As our thoughts turn to the notion of packing our bags and journeying on a jet plane to some sunnier climb, leaving our troubles and woes behind for a week or two. Any globetrotter, worth his salt, knows, that maintaining impeccable style whilst travelling is of the utmost importance.

And maintaining this demeanour whilst travelling is equally imperative. For this very reason Ted Baker have conjured up three new travel sized tonics. Available in gold, silver or copper. Each Travel Tonic is slim line and portable, making for a rare and refined addition to any travel collection.

Created to compliment the essence of a man’s jet-set lifestyle, these distinguished Travel Tonics are inspired by three treasured metals. Fusing style with substance, each sophisticated fragrance ensures you always spark a reaction, wherever in the world you may find yourself.

Getting their names from their periodical table reference, firstly we have, Au, Gold in colour and The last word in masculinity, this immaculate and enduring fragrance is crafted for the modern day man who believes the devil is in the detail.

Notes of bergamot and clove deepen to a dazzling heart of jasmine and a base of musk and vanilla. Meticulously blended and supremely invigorating, Au is a mark of distinction for any collection.

Then we have Ag, Silver, of course, A signature scent for those who like to make an entrance, Ag ensures a lasting impression.

Melting from notes of bergamot and violet leaf to an earthy heart of leather and warm cedarwood, this dramatic and distinctive scent captures the essence of refinement. And last but by no means in third place is Cu, standing for Copper. This dynamic and striking scent suits the discerning gent with an eye for style and a taste for sophistication.

A unique fragrance that’s at once smooth and spicy, Cu captures the attention with a rich blend of zingy grapefruit and smoky pepper, contrasted with base notes of patchouli. Ideal for traveling over night or longer.

Today a true hair Aficionado gives us his take on the forthcoming season’s hair styles to be sporting, so if your thinking of a change or just updating your current follicle do, please pay attention. Luke Dolan,  Ambassador for premium grooming range, Uppercut Deluxe, is a master of traditional barbering and lives the BarberLife scene. Luke started a hairdressing apprenticeship aged 17, preferring the more subtle environment of a barber shop he moved over to barbering shortly after and hasn’t looked back. He now has over 19 years experience. Luke loves more traditional cuts and his favourite would be a ‘crisp, clean pomp’.

Dolan works in collaboration with Uppercut Deluxe from his North London salon. Inspired by the timeless style of the 1950s barbershop and its spiritual founder, Willy Uppercut OShea, Uppercut Deluxe is a modern, yet traditional approach to mens grooming. An Australian born brand proudly made with only the finest ingredients, Uppercut Deluxe delivers a core straight talking range of quality grooming products for men.

For this post Luke gives us his top 4 looks for theSummer. Starting with;

Style 1
The Disconnected Pomp
This has been around for a couple of years and has now evolved into a fade on the sides but the top left more textured. Square layers through the top that are heavily texturised when dry. I would use the Uppercut Matt clay for this one.

Style 2
The Taper
The taper has been around since the world was formed but has made a resurgence this year because a good taper down to skin can make a good haircut look out of this world. Considering you are only working with a small section of the hair on the sides and back it can take just as long as a fade or anything else to acheive. If a jobs worth doing then its worth doing well! With this style I recommend using some of the awesome Uppercut Deluxe Monster Hold. Does what it says on the tin.

Style 3
The Reimagined Crop
Technically this is just a French crop with a slightly longer top. However, getting the right look for your hair can be problematic. There needs to be a slight disconnect as the fade needs to go quite high to give that nice square and masculine look, but you need the top to be long enough to show off the texture but have a blunt fringe. For my version I styled it with the Uppercut Deluxe featherweight.

Style 4
Drop Fade
Drop Fade with heavy texture and a crisp line. This cut has really caught fire this year when Ryan Cullen from Northern Ireland put this cut on his Instagram and the masses have been asking for it since. I style mine up with the Uppercut Deluxe Matt Clay. Working it in to dry hair and tease out the texture with a comb.

It’s time to finally grow up and to become a ‘Big Boy’ as Sicilian grooming & skin care brand BIG BOY finally lands in the UK.

Drawing inspiration from its Sicilian origins and craftsmanship, BIG BOY artisan products combine rich, natural ingredients like Sicilian olive, almond oil and beeswax to create superior skin and hair care products that work in harmony with the natural elements of male skin.

BIG BOY’s range of luxurious products will help to hydrate, soften, moisturise and restore the skin’s healthy balance, whilst keeping unruly locks and bristles tamed and styled.

