Ted Baker - Ted's Grooming Room

I’ve been writing this blog for over eighteen months and it has seen a wide variety of beauty and grooming products reviewed, which included a large number from Ted Baker’s Grooming Room. So when I was asked if I would like to go and try out one of their legendary salons I couldn’t wait, and asked if there was anything they could do with my hair, eyebrow (I say eyebrow as I’ve had a mono-brow for about thirty five years) and beard.

After being booked in for ‘the works’ it was simply a case of turning up – in my case in particular I opted to go along to the shop tucked away in Holborn on Theobald's Road, it being just a twenty minute walk from my office. You can see a full list of their locations, plus their new premises on Commercial Street here.

Upon arrival I thought I’d got the wrong place – while looking effortlessly cool with a number of barber’s chairs and a hive of activity I wondered where the luxurious experience was going to take place. After giving my name my photographer in chief (aka beautyqueenuk) and I were guided downstairs into a cool, and rather open area.

After being offered a complimentary cocktail (I declined wanting to keep a clear head) the other half jumped at the chance and after trying it I really wished I’d gone for one – it had rich flavour and a kick like a mule! Anyhow, we weren’t there to get sloshed, we were there to sort out my face…..

‘T’, my barber for the evening was given carte blanche to do whatever he wanted to my hair, but the sad fact was that it was actually too short to do anything drastic to the style and as I have quite straight hair we settled on a much shorter style than usual, down to the bone at the back and sides with a very short messy top – a sort of cross between bed head and spikes. What struck me first was that rather than reach for the clippers to shave around the back and sides everything was done using scissors and the look of concentration was intense as the scissors snipped away. Clearly a man with symmetry on his mind, T really knows his craft and within thirty minutes my hair looked perfect – I was delighted, but this was just the start of my happy surprises.

The moment I had been dreading arrived – the treading of the brow (yes, dreading the threading)! Christ it hurt and I could hear a light cackle coming from the direction of the missus (who was filming at this point). It actually wasn’t that bad, the worst part was when T uttered the words “so you did want them looking feminine?” and my heart stopped! He was joking and within a minute my brows has been separated and shaped without completely altering how I looked. Nice, neat and tidy and something I will have done again.

After the brows (it still seems weird talking about them in plural) came the beard – I opted for a trim rather than cut throat shave and this was done without incident, the beard being trimmed and shaped properly (for the first time ever). This followed with the hairs in my ear being burnt away. I admit seeing a flame getting so close to my face had me getting a little bit nervous but it was painless and the inside of my ears are now incredibly smooth (like you needed to know that!)

Finally, and this really sealed the deal for me – for months I’ve had a trapped nerve in my elbow which has caused mild numbness in my left hand. Step forward T with the most relaxing massage – a hot towel was placed over my face which nearly sent me off to sleep and then crack! I have no idea what he did to my arm but ever since the numbness has gone and I feel like a new man! Awesome!

The full treatment would have cost £75 and I have to say, just the massage alone and removal of the pain in my elbow makes this worth it. Add in the fact that my hair looked and still does look neat and tidy with a nice twist on my usual style and you have a winner here. It’s strange having two eyebrows, and I’m sure they will take time to maintain but I think the whole package has improved how I look, which ultimately is the point of such obsessive grooming!

I have nothing but praise for T and the folk at Ted’s Grooming Room – it was an experience I’ll never forget and I will be back again in a few weeks when my hair and brows need doing again. This may have been provided gratis but I wouldn’t hesitate to stick my hand in my pocket and pay for this myself.

FORGET THE REST, TRY THE BEST

You can see the full list of treatments available here.

  

You can read more of my reviews of the Ted’s Grooming Room range by following the links below:

• Ted's Grooming Room Face Scrub
• Ted's Grooming Room Shave Gel
• Ted's Grooming Room Post Shave Balm

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Cornerstone Shaving Box

If you follow the blog you may have seen my recent post, ‘An Idiots Guide to Shaving’ where I shared some simple advice on how to get that great shave. Where did I get these tips from? Well, the excellent folk over at Cornerstone, a flexible regular distributor of razor blades and men’s shaving supplies. 

