Truffle Noir by Temple Spa

Well, I did say in a recent post that my blog would be entering Temple Spa season and I have no intention on deviating from this until my mind is distracted by something that shines or some brightly coloured flashing lights. Today, and after a using it over twenty days I will be giving my thoughts on Truffle Noir, billed as a nocturne facial rejuvenator by Temple Spa. 

Will I wake up looking like I did in 2004 (yes, I know, a shameless and random excuse to insert a picture of me looking much younger)? Read on….. 

Truffle Noir is the second Temple Spa product sent to me to sample. I have already written about their Way To Go Cleansing Wash Gel here and considering how much I liked that, this one had a lot to live up to. While different products, I was blown away by the quality and high hopes.

This is what Temple Spa say about Truffle Noir:

'Truffle Noir, particularly designed to do night duty on your skin while you sleep. We combined brilliant science with turbo charged ingredients to create a luxury formula that repairs, restores and renews. The texture is amazing and with the addition of Happybelle-PE (happiness in a jar) you really will look great in bed!

For men, Truffle Noir has a handsome satin-matte finish on the skin being ideal for their daytime regime; it has all the rejuvenating benefits of Skin Truffle, yet without the diamond lustre.

KEY BENEFITS:

• Anti-ageing, long term benefits
• Instant aesthetic benefits – gives a clear, radiant, ‘happy’ and toned complexion
• Slows down the development of fine lines and wrinkles
• Repairs cell and tissue damage
• Strengthens thin or fragile skin
• Restores elasticity, boosts collagen
• Renews firmness, suppleness and smoothness
• Supports the fundamental changes in our skins behaviour at night, working with the body’s natural rhythm
• Helps the skin ‘help itself’ by promoting its natural ability to replenish
• Easily absorbed, non-greasy formula
• Leaves skin feeling soft and plump, with a satin-matte finish
• Calms razor burn or skin irritations'

Any regular reader will know that I don’t like the area around my eyes. I have used a range of things to try and eliminate the bags, change the colour to look as though I’m actually alive etc. I’ve been using Clarins Eye Revitaliser for the bags, but Truffle Noir was going to be handy in trying to reduce the lines (read crows feet) around my eye and eyebrow (it’s a proper Mancunian mono-brow)

I have been using a 5ml sample on and off when my eyes have needed a boost over the last couple of weeks and the difference in and around my eyes is incredible. The tube is now coming to the end of its life, but when you consider that a 50ml jar of this costs £85 here, what do you get for the money and would I go out and buy it myself?

Well rather than blast you with lots of cunning facts, the simple truth is that this works as the pictures below show. The left was taken after a bad night of sleep, the picture on the right fifteen minutes after applying Truffle Noir. The images speak for themselves.

Yes, this is expensive, but you only need a tiny amount of it to smooth over those fine lines around your eyes and they stay gone all day. The colouring around the eye improves, and instead of looking like an extra from The Walking Dead, my eyes genuinely feel more awake, and wider (it’s a weird sensation at first).

So what worked for me? 

Anti-ageing, long term benefits - over a few weeks the darkness has reduced 
Instant aesthetic benefits – yes, eyes do look and feel much better
Renews firmness, suppleness and smoothness - the skin does look smoother
Easily absorbed, non-greasy formula - yes, it is absorbed quickly
It does leave skin feeling soft and plump, with a satin-matte finish

This is one I would recommend, I use it during the day to pep up my eyes, but the results are equally as impressive in the morning when applied just before bed. Great stuff, and worth the money for the results.

Bye bye tired eyes....

RECOMMENDED

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Polo Red by Ralph Lauren

In my opinion it would be near on impossible for Ralph Lauren to improve upon his offering within the fragrance market, particularly for me with a plethora of aftershaves, all with amazing scents. As time goes by my tastes in aftershave change, but Polo Blue and Polo Black remain as solid, dependable aftershaves that I never tire of wearing. 

Today I will be giving my thoughts on Ralph Lauren Polo Red, an aftershave that came courtesy of my dad at Christmas (in response to my asking for it so I could write about it here). Polo Red was one that I had let pass me by, and was not one that I was desperate to try, that is until someone on Reddit asked for my opinion on it.

The prices for Polo Red vary wildly, but you can expect to pay in the region of £35 for a 125ml bottle of the EDT.

This is the kind of marketing blurb that comes with the gift set that I received:

‘Polo RED is announced as a ferocious and energizing fragrance which includes ingredients fitting the red color. The composition opens with red grapefruit united with cranberry and Italian lemon. The heart of the composition emphasizes accords of red sage, red saffron and lavender, while the "red notes" in the base are described with red wood, hot amber and fragrant coffee beans! The spicy red composition of woody-spicy character is signed by perfumer Olivier Gillotin, carrying the scent of strength, masculinity and character.'

