expect my humble opinion.

When first using this I didn't know that it used walnut particles as the scrub element and as I squirted a liberal amount onto my palms I was genuinely perplexed as to what it was, I had expected darker particles and sticking my finger in and rubbing it around made me no wiser. It just doesn't feel abrasive enough while in the palms or being rubbed between the palms to remove dead skin I thought to myself.

Taking the above into account, I followed the directions to the letter and boy, this gets into a lather faster than a feminist Sheila at a man's right march. Sorry, I was channelling my inner 1980s Aussie male then....In all seriousness though it's like a lather bomb going off and the fragrance it releases has all of the manliness you would expect from our antipodean brothers.

Once lathered up and on the face the liquid gets thinner and thinner and thats when the walnut particles start to do their thang - and do their thang well they do. Too abrasive and it feels like you are using sandpaper, too little and you might as well be using soap and water, with Moose Hero the balance has been found, yes it does remove dirt and grime from my face, so much so that I get that 'yack' face when I look down and look at the colour of the water after rinsing my face off.

It did leave my beard feeling a touch softer and the same can be said the skin, particularly around my forehead and cheeks. There weren't massive life changing kinds of results but it was noticeable, and it bears out that if my beard feels softer its probably going to be easier to shave off, but as I've already said, my beard is going nowhere at the moment.

So, for a small investment of just £4 you have a face scrub here that delivers on what it says it will, which to me means that it has to be a stable, particularly for my travel bag. Representing great value for money this is a belter of a face scrub that puts a lot of its more expensive rivals to shame. Low price, great results and available on the high street.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin

Facebook

View Post

BEARDS: OSMO Beard Complex

What do you call a beauty blogger with Osmo Beard Complex? Clean Shaven......bad dum tsh

Poor jokes aside, shortly after agreeing to try out loads of beard products I had an accident trimming my beard and the whole thing had to come off! That left me with a huge box full of products designed for the bearded bloke with not a hint of a whisker in sight. Fear not though, it's been fun seeing what works well, and at what stage of growing in the months I've been working on my beard strength.

This is what they say about Beard Complex over at the Osmo website here:

'An intense gentleman's conditioning oil designed to restore wayward beards, skin and hair to their manly prime. Infused with Argan Oil and rich in vitamins A & E.'

If you want to pick up a 100ml bottle of Beard Complex you can do for just £16.02 (weird price) here.

Application is a well, how can I put this - fiddly. This comes with a pipette rather than just allowing you to pour it out. While this should mean that you can get the right amount of oil out to the precise drop, the oil itself is much thicker than you would expect, which means squeezing the top of the pipette doesn't actually release it all and I find that I end up smearing it onto my palm. It was a messy process for a good few days until I mastered it.

The thickness doesn't detract from the ability of the oil to be absorbed - I'd expected this to sit on top of the hair, rubbing off onto my hairs as I stroked my beard throughout the day. I was wrong. Despite my beard receiving lots of loving care over the last few months I found that the oil was absorbed in just seconds with just a touch of slickness that allowed me to brush down the hair and style it from unkempt to groomed.

After just a few days of using the softness of my beard was more evident, and first thing in the morning the other half agrees that my beard feels and looks soft and smooth. Result.

Taking the applying bit to one side, I found this to be a cracking little product - at under £20 for a 100 ml and considering how little is needed this represents excellent value for money. I haven't tried it on my dry skin or hair, but when it comes to beard grooming this does have a really good softening effect on my beard, and when using it a night I no longer awaken with that dry, scratchy feeling. Cumulatively, after a week of using this at night my beard did feel more conditioned to the touch, smoother and the ends were less prickly. 

Now, as I first wrote this post I looked over at the product claims on the Osmo website - it claims that this product can help bring back colours that have faded in tattoos. Now I have one or two, and decided to try this out over a couple of days prior to posting to see what happened. I rubbed a tiny amount over my half sleeve and almost immediately the tattoo seemed darker. I put this down to the moisture from the oil, but after an hour it had dried, and yes, it was still a richer, darker grey. After showering and drying again it remained more vibrant in colour than before. After three days it has probably restored 60 per cent of the previous colour - much easier, cheaper and less painful than a re-colour from the ink artist.

