CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN

The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
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You’ll definately be Kissed under the Mistletoe – The ULTIMATE Beauty Gift Guide


Can you blinking well believe 2015 is drawing to a close and we are celebrating the first of our twelve posts of Christmas ! This year is all about rejoicing in Your Christmas Your Rules thanks to the wonderful House of Fraser. So to get proceedings underway we start our seasonal posts with out Bumper Beauty Gift Guide. We are doing things a little different this year and offering you one gigantic ULTIMATE post so enjoy folks and go forth and Christmas shop for the ladies in your life !

Ladies First

imageLet’s start with something ANY lady would be over the moon to unwrap come Christmas Morn. This immense Jo Malone London The House Of Jo Malone London gift Set.

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Tough act to follow, not when your a cult Classic in the shapely form of this Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Set.

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This is little number will be at the top of many a girls wish list, or should that be Santa’s list the Benefit Life Of The Party Gift Set .

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Nothing could be Sweeter to give as a Christmas present than this Laura Mercier Sweet Temptations Crème Brûlée Duet.

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Go on spoil someone you love with this amazing Clinique Days Of The Week Lipstick, yeah one for everyday of the week !

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The lady in your life won’t only feel fabulous with this Clarins Face and Body Care Collection – Skin Care Heroes, with this complete beauty routine, which has been specially designed to take care of all your face and body`s skin care needs, but she’ll also feel the same way about you.

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An exclusive to House of Fraser, this Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau De Toilette gift set comes with 100ml Eau de Toilette, 75ml Body Lotion and 10ml Rollerball.

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Everyone wants a classic at Christmas and take our word for it EVERY lady loves Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Beauty Set.

 

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Hip Flasks aren’t just the preserve of Gents anymore. This sassy duo of hip flask and lip balm by Bev-ridge & Friends is the perfect way for your better half to become wantonly irresistible.

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This will send your sensitive side through the roof in the eyes of your girlfriend with this Estée Lauder Big, Bold Lashes Sumptuous Extreme Mascara Set.

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Remember this gift has to be accompanied with you running a relaxing hot bath for your beloved one, the clue is in the name of this gift set. Aveda a gift of baths of beauty.

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This Wild About Beauty Make Up Bag and Brush Set offers a versatile make-up bag for all the beauty essentials a lady could possibly need. Complete with professional quality angled blusher brush, tapered eyeshadow brush and angled liner brush, just in case you wanted to know.imageThis brilliant Elemis Glowing Skin Collection comes with this complementary tote bag, who doesn’t love free added value. Win/Win situation.

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Always important to finish on a high and you can’t much more impressive than Luxury beauty brand Creme De La Mer and this concentrate collection.

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Be full of Christmas Cheers – Impressive Seasonal Tipples – Sponsored Post

imageWith Christmas less than a month away, Ohhh dear God ! This therefore means the party season will be upon us in the blinking of Rudolph’s eye. If you like us are thinking of having a little Yuletide get together, soirée, party, festivity, celebration or even jamboree and are wanting to add that WOW Factor in the drinks department, than look no further, as we here at Clothes-Make-the-Man have teamed up with the experts over at thebar.com to bring you more WOW than you can shake a tinsel covered stick at.

The guys over at thebar.com have advised us on some great festive beverage ideas that will put the POW into any party, making sure it’s memorable for all the right seasonal reasons.

imageFirst up we have, a warming blend of spices and a delicious spirit, the Hot Toddy has a long history, particularly based on whisky.

Cardhu is the ideal choice, offering tasty sweet apple and heather notes along with a warming, dryish finish.

Ingredients

50ml Cardhu 12 Year Old
75ml Boiling Water
25ml Honey
25ml Lemon Juice
1wedge(s) Lemon to Garnish
3piece(s) Clove

How to

  1. Place runny honey in a glass.
  2. Pour Cardhu 12 Year Old, lemon juice, boiling water and cloves into the glass.
  3. Stir slowly.
  4. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.

 

Next we have the blend of two legendary Christmas tipples, I mean you can’t get much more festive than a Baileys Eggnog ! Yes, the classic, homely combination can be done deliciously and simply as this: a pour of Baileys Original Irish Cream, plus egg, milk and a pinch of nutmeg for a great Yuletide drink to get you in the mood.

