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.