Italian luxury fashion and Grooming house ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA must know something we don’t about Summer 2017, because if they are to be believed we are in for a hot spicy season, with the introduction of their new ESSENZE SPICE collection. Indulge in the rich aromatics from three handcrafted, signature scents inspired by spice, vanilla and saffron. Crafted from prestigious spices, the Essenze Spice Collection is the perfect blend of complexity and finesse to balance mystery, strength and magnetism. The Zegna man whose sophistication, confidence and freshness make him a pillar of modern style.

The first of the trio is BOURBON VANILLA – Like your favourite nightcap, the warm, familiar aroma of Vanilla bean mixes with bold vetiver and ginger to create a full-bodied cocktail of temptation. Middle notes of Cassis, Cypriol and Turkish Rose add an alluring freshness to match the modernity of the Zegna man.

Next we have, INDIAN SPICE – Cardamom, coriander and star anise top notes create electrifying warmth in this unique gourmand blend, bringing to life the exoticism of Madurai and the beaches of Goa. The floral heart of the fragrance, resting on the masculine, woody base of cedarwood, oud and patchouli take your senses to new places of savory adventure.

Finally, let me introduce PERSIAN SAFFRON Dynastic, powerful, effervescent – let this piquant scent surround and consume you. Top notes of Zegna’s cultivated bergamot blend middle notes of the most valuable spice in the world, Saffron, to illuminate the senses.

Giorgio Armani hasn’t just built a clothing empire, worthy of his Roman roots, no indeed, his reign for over forty years stretches across kingdoms including Armani Exchange to Armani Privee, right the way through to Armani Nevè (Skiwear) to Armani Casa (home) and of course Armani Timepieces to Armani fragrances.

One of the most popular and successful amongst his stable of scents is Giorgio Armani CODE, which has recently added a new member to the family in the shape of Code Colonia. A new male fragrance which offers a combination of citrus tones including bergamot, mandarin and pink peppercorns, with aromatic middle notes of clary sage that blend with floral notes and resonate with salicylate orange blossom. The trail ends on a more fleshy base note with woody, amber and tonkanotes. Recommended to be worn during the day for a clean and fresh aroma.

If your looking for a scent best worn at Night maybe opt for the original Code, a fresh light and harmonious lemon with delicate bergamot evoking the crystalline elegance of a cologne. Olive flower, with its strangely attractive aromatic aniseed notes. Pure, smooth and radiant, like a good quality red wine, it’s inextricably linked with Latin origins. A combination of tobacco, fine leather and rare woods blend with tonka bean, coumarin and heliotrope.  This much loved scent captivates with its deep, warm, soothing qualities.

Lastly, this alluring, powerful and fiery male scent. It involves the classic Code base of tonka bean, but with Profumo it has been amplified by a sensual woody-Amberg accord and notes of burnt styrax wood. It contains a burst of head notes with green mandarin essence, crisp green apples and cardamom. The freshness continues with aromatic lavender notes and nutmeg essence tainted by the purity of orange blossom at its heart. Each element in the fragrance is warmed by tonka bean with its accents of tobacco, before being enveloped in a woody-Ambery accord. The supple leather notes of the styrax essence meld with a hint of praline sweetness making it prefect for the transition from evening into night.

Acqua di Parma is quite literally finding inspiration in its travels. The pleasure of travelling, of taking the time to savour the environment you find yourself in and to experience the spirit of a place, is unique. It’s Colonia collection explores other worlds and traditions and with each new departure is a discovery. A sensory journey in search of the most rare and original essences, of ingredients that tell the story of an atmosphere, a vision of beauty, a way of life. The result is a collection of sophisticated and evocative fragrances. Ingredient Collection. Essentially a travel diary of aromas, always open to new discoveries and fascinating combinations.

So far Colonia traces its map along the route, from its trip to the Middle East, Colonia captures the sensory opulence of Agarwood oil, giving life to the mysterious and sensual notes of Colonia Oud. Then along the Silk Road, where the personality of Colonia joins the refined sensuality of ambergris to create Colonia Ambra.

For its latest incantations the brand has looked both near and far for its inspiration. Firstly, we have the Colonia Mirra, which through the deserts and mountains a slow and tireless crossing, from Muscat, where the streets and windows are dotted with small coloured lanterns where incense and myrrh unleash their vibrant aromas. Through the kingdom of Saba, to Jordan and the mythical road of the Wise Men. To then reach the Mediterranean until arriving in Rome, where the highly prized resins were in great demand, burnt during religious ceremonies. A long journey on the Via Sacra of perfumes which Colonia Mirra was born.

Colonia Ebano is sourced much closer to its spiritual home in the artisan workshops of the Milanese master cabinetmakers. Where for centuries the art of cabinetmaking has been cultivated at its highest levels. First there is the scent of beeswax with which the cabinetmaker caresses the wood until it gleams. In the subtle and penetrating aromas of ebony and other precious woods that are skilfully inlaid with each other. This scent is a faceted, sumptuous fragrance, but at the same time fresh and luminous.

