Grooming Archives - Page 30 of 40 - CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

It looks like Summer is here and with that we start to think about certain things, mainly to do with our appearance, I need to lose a few pounds, where’s that gym membership ? And of course, I need a haircut. As always, we like to look after our readers and so we sort the advice from some of the leading hair care experts in the entire Goddamn world. We sort counsel with Mr Kevin Luchmun, TONI&GUY British Mens Hairdresser of the Year 2013/2014, Jordan Thomas, top stylist at London’s leading hair Salon, Soho’s FISH and of course the Award-winning, Jamie Stevens, who has styled the likes of Olly Murs, Christian Slatter and Kylie Minogue, to name but a few. Ohhh who just happens to be defending his title as British Hairdresser of the Year for the third time !

As Jamie puts it, “Whilst women’s hair trends tend to chop and change from one season to the next, men’s hair trends usually evolve at a more subtle pace with a natural progression from the previous season’s look to the current, which is great as it makes trends accessible for all.”

His first key trend for the season is called The Man’s Bang. Whilst last season was all about hair swept back off the face, this season sees it brought forward into a fringe with a 90’s inspired feel, seen on celebrities such as Jake Bugg and on the catwalk at Christopher Kane, Burberry, Topman and Phillip Lim. Great for disguising a receding hairline or a bad face day, the fringe is versatile as it can work on a more extreme level, keeping it short on the back and sides or it can be worn with more length on the sides for a contemporary Beatles inspired cut. Wear with texture as opposed to keeping it too neat, from natural curls to choppy texture created with cutting and styling techniques on straighter hair. Blast dry hair forward and use a matte clay to achieve a messy, unstructured look, such as Matrix Design Pulse Beach Clay.

Next up, we back the, Slick Back, The biggest look last year was undoubtedly the slick side parted look. Still proving popular into 2014, evolve this look with a defined undercut and wear grown-out length straight back for a classic 20’s inspired look as seen on the likes of actor Michael Pitt. If you’re more clean-cut than disheveled, this is a great look for you. Keep the look sleek and straight on finer hair to wearing it with more texture and height through the top on medium to thicker hair. For those of you avoiding the severe undercut opt for some length on the back and sides to add a softer finish, a bit like Leonardo Di Caprio in the Wolf of Wall Street. For more of a wet look slick finish opt for a gel such as Matrix Design Pulse Defining Edge to help achieve a distinctive slick lookk, using a bristle brush to finish. For a softer version opt for a wax to manipulate the hair into place – a little. Kevin agrees with Jamie and believes, “This SS14 it is all about a return to vintage. Whether it be deep side parted looks reminiscent of the 1920s, as seen at E.Tautz at London Collections: Men, or 1990s grunge style with wet-look locks, a la Baartmans & Siegel SS14 show, hair with a history is key! Products play an important role in creating these styles with gels taking centre stage for wet-look hold whilst pastes are great for moulding tousled textures with a Great Gatsby finish! Try label.m’s Extra Strong Gel for that Kurt Cobain grunge feel whilst label.m’s Power Paste is perfect for the tailored 1920s look.”

Last up we have one for the more adventurous of your readers out there. The Man Bun is set to be THE style of Summer 2014, says Jordan Thomas. Jordan gives his top tips on how to achieve the effortlessly cool style of Jared Leto:

• Make sure hair is completely clean with Sportfish Hair, Face and Body Wash • Work a pea-sized amount of AquaFish Fishgum through the ends of hair to give texture and choppiness

• Pull hair back into a low bun and secure with a hair band

• Sort out those flyaways by smoothing hair with an extra blob of AquaFish Fishgum SportFish Hair, Face and Body Wash.

Jamie’s backs Jordan on this look saying, What started out as a practical way to keep grown-out longer hair off the face has developed into a hipster hair trend, with stars such as Jake Gyllenhaal, David Beckham and Harry Styles rocking the style to Joaquin Phoenix, Alex Ebert and Jared Leto making it into an acceptable red carpet look. If you’ve been working the longer hair look the Man Bun or ‘Mun’ as its been coined is a great way to bring you into S/S’14. Whether it’s worn higher or lower on the crown, slicked back wet or dry, keep the ends hanging loose to avoid it looking too much like a classic women’s ballerina bun, whilst facial hair keeps it looking the right side of masculine. Sprinkle a texturising powder when styling to avoid the hair looking too clean or styled, such as Matrix Design Pulse Mega Dust and go with a little light gel wax to manipulate the hair back and hold it in place.

