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

Hitting 2011 with style and fashion

Happy New Year to all you Grooming Guy readers!

After the Christmas break we are back and ready to expand into the new year by offering more than just product reviews and advice. Stay tuned for our new fashion and style channels!

So, a brand new year equals a brand new hair cut. Check out the fresh trim below.

To get this style use TIGI B For Men Matte Separation Workable Wax  (also known as Bed Head) – £9.95 for 75g. Perfect for getting maximum hold with a natural finish. Very pliable which makes styling easy.

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/

The Grooming Guy’s Christmas gift guide #1

Over the next couple of weeks I will adding products that are ideal gifts for blokes this Christmas.

First up – Tom Ford Extreme

It might not be cheap, a 50ml bottle will set you back £80, but personally I think it is well worth the investment.

It has a powerful, long-lasting scent, which is guaranteed to get you noticed. The mix of Sandalwood, Black Truffle, Italian Fig, Plum and Parma Violet will ignite the nostrils and senses of any woman. It also contains Vanilla which gives it a note of sweetness.

This is the type of scent you throw on and instantly want to go out and cause trouble.

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

Check out the Beever

Fresh for winter 2010 The Grooming Guy has found a great new hair styling range for us blokes, called Beever.

The products have been brought to market by some top hairdressing industry names, including the founder of top men’s hair salons City Gent and members of the British Hairdressing Team. Beever have 15 products available including styling waxes, clays, sprays and serums, as well as preparation products for protection and nutrition.

The Grooming Guy tested the NO.2 Moulding Clay, which is ideal for short messy styles. It gives great hold and leaves a natural finish to the hair. Highly recommend this product. RRP £11.25 for 100ml.

The Grooming Guy also tested the NO.4 Mattifying Paste, which gives a less matt texture effect and works well on slightly longer hair. Great for giving that ‘just got out of bed look’ or sleeker styles. RRP £11.25 for 100ml.

It is also worth grabbing Beever’s Daily Shampoo, which is good for removing any heavy build up of product, which can be a real issue for many guys. RRP £9.95 for 250ml.

Beever products are available online at www.beever.co.uk and will also be in over 400 salons across the UK. It is also nice to know that if you buy online they won’t charge for postage or for using a credit card. Nice.

The Gsquared – ‘it makes you want to shave a man’s back’

So, I recently got back from a trip to New York.

One night while out with one of my American friends, DM the 3rd (I will use his nickname as to not disclose his identity), we decided that The Grooming Guy needed to have its own alcoholic beverage to encapsulate the brand. We decided that the drink needed to have three elements – it had to be modern, very masculine and sophisticated.

So we came up with the Gsquared. To make this drink you will need an old fashioned glass and a truck load of ice. You then need to mix two parts Glenfiddich scotch whisky, two parts Amaretto, and a twist of lime. You also need to peel the lime rind, burn it, and drop it into the drink.

This is an awesome cocktail and our plan is simple – get it on to every bar menu in the world. We have even gone as far as thinking about the marketing:

The Gsquared – ‘it makes you want to shave a man’s back’.

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.

Time to musk up

The male fragrance market is crowded by, quite frankly, unoriginal rubbish. But have no fear, The Grooming Guy has found four great masculine fragrances:

White woody oriental – Bulgari Man eau de toilette £56 for 100ml by Bulgari

BEST NEWCOMER: Woody  pepper – Bang eau de toilette £49 for 100ml by Marc Jacobs

BLOW THE BUDGET: Oriental woody pepper – Oud Wood eau de parfum £115 for 50ml by Tom Ford

EDITOR’S PICK: Woody amber – Hermes Terre D’Hermes parfum £70 for 75ml by Hermes