AFTERSHAVE: Nuit de Megeve by Eight & Bob

When the missus handed me a 20ml bottle of Nuit de Megeve Eau de Parfum by Eight & Bob my initial reaction was "who the f**k are Eight & Bob" - I'd never of the fragrance or the brand and given that it's taken about six months for me to write down my thoughts I gave this one not a second thought until I pulled out all of the aftershaves I hadn't yet written about (there are over fifteen - when do I start classifying this as an addiction?!?). 

Knowing nothing about the brand, the fragrance, the notes, nothing I went to take a peek and do a little research into who Eight & Bob are and where you can pick up a bottle. It turns out that 1, this stuff isn't cheap - £130 for a 100ml bottle of it from John Lewis here and 2, it's actually a unisex fragrance for both men and women.

Normally I find reading about the history of a brand quite tedious, but the story behind Eight & Bob is really quite interesting - I won't ruin it here, but it involves a Parisian aristocrat and a young John F Kennedy in 1937. You can check out the history here. 

The notes to Nuit de Megeve are:

• Head: Grapefruit, petit grains and clove buds
• Heart: Tonka beans, orris and black coffee
• Dry-down: Vetiver, tobacco and musks

After a spray or two the first thing that struck me was that it was far, far too feminine for me - it was an instant "nope" from me and as the fragrance triggered my memory this reminded me of my Auntie Sue (in a good way - she has great fragrance tastes) but I didn't want to be smelling like a 60+ female. Initially thoughts were not positive, but it was obvious from the fragrance that the sweetness of the grapefruit on the nose was a little too sharp for my liking. It is a rather heavy fragrance despite the citrus head notes but thankfully these don't last and the fragrance evolves quickly and alters so much that I had to fundamentally change my assessment after fifteen minutes.

The sharpness of the citrus dries away quickly and it becomes a much smoother level of sweetness as the vanilla like note from the tonka bean blend with the coffee to make this much warmer, and in turn, much more masculine. 

Within thirty minutes you are left with the final fragrance and this is where my love for Nuit de Megeve really explodes. The vetiver and tobacco provide excellent balance to the sweetness and tones it down to more of an earthy warmth. Lovely!

Even though it gets more masculine it sits perfectly as a unisex fragrance - not too light and not overly heavy on the musks and earthy notes. 

Once dried down this is in a word - lush.

What really amazed me about this fragrance was it's longevity on my skin - it's quite possible the most hardwearing and long lasting of any aftershave I've ever tried before. A couple of sprays in the morning and you can still detect it on pulse points some 24 hours later - that's astounding. 

When testing this out I sprayed my wrists and then a couple of hours later had a shower - even after a good scrub in the shower I could still pick up hints of the tonka bean and vetiver. Wow! 

Expensive, yes, but worth every penny. Sadly, this introduction to Eight & Bob is going to seriously destroy my bank account over the coming years. Since I started writing this post I've had the chance to wrap my sniffing tackle around a few other offerings from the brand and like this they just ooze luxurious quality. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

For information:

• This product was not provided to me as a PR sample.
• I have not been remunerated or incentivised to write this post. 

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Giveaway: Modern Gent's Shaving Kit by The Body Shop

Over two years ago (doesn't time fly?!?) I wrote about the amazing male grooming gift sets available from The Body Shop and just before Christmas I was sent two of the Modern Gent's Shaving Kit to see what I thought of them. At the time I'd completely forgotten that I'd already tested and recommended it.

With that in mind, and the fact that the products are well worth a look I have a spare kit and rather than let it gather dust at my place (I don't shave that often at all anymore) I'm making it available here for one lucky reader to win. 

All you have to do is follow the Rafflecopter prompts below. So what's up for grabs in the kit?

1 x 200ml Maca Root Shave Cream

1 x 125ml Maca Root Face Wash

1 x 100ml Maca Root Energetic Face Protector

• The giveaway will be open to anyone with a postal address in the United Kingdom. 
• If you are aged under 16 you will need parental permission to enter as I will need your name and postal address if you are selected as the winner.
• The winner will be selected at random from Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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SKINCARE: Bulldog Original Eye Roll-On

Not being the healthiest person alive and getting by on around three to four hours sleep a night leaves my eyes looking and feeling a complete mess - dark circles under my eyes at times make me look like I've taken a good pasting from Tyson Fury after he's had a night on the Bolivian marching powder. A couple of products have managed to help combat the fine lines around my eyes, and some have even been successful in making me look as though life still courses through my veins. The latest product to get slapped onto my face in the hopes of resolving this is Bulldog Original Eye Roll-On. 

A tiny 15ml tube of the product will set you back under £10, yes, under a tenner and says that it will target dark circles (watch out IOC), revive tired eyes, reduce the appearance of fine lines and reduce puffiness. 

This is the product description from the Boots website, where you can buy this direct:

'Bulldog Original Eye Roll-On has a unique formulation which contains a special blend of avocado, cucumber and borage oils and Brazilian ginseng extract, millet seed and oak apple tannins. 

