For My Beardy Beloved - The Blade Shunners Beard Kit

When it comes to picking gifts for blokes for Valentine’s Day I’m guessing it’s pretty tricky. I know I’m a nightmare to buy for so today I’ll be showing off the For My Beardy Beloved - The Blade Shunners Beard Kit.

The kit by male grooming peeps Menrock was sent to my other half and in the absence of any signs of a beard on her it was passed to me to give it a try. Over the last twelve months I have been growing a beard on and off, I go through phases where I like the beard but then it gets too long, looks messy and feels itchy and wiry. 

Add into the mix friends who point out the one or two white hairs in my beard constantly and threats of having the hair pulled with tweezers - yep, the razor tends to come out!

At the moment I haven’t shaved for nearly four weeks and have the start of a pretty decent beard I think so there was no better time to have this appear in the house. So what is the beard kit? Well, to be honest it makes the perfect male grooming gift for anyone sporting a beard - it has not just Menrock beard wash, it also has a beard balm, moustache wax and a beard comb. As a nice touch my box also came with a mini pack of Love Heart sweets as a nod to the upcoming date.

The pictures below show the products that come in a stylish little box. You can buy the kit for £22.10 from Amazon here if what you read inspires you.

This is what Menrock say about the kit:

‘Growing stubble is easy... you just dodge the razor! However, maintaining the follicle forest is a different story. This ace gift boxed beard kit (the 'For My Beardy Beloved' box to give it its proper title - yes we are pleased with that one!) contains everything a blade shunner needs to keep his beard in tip-top shape. 

The kit includes both a Men Rock Beard Soap (100ml) and the lovely 'a little goes a long way' Men Rock Soothing Beard Balm (100ml), some gorgeous Men Rock Sandalwood Styling Wax and a little pack of Love Heart Sweets. It's everything you need for perfect whisker formation and comes gift boxes with a little pack of thank you Love Hearts as standard.’

For me the first thing was to get the lids off the balm, wax and wash to have a good sniff. I expected subtle earthy tones from the Oak Moss but what I got was something more like sandalwood - with such a strong fragrance, almost over-powering, in an instant I had a flashback to a barbershop in my youth, the smell was identical. I love the smell, and the fact that it doesn’t linger is a massive plus as it doesn’t alter the fragrance of other products. 

If you don’t like earthy, mossy or sandalwood then steer well clear - you have been warned.

The beard wash is brilliant - it lathers up well, has the fragrance mentioned above and doesn’t dry out my skin. In fact, in the days that I have been using it I have noticed more of a shine to my beard and it feels smoother. Applying the balm after washing is really easy and it spreads across the face without an hassle, drying into the beard almost instantly. 

After using both for a day or so (one wash of the beard and two applications of the balm) I have noticed subtle differences to the feel of my beard. There is no itch around my neck and chin (and its due considering the length) and it still feels smoother. I have to say it does still feel a little wiry but I expect that to change as I use the product more.

I smiled when I was presented with the box, smiled more when I opened it and realised that it contained beard balm (a product just that day I had said I had wanted to try) and am still smiling after using it. In gift terms you can’t argue with that, particularly as it won’t break the bank at just over £20.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

*Hopefully in a few more weeks I will be able to use the comb and wax to style some beardy weirdy shapes!  

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Eros by Versace

Aftershave finds its way into my collection in a number of ways - PR companies send me samples, I buy some or they arrive from the other half in an attempt to cheer me up. In the case of Eros by Versace I had just been foiled in an attempt to have a go in a dune buggy while on holiday.

To avoid the risk of me tripping over my bottom lip we stepped into a perfume store and I left loaded down like a pack donkey but with a huge smile on my face.

After testing everything in the store, and I mean everything I had nailed it down to four that I really wanted. 

What was surprising was that I fell head of heels in love with the new fragrance from Karl Lagerfield but chose not to buy it, instead opting for Eros, the subject of today’s post a bottle of Uomo by Valentino.

I had seen the bottle to Eros in the past and thought “not for me” and gone on to instantly forget about it. My favourite Versace fragrance had always been Dreamer and that was what I was looking for without success. 

One glance at the notes to Eros however and I couldn’t wait to give it a blast, hey I even started to like the dark blue frosted bottle with bling-tastic Versace emblem on the cap.

