Movember Male Grooming Product Round Up

Everywhere I look at the moment men are sprouting moustaches in support of Movember, a charity event to raise money for men's health causes in particular prostate and testicular cancer. I love this concept and its great to see so many people taking part, even if some are looking better than others! Anyway, after a conversation with my husband about beard oil, I thought perhaps I should do a little round up of some of the male grooming products we like the look of. If you're looking to treat the man in your life to a post-Movember treat or something to help a patchy nose beard on its way, keep reading!

£163.50 mankind.co.uk

I love giving my man beauty gifts, it stops him pilfering my products and indulges his decadent bathroom habit he won't admit too! I'm often a bit disappointed by the 'manly' styling of many of the products I find. Not so with eShave S Stand shaving set I think its classic but modern style would look great in any bathroom.

£25 notonthehighstreet.com

Every new razor needs some shaving products to accompany its maiden voyage. Shave Kit & Face Rag by The Botanist is created using natural ingredients, suitable for all skin types and contains a shave oil for a smooth, close shave, a beard oil to moisturise skin beneath a beard or stubble & condition the facial hair. It also comes with a 'face rag' to remove excess oil. Both oils contain essential oils like tea tree, patchouli, lime, and sandlewood and are packaged in the cutest cork topped bottles. 

Tweezerman Moustache scissors and grooming comb (£15.95 cheapsmells.com) are surely an essential for any facial hair cultivationist. This handy set will keep your man's 'tasche neat and tidy with straight, sharp blades for precise trimming of all facial hair and complete with a fine tooth comb to help achieve a  truly professional finish. 

£4.99 foadwax.com

No man worth his facial hair can be without a tub of moustache wax and we think we've found the finest there is! Toad Satin Wax from Foadwax.com is vegan friendly and made in Britain using all natural British ingredients. The website says;
Foad's Toad Satin Wax is our Vegan pomade style moustache and beard wax suitable for everyday use. It has a loose to medium hold and a satin sheen finish. It can be used alone for groomed, neater facial hair, endowing your face fuzz with a natural flowing look. However it can also be used in conjunction with Foad Wax to aid its distribution, and create your own unique mix and level of hold for a more styled look. 
Love the styling of this product and the handy pocket sized tin making those all important on the go touch ups hassle free!   
 

Grimas Water Make Up (£9 funtimefaces.co.uk) can be used to darken or fill in patchy facial hair. It's probably something that most men (the ones I know anyway!) will need a bit of practise at. Its applied with a damp sponge directly to the area. Its actually a stage make up product but comes highly recommended, check out the Wayne Goss video link at the end of this post for more information on make up for men.

When you consider facial hair, its not actually that different from eyebrows and so a good eye brow pencil or palette would be more than adequate for filling in sparse areas. I really like MAC Eye Brow pencils ( £12.50 maccosmetics.co.uk), as they stay put well and don't need sharpening and are available in 6 shades so there's bound to be something for everybody.

£25.60 lookmanfastic.com

£40 mankind.co.uk

Once Movember is over and your man is once more naked of top lip foliage, why not treat him to some pampering skincare.
Billy Jealousy's Shave3some contains everything a man could possibly need for a luxurious shave. A hot towel pre shave treatment, shave cream and after shave balm work in conjunction to provide a comfortable shave, professional results and minimise irritation.

Elemis Men Post Shave Recovery Mask is formulated to replenish nutrients that are stripped from the skin with shaving. It contains macadamia, lavender and rosemary oil to calm irritation and shea butter to moisturise. My man has not tried this mask, but it smells lovely and has a beautiful texture. If its anything like the other Elemis masks it'll delivery great results.

A Few Good Websites
Need more inspiration for beauty treats for your man? Here are some websites that have been tried and tested by Esme's male counterpart!

http://www.mensmake-up.co.uk/ is definitely worth checking out if you know a man who isn't afraid to conceal, line or buff himself up a bit. 

http://www.mankind.co.uk/  has a great range of skin care brands that are difficult to find in the shops.

Visual Aids
I thought I'd include a couple of YouTube videos that contain some useful tips for male grooming, whether you're a man looking for hints or a woman wanting to learn some male friendly techniques.

The mighty Pixiwoo have done a great tutorial on male grooming, including how to clipper stubble,  that can be found at //www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7TOUg9udfc&feature=related

On of my YouTube favourites, Wayne Goss gives a great Make Up for Men tutorial here; //www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmUXF_W21Rc

Urban Decay Afterglow Score

Score

I've recently rekindled my love affair with Urban Decay and this cream blush is well worth a quick review. I picked it up on a recent trip to Debenhams, it cost £18. The formula is really smooth without any greasiness. It is full of niceties for the skin like vitamins A, C and E. It glides on over liquid and cream foundations without any trouble. I've not tried it over powder. Its very sheer which I like as I can use it to give the merest glint of health to my skin or build it for a more noticeable effect. It can be built up without feeling too caked as it is so light weight. I was hoping it'd last a bit longer than it did, about 4 hours wear in normal day time conditions, but the sturdy compact comes with a mirror so touch ups are not a problem. The sales assistant also used it on my lips and although it was fine, a bit balmy with a hint of colour, it was nothing to write home about. If you happened to be caught without a lip product and were in desperate need this would do.

Vice Palette

 It is available in 7 shades and I'll definitely be picking up Greedy and Crush. As a recent convert to cream blushers I want to start experimenting with more dramatic colours and I think the sheerness of these would be a great place to start. At the counter the sales assistant used Urbanglow cream highlight on my cheeks and nose at the same time and I was very tempted by it as it looked amazing. It was really smooth and not too blingy, a lot like Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow but with more punch to it. I showed remarkable restraint and declined but I can see that creeping into my box at some point soon too. Its also worth checking out the Vice palette. Twenty brand, spanking new shades, satins, shimmers and matts with a remarkably good (considering the normal standard of applicators that come with palettes) double ended brush. It RRPs for £42, worth it for Noise and Unhinged alone, in my opinion. I can see this being a really usable collection that I think would do as well for every day looks as it would evening drama. I do hope Father Christmas knows his way round an Urban Decay counter!!

Applying make up in public. A few thoughts.

Lately I've read a few posts/articles discussing women who apply their make up in public. I'm kind of fascinated by the fact people have such strong feelings regarding this seemingly (to me at least) innocuous act, so here's my ten pennies worth!

I'd like to think this is more my style!

I'm not the kind of girl who could ever apply anything more than lip balm in a moving vehicle. Firstly, I'm too damn clumsy & secondly my most basic routine involves far too many bits to easily transport. However that does not mean I'm not slightly envious of those who can get on a train straight from the shower & emerge at their station 'done'.
I do however worry about the hygiene of putting my pots & tubes on a table that I can't confirm the cleanliness of. I also like to wash my hands before & after applying anything near my face & don't even get me started on the standards in public toilets! Give me a spotless dressing table & massive, well lit mirror any day but that's just me. If you're the type f girl who has the motivation & ability to do a good enough job of your face on the go, I'm happy for you. 
When it comes to those who wish to ban the application of cosmetics in public, I get quite wound up. I can see how the use of sprays is inappropriate, but slapping a bit of BB cream on whilst on a bus? Really?! How can this be offensive or intrusive to others? It's not noisy, it's not smelly & done correctly its not messy. I understand the strange looks from other commuters. The application of make up could be considered an intimate task, something that takes place behind closed doors & so when performed out of this context could raise the eyebrow of somebody unaccustomed to such a sight. In an article on the Telegraph website (link at end) Celia Walden argues that there is little point in going to the trouble if you're 'publically admitting the fraudulence of it all'. There's a part of me that agrees with her but I'm more inclined to argue that as long as you reach your target audience looking your best, do you care that a carriage full of strangers see you in a less complete state of made up-ness?

I admire the steadiness of hand this requires!

It would appear, from reading numerous blog posts that it is this ruining the mystique of the transformation that most women who disagree it with it finding disturbing. I'm with this argument to a point. I couldn't leave the house without the basics in place but that doesn't mean those who are more confident (or more naturally beautiful!) than me, are in some way betraying the sisterhood and leaking our feminine secrets to the world. Its the 21st century, there are not many men (or women) out there who believe we all roll out of bed  with perfect skin, amazing bone structure and defined eyes!
 What I don't understand is how this can stir up such strength of feeling. I'd be really interested to see make up being applied in such a way as to be considered 'disruptive'! Happily I seldom have to take public transport these days but I've done my fair share & I can safely say there are far more disruptive & down right offensive behaviours than a woman putting her face on. Surely there's more important issues for transport companies to be worrying about? Crime, loud music, poor manners, people leaving rubbish & food scraps, in my mind are all far more off putting to commuters than a woman with a mascara wand. As for it being unhygienic, surely that's more of a concern to those with their cosmetics out and about in a carriage full of coughing, sneezing and even spitting (nasty I know, but I have seen it happen!). As for opening up an intimate act for the world to see, I wonder if these people have ever considered the intimate details of their lives we've overheard whilst they've been on their phones?

I guess the long and the short of it is, the application of make in public is a matter of social etiquette and personal preference. I can't see the British public transport system rolling out a blanket ban, like the Japanese are considering, on powder compacts and lipstick but I can hear the debates in offices countrywide about 'that' woman on the train who dare to crack open her make up bag and set about getting herself beautified for work. 

A few of the articles that lead me to consider this piece are linked below. Images are courtesy of Google Image Search. 

www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/8539092/The-bare-faced-cheek-of-putting-on-make-up-in-public.html 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/comment/columnists/gross-encounters.19249084?_=3fda26f8cff4123ddcad0c1bc89ed1e79977acef 

http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/891773-two-in-three-women-put-on-make-up-on-public-transport

http://www.colormerouge.com/2012/10/applying-makeup-in-public-yay-or-nay/ 

Urban Decay De-Slick Spray

Picked this (not so little) gem up on my recent make up spree & have fallen in heel over heels in love. It claims to control oil and keep make up in place for 16 hours. Its uses, and I quote the back of the bottle, 'hi tech ingredients' which cool the  make up surface keeping skin 'beautifully matt all day'.
Sprayed over my face (pre mascara!) it keeps me matt all day without powder. It feels really light and not at all sticky but does take a few moments to dry. Once its absorbed, evaporated or whatever it does, it  is undetectable. I was quite heavy handed the first time I used it and it didn't disturbed my make up despite feeling like it was dripping down my face! It has a light scent but doesn't linger. The biggest benefit I noticed is that I didn't need any powder at all, even after wearing a mask all afternoon. This is virtually unheard of and although I'm not sure it made my foundation last any longer it did control oil like nothing I've tried before. I really need to try this under as well as over my make up (as it instructs) as perhaps this will increase the wear time of my foundations. 
I also love spraying this on my brushes to intensify the colour of eye shadows or to apply loose pigments. It really gives the colours staying power and prevents fall out from pigments. 
This was well worth the £23 (XL 177ml) my beloved Husband paid! its a multi tasking product that actually does what it says on the tin.  Its current on offer in Debenhams 177ml is only £4 more than 118ml. I think it'll last me ages as I've been playing about with it lots and not even made a dent as its spray is super fine, you only use a tiny bit of product. Urban Decay hits the (beauty) mark again. 

No7 Colour Match Stay Perfect Foundation

Last week I was so excited to finally get the chance to be colour matched at the No7 counter. I do love a gadget so this sounded like a good bit of sci-fi fun. I headed out, bravely naked of face, intrigued to see the results. 


After a quick blip of the machine on each cheek, the lovely assistant informed me I was cool vanilla. She explained the reading to me, I was interested to see the spots of pigmentation that you cannot see on your skin but are picked up by the scanner. If you're interested in the technology behind it and the stats that went into the research check out Lisa Eldridge's blog post here (http://www.lisaeldridge.com/blog/25263/discover-your-skin-true-match/)

Once I had explained the coverage & finish I was looking for, my chosen product (Stay Perfect) was applied to half of my face. The results were great I really had to look to see the blend line, the match really was good. 

The foundation feels really light weight & blends out beautifully. It is more moisturising than I would expect from a long wear foundation but not too rich that I worried about oiliness. It really does look like really good skin rather than make up.


Boots claim this resists make up melt down all day. Well without a primer or powder this still looked fresh after a 6 hour shopping trip so it bodes well for lasting daytime wear. After giving it a proper road test I found it lives up to normal everyday wear fairly well (8hours +) but doesn't cut it for a day at work behind the dreaded mask! I'll be wearing this faithfully at weekends and on days off but it won't replace my beloved Pro Longwear for work days or nights out. 
I certainly recommend the matching service and the impressive 17 shade and 10 finishes this range offers. i really believe there is something for everybody here. 

Just a couple of other things about the No7 counter itself. I loved the chart that showed the properties of each foundation, once you've been matched this would make it easy to pop in and quickly grab the finish you're after. I wasn't over keen on the revamped layout of the counter in my local Boots. It took me a few minutes to find the products I was after & the lip colour selection seemed a bit lacking. However the sales assistant was fab, she was friendly, helpful & knew her stuff. I watched her help the lady before me & despite the customer being fairly difficult she handled her brilliantly.
I've never really bought much other than lip liners (which are very good!) from this range but after a positive experience & a lovely foundation I may become a more frequent No7 flyer.

Out of the rut #3

I had an urge for something rich & autumnal to wear with a cream blouse and a berry lip. I rarely wear pale clothing so I was breaking out the rut in more ways than one! 

I primed my lids with a mixture of Jemma Kidd Front Cover Touch Up Concealer & Rimmel Colour mousse in 007. I swept the pinky bronze from Bourjois Harmony & Contour palette (11 Miss Spirit) over the whole lid. I blended L'oreal chrome shine rose gold into the inner corner & a reddish brown from Sleek Au Natrel palette into outer corner & crease. I lined under my lower lashes with MAC's Teddy pencil then blended a deep gold from a La Femme palette over it. I lined upper & lower water lines & added mascara (opulash, my current Holy Grail). 

The lips I'd been desperate to try were, Max Factor Lipfinity Pen 06 Royal Plum worn under Models Own Pure Plum Lip Gloss. I love berry colours, especially on my lips at this time of year and think the overall look worked well.  I kept my foundation light and added just a touch of MAC Melba blush to give a bit of shape to my cheeks. The eyes were much more subtle than I initially planned but think this helped balance the lips and keep the look casual enough for a Saturday daytime.
 I should probably wear more brown/bronze colours as they looked good with my (currently) reddish hair & warmed my skin up nicely.

Sleek The Original Palette

Whilst looking for some dramatic, jewel toned eye colours in Superdrug,I found the Sleek Original palette. I've looked at this palette so many times before but it's always been out of stock or I've gone for something else. Today I couldn't resist. For £8 you get 12, 1g colours. There's 11 shimmering, deep colours ranging from yellowy gold through to a midnight blue. There's also a matt black that could be used wet as a liner. I'm besotted with the olivey green and teal.
I love my Au Natrel palette so I knew the kind of quality to expect from Sleek. I've totally fallen for the highly pigmented, soft shimmery colours. There is bit of fall out but nothing I can't cope with considering the pigmentation and the price.
This palette certainly satisfies my urge for a bit of sparkle & drama that rears up every autumn. The colours last a good 6 hours with a primer but the shimmer fades a bit after 4 ish. Over a MAC Paint Pot or Benefit Lemonaid they don't crease.I think its a well put together collection of colours as they work together well and Ican see myself using all of them. All in all a great value palette for creating stunning evening eyes, I'm going to have lots of fun with this one. 

 And this is the fun I had........

I couldn't resist having a quick play so did an ultra shimmery, bright teal and purple eye. Unfortunately the bright sunlight detracted from the striking 'colour pop' of the teal. I used Rimmel Colour Mousse in 007 as a base to add extra umph to the shimmer. This look lasted 6 hours before the colours looked old and threatened to flake, the shimmer lasted for around 4 hours. The colours blended beautifully and fall out was minimal. I've found that the trick with Sleek colours to put a tiny amount of colour on the brush and build up reduces fall out and the colours build really well.