Tag Archives: Men’s beauty

Celebrating National Beard Day

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If there is going to be a national celebration for anything, then beards are as good as subject as any. This Saturday(September 2nd)  sees National Beard Day, a celebration of all faces hairy and beautiful. It is no secret that I am partial to a hirsute man, with French and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud being my number one crush, so Saturday is definitely a day close to my heart.

Beards have certainly grown (to pardon the pun) in popularity in recent years, you only have to look at how many instagram feeds are dedicated to beards to realise that. But if you think that a beard is an easy option that you just allow to grow and cut out shaving, then you are sorely mistaken. The modern beard is a well groomed, well sculpted facial adornment, which is pampered and preened with beard shampoo and conditioner, beard oils and balms, moustache wax and pomades, and very often it has its own comb and brush to ensure the styling is on point. Beards have become big beauty business with their own shelf in the male grooming aisle of Boots and Superdrug. Manscaping is definitely a thing.

Lucky for me, I have my own hot beardy man who is definitely in tune when it comes to male styling. Pete is a real fan of the Dear Barber Grooming set from Just My Look. In particular, this set has a great beard oil which helps keep Pete’s beard in tip top condition, taming stray hairs whilst having just the slightest hint of fragrance, making it not too sweet and cloying. It is also a decent sized bottle at 30ml, this should last for quite some time as you only need a few drops at a time. The kit comes in a wonderfully retro looking box and also contains a Dear Barber moustache wax and a great quality wooden beard comb. This is a wonderful gift for the upcoming festive season and would certainly be appreciated by anyone who loves to groom their beard.

Scaramouche and Fandango – pamper the man in your life

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The rather wonderfully named Scaramouche and Fandango is a great new beauty range aimed at the man in your life. You may remember some of the products were featured in the very popular men’s beauty box that Selfridges launched in time for Father’s Day. After featuring the box on Fashion-Mommy, the lovely people from Scaramouche and Fandango asked if I (or hubby Pete to be more precise) would be interested in taking some of the products for a proper test drive. Of course we said yes, and here is what Pete thought of this new range.

Pete is pretty good at taking care of his skin. His work in the building industry in loft conversions means that he is working outside in all weathers, from the biting cold to fierce sunshine, and all this can leave the skin dry, chaffed or scorched and needing hydration and moisturisation. In addition, dirty roof spaces leaves the pores clogged with dust and dirt that need regular cleansing and facial scrubs to get truly clean.

scara2

We tried a range of tester products from the Scaramouche and Fandango range, all currently available from Selfridges. There was the shave cream, face scrub and hydrator for the skin, and shampoo and bodywash for the all over clean. We were going on holiday in the sun for a couple of weeks, and these were the perfect travel sizes, so we popped them in the suitcase and took them for a test drive.

scara1The shave cream

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Shave cream 100ml £9.00 click to visit Selfridges


SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Shave cream 100ml
£9.00
click to visit Selfridges

This is most definitely a hero product if your hubby has sensitive skin that is prone to shaving rashes. Containing Guava extract which means it smells just gorgeous, this cream makes shaving very easy (hubby said the razor just glided over it) and leaves the skin feeling very soft and smooth. With no shaving rash! Brilliant stuff.

Hydrator

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Hydrator 100ml £10 click to visit Selfridges

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Hydrator 100ml
£10 click to visit Selfridges

This product is a fabulous, long-lasting moisturiser that helps to keep your skin hydrated, even in conditions that will usually make it very dry. Holiday time, with long periods sitting in the sun, is damaging and incredibly aging for the skin – keeping it hydrated with a product like this is a good way of combating the effects of the sun. Also, air conditioning that is used in offices and hotels in the summer can also be horrible for drying out the skin, and this is a great size to keep in that man bag to apply when needed. The formulation is very easy to use as the skin absorbs it very quickly, and it is non-greasy – helping to avoid shiny face syndrome that puts some men off moisturising. A great bargain buy for just £10 for 100ml.