The marketing blurb to Eros as outlined by Versace is:

‘Love, Passion, Beauty and Desire: these are the key concepts of the men’s fragrance by Versace. Eros, God of Love, able to make people fall in love with his bow and arrow. A luminous aura with an intense, vibrant and glowing freshness obtained from the combination of mint leaves, Italian lemon zest and green apple.

An addictive sensuality delivered by oriental, intriguing and enveloping notes like Tonka beans, Ambroxan (amber), Geranium flower and vanilla.

A racy virility symbolised by woods such as cedarwood from Atlas and Virginia, vetyver and oak moss, providing intensity and power.’

The official notes are:

• Head: Tonka Bean, Ambraxan, Geranium Flower
• Heart: Mint, Lemon, Apple
• Dry-down: Vanilla, Vetyver, Oak Moss, Cedarwood

As a fairly new fragrance on the market (it was launched in 2013) I had moderate expectations but was immediately blown away, so much so that Eros now sits as one of my favourite aftershaves, bumping old favourites like Acqua di Gio out of contention.

So, does it live up the marketing blurb and what does it actually smell like I hear you demand?

In short, yes it does and I love it.

The head notes of Tonka bean combined with hints of Geranium explodes out of the bottle and has an immense strength and depth which I found quite heavy on my nose, not because it is earthy, but just so evident - it is so sweet that I was actually scratching around to see if there was anything being used in the ingredients to do this artificially. There isn’t. The Tonka bean smashes out light hints of vanilla and it becomes lighter and lighter the longer it stays on.

After the initial head notes the citrus and fruity elements of the heart notes shone through making what was on first application a rather heavy fragrance so light and fresh. The apple is to thank for this but it blend with subtler notes of mint beautifully.

After about an hour the head and heart notes dry down, but rather than leaving the top notes to be dominated by the dry down they remain and flawlessly blend. Yes, vanilla becomes more evident as the Tonka bean and vanilla mix but it becomes much warmer as the oak moss provides depth.

At £46 for a 50ml bottle and just a few squirts from the atomiser to keep this lingering on and around you for well over 10 hours then this represents an aftershave excellent value for money. Throw into the mix that people around you both male and female will love it and actually enquire as to what you are wearing then you have the perfect mix of an aftershave that sits head and shoulders above the rest.

Perfect for daywear, special occasions and those romantic nights out I promise you that this would make an excellent addition to any collection either for yourself or as a gift for a loved one.

FORGET THE REST, TRY THE BEST

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Mont Blanc Legend Intense

I've always loved Mont Blanc pens and cherish the one I own. It was a few years ago that I tried their Presence for Men and I actually rated it for a while but its draw wore off and I went back to firm favourites.

A 50ml bottle of Mont Blanc Legend Intense fell into my possession thanks to Beautyqueenuk when she returned from France - she dodged the cigarettes I asked for and brought me aftershave, the one thing I don't think I've ever needed. OK, rant over, I feel much better now.

Dexter stands guard over my aftershave

Anyhow, a 50ml bottle of this baby will set you back around £40 for something that is marketed as: 

'Legend reflects the contemporary elegance of the Montblanc brand - both modern and timeless.

The fragrance starts with the fresh aromatic duo of Italian Bergamot and French Lavender.

The heart note is magnetic, revealing a unique woody note - White cedar.

The dry-down owes its unforgettable signature to an overdose of virile Oak moss.' 

Now that marketing blurb would suggest to me a very masculine, earthy fragrance that screams out at me usually to steer clear. In the end I looked up the full notes before trying it out.

They are:

• Head: Italian Bergamot, French Lavendar
• Heart: White cedar
• Dry down: Oak Moss

It's exactly, yes exactly as marketed. 

First impressions when taking it out of the box were 'wow', the bottle is shaped like a hip flask and looked like it had been coated in chrome. It looks uber cool and you can't help but stare at yourself in the bottle.

Two squirts from the atomiser and boom, it was a fragrance explosion - the bergamot and lavendar combine brilliantly and form a strong and floral scent that lingers for some time. The first blast remains for well over 10 minutes and is warm as it dries down to a light woody undertone.

