SUMMER DRINKS WITH 31DOVER

July 22, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

I love nothing more than to socialise and relax on a warm Summer's evening with a cold and refreshing beverage, and courtesy of 31Dover, I have been able to try out some new drinks!

31Dover sent over 2 bottles of alcoholic beverages, both of which are ideal for the warmer weather!

CIROC LIMITED EDITION SUMMER COLADA

Summer Colada by Ciroc is the first limited edition bottle to be released from the brand and is inspired by the refreshing 'Pina Colada' cocktail. Layered with the Ciroc Vodka, it is blended with natural pineapple flavours with coconut essence. I found the drink to be very tasty and tropical, without feeling too fruity and overpowering! I mixed this with Lemonade and found it to be really refreshing! You can purchase Ciroc Limited Edition Summer Colada here.

ALUNA COCONUT RUM

Out of the two, the Coconut Rum from Aluna was my favourite! I am a big Rum drinker as it is anyway, and this was one I enjoyed drinking the most. From the first sip, it felt incredibly warm down the throat and had a real authentic feel to it. I mixed the Coconut Rum with Coke and with Rum's I find that sometimes it can leave me feeling a little bloated and heavy, however with this Rum, it felt much lighter! You can purchase Aluna Coconut Rum here.

Have you tried either of these drinks before? If so, what are your thoughts? Have you shopped with 31Dover before? What did you buy? What is your favourite drink to have throughout Summer? Do let me know, as I would love to hear from you and don't forget to click that 'like' button below!

BYREDO; GYPSY WATER

July 17, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

I was looking through my fragrance wardrobe trying to find a fragrance that was ideal for the Spring/Summer seasons when it suddenly dawned on me... I had no fragrance deemed suitable enough! Most of my fragrances are all geared towards Autumn/Winter (my favourite seasons), so I hadn't prepared very well. That was until I came across Gypsy Water by Byredo!

Arguably the most distinctive, well-known and divisive fragrance from Byredo, Gypsy Water reminds me a lot of sweet lemonade. Bear with me on this.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Pepper, Juniper
Middle Notes: Incense, Pine Needles, Orris Root
Base Notes: Amber, Vanilla, Sandalwood

Gypsy Water opens up with the fresh and invigorating burst of the citrusy and woody notes of the Lemon and Bergamot blending with the Incense and Pine Needles, all of which make for an exquisite blend. As the dry-down takes place, the fragrance begins to feel sweeter on my skin and is ideal for the warmer Summer season!

Whilst the scent of Gypsy Water is beautiful and addictive, the longevity and projection of the scent, are equally disappointing. The fragrance lasted for up to 1 hour on my skin, and became very subtle after a few sprays. I found it to be a little frustrating in that sense, as I am a big lover of loud fragrances with a good staying power!

Despite the disappointment, I found the overall scent of Gypsy Water incredibly addictive which served as a good excuse to spray myself head to toe! I have also discovered that although the Gypsy Water performed a certain way on my skin, on countless others, it performed a different way. So don't let my disappointment affect your choice too much, and I would advise in getting a hold of a mini sample before purchasing.

You can purchase Byredo Gypsy Water here, and don't forget to read my reviews on other Byredo fragrances such as; Bibliothéque and Baudelaire!

Have you tried Gypsy Water before? How did you find the performance? Are you a fan of the scent? Have you tried any fragrances by Byredo? If so, which ones, and what are your thoughts? Do let me know, as I would love to hear from you and don't forget to click that like button down below!

A SUMMER NIGHTS LOOKBOOK

July 13, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

When it comes to shooting Look Books, I always try to mix them up each time so that each shoot remains fresh, and I would hate for my looks to become stagnant... So, for this 'Summer Nights' Look Book, I had very kindly been gifted this incredible 'Black Denim Jacket' from Farfetch!

For the shoot, I teamed up with my photographer; Matt McCormick, and we chose to head over to Roundhay Park in Leeds. I had a vision of how I wanted the shoot to go, however, when I arrived I was slightly underwhelmed! After walking around several different places, working out which backdrop would look best, we came across this huge house with several columns in front, which had more of an 'urban' feel to it. The images turned out great, and I am thoroughly pleased with them! I hope you guys like the images too, and let me know your thoughts down below!

WHAT I WORE:

FARFETCH | A.P.C BENJAMIN DENIM JACKET

HI HUN | BERLIN - GOLD/BROWN SUNGLASSES

NEXT | WHITE CREW NECK T SHIRT

ASOS | BLACK SKINNY JEANS

NEW LOOK | WHITE CANVAS TRAINERS

KIEHL'S GROOMING SOLUTIONS

July 11, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

A couple of months ago, I had the privilege of being invited along to the launch of Kiehl's latest grooming range for men; Grooming Solutions! I am already a huge fan of Kiehl's as it is, so prior to trying the range out, I knew I was in for a treat.