• Head: Red grapefruit, Italian lemon, cranberry
• Heart: Red saffron, lavender 
• Dry-down: Redwood, amber, coffee

You would think that I would learn to be a bit frugal when applying for the first time, but no, not me, I sprayed far too much on, but accidents will happen. Time after time I do this, I should probably tattoo a warning onto my forehead as a reminder to be careful! After getting over the gagging sensation as the bathroom quickly filled with an incredibly potent fragrance I could start to pull out hints of the top notes. It wasn’t until about ten minutes later that I could smell or detect the top notes - my bad. 

First things first, I can’t tell the difference between a red grapefruit and a normal grapefruit - they smell the same to me, and it is that fragrance that immediately comes out after a few sprays. Within minutes the grapefruit blends with the lemon to create an uber citrus aroma that is both sharp on the nose yet very fresh and uplifting. First thing in the morning this baby gives your senses a kick awake. At no time could I detect cranberry, in fact my first thought was that this was repackaged Polo Blue! 

The head notes remain for around fifteen minutes before the sharp citrus starts to fade down to a more herbal aroma with far more body. If this makes sense it seems to have more substance to it, whereas the top notes feel as though they could pop off into the ether at any moment the heart notes blended with the citrus just feels hardwearing. 

Within thirty minutes you have the final dried down fragrance that is out of this world. You can still pick up light hints of citrus, but it has a warmth and edge of masculinity that comes from the wood and amber. You can’t detect any note at this point individually which is a massive plus for me, and shows how well this has been put together.

Well, did I end up all by myself after going out smelling of Polo Red? Wear this and you won’t find yourself all alone in the pub, people will sniff as they pass you, but in a good way and compliments are not a rarity. Bleu de Chanel remains my aftershave of the moment, but Polo Red is a close second and once spring gets here this will make the perfect aftershave to top off an outfit for a special occasion and give me the self confidence in knowing that I will be smelling gorgeous all day.

This lasts all through the day, hour after hour. Over time is does become more subtle as you would expect but even after ten hours and a long night I could still pick up hints of this on myself and when undressing it really was quite strong where it had transferred from my neck onto my jumper. A lovely reminder of the initial fragrance.

When you consider the mid-range purchase price, the fact that it lasts for so long and is perfect for every possible occasion, night and day then you have something special. Personally I have been using this night after night since Christmas and still have two thirds of a bottle left.

From the fall of autumn leaves, to the bright hot and sticky days of summer, I believe that Polo Red is quite possibly one of the freshest fragrances to have passed my nostrils. Yes indeed, this is the bomb and when you’re smiling as much as I do when wearing this then it has to get top marks. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Ladies and gentleman, I would like to thank the songs of Frank Sinatra for helping with the writing of this post. There are a number of his song titles contained in this post, do you want to have a guess at how many in the comments below?

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Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Face Wash

In the words of rock legends Metallica “Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire, ooh!”.

No, this isn’t going to be one of those posts where I go off on a tangent, this post is about Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Face Wash. Another of the products that came in my Selfridges&Co male beauty box.

The reason for the musical introduction is because I always find myself singing this Metallica masterpiece in the shower whenever I spot the bottle or use the product.

I received a 75ml bottle in my beauty box which normally sells for £8.50. A 250ml bottle can be bought online from Kiehl’s website here for £17.50.

The Kiehl website doesn’t seem to go in for all the usual marketing fluff, but this is how they say it will do:

‘This effective “refuelling facial cleanser” helps protect skin from the effects of environmental aggressions and gives even dull, tired looking skin a fresher appearance.

Our efficient and energising facial cleanser thoroughly removes dirt, surface oil, and impurities without an over-frying effect. Formulated with Caffeine, Menthol, and Vitamin E - as well as invigorating Orange and Lemon extracts - its unique blend helps to refresh and waken skin.’ 

First of all, I tried this after a day and evening out in the polluted air of London so expected it to have a bit of grim to remove from my face. I was a little overeager when dispensing - you really don’t need a lot of the face wash as it lathers up brilliantly and stays cool and rich in texture.

Before moving on, I have to comment on the fragrance - considering the Menthol and citrus extracts you would expect quite a potent aroma with a power to slap you awake. Alas, this isn’t so, the Menthol is the overriding fragrance and you can detect the citrus but within minutes you forget that it’s there. Personally I like the fact that it is so subtle, particularly given the stripping power it has a grimy face!

