I like to travel as much as possible but when I do I’m often on one of those budget airlines where luggage space is a little on the tight side, I stopped taking a full size was bag with me a while back as it just took up too much room, and the products within were all full size as that’s all you can really buy in supermarkets and is really OTT for a few days away.
So a few weeks ago I was packing to go to Philadelphia for a short break and I decided I needed a more compact solution for my toiletries and upon looking came across the VitaMan Skin Pod
Instead of the usual oblong shape of most toiletry bags this is kind of a flat square which is surprisingly usefully for squeezing into the tiniest places in your luggage.
The Skin Pod comes with the following included :
Vita Man Face Scrub 50Ml
Vita Man Face Mud Masque 50ML
Vita Man Face Moistener 50ML
So pretty much all the products you will need for a well balanced skin routine, there’s also a nice bit of space in there where I managed to get in a folding toothbrush and toothpaste which left me pretty much set for my trip, I thoroughly recommend checking out the Skin Pod if you like to keep up a good skin routine like I do.
For more info on the Vita Man Skin Pod and the other great products they have on offer head over to
I’m often sent aftershaves to try in the hope I will write something about them and too often I just cant as they just don’t do much for me, you see I know what I like and tend to stick with it and that means I mostly wear Issey Miyake L’eau D’issey Pour Homme, its a classic scent that I’m often complimented on.
So I wasn’t sure what to think when I was sent Loewe’s Solo fragrance, for one I admit I havent heard of the brand before although it turns out they have been around since 1846 when a group of craftsmen opened a leather goods workshop
in central Madrid. Within a few years they had established themselves as one of the best names in leather goods and fashion, a trait they still hold dear to this day.
Loewe is now well established in high end fashion with Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and Laura Biagiotti all having contributed to the Loewe collections.
Loewe launched their first scent in 1985, and has since become a market leader in Spain.
Upon the first spray of the scent I was pleasantly surprised, it actually reminds me alot of my beloved Issey Miyake with its citrus tones and spiciness but Loewe also have their own unmistakable scent here which they make their own. I’m not the best at describing scents but I know what I like and I like Solo. I wore it out yesterday to meet a friend for lunch and no less than three people enquired as to what I was wearing which is a very good sign indeed!
Up until recently most shower gel products I found were mainly aimed at women and alot are citrus like smells which are fine and I use them but its nice when a product line comes along focused at men for men.
A offshoot of the popular Anatomicals line these are pocket friendly products that looks and smell great. In fact having used a few of the shower gels over the last couple of weeks they really feel and look like a quality product it doesn’t seem like its a budget line where often its glaringly obvious that you get what you pay for.
the packaging design is bright cool and modern and doesn’t look out of place in the modern style conscious bathroom , each product is also covered has a quirky product description. This week I have been using the Manatomicals ‘Young Free and Tingle Wake Up Hair & Body Wash’ and it certainly wakes you up! , I cant pinpoint the fragrance but it certainly wakes you up and smells good, in fact I haven’t used another shower gel quite like this and at less than £3 a tube its a complete winner in my book.
The Manatomicals line is available now from Waitrose and Boots Stores nationwide
Recently I was invited to try Wilkinson Swords brand new Razor the Hydro 5 Power Select, and over the last month I have been using it for my daily shave to give it a proper evaluation.
I think we are all getting a bit tired of a new razor coming out every year claiming to be the next big thing in shaving by adding that all important ( or not!) extra blade and to be honest I expect the Hydro 5 to be no different but after near on a month using it I will say its probably the best shave I have ever given myself, not as good a a professional cut throat shave but its very close!
The razor has a built in vibration setting which can be customised to limit skin irritation and also a handy battery indicator lets you know clearly when you are about to run out of juice.
Probably my favourite feature of this new razor though is the gel reservoir which contains Wilkinson Swords ‘skin defence complex’ which hydrates your skin during the shave and feels rather wonderful once you are done.
If you are in the market for a new razor I can thoroughly recomend the Hydro 5, I’m really happy with the close shave and the soft and refreshed feeeling after the shave, Im sure you will be too.
Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Power select is available nationwide now with a RRP of £12.99 for the razor and a pack of 4 blades is £9.99
I have posted about the Joop! Homme fragrance before and I think you will agree with me if I convinced you to try it that its a real winner, in fact I wear it everyday. Well Joop! built on the success of the original fragrance and have recently introduced the new Joop! Homme Wild line, which still has elements of what made the original great but has taken things up a notch, this should be your partying fragrance!
With that idea in mind Joop! have released a series of videos exploring the wild spots of various cities, the first being my home town London and having just watched it I can say without a doubt I will be checking out a few of these spots! I find London is one of those cities you can live in all your life and yet still be totally unaware of an abundance of amazing things going on right on your doorstep, most tourists only see the famous landmarks like Big Ben and the Tower of London but I always urge visitors to look a little deeper and see the real London and meet the real Londoners.
So whether you live in London or are planning a visit I urge you to take a look at the video below and discover a few of the alternative places to visit in London from the wild Bars, tattoo parlours, to the vintage clothes stores theres something for everyone who like to explore their Wild side once in a while, all of course while wearing the new Joop! Homme Wild
A fifth of Brits admits to declining dates based on dress sense as discovered in a new My Ariel survey
· 1 in 10 Brits admit to intentionally destroying a partner’s item of clothing if they don’t like it.
