Men's Grooming Tips And Advice

I have always had a wet shave, which means buying a lot of blades over the years. There’s almost always a time where I have to think, “Do I need to buy blades” and when I do, it means having to go into town and get myself a pack, which are getting more and more expensive.

Shaving is not just about the blades, you’ll also need shaving gel or foam, and as I always mention you can’t forget about post shave balm. If you’re like me you, you’ll not run out of these things at the same time which is quite annoying.

Cornerstone is a men’s shaving brand with a difference. It’s a subscription based service, and their philosophy is to create a more simple way to shave. Their shaving kits comprise of a face scrub, shave gel and post shave balm, as well as a pack of blades and your very own, customised stick with your initials inscribed.

The service costs £30, and they have three plans you can subscribe to, which depend on how often you shave; You can opt to get a box send to you every 6, 12 or 24 weeks depending on how often you shave. The box will contain:

1 stick (Your first box)
6 blades
Face Scrub (100ml)
Shaving Gel (150ml)
Post Shave Balm (75ml)

For myself, shaving 3 times a week they recommend a box every 12 weeks, which would mean using one blade for 2 weeks. This seems a long time to me, since I currently use one blade every 10 days or so, however I’ve been reading that they actually last a lot longer.

I really love the box and the presentation, each component has it’s own compartment, everything is laid out well and the packaging is really cool.

How does it stack up against old fashioned shopping?

I usually buy 150ml King Of Shaves Gel (£3.69), 150ml Dove MenCare face scrub (£2.86), MACH3 blades, £13.99 for 8 and 100ml Dove Mencare Post-Shave Balm (£3.86). That is a total of £24.40 which is slightly cheaper, and you get slightly more than the Cornerstone box.

Final Word

The Cornerstone box is slightly more expensive than the DIY options of buying your own products, however you’re getting them delivered to your door, without the need to go out to the shops which can make this service worthwhile.

If you’re the guy on the go, living a busy life and don’t want to worry about your shaving regime being disrupted because you’ve forgotten to buy something, this takes all the hassle of buying essential products for your shaving needs.

Forget about forgetting that post shave balm, with the Cornerstone box it’s as simple as choosing your plan and letting them take care of the rest.

Dolce and Gabbana released an anthology of unisex fragrances back in 2009, each one numbered 1, 3, 6, 10 and 18. The idea of the range was that each scent was in fact a unisex scent, but later this was marketed slightly different, and they changed up the way they were marketed, with clear distinctions between the male and female scents. This is D&G Le Bateleur 1,a masculine scent.

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A classic timeless scent which has been around for a long time, I am talking about Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani. It may have been around for a long time, and is loved by many, however it’s one of my newest fragrances.

After all the hype surrounding it, I decided that I had to get myself a bottle, it almost felt like a crime not having this in my huge fragrance collection. It first appeared in 1996, and is still going strong, it’s a firm favourite with many, and makes a lot of people’s lists for a must have scent.

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Released way back in 1989-90, CK Eternity For Men is a fragrance you have probably heard of, if not tried. In a simple but chunky glass bottle, this Calvin Klein scent will take you back to the 90s and is not as refined as some of the fragrances of the modern day, however that is not necessarily a bad thing.

The citrus hits you as you spray it, with a mixture of aromatic and spicy notes making it an intriguing style of scent. Since I am rather young and was not wearing aftershaves or EDTs in the early 90s, this is an interesting style of scent which you don’t get very often these days.

It’s quite raw the way the citrus and spice is combined, with a hint of fresh notes and an even smaller hint of a woody scent. A great overall old school fragrance if you want to go for that style, but I prefer the more updated fragrances.

Read the best Calvin Klein Fragrances if you’re looking for comparison among the collection, and discover which CK fragrance is best.

Best season to wear – All rounder
Scent type – Citrus/Spicy/Fresh
Age Recommendation – 30+
Best Worn – Casual, Daywear, Evening, Retro

Top Notes – Mandarin, Lavender, Green Botanics.

Middle Notes – Jasmine, Basil, Geranium, Sage.

Base Notes – Sandalwood, Vetiver, Rosewood, Amber

What do you think of Calvin Klein Eternity for Men? Let me know your thoughts, and as always, you can read my aftershave reviews if you’re on the hunt for a new scent to wear this season.

Other Calvin Klein Fragrances

• Calvin Klein CK One
• Calvin Klein Escape
• Calvin Klein Encounter

Introduced in 2004, Givenchy Pour Homme Blue Label is quite a refined smelling scent. encased in a glass bottle, it has a blue surround which takes most of the shape of the bottle, complete with a carved out back near the sprayer to make application easy.

It is a little citrus-like but it is more refined, with fresh notes coming through and a hint of spicy ones too. It has quite an elegant smell too it, and is not over-powering and a clean cut grown up scent. If you are in the market for something which is not going to be too over-bearing for those around you, yet you want to smell good, try this out. Recommended for the spring or summer, it’s perfect to wear during the day in the office or at Uni.

Best season to wear – Spring/Summer
Scent type – Citrus/Fresh/Slightly Spicy
Age Recommendation – 16+
Best Worn – Daytime, Formal, Casual, Uni, Work

Top Notes – Grapefruit, Hedione, Bergamot

Middle Notes – Cardamom, Davana, Pepper

Base Notes – Olibanum, Vetiver, Cedar

Other Givenchy Fragrances

• Givenchy Irresistible Fresh Attitude
• Givenchy Xeryus Rouge

Nivea for Men have launched a new cooling collection alongside their sensitive range of men’s skincare products. Additions to the range are a new cooling shaving gel and cooling post shave gel, which contains 0% alcohol to help prevent burning, reddening and skin irritation.