The white cedar is subtle yet after about an hour it felt warmer again, the earthy tones and oak moss brought out a depth that was actually quite overpowering at first. I got used to it and it passed the office smell test.

I really liked this and would say its probably best for daywear, around the office or doing something manly and rugged. You will get noticed wearing this and it is so inoffensive you can do no wrong. However, it is pricey and for that I expect something extra special - well this does it. It has exceptional, nay obscene staying power like no other aftershave. 16-18 hours after applying people still notice it and compliment.

For this and the lavendar explosion I have to say its worth it - just for the cool bottle.

RECOMMENDED

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Silver Shadow by Davidoff

Silver Shadow (sounds like it should be an evil nemesis of Spiderman) was not a fragrance I had ever heard of until a raft of samples of the pure blend Eau de Toilette and regular Eau de Toilette came flying through the post.

Despite the difference in name and price between the two blends, ultimately there is very little difference and therefore no need to write two individual reviews of the aftershaves.

For the record I will be reviewing my thoughts on the pure blend Eau de Toilette, which normally comes in both 50ml and 100ml bottles that don't contain an atomiser - I still find it weird to apply aftershave without an atomiser, I always apply far too much.

Prices range wildly as you would expect from online and high street retailers. Normally a 100ml bottle would cost in the region of £20 online with prices on the high street approaching the £40 mark.

The marketing for Silver Shadow states that it is a non-ordinary fragrance for a non-ordinary man (you can say that again). Charismatic and mysterious, the Davidoff Silver Shadow man leaves behind him an unforgettable fragrance trail. His fragrance is his signature, a fascinating shadow of his personality. (Source: www.zinodavidoff.com)

With the hindsight of smelling the fragrance I can’t help a wry sarcastic smile at the words ‘unforgettable fragrance trail‘. Yes, unforgettable, truly unforgettable!

Functional, but very boring, the bottle doesn't really project the luxurious image it would appear Davidoff aims for. As I’ve said, the bottles do not have an atomiser, therefore the aftershave is simply poured onto the hand to apply.

Personally this reminded me of days gone by when I used to play with (and empty to his displeasure) my dads aftershaves trying to feel grown up. It's been years since I'd used an aftershave where you had to measure out the quantity by sight alone!

The notes to Silver Shadow are:

• Head: Orange, coriander and cedar leaves
• Heart: Saffron and patchouli
• Dry Down: Amber and oak moss

From the notes I had an idea that Silver Shadow would be a heavy fragrance, there were simply too many earthy ingredients for it to be anything else, but on application I was pleasantly surprised by the head notes, the orange citrus was overwhelming and the zest seemed to block out the coriander and cedar fragrances completely.

I wasn't very liberal when applying either, literally a tiny amount of the fragrance was required to leave the room smelling like the inside of an orange box. This is strong and felt like an assault on my senses!

Unfortunately, the citrus orange note faded quickly and only a faint undertone remained and this is in my opinion where the fragrance started to go horribly wrong.

The coriander and cedar start to become overpowering, making what was a strong fragrance overly heavy and arid. There was nothing refreshing about the application or indeed the fragrance. Combined with the heart notes and finally the dry down of amber the fragrance become exceptionally heavy with no redeeming features.

It was too warm and earthy with the oak moss being most evident. In an attempt to give this a masculine aroma, Davidoff have simply added too many ingredients that counteract each other and after around an hour I smelt like I had been camping in woodland for a week.

Overall I was hugely disappointed with Silver Shadow. It is a hard wearing fragrance due to the heavy ingredients and lasts for well over 12 hours, sadly that is not a good thing at all.

When you take into consideration the price, the fragrance and the fact that everyone you pass will look at you as though you have just murdered a close family relative I would not recommend this to anyone. If asked to describe Silver Shadow in a nutshell I would have to say that it is a bastardised blend of old spice combined with topsoil!

Personally after using this once I decided that I would never ever wear it again, and I certainly would not shell out up to £40 for a bottle. If earthy, rugged masculine fragrances are for you then there is a slight chance that you will find Silver Shadow acceptable for daywear and possibly formal occasions.

Silver Shadow is not luxurious, charismatic and mysterious, however it is unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

NOT RECOMMENDED

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