Sir Paul Smith is a designer who’s long had an association with the world of sport, whether that be through his own life long passion for cycling and his partnerships with Giro d’Italia or the Stylish cycling brand Rapha, or dressing not only the England Football team but his ongoing relationship with Manchester United. The Summer of 2014 not only is the summer of sport, but sees it come together with Fashion and fragrance in Paul Smith Extereme Sport – a fresh, energising, sporty take on Smith’s Classic scent.

“I’m passionate about sport and wanted to create a fragrance that embodied all the things I love about it.” Says Sir Paul. “Extreme Sport fresh, lively and and dynamics and will appeal, not just for sportsmen, but to any man with an active lifestyle.”

Paul Smith Extreme Sport is a citrus, woody and spicy fragrance. It takes it’s base DNA from it’s highly successful parent scent- in bergamot, incense, tonka bean and geranium, but to invigorate the new sporty twist, we see a raft of new notes. Kicking off with an intense burst of grapefruit followed by a shot of cool, crisp Moroccan mint. This then gives way to spicy floral heart punctuated by stimulating black pepper. The scent shows it’s muscle with its stamina and staying power built around incense Cedarwood and Tonka bean to give it all day longevity to the skin.

Inspired by the Alpha male’s determination and drive for success, BOSS BOTTLED, UNLIMITED, is the energising new scent from HUGO BOSS Fragrances.

This limited edition fragrance is inspired by the endurance required to succeed combined with the rush of adrenalin when a goal has been reached. Celebrating that exhilarating sense of energy that comes with achievement, BOSS BOTTLED. UNLIMITED. is an instant invigorating boost. Available for a limited time only, it’s the must-have scent during this exciting summer of sports.

The face of the fragrance is England’s Goalkeeper Joe Hart. As a master of his profession through determination, ambition, dynamism and a confidence in his ability, Joe Hart shares his views on success, how to achieve it and how more importantly how to sustain it.

“To succeed, you have to be committed to what you do and love what you do. I’m really passionate about my job and give it my all. I’m so lucky that I’ve always had a team around me that have helped me get to where I am today – family, friends, and coaches. You have to take every opportunity possible and you just have to keep going, keep improving and constantly moving forward.”

Let’s hope he remembers those words in Brasil this Summer. The scent is inspired by vibrant green notes BOSS BOTTLED. UNLIMITED. has been created with a striking blend of refreshing mint and evergreen cistus, combined with juicy pineapple and enduring masculine to create a fresh and modern take on a classic masculine scent.

So as I’m sure you’re very aware, a couple of weeks ago, Grooming brand, Lynx challenged our good selves here at Clothes Make the Man, to take part in their ‘Peace for a Week’ Challenge. So rather then losing the head and your temper when life throws at you the slings and arrows of modern everyday life, you take a deep breathe and make love not war. So in the name of the new Lynx Peace range, they want to inspire you guys;

– To focus your passions
– To dedicate your talents
– To use your talents in a positive way

All of this non agressive statement is in support of the Peace one day Campaign for World Peace Day on 21st September, all a very worthwhile cause, I’m sure you’d agree.

After we readily accepted the gauntlet thrown down to us by Lynx, quicker then you could say World Peace Day, then a package was delivered to Clothes Make the Man HQ. Contained inside this rather mysterious hamper was a rather nifty Polaroid camera, a t-shirt and the complete range of Lynx Peace Grooming range to assist us in keeping to our pledge of ‘Peace for a Week’.

The Lynx Peace range has a none surprisingly rather settling and peaceful fragrance which starts with top notes of violet leaf, bergamot, mandarin, lemon peel and yuzu. Its mid notes include apricot nectar, violet flower and nutmeg, with a dry finish that includes cedarwood, golden amber and patchouli. Lynx worked with Ann Gottlieb to develop the fragrances with the world-class fragrance house, Firmenich, to ensure it’s calming properties.

So how did our Peace for a Week challenge go and did we complete our mission ? Well, in all honesty, we did of course as we channelled our Yen like inner peace, but that wasn’t without certain modern day instances sent to try us (all you are about to read is 100% truthful! scouts honour).

