Bronzing the safe way

Fake tan for men is dodgy ground. If the fear of being ribbed down the pub by your mates isn’t bad enough, you could potentially end up looking like the tangoed cast of The Only Way is Essex or the illuminous Gavin Henson.

But if you can’t get away for some winter sun and your face is looking grey and as pale as the cast of Twilight, then there is a product which can help.

Anthony Logistics for Men Anti Aging Self Tanner is a natural tanning formula, which doesn’t contain any chemical nasties. It is non-greasy and is easily applied to the skin. It can be used daily or every other day depending on how deep and dark you wish to tan. It also contains anti-ageing peptides and smells great too. The key thing about this product is that it won’t leave you with streaky lines or orange patches.

Apply to face and neck after washing and just remember to wash your hands, otherwise you will end up with orange mitts. RRP £20 for 70ml www.poised.co.uk

The 80 blade shave

I’m off to the UK launch of Gillette’s Fusion ProGlide razor tonight, which I’m excited about, as these events usually entail a lot of free drinks.

The ProGlide was launched in the US last year (February 2010) and inevitably it was going to reach our shores at some point. I haven’t tried it yet – but I have heard good things. It features re-engineered, finer blades, a unique Microcomb to guide hairs towards the blade, a larger Lubrastrip, improved precision trimmer and a streamlined ‘Snowplow’ Comfort Guard to help maintain optimum contact with the skin. Take a look at the picture.

However it now seems that the ProGlide might be scrapped all together after I received information today that Gillette was launching an 80 blade razor. Now my first thought was, yeah, I can see that. The next step after five blades has to be 80 – let’s see Wilkinson Sword and King of Shaves beat that! And then of course you realise it’s a marketing spoof, which I am quite sad about. Just picture yourself shaving with 80 blades! Magnificent – although you might need some industrial sized toilet roll to patch up any cuts.

Check out the spoof viral of the Gillette MagmaCore Extreme:

Got to Facebook.com/GilletteUK to check out the Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor.

Fuel for the face

Every day your skin goes 12 rounds with Rocky and takes a battering. Protect and rescue it with these three great products, road tested by The Grooming Guy:

Lab Series – Power Wash

This stuff cuts through dirt and grime with ease. It’s ideal for normal or oily skin types and is great for unblocking pores and reducing redness.

It comes in a foaming gel with enzymes that remove excess oil and the build up of grease and filth from pollution. It is also a nice product for prepping your beard before you shave. Use day and night.

£19.00 for 250ml http://www.mankind.co.uk

Bulldog – Original Moisturiser

Keeping your skin hydrated is vital – drink lots of water and use a good moisturiser.

Bulldog’s daily moisturiser will keep your skin fresh and smooth. It’s also free of chemical nasties like parabens, sodium laureth sulfate and synthetic fragrances. Bulldog prides itself on naturally and ethically sourced products.

Also comes in two variants – one for sensitive skin and one with anti ageing properties.

£5.99 for 100ml http://www.boots.com

Dr. Lewinns – MEN Day Moisturiser SPF 15 50m

As well as keeping your skin hydrated you need to protect it against harmful UV rays and other free radicals.

Dr. LeWinn’s Men Day Moisturiser SPF 15 is a non greasy day moisturiser which protects against the harsh environment.

Apparently it uses the natural Oceanic Repair System (ORS), based on natural Brown and Red Algae Extracts, known for their soothing properties to help repair and calm the skin.

£30.00 for 50ml http://www.poised.co.uk

The Grooming Guy becomes Poised.co.uk’s Online Grooming Editor

Over the next few months I will be writing a second blog for Poised.co.uk, a new online store dedicated to providing premium grooming, fitness and wellbeing supplies for men.

I will be offering tips and advice on what products can help you to look your best, protect you from the harsh weather, kick the signs of tiredness, beat the effects of ageing, defeat the hangovers and stay looking young.

You can read my first post here http://www.poised.co.uk/blog/news/our-new-grooming-guy/

Fight the 9 to 5 grind while you sleep

This night cream is by far one of the best purchases you will ever make, but it does come with a hefty price tag. Slap it on before bed and it is guaranteed to  give you noticeable results in a short space of time, leaving skin looking smooth and toned.

The peak detoxing times for the body are between 12am and 12pm, so the skin’s regeneration process is at its optimum during the hours of sleep. This cream is designed to replenish oxygen (by up to 41%) lost during the day as a direct result of the sun and harsh winter weather.

This stuff has great anti-agening propeties too, which helps to fight off those dark circles and fine lines caused by nights out on the town and slaving away at your nine to five  job.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream 50ml – RRP £90.00 www.johnlewis.com

Greed is good…..

With the release of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Gordon Gekko is back on the scene.  The Grooming Guy takes a look at his grooming routine.

Remember…“lunch is for wimps”.

SHAVE

The Gekko probably uses a cut throat razor with a splash of lime juice for lubrication. The Grooming Guy recommends using a double-edge safety razor – check out this handmade razor from The Art of Shaving ($65) http://www.theartofshaving.com

You’ll also need a badger brush ($55 from The Art of Shaving) and a good shaving cream like Truefitt & Hill http://www.truefittandhill.com

FRAGRANCE

If you ask Gordon what fragrance he wears he would probably look you straight in the eye and tell you, “that sweet scent you’re smelling, is the smell of success”. The Grooming Guy recommends capturing the 80s with Antaeus by Chanel (1981), Versace l’Homme by Versace (1984), Trussardi Uomo by Turssardi (1983) and Portos by Aramis (1985).

