The men's grooming tips which will make sure you look and feel great. Learn what you need for the complete men's grooming routine, including skincare, hair, fragrance and guide on keeping yourself looking fresh.
Here’s a brief look at some of the grooming and fragrances I got for Christmas just gone 🙂
In terms of fragrances I got Dior Sauvage, Molton Brown Tobacco Absolute and Michaek Kors For Men set with the body wash. I really like Rituals, and I bought (and reviewed here) the Samurai Cool Deo, and got a little box set with a few goodies inside, as well as a bigger shower foam. The Reiss smelly set contains a body wash and body spray. The No.7 is a hair and body wash along with a face scrub.
As always, I will review each scent in my men’s scent reviews, which will be on the blog in a few weeks 🙂
Christmas is rolling around again, and if there’s one thing which (almost) all men like, it’s a good scent. As you’ll know, I own a lot, in fact too many, and I’ve written about a great deal in my men’s scent reviews on the blog over the years, and still have plenty more to do. I’ve tried, tested and loved so many scents, with only a handful I’ve got to admit I was not much of a fan of. If you’re looking to get someone a scent this year, or just want recommendations for yourself and a new fragrance, here’s my little guide of what fragrances I’ll be recommending this year.
Creed Aventus
If you want to treat yourself or someone else and money is not something you’ll be thinking about too much, Creed Aventus is worth considering. It’s a strong EDP, and a masculine scent which is adored by both men and women. It’s a woody but sophisticated scent, and very inviting. Small 30ml bottles start at around £99, you can find it at high end perfume shops such as House of Fraser here.
Floris Santal
I cannot write a top fragrance guide without mentioning my favourite, Floris Santal. My journey with this scent started because I was looking for a Gucci Envy replacement, since it got discontinued. This is very similar, and as such it’s brilliant. It’s a floral style of scent, but still masculine, and works as a perfect all rounder. At £75 it’s one of the more expensive scents, but worth it. You can get it at Floris here.
Tom Ford Grey Vetiver
I describe this as an older gentlemen style of scent. Tom Ford Grey Vetiver is earthy, slightly powdery and really hits home in the way of sophistication. It’s for grown ups, gentlemen, and will have you smelling like nobody else. You can treat yourself to a 50ml bottle from Harrods, it will set you back £50.
Tom Ford Noir
To stay on the path of Tom Ford, I have to talk about Tom Ford Noir. Warm and inviting, it’s another quintessentially fragrance for the modern man. A great one for a night, if you’re planning on getting something before Christmas for a party of night out, try this one. Get it for around £57.
Dior Sauvage
I tried Dior Sauvage and love the way it smells. It’s another masculine style of scent, great for evenings. It smells really elegant, the woody notes are slightly toned down with a warmer spicy affair. It’s is a brand new scent for 2015, taking the name from Dior Eau Sauvage which was released way back in 1966.
Gruhme No.14
I reviewed Gruhme No.14 a few months back and was very impressed. It’s not your household name, but it is an independent British brand which makes quite an impact when you wear it. The number 14 indicates the concentration percentage, and once you wear it you’ll understand what it means. I tested it with two small sprays, and it lasted the entire day, and manages to achieve the longevity without overpowering. It’s a masculine style of smell, perfect for the Winter nights. You can find it direct at Gruhme, at £45 for 100ml.
Issey Miyake Pour Homme
If you’re looking for something manly but want something lighter, Issey Miyake Pour Homme has to be worth considering. It still oozes masculinity but in a fresher, more citrus style. It’s only £42 at Boots for a 75ml bottle, which should last a while, and you can make this your everyday scent.
Acqua Di Gio By Giorgio Armani & BOSS Bottled
Two classic scents which are already favourites amongst men, Acqua Di Gio BOSS Bottled should be in your life, if they aren’t already. Both are fragrance staples which can be worn all year round both night and day, and are completely inoffensive. They are strong enough to be worn in all situations without overpowering, but will make a subtle impression when you’re wearing either of these. Sold in most shops, search for the best deal.
Verdict
Remember to shop around for the best deals. There’s so many people buying scents for others each Christmas, and many shops have fantastic deals on them. Christmas time brings out box sets, which can be the same price as a solo bottle so are well worth the buy, and you get it in a nice box too! 😛 Buying from Amazon is great, but make sure you read my guide on not buying fake fragrances online, you should always shop from authorised dealers to get a genuine product. Forget about a dog, a scent is a man’s best friend. If you’re getting one for someone else or yourself, make sure you have at least one of these in your repertoire.
As you already know by reading my many fragrance reviews, I love a good scent. I have tried so many, so when Gruhme got in touch for me to review one of their offerings I had to give it a go. If you’ve not heard of Gruhme it’s a privately owned, independent British fragrance house owned by former lawyer, Rob Hallmark.
