AFTERSHAVE: Man Rose Eau de Parfum by Etro

Last week Beautyqueenuk and I went out on something of a blog event overload. First up was the amazing Ecotools (there is a video of me in the make up chair doing the rounds lol) event in Soho and then onto the Etro Boutique in Mayfair for the launch of Man Rose Eau de Parfum.

To be blunt, after smelling this the other half fell instantly in love with it and while it took me about thirty minutes to really appreciate all of the notes I did find a whole host of other aftershaves from the Etro range but that's for another day. Today is all about Man Rose, a bottle of which will set you back around £105 for 100ml.

The boutique itself stocks super luxury goods and this sits in the higher end of aftershaves in my collection. Sometimes a large price tag doesn't guarantee a lovely long lasting fragrance but in this case nothing could be further from the truth.

The marketing blurbs says:

'Unique and endearing, the Etro ManRose Eau de Parfum was made for a man of timelessness. He is charismatic and gentle, with a deeply beautiful soul. His passion and masculinity blend beautifully together to create the ideal persona for this unforgettably attractive and commanding scent.'

The notes to Man Rose Eau de Parfum are:

• Head: Calabrian bergamot, elemi, pepper and cardamon
• Heart: Turkish rose, geranium, incense
• Dry-down: Patchouli, vetiver, leather, amber and woods

From the notes I would expect a very spicy yet floral scent that has a depth that would keep it on the skin and noticeable for about eight hours. What I actually found was that it starts off with something of a spicy blast but only for a few seconds and immediately the rose and geranium are right at the fore. It becomes incredibly floral I think for around fifteen minutes and it gets really quite warm on the nose. 

After around half an hour this comes into it's own - the floral notes fade back and become really subtle. That takes some of the edge off and the vetiver and amber keep the warmth going. It's a beautiful blend of floral with a masculine base. Without the amber and woods this would have been too feminine for my taste but actually the blend is spot on.

Yes, it has a larger than usual price tag but actually when you consider that it is so potent you'll still be able to smell it on yourself about fifteen hours later then you have a cologne/aftershave that really delivers bang for it's buck. I can see this lasting for months as only a few sprays are needed.

Perfect for daywear or nights on the town it's a fragrance for any time of the day and oozes class.

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Eau de Cade by L’Occitane

Fragrance, particularly aftershave is such a personal thing, and while I like the opportunity to test out my nose when trying new fragrances (I try and detect the notes before looking them up to see how I’ve done - hours of fun for the family) I have to say that light and citrus head notes (that initial blast of fragrance) in an aftershave usually mean that I’ll be a happy camper with it. Eau de Cade by L’Occitane has turned this on its head.

My 100ml of Eau de Cade was kindly sent to me by L’Occitane along with a number of other products in the male grooming range. Apparently, when asked if I wanted to sample some products my response of “yes, but can I try something that isn’t overly girly” caused much amusement in the PR office.

Rather than lump them all together I have to say my levels of happiness with the products means that it would be remiss of me not to outline each individually. If you read on, I’ll tell you why - yes, I am a tease… 

A 100ml bottle of Eau de Cade is available here from the L’Occitane website here for £42, which makes it a mid-range fragrance in my collection in terms of price, but as with all things smelly, the acid test is fragrance, longevity and how it reacts with skin. 

This is what they say about Eau de Cade in the marketing blurb (the finest piece of copying and pasting on my part that you are likely to see this side of Christmas):

'The Cade - Eau de Toilette is a spicy, woody fragrance that evokes the dry woods, red soil and hot stones found in the sunny Garrigue landscape of southern France. Top notes of bergamot lead to a generous heart of cedar wood and pink pepper. A base of cade wood and citrus linger on the skin throughout the day. Enriched with essential oils of cade wood and pink pepper, this eau de toilette complements all of the products in the Cade collection, emblematic of L’OCCITANE.

For generations, Provencal shepherds have handed down from father to son the secrets of Cade wood, a symbol of a tenacious character and strong values of tradition and generosity.’

Well there you have it, from the marketing blurb this fragrance shouldn’t really appeal to my nasal palette (I really couldn’t think of a better phrase) due to the warm and woody tones but actually, after getting over the incredibly strong first blast from the atomiser it has an almost addictive property that made me sit and sniff away at my wrists as I tracked how it changed over time.