Good stuff that won't break the bank. As for me, my current beard strength levels? Not country strong, internationally strong

RECOMMENDED

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

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin

Facebook

View Post

BEARDS: Swagger & Jacks

You would need a good memory with a stalker like attention to detail to know that Swagger & Jacks Premium Beard Oil was my first foray into beardcare or beard grooming of any kind. My beard routine previously was simply a case of let it grow, the hair got itchy and scratchy and the razor came out within weeks. You can see what I thought of their Premium Beard Oil here (it's an old one from March 2015). The focus today is going to be on Swagger & Jacks and the amazing gift sets to keep your beard looking and feeling country strong.   

Who are Swagger & Jacks? Well, it's a men's barbershop in Norwich. I haven't been, but a casual glance at their Instagram page here and you can see that they have a bunch of talented professionals (with cracking beards) who can groom you to and beyond perfection. When they say that their products are formulated and created with a dedication and commitment to quality you can take their word, and mine that they are spot on.

I have been lucky enough to have tried two of their gift sets, both of which have been used for the last four months - from the moment I shaved to now, with a beard that can best be described as Viking-esque. 

The Swagger & Jacks Premium Beardcare Gift Box Set costs £45 and you can pick it up from their online store here. But what do you get for your money? Here goes.....

• 30 ml Premium Beard Oil
• Argan Oil Beard Shampoo
• 50 ml Beard Balm

You can check back to my previous post to read the praise heaped on the premium beard oil, but for me, the by far and away the revelation product has been the beard shampoo. It has a light, subtle lavender and oak moss fragrance that explodes as soon as you start to massage the soapy liquid into your beard. Just a tiny little pea sized amount in the palms and boom you have a lather party happening right there on your face. The thicker consistency of the shampoo melts away as soon as it comes into contact with a damp beard and working it through the hair is a dream - you can feel the Argan oil being absorbed into the skin which leaves my face, and beard feeling on top of the world. 

The hair feels and looks hydrated, it has a much glossier shine to it and best of all, the skin under and around the beard is softer to the touch. Top notch beard product from the S & J team that deserves every bit of kudos being thrown their way.

The beard balm is a touch fiddly - that is down to my inexperience of using and applying a solid beard balm rather than the product itself.

It took me a while to master how to get an even amount spread through my beard but once I'd got a grip on it I found that not only does it smell amazing, the jojoba is divine, it does provide a decent hold to keep the hairs in place all day long. After a couple of minutes and a bit of brushing the long bristles are tamed, providing a touch of respectability to my face.

Second up is the Swagger & Jacks Beard Grooming Collection Gift Set which sells for £65 here. 

In this gift set you are spoilt for beard oils choice with four different blends. They are:

• 30 ml Ultimate Beard Oil
• 30 ml Premium Beard Oil
• 30 ml Heritage Beard Oil
• 30 ml Classic Beard Oil

Each oil has a solid woody fragrance base that blends beautifully with the beard shampoo. My favourite has to be the classic beard oil, it has a lighter fragrance but in terms of results they all deliver in spades. After warming some of the oil in my palm I find it a dream to smooth and massage into my beard - it's absorbed in super quick time and leaves just a hint of the oil on the surface. This residue oil provides a wet look shine and makes styling/brushing childs play. 

Leaving the best, most positive thing to say about their oils until last - I can, hand on heart say that my beard grows much faster when using oils from Swagger & Jacks - it comes through faster, it's much thicker and feels healthier. What's not to like?

Both of these gift sets would be perfect for the bearded man in your life, and as if these aren't enough, there are loads of others to choose from at the Swagger & Jacks website with everything from beard oil to shaving kits available. Speaking from experience you really cannot go wrong with Swagger & Jacks, the products come looking like they have just being hand delivered from a luxury boutique, the deliver exactly what each product promises and in the case of the beard oils, everything about them oozes masculinity while banishing that growth itch from the face.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Google+

Bloglovin

Facebook

View Post