The cooling roller ball dispenser makes it quick and easy to apply the cream to the area under the eye.'

First up, it doesn't smell great, not nasty, just a bit eurgh. Sorry, but it does nothing to float my fragrance boat. That said, thanks to the metal roller only a minuscule amount of the liquid is spread onto the skin so once on the face you actually can't smell it - my smell assessment comes from rolling it onto my hand and giving it a good whiff. 

So, it has a metal ball to apply the liquid eh? Well yes, think of a scaled down roll-on deodorant stick and you are close to how this operates. On the first application I liked how cooling and refreshing the rollerball is on my undereye and it also helps ensure the cream is massaged in, so no need to use fingers.  I had to give the tube an almighty squeeze to get it going but once it's on its way the application process could not be simpler and thanks to the smaller ball, the chances of getting the liquid in the eye are smaller than Arsenal finishing in the top four of the Premiership this season, next season and the season after.....Top marks for packaging and applicator design.

But does it actually work? 

It certainly does, and it works really quickly. The liquid is absorbed in a stupidly quick time, a couple of rolls under and around my eyes first thing in the morning and last thing at night and I'm sorted.

After just a few minutes I personally could feel the skin under and to the sides of my eyes tightening and within ten minutes the bags that had been glaring back in the mirror had reduced - the dark circles were dark no more - don't get me wrong, it hadn't eliminated them completely (I'd need cosmetic surgery for that) it was more of a pale flesh colour (my natural skin tone) rather than looking like an extra from Vikings. 

After an hour the dark circles had all but gone, leaving me with results I was really happy with and much better than I had expected. I have a soft spot for Bulldog products, their hand cream and moisturiser are really great affordable grooming products but this has taken the biscuit (translation: it's much, much better). 

In terms of reviving my tired eyes, I can't say I noticed anything other than crippling tiredness but even so, the reduction in the dark rings, the tightening of the skin to reduce the puffiness under my eyes alone is enough for this, hell, I'd pay double.

Affordable and it works - can't say fairer than that.

RECOMMENDED

For information:

• All Bulldog products are made in the United Kingdom and are certified to the 'Leaping Bunny' Humane Cosmetics Standard.
• This product was not provided as a PR sample
• I have not been remunerated or incentivised to write this post. 

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BEARDS: Marbeian Beard & Moustache Brush Travel Kit

As my quest for something of a Viking look continues my beard game is now up to levels where daily care is required to keep both the skin underneath moisturised but also the beard itself conditioned and looking tidy. Nobody wants to look as though they slept in a bush, even if they did. It wasn't until last year that I dipped my toe into the water of beard brushes. My Kent BRD2 brush however seems to have gone and done a disappearing act while waiting for me to regain my mane. I needed a new brush (I turn into a compulsive brusher once fully bearded) - step forward the Beard & Moustache Brush Travel Kit from Marbeian. 

I picked up this set of beard grooming goodness from Amazon for just under £15, so a real steal, particularly when you consider that you get two brushes and a comb within the kit. You can pick up the kits here.

So, they are reasonably priced, but is it just tat off Amazon? Well, no. 

I'd never heard of Marbeian before, so I did a little look around to see who they were and it turns out to be a family run venture from Spain stocking a range of hairbrushes and grooming tools. Their website here gives the lowdown on the products they have to offer for all your grooming needs. Their customer promise is:

'Our promise is a happy customer who gets only superior quality products. Marbeian products don’t have to be replaced often - some ever! We offer a lifetime guarantee on many products. Style and workmanship last time making Marbeian a sustainable choice. Please consider nature and reduce waste.'

All beard brushes from Marbeian are made using boar hair bristles and the beard brush here is a real corker - the bristles have the rigidity to plough through a thick beard but they also ease out tangles and knots like a hot knife through butter. Resembling more of a boot polish brush the wooden handle makes it perfect for use in either my left or right hand. 

 

If I had to pick up one flaw with the angled bristles on my Kent BRD2 brush it was that I could only use it with my right hand making brushing the left hand side of my face awkward. With the Marbeian brush I have no such problems. 

The smaller brush is also a star in it's own right - it makes 'tache shaping so much easier and means you don't have to get your hands messy with beard oil or balm when moulding into shape for the day.

Last up is the wooden 'tache comb - excellent at de-tangling the old tea strainer prior to trimming. 

All of the items in the kit are really well made, and with the cotton carry bag these are perfect for slotting into my travel bag when I'm off out and about around the country with work. I've had these brushes for just under six months and I get the feeling that as long as I don't leave them in a hotel somewhere they will still be working their boar bristle magic on my bearded face in many years to come.

When you look at the price and look at the goods it's a no-brainer to have this kit in your grooming arsenal.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

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AFTERSHAVE: Pure XS by Paco Rabanne

Paco Rabanne, one of the first ever aftershaves in my collection and the original XS version of this aftershave was a staple for a good five years in my early 20s. Invictus was another triumph so when Pure XS fell into my collection after the good lady wife paid a visit to Disneyland in November I was mightily pleased. The massive velvet box of Pure XS by Paco Rabanne also looks the part with something of luxurious start to the testing process. 