The box is starting to look a bit worn after a few months of abuse!

The box before I got stuck in!

Oliver, the founder of the company not only talked me through the perfect shave back in April at the Man Made salon in central London, I was also provided with a full shaving kit so that I could go away and attempt that elusive perfect shave. 

Big smiles all around on my part and after using this now for a month where my face has actually been as hair free as it has been for years I feel that I can give a good run down of the products available, the shaving experience and whether you should be signing yourself or your other half up for a regular delivery.

Cornerstone have a simple philosophy of keeping things simple, yet everything from the box and product design screams understated class, from the clean and fresh face scrub, shave gel and post shave balm to the aluminium razor (you can even have your razor monogrammed with your initials - it‘s the small things that amuse me).

Delivery options couldn’t be clearer and once you have an account set up you can chop and change your options. Personally, as I use the excellent RazorBrite to keep my blades going for much longer I don’t need a regular delivery of blades. Simple, you can remove them and just select the shaving aids. Brilliant.

With no minimum term, free delivery, the ability to suspend or amend how often you receive a box, or simply reduce your order means that you, the consumer are in control of what you get. Another tick in the positive box! 

So, what did I think of my box?

Face Scrub

I have to admit, this is by far the most impressive thing in the box for me. A 100ml tube of the face scrub utilising cedarwood and volcanic sand provides one of the best exfoliating experiences I have ever had. The volcanic sand is perfect as an abrasive while remaining gentle on the skin. 

No bogeys? Check, Ears Clean? Check - you may proceed with photos......

A charcoal grey in colour I couldn’t detect the sand when I squeezed a bit onto my hand initially but as soon as I started to rub into my face you can feel the grains of sand. As it spreads across the face you can after about a minute see the tiny particles of sand. Awesome! 

Fragrance wise it is subtle and not overbearing. Despite giving it a good sniff (to the point some went up my nose) I just couldn’t identify it. Sorry! 

After using this and prior to shaving my face did have that post scrubbed glow, my face felt clean and my pores were well and truly open for business. Top notch stuff in my opinion and on a par at least with one of my personal favourites, Scaramouche & Fandango 'Fs' (face scrub). 

It's the face scrub, not my filthy face that turned the water this colour!

So far, so good.

Shave Gel

The sensitive shave gel comes in a 150ml tube and uses a blend of ginger and eucalyptus. For me, anything that has a base fragrance of eucalyptus is a winner and this is no different - I love the fragrance, especially as the ginger aroma seems to activate as it is massaged into the face. 

Stephen's cold was getting worse and worse.....just kidding.....this is the shave gel

As a lo-lather shave gel you shouldn’t expect a face full of foam, oh no, what you get is very similar to my experience with Rehab London Argan Oil Shave Gel, just a smooth covering of the gel that changes from being quite clear to off white. 

Personally I have found that leaving it for around 60 seconds on the face works great for my face and that lack of lather really does help you when it comes to the actual shave experience. You really don’t need to work hard and the lather/gel doesn’t clog blades, not matter what brand you decide to use.

The Razor + blades

The razor is by far the coolest I’ve ever had, and now with hindsight I wish I had opted to have my initials engraved onto it. It is so lightweight even with a blade attached that you feel like you are playing around with a fencing sword as you swipe across the face. 

The blades are really good, they last for ages and are spaced well so that even the thickest of the thickest hair will rinse off under water as you shave. Excellent in my opinion, and with that erm, razor sharp edge you really don’t have to apply that much pressure to remove those pesky hairs. 

Post Shave Balm

Personally this was the weakest of the box for me but that is not to say it isn’t good - after all, I have been mightily impressed with my Cornerstone box, so much so that it has taken me nearly 8 weeks to truly commit my feelings about the product to the blog - I really wanted to give the entire set a good road test.

