SUITING UP WITH MATALAN

Matalan; an affordable brand, yet one that still delivers good quality clothing! I had been gifted with one of their tuxedos along with some brogues, and although I might not have worn a waistcoat prior to this shoot, I would definitely consider wearing one again! My friend Amy & I found a location within Leeds City Centre, and began snapping away. A big thank you to Matalan for sending me this tuxedo, I loved wearing it and I am so pleased with the way the images look! I hope you all like the images too!

View the full Matalan range of suits here.

Have you shopped with Matalan before? What did you buy? Do you like the tuxedo that I am wearing? Hit the like button down below, and don't forget to leave a comment - I reply to everybody!

© Photography: Amy Peaches Palmieri 

WHAT I WORE:

MATALAN | KINGSLEY SLIM FIT DINNER JACKET

MATALAN | KINGSLEY SLIM FIT DINNER WAISTCOAT

MATALAN | KINGSLEY SLIM FIT DINNER TROUSERS

MATALAN | TAYLOR & WRIGHT EDITION REAL LEATHER BROGUES

RITUALS GROOMING

I had been sent a wonderful package of 'Grooming Gifts' by Rituals... of which it contained their;

  • Calming Aftershave Lotion
  • Face Scrub & Wash
  • Foaming Face Wash
  • Mild & Caring Shaving Cream

Whilst sporting facial hair, this inevitably meant that I was unable to try out the Shaving Cream and the Aftershave Lotion. However, I was still infatuated with both of the scents! Both of which had an 'earthy' undertone to them. 

FOAMING FACE WASH

My favourite out of the two, I love the way this foams up and feels upon my skin! You may be forgiven for mistaking this for shaving foam however...

FACE SCRUB & WASH

I gently massaged this onto my skin whilst it was slightly damp, and with it being a scrub it has an exfoliant feel to it which allowed the scrub to work its magic! My skin felt replenished and appeared healthier!

I also visited the Rituals boutique down in London, Covent Gardens. How chic is their decor!? You can view the full Mens Skincare Range by Rituals here!

Have you tried any of the Rituals products before? What did you try? Did you like it? Hit the like button down below, and don't forget to leave me a comment - I reply to every single one!

LAB SERIES MATTE RENEWAL LOTION

Bear with me on this one.. I made a Facebook status asking my friends and followers if they had any solutions to having a 'shiny face' from fake tanning, and lo and behold.. I received the 'Matte Renewal Lotion' from LAB Series! If there was ever a sign or a coincidence, then this was definitely one.

I wouldn't necessarily say that I have oily skin, or that my skin appears greasy, however usually after applying fake tan or any tinted moisturiser, it tends to look extremely shiny which proves slightly embarrassing for any photos I may have been snapped in!

Launched in stores from September 2016, this is a relatively new product and one I thoroughly recommend trying out! The Matte Renewal Lotion recommends to apply the lotion in the morning and in the evening, both on the face and neck.

Only a few pumps of the lotion was needed and I found the application easily glided across my skin, and the results were instant. Any shine upon my forehead had been reduced, and my skin looked mattified and more hydrated! I also want to mention how slick the packaging looks, and I found the lotion to have a slight suncream smell to it!

I am a huge fan of LAB Series, and you can read about my other blog post reviews on their All In One Shower Gel, and their Urban Blue Detox Clay Mask (this remains one of my all time favourite face masks!)

The Matte Renewal Lotion is available to purchase here.  Have you tried any of the LAB Series products before? Which did you try, and how did you find it? Don't forget to hit that like button down below, and leave me a comment so I know what you guys think!

AUTUMN 2016

Hello readers! 

I guess this post today isn't necessarily a 'post', but more of an update. I would first off just like to point out my new 'Autumn' look for my blog! What do you think to it? Yay/Nay?

I absolutely love this time of year, when the nights get longer, the clothes become warmer, the candles come back out, and the best of all; Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Starbucks! I'm also ecstatic for Halloween this year, and I have a few special posts coming out for that, so be sure to check those out...

I also have so many things planned for both my blog, and my YouTube channel and I cannot wait to share with you all! Do you have any blog posts you'd like me to write about? Any YouTube videos you want me to film? Do let me know, as I'm always looking for new ideas!

BYREDO; BAUDELAIRE

A fragrance which evokes a Middle Eastern feel to it, in which as each layer is revealed, comes a captivating note which leaves you wanting more...