Is it worth £47 for a 50ml bottle of the stuff? 

The notes to Pure XS are:

• Head: Green sap and white thyme
• Heart: Ginger and cinnamon
• Dry-down: Vanilla and myrrh

With notes like that I'd have expected a very heavy fragrance, earthy in nature with a sweet base, but I was astounded by how it played out after spraying it liberally across myself. 

First up, it's quite potent, anything more than four sprays and people around you will be gagging for a good hour after you've applied it. The green sap does give something of a earthy fragrance at first and weirdly, I found that it came across a little spicy for the first five minutes, with a warmth on the nose that brought a wry smile to my face - it doesn't give the impression that this is a complex blend but as it starts to evolve and dry down I swear you'll wonder how you did without this in your collection. 

The ginger is barely noticeable but you can pick up hints of cinnamon but only for again a few minutes before the warmth intensifies and it becomes very heavy, but again, for no more than thirty minutes. I started to think this was a little too heavy for my tastes, I'm more of a light, fresh citrus kind of aftershave wearer but just as I expected to be panning this for being a bit too blokey, it lightened and actually becomes sweet, on a par with Eros by Versace. Wheres Eros uses tonka beans for the sweetness, the use of vanilla means that this lasts and lasts on the skin. 

Just four sprays of this and you'll be smelling lovely all day long - it's strength plays out on the skin for a good ten hours plus making it a very hardwearing fragrance. Yes it does come across as a bit too heavy at first but the sweetness of the vanilla takes the edge off making it a perfect blend between masculinity and sweetness.

Nearly £50 for a bottle is a bit steep but this is a perfect fragrance for day wear around the office and with the excellent sillage properties mean you'll be badgered in a good way about what you're wearing today - those around you will be able to smell it, and if like my experience, at least 95 per cent of people will have a positive reaction. It's hard wearing, a bottle will last for months even if using daily which in my view makes it a decent mid-range aftershave.  

RECOMMENDED

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GIVEAWAY: Bois De Vetiver by Karl Lagerfeld

It's all the fault of the Mail on Sunday, yes, the Mail on Sunday. Casually browsing the paper in a cafe while having breakfast a couple of week ago I saw an advert for Bois De Vetiver by Karl Lagerfeld. The offer suggested that a 50ml bottle was available for around £30 and bing, that was me sold. After wandering around the shops I came across a 50ml bottle at The Perfume Shop for £15 (it's £16.99 now)! Being prepared to spend £30 I ended up buying two bottles and in a pique of Christmas spirit I have a bottle available to give away to one lucky reader.

But do you really want to win it? After all, it could smell a bit rank, and considering it's well.....cheap, suggests that it isn't that popular. I got my sniffing tackle around my bottle and this is what I think to the aftershave.

Bois De Vetiver is a new fragrance for 2017 and is sold as a powerful yet cool fragrance. Personally, after reading the notes to this I had no idea what to expect. The notes are:

Head: Blood orange, pink grapefruit and mint leaves

Heart: Ambrox, geranium and rose

Dry-down: Patchouli, musk and Vetiver

Taking those notes into account, I'd expect a really light fragrance, citrusy and fresh that dries down to something of a floral and woody base. What I encountered was quite possibly the best fragrance find, ever. 

The first two sprays really did fill me with a sense of joy, yes, it's light and you can only really detect the grapefruit. It's sharp on the nose for a good five to ten minutes before the crushed mint leaves take the edge off. After ten minutes the the head notes fade and become really subtle and the rose takes on the driving seat. Rather than becoming overly floral like Man Rose by Etro, the heart notes blend beautifully to give a smooth mix of citrus and rose - weirdly, this is where the fragrance starts to become more and more like Grey Vetiver by Tom Ford and when I say like, I mean it's nearly identical! 

After about thirty minutes the fragrance becomes so very subtle I can hardly notice it on my skin, but after thrusting my wrist at the other half she assured me it was still strong and when wearing this around the office it's obvious from the compliments that it has excellent sillage properties (it's like a lovely scented trail that follows you around). 

An hour in and this is basically the same as Grey Vetiver - I honestly can't tell the difference, if anything, it sparks more comments (positive of course) from those who surround me. Result! 

The patchouli and vetiver provide a really masculine base with a warm woody twang with just a hint of the floral notes that sits on the skin without being powerful or overbearing on the nose. It's lush - no, it's actually better than that. I love it. When you consider that this lasts on the skin for well over ten hours it makes it perfect for daywear, nights out or those special romantic occasions. It's perfect for any situation.

So, for under £20 you can pick up an aftershave that is on a par with more expensive variants from Tom Ford (Grey Vetiver can cost up to £85 for 50ml), and if you're lucky, you can pick up a bottle for free if you enter and are drawn as the winner of my giveaway. If you're not lucky, you really should pick up a bottle or two of this while it's on offer, and I promise you will not be disappointed.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
   

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway is open to people with a UK postal address

Random fact: I met Karl Lagerfeld in a lift at the Munich Hilton when I was twelve years old.

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