OK I’ll say it, being a Northern myself, Sheffield isn’t the first place you think of when you hear the words Luxury, Handmade Mens footwear brand, quality, strength, grit, all yes, words that you associate with Sheffield, Luxury Fashion, no. Well, my dear readers, I am about to change your minds.

The Sheffield-based footwear company, GORAL have been making footwear for over 80 years ago. The last pair of hands which touches the footwear before the customer, is the craftsmen who made the footwear. Aside from being handcrafted, each item is quality checked by the GORAL craftsmen.

It introduces the Blake Stitch for use in trainers. GORAL’s craftsmen have developed a unique process to enable quicker re-soling on trainers. The Blake Stitch stitches the upper directly to the leather lasting board, and then sidewall stitching the sole to the upper. This drastically reduces the need for glue while still offering a strong water-resistant seal.

GORAL  launches its Hybrid Trainer Collection. This new collection, has for the first time, a unique method created by the craftsmen at GORAL to attach the sole to the trainer upper making a full resole possible. Never before has a trainer been created which enables a full resole.

Using a palette of retro colours GORAL’s craftsmen have deconstructed several classic shoes to create the GORAL Hybrid Trainers collection.  Renowned for comfort, GORAL trainers have padding, unlined leather upper and insoles/leather lasting board making the footwear comfortable with no need for breaking in.

Dominik Goral, Commercial Director at GORAL said; “Since my Great Great Grandfather made the first pair of GORAL shoes over 80 years ago,  we have become recognised as an industry leader for the craftmanship which goes into our footwear. Our craftsmen have developed a unique process to enable GORAL trainers to be re-soled. This is a huge game changer for the footwear industry.

“The clothing and footwear industry is constantly looking for new ways that it can be more sustainable. By having a method which will enable trainers to have the entire sole replaced means that GORAL is leading the way to reduce the number of trainers which end up in landfill every year.

“Waste isn’t the only issue the industry faces. Pollution is also caused by products travelling halfway around the world before reaching the customer. At GORAL we source all our materials and packaging as locally as possible. We also offset our carbon emissions from deliveries to customers.”

I don’t think anyone, particular you loyal brilliant readers, would be surprised to read that I am a staunch fan of all aspect of the luxury Acqua di Parma brand. It  has been a leader in the luxury market for over a hundred years, producing real masterpieces of Italian craftsmanship. The brand started in 1916 with the famous COLONIA, the icon of the Maison and its values, celebrating a passion for beauty, attention to detail, an essential and bright elegance, and a contemporary interpretation of the genuine Italian style.

Over the years, the Maison has gone from strength to strength with the creation of other Colonie, the Barbiere, Le Nobili, the Blu Mediterraneo line, the Signatures of the Sun line, and the Home Collection. The Italian style of Colonia and Blu Mediterraneo returns in the Hotel Line, distributed in the most elegant hotels worldwide with 100% recycled plastic packaging.

Acqua di Parma are adding a new skincare collection to their Barbiere range to allow for the full Italian Grooming Ritual to be experienced from the comfort of your own home. Enriched with the scent of Colonia, these two new skincare additions; Multi-Action Face Cream and Refreshing Face Cleanser, are specifically formulated for men’s skin and create a simple daily routine designed to fit into the lifestyle of the modern man.

In an increasingly connected daily life, it is essential to protect the skin from the harmful effects of Blue Light, a source of free radicals and therefore a cause of early skin aging. Multi-Action Face Cream, designed to combat exposure to digital screens and environmental agents, combines moisturising, smoothing and revitalising properties in a single formula. Atmospheric factors and pollution also require the effective purifying action of the Revitalising Face Cleanser.

An environmentally-friendly pack for both products, in line with the Maison’s sustainability plan, “Acqua di Parma Futura”. The ever elegant outer box is made of highly-prized FSC-certified cardboard. The screw pump of the Multi-Action Face Cream can be removed and separated from the glass bottle. Part of the Refreshing Face Cleanser tube contains 50% recycled plastic (plastic recycled from post-consumer waste).

Two supplementary formulae, with the comfortable sensory nature and the new functional capability, to devote even just a few minutes a day to a full routine. A facial treatment designed to make you feel at ease with yourself, to be sure of your look on every occasion and to live according to the purest Italian style.

Multi-Action Face Cream

A true multitasker which combines moisturising, smoothing and revitalising action. A high-performance formula with a light texture, which absorbs rapidly without leaving a greasy feeling. Hyaluronic acid keeps the skin moisturised over time. The revitalising combination of Niacinamide (B3) and Vitamin E counters free radicals. White Horehound Extract helps protect the skin from the harmful effects of pollution and the Blue Light emitted from digital screens and LEDs. Day by day the skin improves, is re-energised and moisturised.

