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.

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/

Banish back fuzz forever

Some blokes are, understandably, concerned about sporting unsightly body hair in places like the back and shoulders. If you’re cracking out the Chewbacca look on the beach and getting some dodgy looks then read on….

Shaving is the cheapest and fastest option of getting rid of body hair, but is short term and stubble can itch like hell. Then there is waxing, which, well, I can imagine bloody hurts not to mention being fairly awkward. But there is another option – Intense Pulse Light or IPL.

So how does it work? A light beam is used on the skin which is absorbed by the melanin contained in the hair follicle, which is then converted into thermal energy. This heat cauterises the vessel connecting to the base of the hair, effectively destroying the hair causing it to fall out and never grow again. IPL treatments are meant to be painless and 100% safe, but often come with a hefty price tag and trips to the salon.

However you can now perform this treatment at home. The dermatologist-approved E>One is as close as you’ll get to a professional IPL treatment. At nearly £1,500 it doesn’t come cheap, but still works out cheaper than a series of salon treatments, and you can do it in the privacy of your own home.

The E>One has six levels of intensity, each of which can be changed to match a different kind of hair density, skin tone or body area. After 10-12 treatments skin should be completely hair free, with only one or two uses per year required to maintain a smooth area.

It’s expensive, but a life without worrying about shoulder fuzz is definitely worth the money, so get saving!

E>One by E>Swin is £1450 from e-swin.com

Grooming big shot: Will King, Founder and CEO of King of Shaves

Fresh from signing a distribution deal with US grooming giant Remington, to launch his brand in America, The Grooming Guy caught up with the King of Shaves himself, Mr. Will King.

King of Shaves will launch a new system razor, co-branded with Remington, in the US next spring, while Remington’s parent company Spectrum, which supplies retailers across the US, will distribute King of Shaves branded men’s grooming products.

And he has a smile on his face. Mr King believes the expansion will grow the company’s revenues to £100m by 2013, representing around 5% of the US market.

The Grooming Guy spoke to him about breaking into the US, the future of the shaving market, his plans for 2011, and his favourite grooming products:

TGG: You have just signed a groundbreaking deal with Remington – why did you choose to partner with a competitor rather than go it alone?

WK: The US has been a graveyard for British brands in the past, so it was clear we needed a large American partner to even begin speaking to the big retailers like Walmart and Target. Spectrum has more than £1bn of sales going into Walmart alone. It’s vital that you take a lead from people who understand the market. I am confident we can deliver our King of Shaves wet shave expertise alongside the Remington position in electrical men’s grooming.

TGG: You have just taken on investment from Japanese firm Kai Industries, how will this help you to move forward in 2011?

WK: The investment will help to drive our global manufacturing, tooling and production capacity to help us serve the US market. Kai helped us to develop the Azor and bring a wealth of expertise in developing high-tech products.

TGG: What’s next in the pipeline that you can tell us about?

WK: If I told you, I would have to kill you. But I can tell you that with 2011 around the corner we’ll have a new Azor with the X Factor! Watch this space.

TGG: Your a bit of a social media mogul – a prolific blogger and tweeter – how important is this for communicating the KoS brand?

WK: I think it’s huge. It allows us to reach a global audience for free, while our competitors spend millions on traditional marketing. I am able to give KoS a personality, which the public can connect with, and it allows me to directly communicate with customers.

TGG: Can you tell us about the new KoS iPhone App?

WK: It’s going to be a commercial app and will be launching very soon. It will allow the customer to delve into the the KoS brand and choose the products that are right for them.

TGG: Describe KoS in one word.

WK: KING!

TGG: What kind of technology will we be using to shave with in the year 2030?

WK: Nano technology will play a huge role. We won’t be shaving with four or five blades, but 200,000,000 self sharpening individual stubble slicers cutting away the hair follicles.

TGG: The Grooming Guy recently invented a new cocktail to encapsulate the brand (The Gsquared). What drink would best reflect the KoS brand?

WK: Ha. Erm, something smooth, easy to drink and modern. I would go with a mix of Belvedere Vodka and a Dirty Martini.

READERS’ QUESTIONS

TGG: Best shaving tip for guys?

WK: In the shower with a fog free mirror.

