Wow, it seems so long since I really got into the swing of blogging again, and it seems an age since my birthday in June, which is where amongst a raft of other amazing gifts I received the Selfridges&Co Men’s Grooming Bag. You can expect more reviews as I also got my hands on a bottle of Creed (drools)…..
As June was a month that was written off in terms of blogging, for the people at Freeman (if you still read and haven‘t fallen out with me), I promise I will commit my thoughts about your charcoal face mask to the blog very shortly.
So, back to the actual thing I should be talking about! It actually came in a swanky and rather swish Selfridges&Co box, so more of a box than bag, but I’m splitting hairs. I know it’s rude to look up the price of gifts, but in order to really evaluate it I needed to know how much the goodies inside had cost, and how much (if any) of a bargain had been procured by my better half BeautyqueenUK.
To be blunt, it costs £35 and you can buy yourself one here if you so wish to do so. I’m not going to bore you will marketing waffle and I can’t speak for most of the products in the box so I’m giving my opinion on whether £35 is worth parting with for the range of goodies inside…..If you missed it, I actually tried a male beauty box from Selfridges&Co last year for £25 and while it contained lots of good stuff I would honestly say about 50% of it was dross.
With my experience of the last box in mind, I delved in to take a peek. As I say above, I haven’t tried some of this yet, but where I have I’ll give a recommendation.
So, for £35, you get nine products and a lovely canvas bag. And here they all are:
120ml AB Crew Nitro Conditioner
Nitro conditioner, sounds exciting doesn’t it and with a name straight out of a Vin Diesel movie it's a little cracker.
An identical tube will set you back £17, and I have to say without giving too much away (that would make my full review a bit, well, crap…) that it is actually worth every penny. I would baulk at paying this much for a conditioner normally but it does leave hair silky smooth but by far the best feature (particularly in the recent heatwave) is that as it soaks into the scalp your head feels icy cold. It has an amazing cooling effect on the head. Amazing stuff and when you consider that it accounts for nearly half of the price of the bag then things are looking good on the old recommendation front.
Don’t hesitate to give this a try for yourself.
100ml Recipe for Men Ultra Sensitive Shaving Foam
I haven’t tried this, in fact, I’d never heard of the brand until I opened the box like a kid at Christmas. It costs a bomb though, and an identical can will set you back a massive £18. Shop around, you can get this cheaper, much cheaper from where I sourced this marketing blurb, Fortnum & Mason.
‘Enjoy a quick morning shave without the razor burn with this pleasingly sensitive shaving foam from Scandinavian specialists Recipe for Men.
The mild formulation includes enriching extracts of cinnamon and burnet plus anti-inflammatory wild juniper berries to soothe redness. This richly lathering shaving foam provides a close, smooth and moisturising shave.
Fragrance-free.’
118ml (seems a weird amount) Hanz de Fuko Gel Triq Extreme Hold Gel
Another product I have neither heard of let alone used. A bit of digging around and holy sweet Jesus - £14 for a tube of hair gel. OK, I’m tight but by the time I had gotten this far into the research for this post I knew I had a massive haul of high end products to test out.
I haven’t gotten around to trying this yet, I think I’ll wait until I have my hair shorter (look, I’m even reading instructions now!) as it’s designed for short ‘dramatic’ (with my hair, more like traumatic) styles.
This is what they say about it over at the Selfridges&Co website here.
‘Hanz de Fuko's Gel Triq extreme hold gel is perfect for short dramatic styles or for total control over longer hair for the entire day. It dries quickly, won't flake and leaves hair with a high-shine finish. A little goes a long way.’
200ml Scaramouche & Fandango ‘Sh’ Shampoo
Now this I have tried and I loved it - it cleans out product, leaves hair soft and does the business on the fragrance front. At between £7-10 for a 200ml bottle this should be a staple on every shower shelf.
88ml Billy Jealousy Beard Control
Ouch, this costs $20 for 88ml. Now I have tried beard balm in the past, and I’m trying one at the moment, so can’t wait to see if this manages to hydrate and soften my whiskers in the summer heat.
This is what they say about it over at the Billy Jealousy website here.
‘We all need a little control right? Beard Control delivers a deliciously light hold while giving you the best of both worlds: a natural look with just a smidgen of definition. Conditions and protects without weighing hair down. Softens naughty curls, leaving your beard looking like you were cut from royalty.’