The weather is starting to warm up, ish, and so we are able to cast off those warm winter layers we use to protect ourselves from the elements over the cold harsh months, of course this includes our Winter hair styles. No longer do we need to resemble extras for Night’s Watch, we can start using our razors again and rebuild that relationship with our barbers. With this in mind we sort the expert opinion of the Creative Director of men-ü, Lloyd Hughes. men-ü offer ultra-concentrate products for skin, body and hair, including styling, conveniently packaged for the modern man with handy 100ml pucks, tubes and bottles with locking pumps to provide accurate dosage. Ideal to fit neatly in the hand and into a man’s lifestyle, bathroom, sports or travel bag. men-ü is stocked in quality salons and barbers across the UK. men-ü have a salon academy for men-ü professional training, which is where we caught up with him to ask what are the key trends and hair styles for Spring/Summer 2017.

For men with hair shorter in length, styles with short back and sides remain dominant. Most men are employing this style, with a varying difference in length on top.

Be ahead of the trend
This is about thinking smart and listening to your stylist. Right now, we are seeing the trend of dismantling the large heavy blocked quiffs that have dominated the industry for the past 5 years. This is showing itself in two ways. Firstly, guys have a lot of length on the top, versus what they have on the sides, we are seeing a lot of elastic band type haircuts (You know who you are!).

Men are also asking to add more texture to the hair by deconstructing the top into manageable but quirky haircuts with movement. Couple this with the removal of the big beard and it looks like a trend for a very stylish look with a shorter and more balanced haircut.

Choppy & layered
Styling on top is very much focussed around thick, textured cuts – really choppy and layered. These are the kinds of words and phrases you can use with your stylist to give them a clear idea of what it is you’re looking for.

Make it Square
Building weight up along the upper sides where the head begins to round off to allow the hair to sit square and full. Add to this increased length around the sides and back and an extra inch or two on the top and we can create strong masculine looking shapes that look fuller and thicker without the need for temporary scaffolding or super strong super glue type product to achieve lift and height. We let the hair and the right product do it for us. men-ü has developed a revolutionary new styling product LIQUIFFLEX that is great for almost all modern styles. Because the product is so well dispersed through the hair, hands are left dry to the touch and because of the flexi-hold, the hair is not stiff or sticky.

Product
Products for these styles are key – lots of traditional pomades will weigh the hair down and flatten it to your head, exposing more scalp, as well as losing that strong masculine shape that is so popular. Invest time in finding a professional product range, this is as important as researching a good qualified stylist. Non-professional products on the lower end of the scale can have a one size fits all approach. But also beware of overpriced miracle cures which often lead to disappointment.

Longer styles
For those wearing their hair in longer styles, we are seeing lots of slicked back looks, where the hair is combed backwards. How well this works and how you’d go about styling depends on hair type. Comb the hair back when damp and apply light product in phases, it may take a little practice to get it looking exactly how you’d like.

Ohhhh yeah, it’s finally started to warm up, in the words of Elbow Front Man, Mr Guy Garvey, “Throw those curtains wide! One day like this a year’d we’ll sing it right”. Well maybe more than one day, but with the weather warming up is the problem of Sweating. An issue that we all have to deal with at some time or other. In an unusually warm environment, the average person sweats about 3 pints an hour. Perspiration is your body’s built-in cooling system. When we sweat it is usually for a reason: either we are stressed, emotional, nervous or simply feeling too hot.
However, sweating makes nearly five per cent of the UK’s adult population worry more than most. That’s because they suffer from a rarely-discussed condition known as excessive sweating. It remains a taboo, because it’s embarrassing, especially if it happens in public or in a time and place which makes it feel a whole lot worse for the person involved. Plus, it’s seemingly impossible to treat.

Rescue is at hand, because there is a remedy on the market that really does work. ODABAN Antiperspirant Spray is one of the most effective and long lasting solutions available for people who suffer from excessive sweating. Unlike other treatments, ODABAN is affordable, easy to use and has been the secret no-sweat weapon for many people for over 40 years.

ODABAN is very easy to use: its versatile pump spray provides precise application to all parts of the face and body, avoiding the risk of over-application, which is one of the key reasons other products can fail to help. The active ingredient in ODABANproduces partial-poral plugs, which in turn create a drying effect on the skin without blocking the sweat glands. Silicone is also included to help protect the skin from dehydration and spread the formulation more evenly. One application of ODABAN can last for up to seven days making it one of the most impressive solutions on the market for excessive sweating.

Most individuals will find they are getting the desired results they have been looking for within a few days, because ODABAN regulates the rate of sweating, leading to drier skin, reduced odour issues, unsightly sweat stains as well as painful chafing. Simply apply sparingly at bed time, when the skin is at its driest and wash off the treated area the next morning. ODABAN is 100% free of perfumes and allergy inducing ingredients therefore it can be used over most areas of the body.