Refreshing Face Cleanser

Easy to apply, to experience a comfortable feeling of immediate freshness and wellbeing every day. In contact with water, its creamy texture turns into a soft foam which removes the impurities and pollution without dehydrating the skin. Its delicate formula contains Pumpkin Seed Oil and D-Panthenol, with a moisturising action, Elderflower Extract, with astringent and regenerating properties, and revitalising Rosemary Extract. After use, the pores appear less visible and the grain of the skin is refined, cleansed, and pleasantly refreshed. The skin appears smooth and stays moisturised for 6 hours.

Coffees on our lonesome, playlists decided by our own listening habits, and daily commutes consisting of little more than rolling out of bed, donning a dressing gown, and turning on a monitor.

The life we became accustomed to in 2020 has certainly been strange. Some of us have adjusted to the change in routines easily, where others have struggled.

Although it may be a few months until we start to embark on the morning trek to the office, it is perfect timing to quash any bad habits now. That way, we are can get through a few more months of working from home, as well as being prepared for the office return.

There are two ways to do it, however. The first will be to crumble by the time it reaches 10:15, failing to follow up on that pre-lockdown ambition. The second is to take it in our stride because our mind is truly focused on success. 

Here, we take a look at how you succeed when you walk back into the lion’s den that is the working world on day one post-lockdown.

Exercise

Sadly, gyms have been closed for a while now and despite major investment in home workout equipmentat the beginning of lockdown, the best will in the world couldn’t have tempted us away from indulging in endless barbecues and glasses of pinot throughout the summer last year.

According to a report by Copernicus Climate Change Service, globally, May 2020 was 0.63 degrees Celsius warmer than average for that time of the year. With this temperature increase, many of us fell off the hypothetical exercise wagon.

Try and devote time each day to meditating, running, or throwing weights about. Trust us, it will be easier to do it now than try and go full tilt when you’re back in the office.

Scrap the sweats

We all entered lockdown with the ambition of changing life as little as possible — clothing played a big part of this! Many of us committed to still wearing our typical office attire around the house.

You probably will have heard people reiterating the fact that getting dressed appropriately everyday keeps you in the working mindset. This was fine for one, two, even five weeks of lockdown. But, after three months many of us had given up. We’ve all become a bit more laissez-faire in regard to what we wear.

Let’s be honest, we could all get used to hoodies and sweatpants, but it isn’t going to cut it. Therefore, you need to cut it out.

We aren’t proposing three-piece suits for men and evening dresses for women from the get go, but smart casual at least should be implemented into your work attire when working from home as well ad for your return to the office. Doing this will ensure that your first day back will not consist of major discomfort. Work your way up…

Worm catching

A report produced by UK-based app Sleep Cycle has found that Brits are getting approximately 42 minutes more sleep a night than they were doing pre-lockdown.

Furthermore, the average wake-up time has shifted from 7:44am to 8:16am – an undoubtedly welcomed additional 32 minutes. Without sounding too much like beloved Country and Western star, Dolly Parton, many of us have become accustomed to rolling out of bed and stumbling to our workspace at 8:25 ahead of a Zoom meeting at 8:30.

Please stop pressing the snooze button on the alarm now. When the inevitable return comes, you’ll have so many other things to think about in your day and getting to work on time and in a safe manner is certainly one of the most important.

Be Inspired shared a video detailing why all billionaires wake up at 4am and not a moment later — it’s worth your attention!

Banning your electronics long before you go to sleep, altering your evening activities, and of course, going to bed earlier will all make that transition to an early start so much easier. It’s your time to go and catch the worm!

What have I done and what do I need to do?

When you are back into the swing of things your mind can easily go into overdrive forcing you to lose track of where you’re at. If this happens, you’ll start struggling to distinguish the wood from the trees.

Track your goals at the beginning of everyday and reflect on them at the end of the week.

This is not only good as a tracker, it will also allow you to reward yourself appropriately with self-appreciation.

Perhaps over the course of lockdown you’ve embarked on a number of ‘outside the box’ activities. Whether it’sonline courses, new hobbies, or simply the beginning of a new project — detail your developments.

Working in lockdown is never going to be easy, despite the fact that many of us are patiently waiting for it. However, implement these simple daily habits before lockdown lifts fully and the transition will certainly be a lot smoother.

With the country once again in lockdown, many may be wondering how to kickstart their new year in the best way possible with a new fitness regime. However, with gyms closed once again, Brits are now looking for alternative exercises to do that are in keeping with the new Coronavirus restrictions. 

Under these new rules, you are able to leave your home to exercise outdoors once a day, but this should be within your local area and should only be done with your household, support bubble or with just one person from another household. With indoor and outdoor gyms closed, the permitted outdoor areas for exercise are parks, beaches, public gardens, heritage site grounds, playgrounds and the countryside. 

