The Bluebeards Revenge - Clay, Paste & Pomade

Being a big fan of The Bluebeards Revenge range of products the opportunity to get my hands on three of their new hairstyling products was not one I could turn down, especially when challenged to come up with three styles using:

The Bluebeards Revenge Matt Paste
The Bluebeards Revenge Matt Clay
The Bluebeards Revenge Pomade

At £9.99 each for 100ml tubs of these beauties they are affordable, but the proof in pudding firmly comes down to the tasting, well, not the tasting, but you known what I mean - do these babies make styling easy, have acceptable levels of hold and finally, once dried is there fear of flakes? On with the show….

The Bluebeards Revenge Matt Paste

I call this hairstyle ‘The Porcupine’ as once my hair grows long it’s either huge vertical spikes or styling them into more of a diagonal direction which reminds me of the prickly creature. An absolute breeze to style with the Matt Paste.

I find that waiting until my hair has nearly dried naturally before taking the paste and rubbing it between my palms. After running through my hair it is as easy as running the left palm over the top from back to front. Simple! 

As the hair is drying the paste seems to be absorbed really quickly which removes the need for any additional heat to dry - it becomes almost instantly sticky and the style holds, and holds and holds. The image below is the final style taken on my way home from work some ten hours after first styling.

The paste smells great, has excellent hold and even when wearing dark clothing I haven’t managed to detect a hint of those dreaded white flakes that come from some lower end hair styling products. 

The Bluebeards Revenge Matt Clay

I had managed to successfully avoid using clay for years until I was converted towards the end of 2014. Since then I have found that it is brilliant for shorter styles but given my laziness on my week off work I haven’t actually managed to drag my carcass down the road to my hairdresser. 

With this in mind, I have used the clay to create ‘The Serious’, it’s actually a homage to Yahoo Serious (if you haven’t seen the film Young Einstein, where have you been?). This is Yahoo....

This is me....

Again, applying to slightly damp hair I use the clay on my fingertips to rub it in from root to tip. Once this is done a combination of palm and brush is used to create a wild style with the hair shooting off at any old angle. Some would say this is a scruffy look - I laugh in their faces, this is the best I can do with hair this thick and long.

The hold is great. It isn’t absorbed into the hair as such, but it does coat the strand and makes it brilliant if later in the day or night you want to alter the style. The clay leaves the hair pliable and completely residue free. Awesome.

The Bluebeards Revenge Pomade

I call this hairstyle ‘The Seabreeze’, not because it’s some kind of cocktail inspired hairstyle but because I styled it when stood in a force six gale on the coat in Suffolk earlier in the week. 

The pomade looks black in the tub but actually when you remove it (and it is really pliable) it seems like a tar/brown colour.

Having just showered and with a lack of hairdryer I applied this to my damp hair and simply brushed it back into the style I wanted. Add a lovely North Sea breeze and it dried quickly and set solidly. It really takes very little to style for hours of hold and while on drying my hair does feel a touch crispy, running your fingers through over and over again won’t leave your hands full of residue or sticky. This I like a lot. 

As the image and smile below shows - a) I had a cocktail in hand and b) my hair was set for the night.

All three of these products have excellent and long lasting hold, they are affordable and a little really goes far meaning that these tubs will last me for an absolute age (even more so when I finally get around to having my hair lopped off). 

Next to no residue, no white flakes and easy to style you can do a lot worse (and I have in the past). With this in mind I can wholeheartedly recommend these. Check them out.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

What do you think to my three creations?

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Men-ü Matt 'Skin Refresh' Gel

The last thing anyone wants is a face that shines either due to far too much moisture on the face, an overdose of moisturisers or the dreaded greasy skin - eurgh. It’s not a good look. In a hands up confession I have to say I suffer from none of these things (it’s a blessing and a curse to have this skin) but when the chance comes to give a new product a try  I’m not one to say no, so when the chance presented itself to try out Men-ü Matt Skin Refresh Gel on my face, and more pressingly on my crows feet I jumped at the chance. 

Winding its way through the snail mail a 100ml tube of the gel arrived and was put to one side to give it a good couple of weeks as part of my daily cleansing and moisturising routine.

A 100ml tube of the gel will set you back £14.45 (a weird price for anything) from Mankind here.