After using the products I didn’t have any irritation prior to using the balm so I can’t really comment on it’s soothing properties, but it did leave my face feeling soft and smooth. The fragrance is fairly subtle so no danger of over-powering any cologne or aftershave.

I am delighted that I have had the opportunity to try the Cornerstone range - not only did I meet some thoroughly lovely people from the company, I have been shaving properly ever since and have done so without leaving my face in need of bandages/my body requiring a blood transfusion! 

The fact that you can alter, amend and suspend deliveries is the clincher for me, and with everything above in mind there is nothing much more for me to say. 

Impressed, that’s me - seriously, give them a go.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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An idiots guide to shaving

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to the Man Made salon in central London to meet with the lovely folk from Cornerstone, a fairly new shaving subscription service and sample some of their products. 

While I have tried the kit I received as a sample once (and I have to say, was impressed), I do want to try it out a few times before giving a firm view on whether I would recommend it (all of the signs so far are positive) so keep a beady eye out for that one coming up. What struck me however when talking with the founder of the company, Oliver was his passion for the products and for shaving in general. When we first sat down and I asked the very simple question, “why”, the response resonated with me. 

What was the response? Dad’s, you’re all pretty bobbins at actually teaching your sons to shave properly (I’m paraphrasing here). It resonated so much that I tried to remember if my own dad had taken me to one side and suggested any tips to avoid shaving becoming a pain in the neck (literally). Nothing, squat, zip diddly - there was no father/son bonding moment over a razor blade as the thirteen year old me removed the first semblance of bum fluff from my face.

That lack of knowledge has resulted in me shaving like an amateur (and suffering) for well over twenty years. While writing this blog has opened my eyes (and pores) to new techniques and products, I felt compelled to share with you the Cornerstone six steps to a smooth, comfortable shave (and this acts as a rather nice warm up to my actual review of the products I used).

These tips have been taken directly from the amazing shaving guide I received and after following each step to the letter I have to say it made a big difference to my shaving experience - so why not share? Why not indeed.

Step One 

Before shaving take a warm shower to open up the pores in your face and soften the stubble. By doing this it should make it easier for your razor to cut each hair, giving a closer and more comfortable shave.

Step Two

Gently exfoliate your neck and beard area. By using an exfoliator with beads or grit like grains in a circular motion you can free an ingrown hairs and wash away any grime from the pores. This should leave a smoother surface for the razor to pass over and in theory reduce any cuts.

Step Three

Apply a shaving cream or gel of choice - from my experience, using a low lather gel or cream results in a better shave as the razor glides better over the face and doesn’t clog as much leaving stripes that require further attention.

Step Four

Make sure you have a fresh, sharp razor. There is no point following these steps if you are going to attempt to shave using a razor that has all of the sharpness of a blunt butter knife. The sharper the blade, the fewer passes of the beard area that are required.

Step Five

When shaving don’t press too hard and avoid shaving against the direction of hair growth. Going against the direction of growth results in hairs being cut at differing lengths, encourages ingrown hairs and that my readers is the main cause of the redness and itchy feeling.

Step Six

Rinse off any remaining shaving gel or cream with cold water. Not only does this spank you wide awake but it also serves to close the pores. Using a post shave balm, cream or serum is a crucial step, it helps to replenish your skin’s natural moisture and keep any skin irritation at bay.

There you go, six simple steps that have changed the way I shave. Yes, it takes longer to shave, but those extra minutes remove any danger of razor burn, I didn’t cut my face to ribbons and not a jot of irritation. For this I am truly thankful!

Choose your products carefully, chop and change to find what suits you personally and your own skin type, but if you follow this great guidance from Cornerstone then in my opinion you can’t go wrong.

Why not take a look at the Cornerstone website here and see if they can help you like they have helped me.

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