Now, I have to point out we had just returned from a lil family break, which wasn’t without its own stresses and strains, but enough about that, overall we returned rested and stress free. Until, we arrived back and on Day one, yes day one, an articulated truck went into the side of my car ! And to make matters worse decided to carry on driving, Gawd bless him, or words to that effect, but it was Peace for a Week. You can imagine my reaction to seeing this, but that mantra of Peace for a week, Peace for a week. Well that and the fact the first person I saw was a kindly elderly lady in full salvation Army uniform. You can picture the scene like something out of a Jeremy Beadle Nightmare, expletives of all nature were on the tip of my tongue. But this angel in full Sally Army glory not only had witnessed the whole episode, but caught all of the driver’s details and proceeded to contact the local constabulary on our behalf plus had the crime reference number all ready for me, bless her.

Now, one might think, bad luck old boy, but it could have been worse and at least it’s over, well that’s what I thought too. That was until a representative of our Insurance company returned my call several days later to inform me that a Tow truck was on its way as in their infinite wisdom and without seeing the car, had decided it was written off ! Once again, yours truly had to recite the mantra of Peace for a Week and think of such great peaceful individuals of humankind like, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Will-I-am rather then the figures I really wanted to channel like Napoleon Bonaparte, Mike Tyson and Joan Rivers. It would have been all too easy, and satisfying to, both physically and metaphorically, tear a strip of this pen pusher, errrr sorry corporate representative. After all I had accepted a challenge and I was going to complete it, yes even if it did kill me. Now, you may be wondering, but how does this tale of woe finish, well in fact it does have somewhat of a happily ever after. As after several more mistakes a la our wonderful insurance company, including replacing our family sized car with a three door fiesta, which resulted in. Mrs Mc’s use of some rather. colourful language. I am happy to inform you we are currently driving round in a rather suave Volvo XC90, for our troubles and we came out the end other end of Peace for a Week relatively unscathed, thanks Lynx.

Here at Clothes Mike the Man, we are bombarded by lacklustre PR’s, stating, “We challenge you to use our product in an artistic way” or “Why not try and use our amazing new ? Product in a way that has never been seen before”. Now we are a very polite lot over at Clothes Make the Man, brought up well and although we often think about replying with a cutting and Oscar Wilde-esque comment, like, “Sorry it’s too big a challenge in itself to use your product” or ” Creative and your product should never be used in the same sentence”.

So when a couple of weeks ago an email arrived in our inbox from the grooming brand Lynx, Stating, “Peace for a Week” Challenge, it so nearly came to the same fate as many an email that comes our way, DELETE, DELETE, DELETE!!! However, something compelled me to read on, it must be my peace loving, never grumpy, always positive nature, yeah that must have been it.

Anyway the guys at Lynx in support of the Peace One Day campaign for World Peace Day on 21st September, are launching a new Lynx Peace variant. To launch the new product, a new campaign around the platform “Make Love Not War” is launching in this month.
Lynx wants to inspire the men folk out there to focus their passions and energy by doing something positive, something they love, all in the name of Lynx Peace.
Make love not war. Make beats not war. Make anything – just not war!
Lynx want to inspire you:
– To focus your passions
– To dedicate your talents
– To use your talents in a positive way

As part of this Challenge, Lynx wants you to enjoy ‘Peace for a Week’, by challenging you to embrace a peaceful attitude for a week – choosing to take a calm and peaceful approach when faced with difficult or frustrating situations. Examples of a peaceful action may include:
– Giving someone a seat on the bus/train
– Helping an elderly person cross the road
– Remaining ‘peaceful’ and not getting stressed in a long shopping queue
– To find time in the week to de-stress and remain peaceful e.g. having a bath
– Take time to do activities that ‘chill’ you out; listening to music, going to art galleries, watch films or retail therapy…whatever it might be!

OK then you got us, we accept your Challenge Lynx ! We will live our lives here at Clothes Make the Man in a totally, peaceful, pacifist manner for a week. Check back in on Friday to see how we got on.

More information on how you can get involved and make a difference, can be found on facebook.com/lynxeffect or www.lynxpeace.com

Hairstyles for Summer 2014, we ask the Experts !

Designer Exterme Sports – Paul Smith Extreme Sport

Who’s da Boss – BOSS Bottled Unlimited by Amanda Lewis

Give Peace a Chance – Lynx Peace Range, ‘Peace for a Week Challenge’

Love is all you need – Lynx Peace range

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