This is what Men-u say about the gel as part of their sales pitch:

‘An anti-shine, fragrance free gel with natural salicylic acid & witch hazel that leaves your visual frontline looking better for longer! For normal, combination and oily skin. Removes & controls excess oil that contributes to blocked pores & breakouts. Cleans pores from impurities, toning & tightening the skin. Soothes & calms – great after shaving & helps overcome ingrown hairs. 

Use on towel dried skin after shaving or washing and as required. Contains willow bark extract that has been used for centuries as a mild analgesic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. If using a moisturiser, men-ü matt moisturiser recommended.’

Now I think I have normal skin, well as normal as the skin of a 36 year old smoker can be. Anything that can freshen my face up is welcome and as a long time user, and possibly abuser of the L’Oreal Men Expert range I couldn't wait to see what this could do for me.

A quick shake of the tube and I was surprised that the contents sounded like shaking fluid in a flask, if anything I was going to have to be careful, I didn’t want to dispense too much, particularly if it was going to be uber runny. With two pumps of the dispenser I had enough of the gel in my palm to cover my huge face and really work the gel into problem areas (at my hair and jaw lines in addition to around my eyes).

Yes, it isn’t strictly a gel, it has a consistency of a watered down hair product and without being careful if is likely to run off your hand. Be careful. 

In terms of fragrance this screams “I’m a product for blokes” with a very basic, yet masculine fragrance. Thankfully, the fragrance isn’t that synthetic, I like the subtle notes of bark that make this stand out as a little bit rugged, a little bit earthy. Spot on people, spot on.

The fragrance aside, after all, if it’s pants the fragrance is irrelevant, it’s the results that matter. The gel is absorbed really quickly and at the first time of using I actually re-applied and again, that was absorbed really quickly which suggested to me that my skin needed a bit of love. After about a minute on the skin I could feel a change in my face, not numb, but that sensation you get when extreme cold touches your skin and is then immediately removed. Weird, but actually a little bit enjoyable. If anything, it means that something is happening.

Once absorbed there is no shine on the skin, and the matt finish gives that natural look. There is no danger of looking like you have just stepped out of a make up artists chair.

On day one, I noticed that my skin felt tighter on my face, particularly around my forehead, eyes and cheeks. Nice one.

By day three the tingling sensation had stopped and only one application a day was needed first thing in the morning. Each time of using the results were the same, a lovely tightening sensation and visibly clearer skin. 

When making a comparison on day seven I was astounded by the results. The Gordon Ramsey trenches (also known as the stress lines on my forehead) and crows feet were less pronounced. They weren’t gone, but boy, they definitely were not as deep and noticeable as before and that readers is something on a par with a miracle considering the depth of them before using. 

I’m really glad I had the chance to try this out and will be looking to add more of their products to my daily cleansing and moisturising routine in the mornings. At the moment I am complementing this with The Bluebeards moisturiser but will be taking up the Men-u recommendation and trying their own matt moisturiser.  

The tingling, the fragrance and the results are to be blunt bloody brilliant and well worth the initial purchase price. At just shy of £15 for a tube this represents good value for money and will last for ages. After ten days of using I’m delighted with the results and have used around a tenth of the tube.

Banish impurities, unblock pores and let your face breath, Men-ü Matt Skin Refresh Gel is for the gent where performance matters.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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The Bluebeards Revenge Cooling Moisturiser

When it comes to soothing my face after shaving or after a day exposed to horrific levels of air pollution in London I’m not exactly short of products to use. I confess I don’t have that many firm favourites, Cooling Moisturiser by The Bluebeards Revenge is sitting pretty at the top of the moisturisers I’m currently using and liking, liking a lot.

I just love the skull and crossbones branding

(As an aside I have ‘it’s all about the face, about the face…..’ running through my head to the tune of ‘All about that Bass’ by Meghan Trainor - send for the men in white coats!)

Like all of the products from The Bluebeards Revenge, the cooling moisturiser is emblazoned with the skull and crossbones giving it a shiny edge when it comes to the canister (and it is a cool looking metal canister) standing out on the shelf in the bathroom - with my Magpie eye that’s probably why I reached for it in the first place. It looks cool and the coolness always goes that bit further with The Bluebeards Revenge products as every piece of packaging encourages the man using it to check for lumps and bumps in an effort to tackle testicular cancer.

For more information on Orchid, the charity that fights male cancer please visit their website here.