The ethos behind the brand was to create truly independent British made fragrances and products designed and marketed solely towards the male market.
This is the Number 14 scent. It contains the same blend of fine ingredients as the original, but in a higher, 14% concentration, rather than the original 10%. This gives it that little bit of extra punch as well as better longevity.
So recently Vitabiotics got in touch to let me know about their latest male grooming range of products, which is a wonderful collection of seven skincare products ranging from the bare essentials including body wash and shampoo, to quality products for your everyday regime including daily moisturiser, eye serum and face wash. The products have been scientifically developed and include nutrient active ingredients to keep the skin smooth, invigorated and revitalised. Here’s a closer look at all products, and a brief introduction to what they are:
Body Wash – Formulated with Arginine Niacinamide, the body wash is designed to cleanse the skin and keep it hydrated. Face Wash – A daily wash with Vitamin B3 and Aloe Vera to keep the face feeling cool, refreshed and revitalised. Face Scrub – With Aloe Vera and Menthol, it gently exfoliates the skin leaving it smoother, with Zinc PCA present to help combat oily skin. Anti-Aging Moisturiser – Helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, it has Arginine and natural Betaine help control moisture balance in the skin cells to keep skin supple and youthful. Under-Eye Serum – Nourishing and hydrating anti-fatigue formula includes Caffeine, Horse Chestnut extract and Haloxyl™ to help reduce the appearance of under-eye puffiness, dark circles and fine lines. Daily Moisturiser – A 12 hour moisturiser which contains vitamins A, C and E to nourish and protect the skin, and Arginine and Niacinamide smooth and strengthen the skin. Shampoo – Cleanses and invigorates the hair and scalp leaving it healthy-looking. Niacinamide helps to increase circulation in the scalp, combined with Zinc for anti-dandruff protection.
I will be putting all of these to the test in the coming weeks and trying them all out. I am most looking forward to trying out the under-eye serum. Since we live in a world with not much sleep and looking at screens for most of it, my eyes do feel tired and I can get dark circles, so it will be good to see if this can help, or even eliminate them 🙂
As you know I love my scents and smells, just head on over to my fragrance directory if you’re in any doubt! 😛 However when it comes to deodorants or antiperspirants my favourite things to use are products which are pretty much odourless or have a neutral, clean smell, like the Dove+MEN Care Clean Comfort which I wrote about on Men’s Grooming Day. The reason I prefer an odourless or natural spray is simple; I don’t want it to clash with whatever fragrance I’m wearing, and I usually wear one every day. I do occasionally use a scented spray, such as Lynx Black, or some others, depending on my mood.
I bought a Rituals set as a gift for father’s day, it was a set and a blind buy, having known Rituals do good stuff I decided to go for it, it was a nice little set so I thought why not. A few weeks ago I had to have a try of the spray to see what it smelled like…And I loved it! In fact I loved it so much I had to get myself a can, and I have! 🙂
The Rituals Samurai Cool Deo is a 24 hour antiperspirant spray, which not only works well, but smells beautiful. A lot of sprays are simply deodorants which are only made as a smell, i.e. they do nothing for sweat other than covering it up. This not only smells beautiful, it’s an antiperspirant too, which means it will stop you from sweating.
The scent is organic bamboo and cedar wood, which is incredibly fresh with a very masculine tone to it. The can is a nice blue colour, with faux wood top, and feels nice and premium. It does come at a cost, this 200ml bottle was £8, so it’s not cheap as cheap as a regular high street brand, but I do think that it’s worth a bit extra.
I highly recommend this if you are looking for something with a beautiful smell without having to go for a bottle of aftershave or EDT, with the added bonus of being an antiperspirant too.
The third instalment of the Ferrari Essence Collection comes after Noble Fig and Bright Neroli, and is called Pure Lavender. As with the other two bottles in the collection, it comes in the same style, premium clear glass bottle, with the Ferrari wording to the front and the Pure Lavender working underneath. The bottle top comes with the iconic Ferrari prancing horse, and the metal top is wrapped in faux leather for a luxury feel.
The tagline for this scent is contemporary freshness, and once you’ve had a smell you can see why. The lavender is present and you feel this right away, but it’s subtle and sophisticated, with the other notes working well to give off a fresh and aromatic type of smell. This is my favourite from the Essence collection, the hints of lavender make it floral and give it that touch of elegance, with cashmere wood and vanilla giving it a very slight woody edge. The fragrance is modern and quite sensual, and like the others from the collection, is suitable for both men and women. Since it’s so inoffensive it could be worn in the day as well as an evening, and is perfect to wear as a light scent for Spring or Summer.