The Grooming Solutions range offers a full grooming experience, from the preparation stages, through to the finishing touches. Each product within the range all has a distinctive scent of a woodsy blend with the notes of Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Eucalyptus leaving your hair and skin, smelling incredibly fresh!

GROOMING SOLUTIONS:

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TEXTURIZING CLAY

Out of the range, the Texturizing Clay has to be my favourite! I applied the clay by using only a small amount to begin with, as I often find with any hair product that it is far better to build up the product as if you use too much, it can often be a dilemma to remove it all!

I then rubbed the palms of my hands together and styled my hair in a backwards motion. The texture of the Texturizing Clay was rather thick, yet manageable and allowed for movement. I found that the clay stayed in place throughout the day, and what I particularly liked about it, was the matte finish! No shine included.

You can purchase the Texturizing Clay here.

NOURISHING SHAMPOO + CONDITIONER

For those who don't want to 'faff' around with too many different shampoos and conditioners, the Kiehl's Grooming Solutions Nourishing Shampoo + Conditioner offers a two-in-one solution!

My hair felt soft and nourished, and as mentioned previously, the blend of the woodsy essential oils left a really clean, fresh scent!

You can purchase the Nourishing Shampoo + Conditioner here.

EXFOLIATING BODY SOAP

A rather traditional method of cleansing your body, the body soap has the ingredients of Jojoba Seed Powder, Pumice and Pracaxi Oil which when rubbed over your body, scrubs away all of your dead skin cells with it being an exfoliator.

My body felt cleaner and rejuvenated after having used this!

You can purchase the Exfoliating Body Soap here.

CLEAN STYLING GEL

The Clean Styling Gel was easy to style my hair with, however for my hairstyle, the product didn't stay in for long. That being said, I am not a fan of Gels in general as I just don't find that they work with my hair type.

Now that isn't to say that this product is bad in any way! It just didn't work for me, but perhaps it will work for you if you are a fan of using gel products within your hair?

You can purchase the Clean Styling Gel here.

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Overall, a cracking range from Kiehl's once again, and the scent alone is definitely worth you trying out! For more information on the Grooming Solutions, click here.

Don't forget to check out my other reviews on Kiehl's such as their;

Have you tried any of the products from Kiehl's Grooming Solutions? If so, which ones? Do you have a particular favourite when it comes to the Kiehl's brand? Do let me know your favourites and your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you! Also, don't forget to click that like button below!

MANKIND COLLECTIVE

July 07, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

Mankind were the first brand that I ever had the opportunity of working with back when I first started blogging, and it gives me great pleasure to reveal that I am now a part of their Mankind Collective!

As part of the Mankind Collective, I received a bundle of Male Grooming products, some of which are featured in their 'Confidence Edition' box which gets released bi-monthly, and all range from haircare to skincare, along with body-care too. The first Mankind Collective bundle arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I have been trialling each product out deciding which ones that I like to use, which of the products work for me, and most importantly, which products I feel you guys need to get your hands on!

The products that I received were;

Neville - Rescue Scrub
Nioxin - NioSpray Regular Hold Hairspray
Nanogen - Thickening Hair Treatment
Jack Black - Eye Balm
Bed Head - Balm Down
Hanz De Fuko - Scheme Cream
Jack Black - Sleek Finish Texture Cream
Man Cave - Original Moisturiser
Nioxin - Bodifying Foam
Skin Republic - Bubble Purifying + Charcoal Face Mask Sheet
Nioxin - Definition Créme
Perricone MD - Hydrating Cloud Cream

As you can see, I was rather spoilt for choice! I have chosen my top 5 products from the list, and I am going to share with you my experiences with them!

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NEVILLE - RESCUE SCRUB

Containing Volcanic Ash, Corn Granules and Cocoa Butter, I applied this twice weekly, usually on a Sunday night to begin my upcoming week with a fresher glow, and once again on a Wednesday night for that mid-week top up! The texture of Rescue Scrub felt rather 'bitty' with it being an exfoliant, so do take care when massaging this onto your face. My skin felt a lot cleaner and my skin's appearance looked healthier after application! Neville Rescue Scrub can be used for all skin types, but please note that if you have sensitive skin, then rather than apply this twice weekly, you only need to apply this once a week. You can purchase this here.

JACK BLACK - EYE BALM

Having tried out various eye creams/serums before, it has proven to be quite hard for me to find one that doesn't irritate my eyes. But luckily for me, Jack Black's Eye Balm seemed to do the trick! I applied this Eye Balm just before going to bed (with my ring finger as this is the finger that uses the least amount of pressure), and applied the Balm in a circular motion just under my eyes going all the way around to the top of the orbital bone. The Eye Balm felt rather soothing and the darkened colour under my eyes seemed to have faded! I did find however, that this product took a while for me to notice any difference, so be sure to stick with it!

