CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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6 of the Best – Mens Lip Balms

Words by Charlie Britton

Let’s forget the marketing with this one gents. A good lip balm should hydrate, nourish, soften and prevent lips from chapping. Aside from a enjoyable flavour, theres nothing else a lip balm really needs. We are aware that it can be rather confusing at times to know which one to choose, but the good news is here at Clothes Make The Man, we do know which 6 lip balms work wonders when it comes to getting lippy. Put down that old chap stick fellas.

Carmex

When it comes to lip care, Carmex may very well be the ‘king of the castle’ as it strives to produce the best and most effective lip balms on the market. Medicated balm in a tube is the simplest way to describe Carmex, as this fuss-free lip balm does exactly as it says on the tin. Featuring an analgesic ingredient which helps relieve pain, this cocoa butter and beeswax balm will soothe lips and keep them feeling fresh.

Scaramouche + Fandango

The newest product to come out of London based grooming brand Scaramouche + Fandango is an impressive shea butter and honey flavour lip balm. Encased in a masculine monochrome tube, this lip balm features a shea butter, soy bean oil and cocoa butter fill that promises to hydrate, nourish and prevent chapping. It happens to do exactly that and what’s more, it uses a honey flavour rather than the real deal, so it’s suitable for vegans too!

Baxter of California 

If you’re looking for an exciting little lip balm, then the ‘Hydro Salve’ balm from Baxter of California might just be the perfect pick of the bunch. Mojito-flavoured and enriched with vitamins, this perfectly sweet lip balm will leave lips in top condition whilst delivering a subtle and minty tingle. We wouldn’t necessarily say this tastes like a mojito, but the mint and lime combination is a nice touch, if only it was a little stronger!

Jack Black

Next up in out top 6 is this spicy grapefruit and ginger lip balm from Jack Black. Featuring sun protection with an SPF of 25, this lip balm is enriched with antioxidants and skin conditioners to soften and soothe dry and chapped lips. Jack Black offers quite the selection of flavours but the favourite of ours has to be this citrus and ginger flavoured balm as it tastes really great and brings something a little different to the market. The fact that is features an SPF protection is an added bonus, so this a great option if your off on your summer holidays soon.

retaW x Fragment Design

For the style conscious man, we’ve discovered this beautifully designed lip balm by Japanese fragrance brand retaW (water backwards). This collaborative balm with imprint, Fragment Design, aims to keep lips hydrated and fresh with Candelilla wax, rosemary and peppermint oil. Our favourite thing about this lip balm is the design, as it doesn’t look anything like a lip balm and more a work of art, although it tastes and smells great.

Kiehls 

Last up on our list is Kiehls lip balm #1. Mint flavoured, enriched with vitamin A and E, featuring sweet almond oil, aloe vera and lanolin, this balm is a great all rounder you’re certain to find on the high street. You can also choose other flavours such as pear, cranberry and even mango, so theres a flavour for any chapped-lip favour.

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Magic Memorable Moments with Azzaro Chrome Plus

With Father’s Day a little over a week away, we thought the launch of the French Fragrance house, Azzaro‘s new men’s scent was timely but more so is its backstory for the inspiration behind the fragrance. Founder of the brand, the late, Loris Azzaro shared two great loves, the first his close relationship with his grandson Romain and his attachment to the Mediterranean Sea were the sources of inspiration. With Chrome Pure the driving force behind it, is to reconnect with these two major inspirations: the undeniable bond between a father and his son, and the sense of escapism conveyed by Chrome’s symbolic freshness.

This was the brief set for the creators of this new scent, perfumers Jacques Huclier and Olivier Pescheux, who have been responsible for such iconic aromas as Davidoff Horizon and Thierry Mugler A*Men. In the tradition of Chrome, Chrome Pure focuses on special bonds such as that between a father and his son witnessed during spontaneous moments, instances when time seems to stand still, magical everyday interludes that stay with you for the rest of your life.

Messers Huclier and Pescheux have done a sterling job in recreating the scent of Fresh long Summer days and the memories created during this time. A citrus-oriental-woody fragrance, Chrome Pure revisits Chrome’s emblematic freshness, creating a more textured and vibrant feel, with the addition of two new ingredients: The spicy-woody accents akigala wood and tonka bean join the white musks and mate leaves of the original version. Chrome Pure is a crisp fragrance, synonymous with purity, combined with a real feeling of vibrant freshness and strength, structured around sun-kissed moments.