HAIR

As much as braces were a key component of 80s power dressing, so was an unflappable hair do. Check out Lost Stock & Barrel’s The Daddy Classic Wax (£7.20) http://www.groomingmen.com

SKIN

Mr. Gekko probably uses sandpaper or a cheese grater to exfoliate with and he more than likely moisturises with a mix of Caviar and Dodo juice. The Grooming Guy recommends Jack Black Face Buff Energising Scrub (£16.50) www.getjackblack.com and Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisturiser (£30.50) http://www.kiehls.co.uk to keep your skin looking sharp.

Keep your beard in check

If you’re planning to grow your whiskers or sport the five o’clock shadow, then keeping your facial fuzz in shape is a must.

A good beard needs to be carefully maintained and looked after with a beard trimmer.

BaByliss for Men has developed the i-stubble, packed full of cutting edge design to keep your beard trim, like a unique flexing head which tracks the contours of the face, 15 pre-set lengths (0.4mm – 5mm) adjusting in 0.2mm increments for shorter cutting, an LCD screen display and electrochemically sharpened blades.

It also features a five minute quick charge function for a single stubble shave.

The i-stubble is priced at £60.00. For more information go to www.babyliss.co.uk/men.html

The Grooming Guy is giving away one i-stubble to a lucky reader. All you have to do, to be in with a chance to win, is send your name and email address to thegroomingguy@gmail.com, to be entered into our draw.

Also check out this helpful how-to video:

T&Cs – One entry per person. Open to UK residents only. Competition closes at midnight on 31st October. Judges decision is final. Winner must respond within 24hrs of being contacted or another winner will be chosen.
*This is a sponsored post*

Wilkinson Sword launch Hydro range

Last night I found myself flying down the Thames in a power boat courtesy of Wilkinson Sword to the launch of their new Hydro range, which they say, actually “cares for your skin as you shave”.

Billed as a world first in shaving performance and comfort, I was excited to see what they had spent the last six years and “tens of millions of dollars” on developing.

And the flagship product for this new range….yes, you have guessed it….A razor with five blades! But Wilkinson has also developed three new technologies for their new Hydro razor.

It features, a unique ‘Hydrating Gel Reservoir’ filled with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E to hydrate the skin, built-in ‘Skin Guards’ to smooth the skin’s surface, and a new ‘Flip Trimmer’ which can be pulled back with the thumb, so the top of the blade head can be used to edge and trim.

The initial feedback from both industry journalists and professional barbers/stylists was  positive. However in the US there have been complaints about slimy residue from the ‘Hydrating Gel Reservoir’ being left on the skin post-shave.

At the launch event I was lucky enough to be shaved by Simon Cowell’s grooming assistant. The shave felt good; it was close to the skin and the lubricating pad kept my face feeling wet, allowing for smooth blade strokes. I did notice root hairs still on my face, but all-in-all, a good shave. The Grooming Guy is going to spend a couple of weeks with this razor and will report back in comparison to the Gillette Fusion and King of Shaves Azor M.

The Hyrdo 5 (five blades) is the premium model, retailing at £7.99, and the lower range Hydro 3 (three blades) will be retailing at £5.99. The range also features a shave cream, two shave gels, a shave foam and an after shave balm.

The products will be launching in Boots and Tesco on the 4th of October.

Grooming Guy’s top tip: get on the case

If you’re  like me and find your face stuck to the pillow in the morning after a night out when you have hit the sack without washing out the huge amounts of hair wax/clay in your barnet – then listen up!

All that hair product will find its way into the pores of your skin, clogging them, causing spots and blackheads. Your pillow absorbs grease and oil from your face and hair like a sponge. Dead  skin cells also collect on your pillow – creating a non-skin-friendly surface and environment. Wash your pillow cases every other day and you’ll save your skin!

The ‘Botox King’ is saving men’s eyes…….without any injections

I rarely find an eye cream product that I think makes a noticeable difference to tired looking eyes. This month I have been fortunate enough to try out Dr. Sebagh’s exclusive new product – Dr. Sebagh Eye Primer Lift.

Acknowledged as one of the premier cosmetic doctors in Europe, Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh, also know as the ‘Botox King’, is the Botox go-to-guy for many celebrities. Lately he has been busy with his team of French science bods to come up with a new product to rejuvenate men’s eyes.

This product is great for applying at the start of your day, after a hangover, or just before a night out. It soothes the area around the eyes and you can feel a tightening affect which seems to last all day. It’s almost instantly absorbed, so it doesn’t leave you with wet-looking shiny eyes.

If you’re looking bleary eyed and the director’s board meeting starts in 10 minutes, then this product will firm up and rehydrate those dark circles.

In the long-term, Dr Sebagh says this product’s active ingredients will protect cell renewal, stimulate collagen synthesis and improve the texture, elasticity and firmness of the skin around the eye.

However it does come with a hefty price tag: £48 for 15ml. The product is launching this month at Harrods and then Selfridges Oxford Street.