PERRICONE MD - HYDRATING CLOUD CREAM

As a huge fan of Perricone MD, I was delighted to have received the Hydrating Cloud Cream! If you have followed me for a while, then perhaps you will remember that I attended the 'H2 Elemental Energy' Launch a few months ago, where I also reviewed the Hydrating Cloud Cream in full! One of my favourite creams, from one of my favourite brands. You can purchase this here.

SKIN REPUBLIC - BUBBLE PURIFYING + CHARCOAL FACE MASK SHEET

I will admit, I know that these 'Face Mask Sheets' have been around for a while now, this was my first chance of trying one of these out! The mask had a bubbling sensation which was rather unique, and I wore this upon my face for 15 minutes as instructed. Once I peeled the mask off, my face felt smoother to touch and rejuvenated!

NIOXIN - NIOSPRAY REGULAR HOLD HAIRSPRAY

Similar to my problem with the Eye Serums as mentioned earlier, I find it difficult to find a decent hairspray! I found with the Nioxin NioSpray Regular Hold that it didn't leave my hair feeling brittle nor did it have that 'hardening' effect. It felt light which was perfect for me as I enjoy a slight bit of movement, without it flowing about too much. In terms of how long the hairspray lasted, unfortunately it didn't last all day... I would say that it lost its effect around 4 hours after applying it into my hair which don't get me wrong, for some people this might be ideal! You can purchase this here. *PS. This is now on offer, so be quick!

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Overall, a great introduction to the Mankind Collective and I am already anticipating the next box! For more details on the Mankind Grooming Box: 'Confidence Edition', you can read more here.

Have you tried any of these products before? If so, which were your favourites? Any that didn't work out for you? Have you shopped with Mankind before? Do let me know your thoughts below, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

BIOGLAN MEN'S VITAGUMMIES

July 05, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

A rather different feature for my blog today, but still important nevertheless! Over the past three months, I have been trialling out Bioglan: Men's Multi-vitamin - VitaGummies!

Bioglan Men's Multi-vitamin Gummies are specially formulated to help support the additional, nutritional needs of men who lead busy and active lives.

Vitamin C contributes to normal immune function & energy-yielding metabolism
Biotin contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system
Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis
Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress

The VitaGummies come in three flavours; Lemon, Raspberry & Blueberry and what I like about these Vitagummies is that they are incredibly easy to take! I take two each morning to set me up for the day ahead, and there is no water needed or any difficulty in taking these.

I didn't notice or feel any effects from taking these until around 4 days after, and these became a staple essential in my morning routine! I noticed an increase in my energy levels and on the days where I forgot to take these, I definitely felt it in the sense that I felt slightly sluggish!

Have you tried these supplements before? How did you find them? Have you tried any supplements from Bioglan before? If so, which ones? Let me know your thoughts below, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

*This post has been sponsored by Bioglan.

#THISISNEWLOOK

July 02, 2017 by Mr Luke Christian

With the Wedding Season upon us, I have collaborated with New Look to create a look that would be ideal for any Weddings that you may have coming up!

I had been given a choice of three to choose from;

The Best Dressed Guest
Festival Playlist
Two Season Dressing

Out of the three, I chose 'The Best Dressed Guest' as I felt it was true to my style, and with a wide selection of their clothing, I was certainly spoilt for choice! For this look, I knew that I wanted the overall finish to feel fresh and clean, with a muted palette that allowed me to step away from my staple monochrome outfits. I chose the Off White Cross Hatch Slim Fit Blazer along with the Off White Cross Hatch Skinny Tailored Trousers to match. When it came to choosing this suit, I just felt that this screamed 'Summer', and I also loved how crisp the suit looked! I then chose the Pink Contrast Trim T Shirt for that subtle undertone underneath the Blazer, and I liked that the T-Shirt felt rather loose as opposed to it being a tight fit, which is usually what I go for. To finish my look off, I teamed the outfit with the simple White Canvas Trainers to keep the outfit still crisp and relaxed with the Black Round Sunglasses to polish it off!

For my LookBook shoot, I teamed up with Matt McCormick who I have worked with previously on shoots before. To begin with, we found a remote church in the heart of Leeds to tie in with the 'Wedding Guest' theme, but out of the corner of my eye, I found a plain white background that had rough edges and felt that that backdrop would be more fitting! I am thoroughly pleased with the images, and I hope that you all enjoy the images too!

*This post has been sponsored in collaboration with New Look.

Have you shopped from New Look before? If so, what did you buy? Do you like the clothing that I picked for this look? Which is your favourite piece? Do let me know your feedback, as I would love to hear from you and don't forget to click that 'like' button below!