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Welcome to the Family- Aramis adds to its top to toe grooming regime

Ever since its launch back in 1964, Aramis has prided itself on being the fragrance that expresses all a man is. Classic, yet distinctly masculine, this warm woody fragrance and grooming collection have for over 50 years been ‘first among men’. Pioneered the prestige men’s grooming market with exclusive fragrances and skin care products for men. It was the first-ever men’s scent to be sold in department stores. Over the years, it has given birth to the successful Gentleman Collection and Lab Series for Men lines, but the original classic still enjoys a dedicated following today and is sold in more than 120 countries and territories worldwide.

Aramis has continued to attract new fans with each generation with an assortment of grooming products custom-made for men only. This year sees, Aramis introduces two new additions to complete its top to toe regime and complement such projects as its 24hr Reactivating Antiperspirant Spray, Advanced Moisturising After Shave Balm and Protein Enriched Thickening Shampoo. These are the Aramis Deodorising Body Spray and Aramis Enriched Lather Shave. The body sprays offers all day protection against odour for the man that’s on the go. Of course with the scent of Aramis in an all-over deodorising body spray featuring the sophisticated blend of leather, sage and sandalwood. Spray Aramis EDT on top for a longer lasting effect. The Enriched Lather Shave is a modern texture transforms into a rich & enveloping lather; effectively cleansing impurities for a refreshed and clean feel, while providing a dense cushion, for ease of shaving all with the light classic Aramis scent.

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A Contemporary Classic – GUCCI GUILTY ABSOLUTE

Not since the heady days of Tom Ford has the Italian Luxury Fashion House, Gucci been so in vogue. A new dawn has broken over Gucci and to reflect this is a new fragrance Gucci Guilty. The fragrances convey the liberated message of #GuiltyNotGuilty: an attitude of feeling completely free. Created for a man who defines his own masculinity, Gucci introduces Gucci Guilty Absolute: a modern declaration of self-expression.

Born out of a special collaboration between creative director of Gucci Alessandro Michele and maître parfumeur Alberto Morillas, Gucci Guilty Absolute embodies the liberated man it is made for—an innovative expression of a men’s woody scent. The master perfumer and Alessandro Michele share the same approach to their craft: an unceasing passion to create, and an unflinching attitude to do so beyond the traditional rules of fashion and fragrance. Like Michele’s collections, there is a mix of messages behind the scent. A leather hero ingredient is an homage to the ultimate Gucci material; while the flacon is finished with details inspired by the feel of a refined lounge; the sensorial textures and colours of cigars and cognac.

Morillas lends his high artistic sensibility to Gucci Guilty Absolute. The scent breaks the mold of a traditional woody construction. To set it apart, the master perfumer created a particular blend with a structure that remains unchanged from the first time it is applied to the skin. To do this Alberto Morillas defined the scent with two leading notes, custom-mixing a Leather accord Woodleather as a tribute to the House’s leather-making roots, and a rare type of a common perfumery note, Goldenwood, a new natural extract of the Nootka Cypress. Discovering the ingredient under an old bell jar in the Royal Botanical Gardens’ archive, Morillas selected it especially for Gucci Guilty Absolute. The resulting scent features ultra-dry woody notes with depth and complexity. Intensifying the fragrance’s composition are three forms of Patchouli oils with sweet, dark and earthy character, and Vetiver, the fresh and earthy grass from woods.

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Water, water everywhere and you need every drop – Clinique for Men Maximum Hydrator Activated Water-Gel Concentrate

We are continuously being told we need to hydrate more, no matter how relaxed or hectic your lifestyle is or even the time of year, skin is constantly exposed to environmental aggressors such as pollution and UV rays, which can accelerate dehydration and lead to premature signs of aging. So whether that’s drinking more water,or moisturising our skin, particularly over the Summer months we are told of the dangers of dehydration. So it’s no wonder those clever boffins over at Clinique HQ are offering us a surge of hydration to quench thirsty skin.

They have come up with Clinique for Men Maximum Hydrator Activated Water-Gel Concentrate, delivering a turbo-boost of cool supercharged hydration to inccrease skin’s moisture reservoir with an immediate 179% moisture boost that is retained for 24 hours at 65%. This NEWproduct attracts and binds moisture to the skin for optimal moisture retention and a stronger moisture barrier. The breakthrough weightless formula transforms from a gel to a liquid, releasing a cooling burst of oil-free hydration that’s instantly absorbed by your skin leaving zero tacky residue. Skin is left feeling soothed, comfortable, and fresh and in doing so helps to break the cycle of dryness and oxidative damage, releasing vital antioxidant protection.

Basically it works with a Double technology innovation combining: Liquid Sphere Technology –

Firstly, encapsulated spheres of Vitamin E and Vitamin C burst instantly on application, to release potent antioxidants that protect against oxidative damage and fend off free radicals. Then, Moisture Holding Matrix Polymer Technology – Which works by interlocking moisture-magnet polymers seal and lock in hydration, helping to boost skin’s moisture retention. See simple !