TGG: What three grooming products could you not live without?

WK: 1. Commes des Incense Kyoto 2.Kings Flawless Hold Hair Gel 3. Colgate toothpaste

TGG: If R&D led innovation is the key to developing shaving technology that provide consumers with closer, more comfortable shaves, how does this relate to your business strategy ‘ the Aspiration of Fair’ that will effectively move the brand towards less technologically advanced products?

WK: The Fair I’m talking about is delivering a close, comfortable and long lasting shave to a consumer, at a Fair, not artificially, monopolistically, over-inflated price. Fair is about looking at ways to make a razor cartridge last longer, deliver more value, not wear out so quickly. Take our Azor handle for example, which is made of only one part, rather than some competitor handles, which are made of 16 or more parts. We are delivering high-tech innovation, but not over-charging our customers for embracing it. Better technology shouldn’t equate to extortionate prices.

Follow Will King’s blog: http://blogs.shave.com/king/ and follow him on Twitter @KingofShaves

Grow a Mo for Movember

It’s that time of year again when it is acceptable to grow a handlebar, a Dali or an English moustache. Why? Because it’s Movember and all in aid of prostate cancer.

Movember is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The Movember participants, known as Mo Bros, have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their Mo, raising money for prostate cancer. You can register as an individual or as a team.

The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia. The plan was simple – to bring the moustache back and do something for men’s health. But behind the fun there is a serious message – 36,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.

The initiative has grown globally with official campaigns running this year in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, Finland, The Netherlands, Czech Republic and Australia. Over 253,000 participants raised more than £25.9 million for Movember’s global beneficiary partners in 2009.

Bedford Blues rugby star Sacha Harding, the face of leading shaving brand The Bluebeards Revenge, is an official ambassador for Movember. He told The Grooming Guy:

“It’s that time of year again where I grow a big thick hairy Mo to help raise awareness and funds to help fight prostate cancer,” said Sacha, officially Britain’s manliest man.

“My aim is to raise £10,000 this year and with the help of my team-mates and supporters at Bedford Blues and Bluebeards all over the world, I really think I can meet this target.”

So, grow a Mo for Movemeber – you and your mates can register at http://uk.movember.com Twitter – @MovemberUK

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*

Philips takes the fight to unwanted body hair

A bit of home gardening below the neckline is pretty standard for most blokes. Be it getting rid of unwanted hair on the shoulders, cutting down the Chewbacca style chest hair, or trimming the crown jewels, good body grooming is essential.

Philips have launched a handy grooming tool to keep you looking trim. The new Bodygroom Pro is the latest addition to the Philips suite of body grooming products and is the first all-in-one body grooming system. And it looks great! When you pick this device up, it feels like you are holding some kind of space age gadget, ready to battle with some hairy alien race. Ok, maybe I have gone a bit too far, but this seriously looks cool.

Not only does it power through chest & abs hair, as well as anywhere else you care to trim, it gives nice and even results, and manages to reach those awkward bits with ease. The trimmer includes a dual-end design with a revolutionary 3-D pivoting shaving head on one end and an enhanced trimmer with improved cutting capabilities on the other. It is made for wet and dry use and is designed to shave and trim all body zones.

But I know the big question you all want to ask – will it shave my balls? Well technically yes and no. It will comfortably shave the groin area, but I suggest using a razor and a steady hand to finish the job.

You get 50 minutes of trimming time out of an 8 hour charge. The Philips Bodygroom Pro TT2040 can be found at Boots, Argos and Amazon for RRP £70.00. http://www.philips.com/grooming

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.

Apparently men are useless

Ever had to borrow your girlfriend’s leg razor to have a shave when all your blades are blunt? Sick of roaming the supermarket shelves for shampoo and shower gel? Are you smelling like a hobo because you’re out of deodorant again this month?

Then check out this new grooming subscription service that delivers a whole load of essential grooming products to you every month.

The packs start from £9.99 per month (including delivery) and contain everything from razors, shampoos and shower gels from brands like King of Shaves, Original Source, Moose Head and Bionsen.

This all gets delivered right through your letterbox in a slimline package – so no more attempted delivery notes, or early weekend wake-up calls from the postman.

Check out www.menareuseless.com