A 100ml canister will set you back £9.99, but what do The Bluebeards Revenge say about their cooling moisturiser on their website?

‘The Bluebeards Revenge 'Cooling' Moisturiser brings it’s typical semi-macho style into the equation with this new product featuring what they describe as the “manliest of ingredients” – in fact, who else could get away with creating a modern cosmetic laced with exotic compounds such as extracts of Prickly Pear, Stinging Nettle and Fenugreek! Not as vicious as they sound in fact as each of these compounds are highly regarded for their moisturising qualities and ability to re-invigorate the skin.

Having said that the brand has also strayed into its feminine side with the addition of Jojoba Oil as the main active ingredient. Jojoba enjoys a fabulous reputation as the only natural wax ester with an amazing similarity to the oils created by our own skin and is thought to help prevent oily skin and outbreaks of irritation.

The Bluebeards Revenge 'Cooling' Moisturiser contains a cooling agent making application to any part of the body a real pleasure. Luckily the brand has gone to great lengths to ensure that the product is free of those nasty Parabens, SLS and MIT.’

I love The Bluebeards Revenge packaging, it has my no-nonsense style - with the warning on the canister stating ‘only a total moron would choose to sneak a snack of this moisturiser - trust me it isn’t nice so best left off the menu.’ Classic! 

Anyway, back to my thoughts - so, it’s paraben free which is good news for the skin but what is it like?

Well, the size of the canister is spot on to enable grip and the pump dispenser is really easy to use, you won’t find yourself pumping away for ages with no benefit. It dispenses the white moisturiser in little blobs, and as the pictures show only a pea sized amount is needed to cover even my massive face.

Only a seriously small amount is needed

With a creamy texture this spreads easily and as soon as it first hit my fairly dry face it started to be absorbed immediately leaving a rather shiny finish for two to three minutes. While waiting for it to dry in I was struck by the lovely fragrance - it is so clean and fresh. You can pick out the Jojoba oil and for a bit I thought I could detect a bit of menthol but that could just be my dodgy sense of smell at the time.

Once it had dried in the fragrance completely disappeared and had no impact on the aftershave I applied afterwards, in fact it has never changed my aftershave which I find a massive plus in favour of the product. There is nothing worse than shelling out a wad of cash on an aftershave for its true fragrance to be altered by another grooming product.

An attempt at a dark and brooding photograph

More importantly, the results were breath taking. The moisturiser does cool, in fact it is like being slapped in the face with an icy glove (in a nice way) when first applied and as it is absorbed you notice a slight tingle. Awesome!

A good twenty minutes after applying there was no sign of the moisturiser yet my face still felt cool and to the touch this is where the cooling moisturiser earns its stripes. My skin is incredibly smooth and soft to the touch, even through three day stubble and my whiskers were noticeably softer. 

The dry skin patches I get around my eyebrows were eliminated after three days of use and now, after having used this since July I have to say it represents excellent value for money. I use this probably three times a week and there is still about half of the canister left. You really can’t argue with results, the fact it lasts for ages and smells divine. 

You can, and I have paid more for a moisturiser but this sits with Men Expert as one I’ll keep reaching for as an effective moisturiser that does the business. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Scaramouche & Fandango 'Hy' Hydrator

I have had the Scaramouche & Fandango 'Hy' Hydrator since just before Fathers Day. It came with two other Scaramouche & Fandango products as part of an amazing £25 male beauty box from Selfridges&Co.

It wasn't until early July that I got around to using this hydrator and putting it through its paces, I had been using the amazing The Bluebeards Revenge (TBR) Cooling Moisturiser and based upon the smooth and fresh face I had at the time it was going to be a stiff challenge, especially as the heat wave hit London.

Now this stuff is not cheap, oh boy no, a 100ml tube will set you back at least £10. Now to me as a tight wad I think that is quite a bit of cash when brands like L'Oreal and TBR are offering something that is basically the same with a made up scientific name on the side for less.

Anyway, what do Scaramouche & Fandango say about 'Hy' (so hip)?

'Benefits:

CHRONODYN^TM

A cell energiser from a unicellular pseudo algae. Clinically proven to help firm and tone the skin to fight against the signs of fatigue.'

Now my face takes a pounding from the filthy London air, I work on one of the most polluted roads in Europe and don't exactly take the best care of myself so my skin reflects this and hence why I cleanse and moisturise on a daily basis.