You can pick this up from Harrods for £75/100ml bottle.
Best season to wear – Spring/Summer Scent type – Floral, Fresh, Aromatic Age Recommendation – 21+ Best Worn – Daytime, Evening, Casual, Formal
The second Ferrari scent I have got my hands on after Noble Fig is Ferrari Bright Neroli, from the Ferrari Essence Collection of fragrances. As with the other member of the essence family, this comes in a premium clear glass bottle, with minimal branding including the Ferrari logo along with Bright Neroli wording.
These days when I talk about products I usually do more in depth reviews or as part of a feature or campaign, but I have to mention one of my favourite daily products which I use, VO5 Texturizing Gum. It’s actually sort of an accident that I even have this; I got it as part of a little set last Christmas from my ASOS Secret Santa, Debz.
It’s 21st August 2015, and someone, somewhere has declared this day to be Men’s Grooming Day. Since this day is dedicated to all things male grooming related, I thought it would be the perfect time to write about my favourite products I use. Since I write a lot in the men’s grooming blog, I get to try out lots of new and exciting products for everything from skincare to hair products. It’s also no secret that I love aftershaves and scents, I have lost count of how many I now own. I do, however have a few absolute favourite products which I use all the time, if it’s not daily then it’s weekly or as often as it’s needed!
My daily men’s grooming products
Hair Products
I use a big variation of hair products, I mean big! This probably comes from the fact I used to shave my hair really short since before I was a teen right up until 6 or 7 years ago, so I never grew up with hair product, and I’m still experimenting using different styles and types. At the moment my favourite when my hair is on the shorter side is SachaJuan Hair Wax. It’s a rich creamy wax, and works well into the hair, and smells nice. It’s expensive, so I tend to use it sparingly.
When my hair grows a bit longer, and I want to create a messier look then I will go for VO5 Extreme Gum. I will have a feature on this on the blog soon. It’s a very nice gum, and is really easy to use.
In The Shower
My shower regime is really simple, although sometimes it can grow and I can add a few other products into it. At the moment it’s very simple, only consisting of three products. Dove Men+Care is my favourite shower gel. It’s unscented, which is good for me because I usually want to wear a bottled fragrance and something you don’t want to have is a clash of scents. My go to shampoo for a number of years has been Head & Shoulders For Men. It has a decent scent and works well, and gets rid of any hair product build up which may exist. Lastly I have a face scrub, and I use Dermalogica Daily Clean Scrub. It’s expensive, but it is good, and although it states it’s a daily scrub, I don’t use it daily as I don’t think you need a scrub for daily use.
Shaving
My favourite shaving products have probably remained the same for the longest time. When I was 16 I tried out an electric shaver and hated it, so had a couple of Gillette Blue Two’s and they were not great but not too bad. Not long after I upgraded to a Mach 3, and never looked back. I have tried and tested a few others down the line, but my favourite and the one I will use time and again is the Mach 3. As for shaving gel, I use King Of Shaves. I really like it, the product is cool and it’s easy to glide the razor through for a clean and close shave.
When I first started shaving I used aftershave, hence the name. I then realised I didn’t want to always smell like I was going on a night out, so tried out a couple of post shave balms. After about 10 years of switching and using various brands and types, my current favourite is again from the Dove Men+Care range, the Men+Care post shave balm. It has a mild clean scent and leaves the skin feeling nice.
Fragrances & Aftershaves
If you read my blog you’ll know all about my men’s fragrance reviews, there’s a whole load of them on the blog, and they’re all genuine reviews of scents I own or have owned. I have a ridiculous amount, and have so many favourites, each one tells it’s own story and it depends on the occasion and my mood to pick out what I want to wear.
The two I have chosen are Floris Santal and Bvlgari MAN, both have a bit of history for me. My all time favourite is Gucci Envy For Men, however even though I still have some left, it’s now been discontinued. In my search for a replacement I came across Floris Santal, which is very similar, so I love it. Before finding it I fell in love with Bvlgari MAN, it’s an amazing scent, it’s elegant and sophisticated so works well for a night out or formal evening. It’s also quite light and fun, so it works in the daytime too. It’s one of my all time favourite scents.
Last but not least…
You need to wear a deodorant, and once again I am going for a product from the Dove Men+Care range. It’s the Clean Comfort variation, and I really like it. I have spoken about scent clashing above, which is where this comes in. It has a very light clean scent, and doesn’t interfere with my main fragrance I wear.
I am a big fan of some of the Dove Men+Care products, I have featured a few on the blog before, and my favourites are from the clean comfort range including the post shave balm, body wash and deodorant.
Dove have a new range, the Hydrate+ range, and I have been putting a few of them through their paces.