Included in the sensitive range are a shower gel and antiperspirant stick, as well as a face wash, hydro gel and moisture cream. I am a big fan of using post shave balm, and I have used many over the years. Not every man uses one, but it’s a product I swear by, and I cannot imagine not including one in my shaving regime. The Nivea for Men cooling post shave balm has a slight green and citrus scent, and is cool on the skin. The antiperspirant stick works quite well, and is quite odourless which is something I like in an antiperspirant. It’s said to last for an effective 48 hours, so I will have to conduct further tests to see how well it holds up in a hot and sticky office situation, something many of us are all too aware of. The shower gel works well, and has that similar citrus-like scent to it.

All the products are available to buy now from the usual places, priced at the following…

NIVEA MEN Sensitive Post Shave Balm – £7.10
NIVEA MEN Sensitive Shaving Gel – £4.50
NIVEA MEN Sensitive Shower Gel 250ml – £2.00
NIVEA MEN Sensitive 48 hour Sensitive Protect Stick – £2.49

Boss Bottled Unlimited is the latest fragrance from Hugo Boss, inspired by the BOSS man’s determination and drive for success. This limited edition energizing scent is available to buy now, but be quick, because it is only on sale for a limited time. It’s a real summer style of scent, so would be perfect at this time of the year for Father’s Day.

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The Big Pony collection by Ralph Lauren was introduced in 2010 and contains 4 numbered scents which come in different coloured bottles. This is Big Pony 2 which comes in the red bottle. The fragrance is created from chocolate and musk, and is quite a sweet mild scent, slightly warming and fruity. It is so light, and the longevity and strength of this means it does not last too long, and is not as powerful as many other scents. It is a decent fragrance for casual daytime use, however if you want to make an impression with your scent this may not do it, which could be a good thing in some situations.

It’s not something I would consider wearing on a night out at it’s too subtle for my taste, however if you don’t want to make an impact yet want to smell decent, this may be for you.

Best season to wear – All
Scent type – Sweet/Warm/Spicy
Age Recommendation – 18+
Best Worn – Day, Work, Uni,, Formal, Casual

In 2002 Giorgio Armani released this, Armani Mania. The bottle is a classic no nonsense irregular cylindrical smoked glass bottle with a chunky gun metal grey top. Despite this scent being released over 10 years ago, it can still be purchased today, and is something worth considering.

Back in 2005 was when I first got this EDT, and I fell in love with it. Armani Mania became one of my favourites, and it brings back some great memories. It’s a warm, spicy and woody style of scent, masculine but not too dark and musky.

The spicy woody odour is toned down by a floral note which produces an interesting scent, giving the spicy aroma some lightness. The combination of it being not too light and not too musky but still enough to pack that masculine punch gives it a real elegant and sophisticated scent.

It’s perfect for a night out in the summer or winter, or when you want to pack a bit more of a punch in a more formal setting.

Best season to wear – All rounder
Scent type – Spicy/Woody/Fresh/Floral
Age Recommendation – 21+
Best Worn – Evening, Daytime, Office, Date Night, Casual

Top Notes – Tangerine Leaves, Saffron

Middle Notes – Cedar, Vetiver

Base Notes – Amber, Musk

What do you think of this Armani fragrance? Let me know, and don’t forget to read through some of the other aftershave reviews to find your perfect scent.

Other Fragrances From Armani

• Armani Eau De Nuit
• Acqua Di Gio By Giorgio Armani
• Emporio Armani Remix
• Acqua Di Gio Profondo

Essenza Di Zegna and Zegna Intenso are two fragrances which I got quite a while ago. Released around 2003 and 2007 respectively by Ermenegildo Zegna. The Italian fashion house is known for it’s elegance, and these two scents can certainly be described as that.

Both bottles are a similar style, with the Essenza being a light coloured clear bottle, and the Intenso being dark, and having stripes throughout in the style of closed blinds.

Essenza Di Zegna is a slightly fresh and aquatic style of smell, with hints of amber and musk as it settles down. It’s quite a strange combination, which makes determining it as a night or day scent is quite difficult. This means I could recommend it as either day or night wear, probably on a more casual basis. It’s a slightly warm aroma, but not something you’d exclusively classify as something for a winters night.

Zegna Intenso is a really nice, inviting scent, which slightly resembles Armani Code. It’s slightly woody and aromatic, and is perfect for date night, a night out with the lads, or any kind of situation where you want to smell like a warm and inviting individual.

Both scents are quite individualistic, and quite underrated in the fragrance market. Neither is a stand out scent which is going to be a must have for someone who’s looking for that one killer bottle of cologne, but if you’re looking for something which others aren’t wearing, either of these could be worth thinking about.

As both scents are quite old now, you can shop around and pick up either for a great price. It’s worth buying if you can get a good deal.

In terms of the longevity, as these are both EDT and not particularly strong, the longevity is fair. Expect to get 4 or 5 hours before the scent really starts to fade away, especially Essenza, the lighter of the two. The projection is also quite small, so people at the other end of the room are unlikely to smell the scent.

If you’ve got or worn either of these fragrances from Ermenegildo Zegna, let me know what you think of them.

Essenza Di Zegna

Best season to wear – Spring/Summer
Scent type – Aquatic/Fresh
Age Recommendation – 21+
Best Worn – Daytime, Casual

Zegna Intenso

Best season to wear – Autumn/Winter
Scent type – Aromatic/Woody
Age Recommendation – 21+
Best Worn – Nightwear, Casual, Date Night, Out With The Lads