The moisturiser is white in colour and as soon as it leaves the tube it has a potent aroma. It's very, no extremely clinical and synthetic in smell and it lingers in the air.

When placed on the back of my hand it didn't soak straight in, in fact it just sat there. It has quite a thick consistency so no danger of it running off my hand and down my shirt - nightmare and its happened in the past.

After rubbing it onto my fingertips I gently applied it into my forehead (a notorious spot for me to get dry skin in between what I call my Gordon Ramsey lines) and it spread easily. A peanut sized blob was enough for me to cover my whole face (and I have a big face, huge Herman Munster forehead).

It was absorbed by my skin really quickly and any worries about the smell were gone. It loses its aroma very quickly once it dries into the skin so no danger of it interfering with an aftershave if applying it quite quickly afterwards.

As the heatwave hit about a week after using this I noticed a bit of dry skin on my hairline. I simply applied a little more of Hy and it cleared the next day - result. 

All in all I was really pleased. Through massive temperatures, long stints on London Underground and lots of sweat (nice), my face has remained moisturised and feels soft and smooth. You can't say fairer than that.

I think it's expensive but if you don't mind the cost you have a product here that does the business.

RECOMMENDED 

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The Bluebeards Revenge Eau De Toilette

Until I started this little corner of the Interweb, I had never knowingly smelt, seen or bought any products by The Bluebeards Revenge. I'm pretty certain my vice like memory that never lets go, would remember the very cool styling of the packaging had it ever crossed my vision.

The first time I clocked (that's Mancunian for saw) the brand was over on The Ged Lab blog, where I can recall leaving a comment that I needed to get my hands on some of their stuff to try.

Roll forward a couple of months and the beautiful, nay gorgeous PR people at the company asked if I would like to try their aftershave and moisturiser. I didn't have chance to respond myself, BeautyqueenUK had already said yes (made me think I might be starting to smell a bit).

Enter via my local Royal Mail sorting office a 100ml bottle of The Bluebeards Revenge Eau De Toilette which has a recommended retail price of just £19.99, yes under 20 pounds! 

The last time I bought aftershave for under 20 quid it was vile, gave me a rash and generally was used to keep foxes out of the garden all summer (seriously Diesel Zero Plus trickled around a garden fence will keep 'em away).

The marketing blurb for the aftershave says:

'The Ultimate Fragrance for Real Men! - Refreshing new fragrance aimed at the modern, masculine man

This refreshing new fragrance opens with ozone notes accented by Sicilian bergamot and Ligurian basil. The heart features a rich blend of jasmine, black tea and watermint, while the rich base notes include Madagascar vanilla highlighted by sandalwood and patchouli along with oakmoss and musk.

Inspired by the real life heroes and other larger than life characters who put the "Great" into Great Britain, this eau de toilette features an atomiser spray that is easy and efficient to use.'

I didn't investigate the notes before trying this, so without any preconceptions of what it would smell like I just sprayed and prayed (hey I managed to get a MAC10 machine gun joke into an aftershave post) - and to cut a long story short was impressed, not just by the fragrance, but also by the bottle, the lasting power and the way in which it changed but remained as marketed.

As soon  as it is sprayed from the atomiser you know that it has a cool and refreshing aroma. Yes you can detect citrus but to me it had hints of what I would call soapy and quite rich, almost bitter on the nose. It is far more lighter on application than CK One or Acqua di Gio but seems to warm up within minutes with subtle hints of warm spice before drying down to a masculine woody base.

After an hour I can still smell this on myself and that is quite rare. What you can pick out is black pepper that gives the masculine edge with warmth through the spice down to the base.

It is just simply stunning to experience this fragrance change and even better, to smell it again 10-12 hours later as good as it was when it was applied. This has strength and longevity that gives the highest of the high end brands a run for their money.

On a personal note I like the aftershave a lot. It's hardwearing and excellent value for money. It will turn heads and is very different to anything I have smelt recently, but I will be using this for office wear and maybe the odd night out down the  pub.

If you like Fahrenheit by Dior but want something cheaper and lighter then you should get a bottle without delay.

RECOMMENDED

Finally the last cool thing about this company? On the inside of every box there is an advert for Orchid, the charity that fights male cancer along with advice for men in relation to lets be frank, their balls and checking for lumps.

Gentlemen, you should visit the Orchid site just for information.

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