Well, if that hasn’t filled you with Christmas Spirit, then this well. If you can’t drink Champagne during the festive season, then when can you ? This idea is a version of the classic aperitif the Kir Royale, this switches in Pimm’s for a deliciously fruity pre-dinner drink that also makes for a great party celebration drink thanks to the addition of champagne, so ideal for Christmas or seeing in the New Year !image

Ingredients

50ml Pimm’s No. 1 75ml.
Champagne
1slice(s) Orange

How to

  1. Pour Pimm’s No.1 into a champagne flute.
  2. Top up with champagne.
  3. Garnish with a slice of orange or lemon.

imageNow last, but by no means least and I hate to bring this matter up but it’s part of pretty much all of our Christmasses is the Yuletide argument, no quarrel, no disagreement. Well, listen we won’t fall out about it, but if you know what I mean here is a defuser far more effective than any UN peace agreement. Is the Port in a Storm, one of the great mixed drinks using two base spirits, this combines Johnnie Walker Red Label with cognac, but also the fortified Port for a dark, richly flavoured cocktail.

Ingreidents

25ml Johnnie Walker Red Label Blended Scotch Whisky
25ml Ruby Port
1dash(es) Cognac

How to

  1. Fill a glass with ice.
  2. Pour Johnnie Walker Red Label Whisky, ruby port and cognac into the glass.
  3. Stir until well combined.
  4. Strain into a glass.
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It’s begining to smell a lot like Christmas – Selfridges Guide to their favourite men’s scents for the Yuletide

Buying the perfect grooming gift for a man can be a difficult task, there are so many different types and styles of scent and what suits one fella doesn’t always suit another and in the same respect every guy is different and is attracted to different ingreidents. Some guys like their fragrances deep and heavy to ensure everyone knows when they enter the room whereas some men prefer a light and refreshing aroma.

This Christmas, you can’t go wrong at Selfridges who are here to help by offering a variety of scents to impress any man, no matter how difficult to buy for. So we asked a expert in the form of Elodie Bohuon, Selfridges fragrance buyer to advise us of her top 5 new fragrances for the Yuletide.

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  1. CREED AVENTUS – With key notes of Bergamot, Blackcurrant, Musk and Vanilla. Aventus a great fragrance for the man of action: bold, spirited and confident.

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2. ATKINSONS 24 OLD BOND STREET CHRISTMAS LIMITED EDITION –  Bracingly fresh yet warmly embracing, this iconic English cologne gets a make over for Christmas – perfect for the more traditional Gentleman in the family.

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3. MiN NY MOON DUST – Reflecting the bold and mysterious scent of gunpowder after desert rain, this exclusive fragrance is a great match for an eclectic individual.

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4. BELLA BELLISSIMA TOMBÉE DE LA NUIT –  A dark and seductive fragrance with notes of innocent orange blossom and jasmine that contrasts with sensual tobacco-smoked patchouli. This new exclusive scent will be a must have this Christmas.

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5. JOHN VARVATOS DARK REBEL – Containing hints of Jamaican rum, black leather, and the exotic dragon skull flower accord, this fragrance has a wild edge that is made for the more daring personalities this season.

 

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Watch out for Santa – 7 of the best watches for Christmas Presents

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Terry Markham, Senior Buyer, WatchShop.com

Terry Markham is honest enough to admit that he didn’t know the difference between a quartz movement and a self-winding movement of a watch when he started out in his career as a sales associate with SDK Jewellers in Reading in 2006. But, by God he soon learned, and specialised in watches within the sales team. In less than a year of his joining the company, the owner’s son, Kishore, launched a website (then known as watchshopuk), and Terry began picking and packing watches in addition to handling the shop requirements for watches.

After a brief hiatus in the automotive industry in 2007, Terry was brought back to manage the physical store, but soon began helping the directors with ordering stock for the store and the fast growing online venture now known as WatchShop.com, the UK’s leading online watch retailer.

To perpetuate Terry’s interest in all things watch like, he collects watches, from World War II until the present day, as every timepiece has subtle nuances and understanding and appreciating them allows he to explain these to a wider audience. Today he gives his expert opinion on the 6 best watches for Men to give as Christmas present, or to be given to us;*

 

imageHUGO BOSS MEN’S WATCH
Product Code: 1513041
“Really stylish Hugo Boss with the rose accents on the numerals, love the colours and detailing.”

imageSEIKO MEN’S 5 AUTOMATIC WATCH
Product Code: SNXS79
“This is a classic, the Seiko 5 range has been going for decades, but the wonderfully simple automatic movement is a great gift to lure people into the world of watches.”

imageHAMILTON MEN’S KHAKI FIELD 38MM AUTOMATIC WATCH
Product Code: H70455533 – KHAKI
“As people gain more interest in watches, and they look to the higher levels of luxury, this is a great present to get them started on the path of luxury watches. This has sapphire crystal, Swiss automatic movement, and just looks stunning for a really attainable price.”