After massaging the face wash into every inch of my face it was seconds before it hit me,, a strange, almost weird tingling sensation on my face. The bathroom was warm but my face felt ice cold. Awesome!

I massaged it into my face for around another minute until rinsing - I was frankly appalled with the colour of the water. Living in London with the pollution I am used to blowing my nose and finding soot in the tissue, but to see the murky water that greeted me made me feel dirty, indeed, I showered again.

Like using products similar to the Swisa Dead Sea Facial Peel, Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Face Wash removes dirt and grime from the face, but also seems to go that extra mile and remove a layer of grim that other facial washes miss.

My skin was softer and smoother after washing using Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Face Wash and when it came to shaving, after using for a few weeks my whiskers were much smoother.

Of the products I’ve tried from the Selfridges&Co beauty box to date this is by far and away the best. A little goes a long way and it delivers everything that it promises making this exceptional value for money. Include the weird tingling sensation on the face while washing and the fresh feeling it leaves 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Ted's Grooming Room - Step 01 Face Scrub

I’m a big fan of Ted Baker and Paul Smith, I love their clothes - you can’t beat their suits, t-shirts and underwear in my opinion but grooming products wasn’t something I’d associated them with, particularly Ted Baker.

The lovely people at Ted Baker sent their ‘Ted’s Grooming Room’ press release and asked if I’d like to try some. Now that was the first time I had heard of the range or the Step 01: Face Scrub.

Naturally I jumped at the chance and have been using it as part of my daily skincare routine.

Ted’s Grooming Room is actually a man’s barbers and offers haircuts, smooth hot towel shaves and other treatments. They have walk in stores or the more exclusive, and appointment only Ottoman Lounge.

The products are an offshoot of this line of the business and they have added the Ted Baker mark to the marketplace.

Ted Baker is by no way and means a discount brand in my opinion and at £8 for a 150ml tube of the scrub seems expensive, but the acid test really has to fall down to a number of factors, including price when deciding whether to use the product again.

The face scrub comes with the following marketing blurb:

‘No one likes an ambush, and in-grown hairs can sabotage a perfect shave. Battle against dirt and dead skin every other day with Ted’s Face Scrub, with added jojoba beads, for skin that‘s ready for shaving.’

I’ve used the face scrub now for around tree weeks and as directed have used it every other day. While using the scrub I’ve temporarily stopped using the Swisa Dead Sea Facial Peel to really test the effects the product has in terms of removing dirt, cleansing my face and how smooth my shaving experience has been.

The face scrub is clear in colour and you can see the tiny micro-beads of jojoba suspended within it. As soon as it leaves the tube the aroma is so clean and clinical you almost feel instantly clean.

I couldn’t place the smell at first and then it struck me - the first ever Co-op type cheap hair gel I’d used as a teenager! Bang on and oh the flashbacks, some good (no responsibility), some bad (Global Hypercolour t-shirts have a lot to answer for). If asked, I would say the fragrance is not unpleasant.

Easy to apply, as soon as a 50 pence sized blob was massaged between my palms I could immediately feel the beads - it was bizarre, like rubbing a wet, smooth yet gritty texture!

Gently massaging it into my face it didn’t lather as such, the scrub soaked into my skin really quickly leaving the beads as an abrasive - the aroma changed as well, it got a little floral and was really very pleasant.

Rinsing my face off the first time (and about 3 days after a facial peel) I was appalled, even a little sick in my mouth. The water was so filthy I was ashamed. Dirt and dead skin were banished from my face, sent into exile - chuffed.com

I kept using for two weeks as my beard continued to grow before taking the plunge and shaving. Did it make a difference? Yes it did, the beard was much softer to the touch, as was my skin. I wouldn’t say my skin glowed or that I was radiant but boy as the razor crossed my face it was evident that shaving was much quicker.

Using Ted’s Face Scrub has made a visible difference - I’m not using as much of my L’Oreal Men Expert range as the need to just isn’t there.

I’ve probably used about a quarter of the tube in three weeks and that’s using it every other day. It may seem expensive, but I’m going to add it to my collection along with a few of the other Step 02, 03 etc range as I’m impressed by the positive effect it has had on my shaving experience.

If it was a little cheaper to replace I’d have said this represented great value for money and would have highly recommended it. As I class it as a luxury product and weighing up price and results I would have to say that it falls into the category of being:

RECOMMENDED 

What’s your favourite face scrub? Let me know in the comments section below.

Thank you for reading.

Post note/random flashback:

As an aside, in my youth I was obsessed with Ted Baker in Manchester and loved their bright pastel coloured shirts - they were expensive but boy did they last. Looking back I must have looked a right sight but I regret not a thing!

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