Face Scrub

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Face scrub 100ml £8 click to visit Selfridges

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Face scrub 100ml £8 click to visit Selfridges

This is a product that Pete had enjoyed using from the Selfridges preview, and will now be a bathroom constant in our house. A great, non abrasive facial scrub that leaves the face feeling clean and refreshed, this is one of those products where a little goes a long way. Scented with Prickly Pear (shades of the Jungle Book there!), this smells fabulous and fresh, and is great even for men who avoid other sorts of skincare – just tell them it’s a replacement for soap!

Shampoo and Bodywash

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Shampoo 200ml £11 click to visit Selfridges

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Shampoo 200ml
£11 click to visit Selfridges

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Body wash 200ml £11 click to visit Selfridges

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Body wash 200ml
£11 click to visit Selfridges

And finally…to bath time. These are two lovely sized products that would make a perfect treat for dads, grandads, hubbies, brothers or boyfriends. Again these products used fruit extracts which make them smell amazing, and they lather up a treat. I must admit to using the bodywash myself. It has a musky scent that is definitely manly, but I loved how soft it left my skin feeling. The shampoo has the bonus of containing Shea Butter, leaving your hair really silky soft.

Going on holiday – I recommend this product.

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Travel pack £14 click to visit Selfridges

SCARAMOUCHE & FANDANGO Travel pack
£14 click to visit Selfridges

With thanks to Tamara at Scaramouche and Fandango for the opportunity to trial the products.

Family Fever

 

 

 

 

 

Introducing your man to manscaping

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It’s no longer just the ladies that are waxing, plucking and shaving to keep body hair in check anymore. While men used to be able to sit back smugly, exempt from the body hair grooming rituals that preoccupy most women, there’s a new normal now and it’s called “manscaping.”

From keeping hair trimmed to taking it all off, paying attention to body hair is the manscaping mantra now that a carpet of chest or back hair is no longer a shining beacon of masculinity. These days, male celebrities and models in movies and magazines are sporting much less body hair than they did back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and as a result, more and more men are taking note of their own levels of Yeti-ness and doing something about it.

70s Man Reymolds

70s Man Reynolds

Modern Man Beckham

Modern Man Beckham

 

Every man has his own preferences when it comes to body hair, but manscaping really comes down to maintenance. Areas commonly worthy of some attention are the brows, ears, chest, back, and groin. No one wants body hair that looks like an untrimmed hedge. Luckily, regular grooming can achieve a look that is healthier, cleaner, and generally more attractive. Any part of the body that sprouts hair anywhere but on top is fair game for manscaping, and there are a lot of tools available, depending on your man’s level of comfort with the hair that’s already there. Electric trimmers work well for chest and pubic hair, but waxing is better for shoulders and back. To get rid of everything, consider waxing or laser treatments, but avoid tackling body hair with a razor, which can lead to prickly patches and razor burn.

If your guy isn’t convinced that manscaping is for him, show him some examples of laser hair removal before and after, and let him decide for himself. Here are a few more tips to help him shape up:

Start slow

Manscaping doesn’t mean that he has to go bare down there. He can start small in more neutral areas by trimming nose, beard, or ear hair or by getting rid of that uni-brow. Make sure you give him some positive reinforcement by telling him how great he looks with just a little maintenance. By starting small and being encouraging, you can help him work up to paying some attention to the more sensitive areas.

Go pro when needed

If he’s on board for some more involved manscaping but unsure about how to do it, seek out the professionals. If he’s considering permanent hair removal through laser treatments, then he’ll need to seek out a good clinic. If he opts for waxing, the process will be quicker and smoother if he leaves it to someone else. Remind him that it’s nothing to feel self-conscious about or ashamed of. He’ll be joining the ranks of well-kempt, confident men who are taking control of their body hair.

Keep it clean

Manscaping should be a regular part of his life, not a one-off. To help your man get into a groove, keep up the positive reinforcement so he knows how much you love his new, cleaner look.

Collaborative post.