For the Friday Five this week I’ve decided to share with you some of my go to grooming products. From haircare to shaving creams I would be lost (and no doubt looking a look more bedraggled) without this little collection of wash bag fillers.
One thing that I have learned when it comes to grooming and skincare is that you don’t have to spend an absolute fortune on products. As great as the luxury stuff is there is a lot of high street brands who produce some top notice stuff too. LUSH is one such place that I have become a little bit obsessed with as I’m yet to find a single thing from their range that I have not liked so it seems a great place to kick off this week’s list…
LUSH ‘Rehab’ Shampoo
It seems perfect sense to start this rundown at the top of the body with my everyday shampoo. I started using LUSH Rehab a few months back after my old favourite was discontinued. ‘Rehab’ is a restorative shampoo which is formulated to strengthen and condition your hair as well as improve your scalp. As with all LUSH stuff, it smells pretty decent too.
Uppercut Deluxe Pomade
Finding the right product to style your hair is no longer an easy task. The bygone when your options pretty much amounted to Brylcreem or Dax Wax are long gone and you can now pick from literally thousands of products. Uppercut Deluxe Pomade is a particular favourite of mine. Unlike a lot of other styling products, it seems to add just a tad of shine (but not too much) which lasts the whole day. It’s not sticky either and washes out with no issue. It seems to best suit classic hairstyles like side parts or pomps. I use it as a finishing product after I initially use Matt Clay to get the shape I want. Both products seem to work well together.
Refinery Face Scrub
When did you last exfoliate? If the answer was any more than a few days ago then you need to rethink your regime and this face scrub from the Refinery is a great place to start. The Refinery range from Aromatherapy Associates has been developed especially for men and aims to brighten and dull skin and improve the texture of the skin. It is great to use prior to shaving too as it helps lift the hairs for a smoother shave. They recommend using it twice a week but I actually use it most mornings for best results.
L’Occitane Cade Shaving Cream
I switched to the Cade Shaving Cream from L’Occitane only recently after getting a tiny sample in Men’s Health magazine and was really impressed. I had always used shaving oils in the past and liked the fact they made it easy to see where I was shaving especially around my beard edges but this cream made that easy too. It is enriched with purifying Cade essential oils and shea butter which works up into a lovely creamy lather giving a great smooth finish. The scent is quite lovely too.
Neville Eye Shield Cream
It may be the final product of the list but it is actually one of my top rated. I popped into Barber & Parlour in Shoreditch for a haircut at the tail-end of last year and they were using Neville products in the barbershop so I was intrigued to try a few. This little pot seems to work wonders. It is composed with a mix of coffee and tree bark extract (random I know) and when applied daily to the eye area combats dark circles and puffiness. I know you are thinking you have heard that claim a 100 times before but in all honesty, it was the first eye cream I have tried (and there have been a few) which I reckon actually works!