I cannot emphasise my new found love enough to you for the brand; Byredo! Having visited the Mr Porter Summer Social Event back in June, I received a goody bag filled with various items, and inside came two little samples of Byredo's; Mister Marvelous & Super Cedar. Instantly, I was hooked. Throughout the Summer months I found myself trying out lots of other fragrances, yet I was still drawn to those two little samples. In particular, the Super Cedar. 

As a huge lover of fragrance, I had got in touch with a few people and enquired on which Byredo fragrance had the following - 'spicy, powerful and in your face'. I took a gamble and bought the 'Baudelaire' fragrance as this is what had been suggested to me, without having ever smelt it. Luckily, it was a risk worth taking!

The notes which make up Baudelaire are;

  • Top Notes: Caraway, Juniper Berries, Pepper
  • Middle Notes: Hyacinth, Incense, Leather
  • Base Notes: Patchouli, Amber, Papyrus

The first spray is powerful and the Pepper notes blend with the Juniper Berries, whilst complimenting each other in the most perfect way. After around an hour or so, Baudelaire then takes a different direction, and becomes more intense and smokey with the Incense note remaining very prominent. Projection of Baudelaire is loud, and the sillage is enormous! I would say that the fragrance lasted for over 9 hours, which is majorly impressive.

 

Overall, my first (blind) fragrance from Byredo, and one that will remain a classic fragrance for me. Baudelaire is available in 50ml, and 100ml and you can purchase Baudelaire through GT Shopping! GT Shopping is a website that allows you to search for whatever it is you want, and direct you through to the correct website. It makes for easy use, and cuts out all of the hassle in tirelessly trawling through the internet to find it!

Have you smelt Baudelaire before? Have you tried any of the Byredo fragrances? Which is your favourite? Any you think I need to try out!? Let me know your comments down below, and don't forget to hit that like button!

AUTUMN WITH DEBENHAMS

There's nothing better than wrapping up warm in a stylish overcoat and teaming it with a smart blazer! Thanks to Debenhams, I was able to piece these together for this shoot. The tan overcoat has become a new, firm favourite of mine! It is versatile and can be worn with almost anything, I particularly love the movement of the coat and how well it fits. My friend Daniel and I ventured our way over to Leeds, and despite having the shoot take place in the city centre at lunchtime on a Saturday afternoon, the location was virtually empty! Once again I am thoroughly pleased with how the images turned out, I hope you all like the images too!

Have you shopped with Debenhams before? What did you buy? Which is your favourite item that I'm wearing? Let me know your thoughts, as I would love to hear from you!

Don't forget to check out my other Debenhams Street Style Shoot; Wedding Day Style and my very own picklist on their website!

© Photography: Daniel Scott

MADAME LALA TAN

With the Summer season behind us, and no chance of catching a natural tan here in England anymore, it is a Godsend that I had been contacted by Madame Lala Tan with regards to trying out their 'Self Tanning Mousse' as part of their recent launch with Urban Outfitters in London! 

Before I begin, I will admit that at first, I was slightly dubious as to whether or not that this would work for my blog. After all, I specialise in Male Grooming & Lifestyle, so my first impressions of the name 'Madame LaLa' was that it would be a stereotypical, girly, tan designed specifically for women. Wrong. After having used this for myself, I now believe that if a product is good, then it's good. Right?

I am not ashamed to admit that I love self tanning. I regularly get a spray tan fortnightly, and in between I find myself trying out the latest fake tanning creation. Madame LaLa is a brand that I have known for for a while, having missed out on an opportunity to have gone to one of their events back in April, I felt excited to have been approached by them again to try this out!

As part of any fake tanning regime, I always exfoliate my full body with exfoliating mitts, and then apply the fake tan onto my skin. I have found with this tan, that it's the nearest tan to a 'real' tan that I have come across! It is streak free, incredibly light on the skin, the colouring is the most natural, and best of all, it has a slight coconut scent to it! 

The Self Tan Mousse is currently out of stock on their official website (no surprise there at all!) However don't panic! You can purchase the Madame LaLa Tan - Self Tanning Mousse here! You can also watch me talk about the Self Tan Mousse in my latest YouTube video here. 

Have you tried any of the Madame LaLa Tanning products before? Have you tried their Self Tan Mousse? What did you think to it? Let me know your feedback down below as I'd love to hear your tanning routine!