Here, John Nolan-Neylan, co-founder of Revvies, offers some gym alternatives to re-energise Britain as we enter the new year, and our third nationwide lockdown:

1. Running

(image by Tikkho Maciel) 

The best thing about running? It’s free! During lockdown, it’s important to (safely) make the most of what is available to us. It doesn’t matter whether you run fast or slow, every run will help you remember what is important and get in the right frame of mind. With outdoor spaces open, running is ideal to help boost your energy levels; it also helps to increase your lung function and boost your immune system, as well as your good cholesterol levels. Failure to  warm-up before running can negatively affect your performance and put you at risk for injury. To avoid that, you can try this dynamic warm-up for running.

2. Hiking 

(image by Toomas Tartes)

Hiking is one of the best ways to feel closer to nature and appreciate the natural landscape around you. In order to make the most of your permitted exercise time outdoors, hiking allows you to appreciate your local surroundings while also helping to improve your cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, sleep quality and can also help to reduce tension and stress.

3. Cycling

(image by Paul Green)

Cycling is another great form of exercise, that enables you to appreciate your local surroundings. Much like hiking, cycling improves your cardiovascular fitness, burns fat and calories, helps to build stamina and improves muscle tone and strength in the legs. 

4. Yoga

(image by Yannic Läderach)
Yoga is suitable for people of all ages and can be done wherever you feel most comfortable- be it at home or in your local park. Depending on your choice of yoga, you can burn between 180 and 460 calories, while improving your energy levels, flexibility, balance, strength and can help you ease stress and anxiety levels.

5. Circuits

(image by Jonathan Borba)

With large public parks available to us, circuit training is a great way of packing in a variety of different exercises. Sit-ups, lunges, push-ups, squats, burpees, planks, star jumps, are all different ways you can exercise while gyms are closed. Make sure to drink plenty of water and eat well in order to make the most of your exercise session.

Nolan-Neylan further comments on the impact the lockdown may have on our energy levels and how the combination of exercise and Revvies can help to recharge you:

“The entirety of last year has had a huge strain on all of our energy levels, and another national lockdown has many of us feeling down in the dumps. With gyms closing and many looking to start their new year in the healthiest way possible, many are looking for other methods to help them keep their new year’s resolutions; we are hope that these tips will help to keep Britain’s energy levels high. Another fantastic way to remain energised and alert is through the use of Revvies Energy Strips – used by elite athletes and sportspeople across the globe. We are really proud to be able to offer the same, high-quality performance supplements to the average person looking to boost their energy levels and fight fatigue. Revvies is the fastest and most convenient way to experience a great boost of energy, without the hassle and side effects of sugary energy drinks and gels.”

Now we’re back to WFH being the new norm, urgh, I know for some of you, it never stopped. But now we are well and truly in Lockdown 3:0, it’s so important we don’t slip into bad habits, you know, come on, joggers with a shirt and tie, roll out of bed turn your computer on and slip straight into a TEAM’s session with, “Ohhh I’m having some issues with my camera today”.

With bad habits, these can really effect your physical and mental health. It’s only a small thing but, it’s the small things that make a difference these day. Thinking about this we wanted we wanted to share Harry’s easy-but-effective products for your at-home hair routine this January, whether you’re looking to simply step up your hair game in 2021 or in search for products to combat a stressed-out scalp, Harry’s are here to help.

For an easy and effortless zoom-ready style: 

• Texturising Putty  – Adds texturing and definition for an effortless style, this product works to enhance your natural look with lasting definition.
  • Harry’s recently partnered with Luke Hersheon to offer some easy tips and grooming advice for guys. Luke’s top tip – Slightly warm Harry’s Texturising Putty with a hair dryer before applying to make the product more workable and go further. 

To combat a stressed-out Scalp:

• Scalp Scrub  – a once-weekly first step in your scalp health routine, this scrub features two types of sugars that work to exfoliate the scalp and remove dry skin, buildup and excess oil.
• 
• Dry Scalp 2in1 Shampoo & Conditioner  – Made for guys dealing with dry scalp, itchiness and buildup, this formula lightly exfoliates and promotes overall scalp health. 
  • Contains Aloe to hydrate, nourish, and revitalise skin and hair, Black Pepper to soothe irritated skin and regulate sebum and Papaya Extract to exfoliate.
  • (Comes in 3 levels depending on dandruff severity: Dry Scalp, Anti-Dandruff and Extra Strength Anti-Dandruff)

Scalp Cream –

The final step in your scalp care routine, this cream is a lightweight scalp conditioning treatment that soothes the skin and maintains a natural barrier, keeping it healthy and strong. This oil-free formula is safe to use every day without weighing down your hair