Designed to reflect and enhance the attributes of its customers, BIG BOY blends quality ingredients and advanced technology to create unique grooming products for the modern day man of today.

Key products within the range include the Soothing Drops, which are lightweight emulsion enriched with Sweet Almond and Argan Oil, that will glide over the skin and hair to deeply hydrate and care for dry, rough and irritated skin and the Beard Balm, a non-greasy, easy to apply formula which contains natural Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil to style and groom your beard, lasting up to six hours.

Jamie Stevens is no stranger to Clothes-Make-the-Man having in the past offered us advice on the latest hairstyles for that coming season and neither is he any stranger to being on our TV Screens, being a regular fixture on This Morning and the resident stylist for X Factor for four years. He is three-time winner of Men’s hairdresser of the year (and is exempt from winning the prize again) and in 2015 was entered into the British Hairdressing Awards hall of fame. He is the youngest ever nominee for Hairdresser of the Year, an award he has been nominated for four times.

His latest venture sees him launching an innovative new men’s haircare system, called MR designed to combat the challenges associated with hair thinning, whilst also being perfectly suitable for all men to keep hair strong and healthy. Three years in development, Stevens worked with some of the leading  scientists to develop MR. drawing on the most advanced science and industry innovations, to deliver targeted solutions.

As people age hair begins to thin – an inescapable fact, I’m afraid – which is a result of the active growth cycle slowing down so lost hairs are not replaced as quickly. However, this common complaint is still seen as a largely taboo subject despite findings from research showing the fact that 56% of young men (aged 18-24 years old) and 33% of ALL men have concerns and anxieties over it and, until now, there has been very little on the market to actively and effectively target this problem.

MR. is divided into three categories, Disguise, Thicken and Style, the line-up is a clearly defined range of 12 products, all containing a unique active complex designed specifically for this collection – System- PPXTM – proven to help promote thicker, hydrated and stronger hair.

Disguise contains two hero products, the MR. Hair Fibres and MR. Disguise Spray, both of which are designed to subtly, but effectively, mask areas of hair loss. The Spray adds colour to the scalp, to disguise thinning and receding areas and the Hair Fibres attach to existing hair, to make it look fuller and thicker. Results are truly unprecedented. The Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment within the Thicken category all create healthy strong, thick hair and the seven Style products incorporate formulas to help support the strength and structure of the hair.

Today we launch a new category to our Grooming section, that being our Washbag Wishlist, this will be where we ask leading figures in the grooming industry what is their must have, essential, can’t live without product. Yes, if stranded on a Desert island what one product would be on your Wishlist.

So to get the ball rolling we are starting with yours truly, yes who better, I hear you cry, or not as the case may be. I have to be honest, restricting me to selecting one product is sooooooo difficult and bordering on impossible but the product I have selected for today’s post, should be in every man’s bathroom cabinet. So the product in question, as you may have already guessed by the title of the post is, Clinique for Men’s Post-Shave Soother.

Now this is a product, I have been using for more years than I care to remember, to the point that I can’t even remember how I came across this Miracle product, but it was certainly before my Fashion years. I call it a miracle product and I don’t use that term lightly, but Miracle it very much is. The reason being, five years ago I was asked by a grooming company, who’s name shall remain secret, to protect the innocent,  if I’d like to experience a traditional wet shave. Now, having never had a wet shave, I thought sod it, I should do this. So off I went for this EXPERIENCE.

OK, so the traditional delights of a wet shave and sure enough it was a very close shave, but maybe in more ways than one. Because as I left the establishment, my face started to itch, to the point that by the time I have arrived home the beard line of my aforementioned face and neck was a mass of aggravated hives. So much so the long suffering Mrs Mc asked, “What did he use to shave you, a broken glass bottle ?” The only thing that managed to calm my skin down and return to its natural Celtic pale tone, was Clinique’s Post Shave Soother, with an almost immediate effect.

So what exactly is Clinque’s Post Shave Soother and what does it do. Well, it relieves shaving irritation, leaving behind nothing more than a soothing, cool, tingly feeling and improved skin texture. Aloe is an active ingredient in it to soothe razor burn, relieve dryness, the appearance of redness and helps skin repair minor nicks and cuts. It’s nothing short of a breakthrough post-shave formula containing a combination of licorice and plant extracts that leave facial hair looking finer and softer. With continued use, shaving will be quicker and more comfortable as razor burn caused by daily friction is reduced. Additional ingredients provide exfoliation and anti-irritating benefits virtually eliminating bumps and ingrown hairs, as well as helping to encourage the healing of minor nicks and cuts. Plus it’s appropriate for all skin types.