177ml Dermalogica Soothing Shave Cream
Despite being a pretty famous brand I’m yet to try anything from Dermalogica. I can be quite picky when it comes to shaving products so looking forward to trying this after reading the marketing blurb.
‘This ultra-lubricating cream delivers a super-close shave that won't leave skin sore. Soothing formula with Aloe Vera, Allantoin and Comfrey Extract helps drier, more sensitive skin conditions recover from damage while easing aggravation brought on by shaving. Skin-smoothing antioxidants defend against skin-aging free radicals. Works best when used over Pre-Shave Guard. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.’
This tube costs in excess of £20 so again, in the high end range I would say, so I’m expecting good things….
15ml Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Moisture Treatment for Men
I hadn’t heard of Kiehl’s until I received the Selfridges&Co beauty box back in 2014 and was really impressed the Face Fuel, so much so I reviewed it here.
This has a lovely fragrance and I have been using this after shaving to close up pores and provide additional hydration for my face as I find my new exfoliator dries my skin slightly.
Only a tiny bit is needed to banish those dry patches around the hair line, chin and nose. It’s bloody good stuff and one I will be seeking out when I pay a visit to the Kiehl’s shop in King’s Cross Station.
130g Bar of Triumph & Disaster A + R Soap
I loved using the T & D Shearer’s Soap, it was one of those finds that brings a smile to your face. Starting with low expectations it simply blew me away, so the bar is set high for this A + R soap.
30ml Clarins Men Active Face Wash
Expectations are low to be honest with this, mainly because of my previous experience with the Clarins Men shaving foam. It was rubbish so I don’t expect any miracles!
Alphabet Canvas Wash Bag
The canvas bag is brilliant, really well made and does hold every product - this is a perfect wash bag, it still makes me smile as it proclaims ‘This is not a make up bag’ and it has replaced the four or five I usually choose from when going away for a few days.
So there you go, a £35 beauty bag for men that actually contains some real gems. The canvas bag alone is brilliant and makes me grin (insanely) from time to time making this worth it, but when you also take into account the other products with a retail price well over £100 then you have a real bargain.
Where I have tried the product in the past or since receiving the bag they have been corkers (translation: excellent) and I am looking forward to trying out the rest.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Like what you see? You can keep up to date and follow Beautykinguk.co.uk using the various social media below:
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As June was a month that was written off in terms of blogging, for the people at Freeman (if you still read and haven‘t fallen out with me), I promise I will commit my thoughts about your charcoal face mask to the blog very shortly.
So, back to the actual thing I should be talking about! It actually came in a swanky and rather swish Selfridges&Co box, so more of a box than bag, but I’m splitting hairs. I know it’s rude to look up the price of gifts, but in order to really evaluate it I needed to know how much the goodies inside had cost, and how much (if any) of a bargain had been procured by my better half BeautyqueenUK.
To be blunt, it costs £35 and you can buy yourself one here if you so wish to do so. I’m not going to bore you will marketing waffle and I can’t speak for most of the products in the box so I’m giving my opinion on whether £35 is worth parting with for the range of goodies inside…..If you missed it, I actually tried a male beauty box from Selfridges&Co last year for £25 and while it contained lots of good stuff I would honestly say about 50% of it was dross.
With my experience of the last box in mind, I delved in to take a peek. As I say above, I haven’t tried some of this yet, but where I have I’ll give a recommendation.
So, for £35, you get nine products and a lovely canvas bag. And here they all are:
120ml AB Crew Nitro Conditioner
Nitro conditioner, sounds exciting doesn’t it and with a name straight out of a Vin Diesel movie it's a little cracker.
An identical tube will set you back £17, and I have to say without giving too much away (that would make my full review a bit, well, crap…) that it is actually worth every penny. I would baulk at paying this much for a conditioner normally but it does leave hair silky smooth but by far the best feature (particularly in the recent heatwave) is that as it soaks into the scalp your head feels icy cold. It has an amazing cooling effect on the head. Amazing stuff and when you consider that it accounts for nearly half of the price of the bag then things are looking good on the old recommendation front.
Don’t hesitate to give this a try for yourself.
100ml Recipe for Men Ultra Sensitive Shaving Foam
I haven’t tried this, in fact, I’d never heard of the brand until I opened the box like a kid at Christmas. It costs a bomb though, and an identical can will set you back a massive £18. Shop around, you can get this cheaper, much cheaper from where I sourced this marketing blurb, Fortnum & Mason.