imageCITIZEN MEN’S WORLD CHRONOGRAPH A-T CHRONOGRAPH ECO-DRIVE WATCH
Product Code: AT8110-53E
“Something a little more technical, this watch updates via radio time signals, as well as being light powered, with a stopwatch, world timer, and all the functions and features you will ever need.”

imagePOLAR MEN’S A300 BLUETOOTH ACTIVITY TRACKER BLACK CHRONOGRAPH WATCH
Product Code: 90051950
“This pairs with your smartphone, and lets the wearer map their activity throughout the day, while also being able to see and dismiss incoming calls, texts and emails. The watch syncs activity data to the smartphone, which is then uploaded to the cloud, allowing them to view their fitness performance online as well. Perfect for getting people interested in fitness, or just taking more of an interest in their health.”

imageSCUDERIA FERRARI MEN’S FORMULA ITALIA S CHRONOGRAPH WATCH
Product Code: 0830273
“Something a bit sportier for the anyone in your family with even a sniff of petrol in their blood. The Formula Italia series by Scuderia Ferrari are made in Italy, and use top quality genuine leather straps, and designs inspired from the legendary Ferrari road and race cars.”

imageHENRY LONDON CHISWICK WATCH
Product Code: HL39-S-0100
“Give the retro look with a restrained case size, fantastic domed glass, and a classic gold and green colour combo. Just launching in AW2015, the designers of Henry London have really nailed the retro timepiece look.”

* all watches featured offer free next day delivery within the UK

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6 of the best Star Wars collaborations – by Keanu Adorable

With the release of the highly anticipated latest Star Wars film less than a month away, today we look at some of the best collaborations that would make any hardcore fans turn to the dark side over. ‘The Force Awakens’ could potentially be the biggest blockbuster The world or even the Galaxy, has ever seen, and has already topped the pre-sale records with a whopping $50 million!!! Watch the trailer below if you haven’t already (seriously, how could you not have). Needless to say, the movie is not the only thing that we have our eyes on. Have a look at some of the products we have chosen for our readers to look at (and have second thoughts about the need to buy your weekly groceries).

Nixon

Nixon have released  their Star Wars “Dark Side” collection in the lead up to the highly anticipated film’s release. The collections contains Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Stormtrooper-inspired watches, backpacks, belts and wallets.

Ranger SW , 44 MM Watch - £280

Ranger SW , 44 MM Watch 

Landlock Backpack SW - £75

Landlock Backpack SW 

Kickers

French footwear label Kickers teamed up with the filmmakers Disney to develop a special limited edition range of Star Wars inspired shoes for adults and children. The new collection will offer Kickers iconic Kick Hi boots featuring key characters from the film franchise, including Darth Vader, Stormtroopers as well as Yoda and TIE Fighters.

Men's Kick Hi Print Storm Trooper - £110

Men’s Kick Hi Print Storm Trooper

Men's Kick Hi Print Darth Vader -£110

Men’s Kick Hi Print Darth Vader 

Adidas

Adidas Originals has given the classic Superstar 80’s model a Star Wars makeover, letting fans customise the shoe through the mi adidas portal. Additional features include allover prints, exclusive lace-locks, Star Wars laces and custom  Darth Vader and Stormtrooper Shell-toes. Have a look at some of adidas’s suggested combinations below and head over to mi adidas to give it a go for yourself.

mi Star Wars superstar 80's - £105

mi Star Wars superstar 80’s 

 

Uniqlo

Earlier this year, Japanese label UNIQLO launched a collection of T-shirts featuring submissions for its Star Wars-themed UT Grand Prix 2015 design competition. From Yoda, to Darth Maul, to R2-D2, the shirts don illustrations of seminal characters that range across the entirety of the sci-fi film franchise.

Sweat Pullover Hoodie - £24.90

Sweat Pullover Hoodie 

Short Sleeve Graphic T-Shirt - £12.90

Short Sleeve Graphic T-Shirt 

Chunk

Chunk recently released their vintage inspired repeat prints on a collection of limited edition tees & sweats with beautifully realised handcrafted graphics featuring the mythical big foot, white label music and collegiate Star Wars Storm troopers.

Trooper Army Tee - £33.50

Trooper Army Tee 

BMX Trooper Tee - £23.45

BMX Trooper Tee 

Moleskine

Moleskine has released limited edition hardcover notebooks complete with origami templates to create your very own X-Wing Starfighters. Featuring a white notebook with an image of a Stormtrooper, and a black notebook with a red image of main antagonist Kylo Ren, the notebooks sport a colorful montage from the film on the inside cover. A set of Star Wars stickers comes in an expandable back pocket, a bookmark ribbon and an elastic ribbon that secures the covers when shut.

Moleskin Notebooks - £18.99

Moleskin Notebooks