· Dress sense voted primary factor to look out for by 58% of Brits.
· 43% of Brits demand their partner changes their clothes because they are embarrassed to be seen with them
· Unlucky in love? Wear purple – women are more likely accept a date from men wearing purple.
Its official, a survey to launch the new My Ariel campaign from laundry brand Ariel , has discovered that when it comes to finding love women are far pickier about appearances than men, with over a fifth (28%) of women and just 14% of men admitting to declining a date with someone because they hated their clothes.
In fact British women feel so strongly about a man’s dress sense that 60% reported clothes are the number one dating deal breaker, followed in second place by a suitor’s haircut (17%) and style of shoes (9%).
Passionate purple – the colour women fall for
The poll of 2000 Brits to celebrate the new My Ariel campaign discovered that men stand more chance with the ladies if they wear purple, with over a third (36%) accepting a date from a man dressed in a purple shirt. Men who prefer the black ‘milk tray man’ look come in a close second (32%), with the classic crisp white shirt taking third place (13%).
Wearing blue or pink is likely to leave men standing lonely on the dance floor, taking just 11% and 6% of the votes.
Wardrobe overhaul
If any men are lucky enough to pass the ‘clothing test’ and secure a second date it’s likely that she’s already plotting to overhaul his wardrobe with a quarter (25%) of British women believing there is always room for improvement on the clothes front, and nearly one in 20 admitting that every time they go out with a new partner they like to dictate their style.
But men are confident in their style choices as a quarter (25%) won’t seek anyone else’s opinion on what they choose to wear for a night out.
The destroyer
31% of women admit to having no qualms in demanding their partner changes their clothes because they are embarrassed to be seen out with them. It’s not only the ladies, however, that have a say in their other half’s wardrobe, as nearly a fifth (18%) of men are guilty of doing the exact same thing.
When it comes to taking drastic measures, men and women are both as guilty as each other with one in 10 admitting that they’ve even destroyed a partner’s item of clothing that they really disliked.
This might explain why nearly a quarter of men (23%) still take their washing home for their mum to do – and only 4 in 10 couples allow their partner to wash their favorite item of clothing with half preferring to do their own washing – separately!
The survey was conducted to celebrate the launch of Ariel’s new TV ad campaign ‘My Ariel’ which is themed around people’s real life clothing stories. Visit www.facebook.com/ArielUKandIRE for further information and to watch the videos.
During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
This year supplier to the Royal Households Kent Brushes has teamed up with men’s health charity Movember and launched a Moustache Comb to keep those male lip-sprouts looking suave and help raise money to boot.
Specially customised for the moustache growing charity the extra small comb is one of just 3200 pieces made in total to help raise funds and awareness for men’s health, including prostate and other cancers. Completely handmade, its teeth are saw cut, then hand polished and buffed to create soft, rounded teeth that will glide effortlessly through his top-lip shrubbery providing impeccable grooming. What’s more as the product is part of the official Mo-Merchandise, £2 from every comb sold goes directly back to the charity to help change the face of men’s health, so the man in your life knows he is doing his little bit to help fellow males worldwide too!
Breaking the rules of traditional perfumery and the boundaries of his craft, Fabrice Olivieri is a maverick known for inventing unconventional perfumes and in deploying new creative fields. Fabrice has worked for nearly two years to find the precise balance and assembly of natural materials, with the end result worthy of the precious and desirable luxury that embodies UNDERGREEN.
Fabrice Olivieri says of the new perfumes “I am very attached to the overallconcept of UNDERGREEN, I like projects born with a strong identity and which do not feel structured – capturing this creativity and translating it into two new unique fragrances using only 100% natural formulations represented an enjoyable challenge that I hope men and women will discover and enjoy.”
UnderGreen BLACK A dark, black composition, mingling rare woods and exotic spices,
Top note: Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger
Middle note: Liquorice, Coffee, Tonka Beans
Base note: Incense, Gaiac Wood, Birch Bark, Oud
BLACK CLASSIC EDITION £120
Perfume Black 100ml version Eau de Parfum
BLACK LIMITED EDITION £295
Perfume Black 100ml version Elixir de Parfum
Bulb atomizer on/off system
Undergreen BLACK classic perfume launches exclusively into Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge and is available now. http://undergreen.eu/
Is it true that ‘clothes maketh the man’ ? It is not just the clothes that you wear but the shoes that you team it them with, that define how you are perceived to the opposite sex. Shoes add to the enchantment of any kind of clothing that you don. And the appropriate shoes are important to carry off a particular look. Trainers never look great with a suit, not even Paul McCartney can get away with it (not for the want of trying!) so what makes you think you can?
Why am I talking about shoes? Well about the only bit of style advise I ever remember is being told that Women always look at your shoes first, I guess that makes sense, most women I know are obsessed with shoes so it stands to reason they would be taking a look at what’s on our feet as well as theirs doesn’t it?
As you can probably tell Im not the best person to dish out style advise but thankfully you don’t need me when you have experts like James Charm with his latest Seduction lesson focusing on clothing Im sure he will point you ( and me!) in the right direction.
James tells us that what we wear will unconsciously send signals to men and women about who we are, and will create the appeal that is the beginning of seduction. So you’d better learn a few practical tips about clothing, and a few things to avoid as well