‘Enjoy a quick morning shave without the razor burn with this pleasingly sensitive shaving foam from Scandinavian specialists Recipe for Men.
The mild formulation includes enriching extracts of cinnamon and burnet plus anti-inflammatory wild juniper berries to soothe redness. This richly lathering shaving foam provides a close, smooth and moisturising shave.
Fragrance-free.’
118ml (seems a weird amount) Hanz de Fuko Gel Triq Extreme Hold Gel
Another product I have neither heard of let alone used. A bit of digging around and holy sweet Jesus - £14 for a tube of hair gel. OK, I’m tight but by the time I had gotten this far into the research for this post I knew I had a massive haul of high end products to test out.
I haven’t gotten around to trying this yet, I think I’ll wait until I have my hair shorter (look, I’m even reading instructions now!) as it’s designed for short ‘dramatic’ (with my hair, more like traumatic) styles.
This is what they say about it over at the Selfridges&Co website here.
‘Hanz de Fuko's Gel Triq extreme hold gel is perfect for short dramatic styles or for total control over longer hair for the entire day. It dries quickly, won't flake and leaves hair with a high-shine finish. A little goes a long way.’
200ml Scaramouche & Fandango ‘Sh’ Shampoo
Now this I have tried and I loved it - it cleans out product, leaves hair soft and does the business on the fragrance front. At between £7-10 for a 200ml bottle this should be a staple on every shower shelf.
88ml Billy Jealousy Beard Control
Ouch, this costs $20 for 88ml. Now I have tried beard balm in the past, and I’m trying one at the moment, so can’t wait to see if this manages to hydrate and soften my whiskers in the summer heat.
This is what they say about it over at the Billy Jealousy website here.
‘We all need a little control right? Beard Control delivers a deliciously light hold while giving you the best of both worlds: a natural look with just a smidgen of definition. Conditions and protects without weighing hair down. Softens naughty curls, leaving your beard looking like you were cut from royalty.’
177ml Dermalogica Soothing Shave Cream
Despite being a pretty famous brand I’m yet to try anything from Dermalogica. I can be quite picky when it comes to shaving products so looking forward to trying this after reading the marketing blurb.
‘This ultra-lubricating cream delivers a super-close shave that won't leave skin sore. Soothing formula with Aloe Vera, Allantoin and Comfrey Extract helps drier, more sensitive skin conditions recover from damage while easing aggravation brought on by shaving. Skin-smoothing antioxidants defend against skin-aging free radicals. Works best when used over Pre-Shave Guard. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.’
This tube costs in excess of £20 so again, in the high end range I would say, so I’m expecting good things….
15ml Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Moisture Treatment for Men
I hadn’t heard of Kiehl’s until I received the Selfridges&Co beauty box back in 2014 and was really impressed the Face Fuel, so much so I reviewed it here.
This has a lovely fragrance and I have been using this after shaving to close up pores and provide additional hydration for my face as I find my new exfoliator dries my skin slightly.
Only a tiny bit is needed to banish those dry patches around the hair line, chin and nose. It’s bloody good stuff and one I will be seeking out when I pay a visit to the Kiehl’s shop in King’s Cross Station.
130g Bar of Triumph & Disaster A + R Soap
I loved using the T & D Shearer’s Soap, it was one of those finds that brings a smile to your face. Starting with low expectations it simply blew me away, so the bar is set high for this A + R soap.
30ml Clarins Men Active Face Wash
Expectations are low to be honest with this, mainly because of my previous experience with the Clarins Men shaving foam. It was rubbish so I don’t expect any miracles!
Alphabet Canvas Wash Bag
The canvas bag is brilliant, really well made and does hold every product - this is a perfect wash bag, it still makes me smile as it proclaims ‘This is not a make up bag’ and it has replaced the four or five I usually choose from when going away for a few days.
So there you go, a £35 beauty bag for men that actually contains some real gems. The canvas bag alone is brilliant and makes me grin (insanely) from time to time making this worth it, but when you also take into account the other products with a retail price well over £100 then you have a real bargain.
Where I have tried the product in the past or since receiving the bag they have been corkers (translation: excellent) and I am looking forward to trying out the rest.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Like what you see? You can keep up to date and follow Beautykinguk.co.uk using the various social media below:
