Moisturising against the elements – 6 of the Best Winter Moisturisers for Men

WORDS BY AMANDA LEWIS

Forget your “Winter is Coming” malarkey, Winter is well and truly here and with vengeance. With below zero temperatures the winter weather conditions of wind, rain, freezing conditions coupled with central-heating can wreak havoc on male skin. Prevention is always best than cure so ensure your Winter skin care regime, yes that’s right Winter skin care regime and we aren’t just talking a bit of soap and water here, keeps you looking groomed not grizzly. Clothes Make the Man’s winter moisturiser feature picks the best out there for YOU.

First up we have the all rounder when it comes to Moisturising the All-in-one Face Tracement from Lab Series. Not only does it Moisturise, but soothing, repairs and mattifies, essential is does it all for the lazy man Grooming regime.

A classic in every sense of the word, not just the ever reliable Nivea, but Nivea for Men. This formula especially developed for men, is suitable for use on the face, body and hands, is non-greasy and absorbes really quickly, plus great for even the tightest of budgets.

A bestseller within the market over at John Lewis, more of a Balm than a cream this brilliant Super Moisture Balm from ClarinsMen offers immediate comfort. It has comfortable texture and will not leave your skin feeling oily.

If your starting to feel your age, Kiehl’s Since 1851’s ‘Age Defender’ moisturiser combats natural signs of ageing. Specifically formulated for men’s skin, it’s revitalising treatment gently exfoliates dead skin cells, which allows the formula to effectively penetrate skin’s surface layers and smooth out roughness. Containing a blend of Vitamins, Proteins and Omega-3 Fatty Acids, this daily face cream is designed to firm your complexion and soften fine lines with continued use.

OK, bit of a side ball you weren’t expecting, but nonetheless a cracker, the Hydrator from Scaramouche and Fandango, it does exactly what it says on the tin, well packaging anyway. It contains Chronodyn cell energiser which is is clinically proven to help firm and tone the skin to fight against the signs of fatigue.

The last but by no means least, is another classic and must have from Clinique for Men, this lightweight formula delivers all-day moisture as well as skin strengthening ingredients. It absorbs quickly and can be applied first thing in the morning right the way through to last thing at night.

grüum The new name that will be essential to your daily grooming

grüum (pronounced groom) is a new concept in male grooming hoping it will revolutionise how men shop for their bathroom essentials. Inspired by principles of Scandinavian design ideals of style, functionality and affordable quality, grüum was founded by four friends who were tired of the over- hyped and overpriced male grooming market and set out to challenge it. You’d expect by the nature and general appearance of the brand for the four friends behind it to hail from some super trendy Scandi city like Copenhagen or Stockholm, but no grüum is a young British business that creates simple, effective shave, beard and skincare products, out of none other than the coolest of British cities, Manchester.

grüum is a new concept in male grooming hoping it will revolutionise how men shop for their bathroom essentials. These four Mancunian comrades felt there was something missing and created grüum to deliver personalised quality, simplicity, form and function. It’s facecare, for men, without the fuss. The grüum concept, designed as a monthly subscription service, with added flexibility, focuses on making it easy for the modern man to keep himself looking good, with minimal effort and maximum results, just what we like. Value for money, great quality and ease of use is at the core of the brand – the team at grüum believe this is what the modern man, not only wants, but demands.

So how does it work ? Well, the simple and flexible online subscription service that grüum offers means it can deliver premium quality products for a fraction of their cost on the high street. With no commitments (you’re never tied in), you receive exactly what you need to look your best, delivered to your door. And you can change, pause or cancel your grüum subscription at any time, scaling up or down as your grooming needs change. With grüum kits starting from just £6 per month. It’s the smarter way to look good. Simple, user friendly, and fuss free. So you tell them whether your clean shaven or display a proud hipster beard by simply answering a few questions, they’ll get to know you, your style and your daily routine. Then they build your kit: suggesting a selection of daily grooming essentials to create your own personal grüum kit. They deliver your personal kit to your door, so you can sit back and relax. In no time at all your kit will be wing- ing its way to your home or work. No need to sign for delivery. Finally you can enjoy the benefits of your very own kit for 30 days. If you like what you see? They’ll send your kit each month and keep you looking great.

Now if that wasn’t enough grüum likes to keep things simple, products are only included in the range that that are low maintenance, fit for purpose and are clear of unneccessary (and unpronounceable) chemicals. Free from EDTA, parabens, sulphates, SLS, SLES, arti cial fragrances, artificial colours and made in the UK.

Look your Best over the Yuletide – Grooming gifts for him

img_0356Can  you believe we’re already into the third of our 12 posts of Christmas in association with The White Company. Today we see us covering everything you could possibly need, either for yourself or for giving as a gift in the grooming spectrum, covering every price point and budget you could possibly imagine. Enjoy.

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Look super suave when traveling with this AMAZING Tom Ford grooming compendium complete with wash bag, please Santa let this be under my tree come Christmas morn.

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This ultra stylish manicure set by Harris Tweed exclusively for House of Fraser will have you wanting to shake hands with everyone you meet.

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There are some great gift sets for men this Christmas and this has to be up there with the best of them by Clairns Men.

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This, as the name suggests offers you head to toe coverage in the grooming stakes from the great boutique brand, Pankhurst London.

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Go all traditional and try this great shaving soap, bowl and brush All from the Aspen collection from The White Company.

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If you’re look to up your grooming regime in 2017 I couldn’t recommend highly enough this great starter set from Clinique for Men, may only complaint is it doesn’t contain the essential Post Shave  Soother.

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Or if your looking for an alternative, look no further than this set, including wash bag by Lab Series. It literally is all you need, OK bar a razor, toothbrush and paste.

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Not all men like to have a signature fragrance and stick to it, some guys enjoy mixing it up and this is the perfect way to do it. You have these four  distinctly different scents but they all originate from the same family source in Polo Ralph Lauren.

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This is a great gift idea, perfect for the gym in 2017 this gift set complete with stylish backpack by Jack Wills who wouldn’t want this ?

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Wanting to get into the  21st century or simply just sick of the daily grind of wet shaving here’s your solution the Braun Series 9 is for more than a mere electric shaver.

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Who mentioned the  dreaded gym word ? Let these brilliant produces fro. The Sport range from, Molton Brown energise and soothe those aching muscles.

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American Crew is a classic brand when it comes to hair styling And will ensure you look cool as ice over the Yuletide.

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Who wouldn’t want to find this at the bottom of their Christmas tree come the 25th, The London Collection by Aesop, literally a complete grooming regime in this super stylish packaging.

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As we pointed out a couple of weeks ago Candle are no longer the sole preserve of the fairer sex and this is a perfect example Orange Britters by Jo Malone, plus it’s excellently festive.

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How to look fresh faced during party season – men-ü

Image result for a man drunk at a christmas partyWinter can raise all kinds of challenges for the well-groomed man as can the festivities that take place all over the Christmas period which is literally ONE month away now. Lloyd Hughes, Creative Director & Lead Educator of male grooming brand men-ü has offered his top tips to men to help maintain a fresh look during the party season. Lloyd has two decades of experience in the industry and is a multi-salon owner. He reccomends the following top tips to get you through the goods times of the next couple of weeks, looking your best.

Have a daily routine

The best advice we can offer to guys during the winter months is to develop their daily shave and facial routine. Exfoliate, cleanse, tone and condition / moisturise the skin daily. The process of protecting the visual front line is not just for shave days. On particularly harsh, cold and windy days, keep a travel sized amount of moisturiser in your work bag and apply (in seconds) two or three times a day. This takes just a few seconds and will offer long term protection.image

Exfoliate with a close shave

The big block style beard has now been with us for quite a while but for how much longer? This winter season we are seeing a movement towards, cleaner, smoother, well-groomed skin. Men have more active sebaceous glands than women, secreting more oil onto the skin. It’s the excess oil, dead skin cells and daily elements that block the pores, creating a whole host of skin issues including spots and breakouts which in turn cause issues when shaving.

Every time a guy runs the razor over his skin, he is removing up to two layers of skin cells. This is exfoliation a woman can only dream of. It’s this process of exfoliation that leads to healthier, and hopefully younger looking skin (who doesn’t want that)! It is no coincidence that teenage boys skin often starts to clear up at the time they start to shave regularly.

imageDeep cleanse

After exfoliation (shaving) we need to deep cleanse the skin. Deep cleansing the skin immediately post shave will remove any remaining dead skin cells, cleanse the pores and remove any remaining debris that arises immediately after shaving, leaving the skin freshly exfoliated and deep cleansed. Probably the best preventative against spots and breakouts.

imageAdd more texture to hair

The high fronted solid quiff style has been the leading trend for a while now, so many stylists are looking to break down those solid full frontal block shapes using internal cutting to create movement and life, setting hair free from heavily greased styles. Textured hair supporting lots of movement is a perfect winter style as it isn’t too disrupted by drizzle. Lightly textured style requires a good flexi-hold, easily achieved with men-ü’s new LIQUIFFLEX. This liquefies easily and disperses evenly through the hair. Hands are left dry to the touch. This is a practically weightless product that will thicken the hair and give it the required body and volume. Great for creating volume with fine, thin hair.

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The Personal Barber – Discover a Better Way to Shave

Words by Charlie Britton

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Shaving for some can be a monotonous everyday task. It’s often shrugged off on weekends, leaving boys and gentlemen sporting hangover stubble for a Sunday lunch with the in-laws. Fear not, there are a vast majority of well kept modern men who take pride in their appearance, and the journey to reaching optimum handsomeness is one that is well enjoyed. That’s where The Personal Barber comes in.

The Personal Barber is a subscription service born and raised here in the UK, ensuring the gentlemen of today are provided with some of the finest shaving products to date, month by month. Not only are you lavished with an array of fine smelling oils, balms, creams and soaps, but you are equipped with a stainless steel old school safety razor and shaving brush to match.

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Now don’t be off-put by the word ‘subscription’. Just like your streaming service, TV and mobile phone contract, The Personal Barber provides you with a product you inevitably need, even if you sport a beard from time to time. You will receive a variety of products each month, from new soaps and shaving creams, to pre’ and post-shave products and of course, new double edged razor blades.
Each month, the variety of pre and post shave products will change, ensuring your experience differs from the last. You are spoiled with the fuss free ability to try out new products, scents and smells, and experiment with routines that best suit you and your shaving affair.

I speak to the gentlemen out there from experience, as a qualified barber myself, I can definitely recommend products and practices that actually work, and this is one of them. I was impressed with the Personal Barber’s choice of products as they have focused on the experience for their customers in regards with providing the right tools for the job. The box is well presented and the products inside are appealing from the get go. The moisturiser and face scrub I received smell fantastic, and the safety razor and shaving brush look and feel great. I would love to see a slight improvement with the brush itself, although this could push up the price, so I understand why they’ve included the one they have, and I can assure you it’s more then up for task. The blades are standard stainless steel double edged blades and they are exactly what you’d expect for an old school razor. They are extremely sharp and fine, so I can ensure they are perfect for a clean shave.

october2016boxfullI was excited to test these products, and I wanted to try them as any customer would, so I followed the instruction leaflets included in the box which mark out each step in detail. The instructions were very well written and I cannot fault the processes which these advise you take when shaving with these products.

My experience with the box was fantastic. The safety razor is extremely well built, and ensures for a nick-free shave, of course on the basis that it’s used correctly. The shaving cream lathered up very well, and it provided for a very comfortable shave. The moisturiser and face wash, by a brand named Morgan’s, were probably my favourite products in the box. They are lovely and smooth, smell fantastic and work very well, and I’m quite excited to see what’s in store for next month’s box.

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If you’re supporting Movember this month and don’t think this is quite suitable just yet, fear not, The Personal Barber has a special box this month, including moustache related products as well as the usual shaving gear. They’ll soon have gift options available too, so this might be the perfect gift for someone special this Christmas.

Overall, this is definitely something I would recommend. It presents the handsome side to shaving, something that’s been lost through mainstream marketing over time. It returns shaving to its once respected position, and it’s something we should all most definitely take pride in. Albert Einstein once said, ‘Why is it I always get my best ideas while shaving?’, and to be quite honest, I’ve asked myself that question many of times and still haven’t the slightest idea.

Find out more over at The Personal Barber.