At first whiff this transported me back to the mid 1980s - I can’t put my finger on it but it reminds me of an aftershave my father used to wear when he was still working for the 5-0 (go me with my street slang, I do of course mean the police). I have been wracking my brain for weeks trying to nail this down to no avail. That said, that initial first blast was so strong it actually had me thinking that I’d literally sprayed myself in liquid wood and moss - heavy is an understatement. If I spray this in the bathroom it seeps across my entire flat - potent! 

Fearing that this fragrance would trail after, and gag those around me I waited a good ten minutes before realising that it had faded dramatically and taken on a warmth that would make this amazing as a winter EDT. The bergamot is really over-riding at first but dries down more of a spicy  

I’m sure I can pick up hints of juniper, if anything it made me crave a gin and tonic (and I haven’t had one of those in years).  

After around thirty minutes you can pick up a hint of spice from the pink pepper, and as the heart blends with the dry down notes it takes on a more rugged scent, it becomes lighter and more subtle yet retains the ability to turn heads for all of the right reasons. 

Three squirts from the atomiser and you are good to go - and this will stay on your skin and remain evident to those around you for a good eight hours at least. It had body to it and longevity that makes it a little cracker in my book and actually really good value for money. 

Eau de Cade oozes those deep, warm woody and earthy notes from every fibre of its being (obviously it doesn’t have fibres being a liquid but stop splitting hairs). This screams “I am man” (from a fragrance perspective), remains fresh for hours until turning into a warm and spicy blend where you can certainly pull out the juniper note. 

I like this, I like it much more than I expected to when I first cast my beady eyes over the notes. Not being one for the heavy and warm fragrances I was surprised by how quickly I converted to this, particularly when using it with the Eau de Cade moisturiser and Eau de Cade hair body wash from the same range.

Personally I wouldn’t wear this on a night out, but for daywear this sits up there with Fahrenheit, Gruhme and Invictus as perfect for days in the office. Your colleagues will thank you for wearing it. 

Go on, pick up a bottle, ewe (feel free to groan, I accept that this is a poor reference to the marketing blurb about shepherds) know it makes sense.

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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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Winter coat wish list

I’m known for having one long cashmere coat that seems to serve me well all year around, the simple addition of a scarf and gloves when the temperatures start to plummet always do the trick.

However, constant ribbing that I really should mix it up a bit has resulted in me looking further a field to find the perfect coat that I like for the approaching winter season.

I’ve found four that I like, some are well out of the price range I would normally stretch to, after all I think a coat for around £150 should be of sufficient quality and style to last for more than one season.

The first coat I’ve fallen in love with is the Roman from Reiss but at £275 my first thought was “ouch” but I just can’t help but admire the finish of this wool-rich peacoat. The older I get the more I find myself drawn to double-breasted coats and suits. 

Made from a wool-rich blend, the Roman peacoat is a classic yet contemporary design and it screams “buy me” every time I see it. 

After the mind-melting cost of the first and my new found love of fishing (yes, I have firmly become middle aged) I have been taking a peek around for something a little old school and much cheaper. Enter the Dark Grey Holloway Road Waxed Coat.

With a flannel hood, faux leather trim and thick waxy exterior this has the power to cut dead the iciest of winds. Available from River Island at £128 it sits in the reasonable category for my own personal coat shopping budget.

Another coat that sits at the top of my budget range is the Barbour Quilted International Ariel Polar Jacket for £150 from House of Fraser.

I know Barbour have increased in popularity over the years but my decision is based purely on the comfort and warmth factor. Having tried this one on it was like having a second skin with levels of comfort from seen his the days of shell suits (that’s a joke to see if anyone is paying attention).

Last but not least is the John Lewis Buckle Neck Donkey Jacket in Navy. I’m 99% certain that this is the one for me, the only thing holding me back is the Navy colour, I much prefer my clothes to be black (and not because I need the slimming effect before any starts that).

Being wool rich rather than being 100% wool means that it won’t irritate my skin (I’m weird like that) and it truly is a modern twist on the traditional donkey jacket.

This is my favourite, it would look good for work and still as that slight snazzy edge for casual nights out. The coat that has everything in my book, except for a huge price tag. 

As you would expect from John Lewis it isn’t cheap but it also isn’t massively inflated - at £140 this is a reasonably priced coat.

What do you think to my winter coat wish list?

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