VALENTINE'S FRAGRANCES 2018

February 12, 2018 by Mr Luke Christian

Despite being single, Valentine's is always one of my favourite times of the year, perhaps I'm just a romantic at heart, or because I like to see all of the special Limited Edition packaging? Either way, I'm a fan! For this Valentine's Gift Guide I have compiled a few fragrances ranging from luxury to high street and quirky to special! Whether you're single like me, why not treat yourself to one of these? I won't tell if you don't...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JOOP - WOW! // £39

An oriental fragrance that is guaranteed to get you noticed! Featuring notes such as - Orange Blossom, Spiced Cinnamon and Tonka Bean.

Purchase here!

PROJECT RENEGADES - GEZA SCHOEN // £155

Geza Schoen by Project Renegades is an absolute gem. Designed to be unconventional and proudly different, I can safely say it is exactly that! Designed to create a whole portrait of a tree, it features the notes of Pink Pepper, Lemon, Juniper, Moss, Incense and Sandalwood.

Purchase here!

CARTIER - DECLARATION // £52

An elegant and sharp fragrance which features notes such as - Bergamot, Artemisia, Coriander and Cumin. Best worn for daytime!

Purchase here!

JIMMY CHOO - MAN // £64

A woody fragrance which features many notes such as - Lavender, Pink Pepper, Geranium, Suede and Ambery Woods!

Purchase here!

CALVIN KLEIN - OBSESSED FOR MEN INTENSE // £33 & FOR WOMEN INTENSE // £29.95

One of my personal favourites, a bold and sensual fragrance! Best worn on an evening.

Purchase here for Mens and here for Womens!

ESCENTRIC MOLECULES - 03 // £76

A unisex fragrance in which it has been created around one ingredient: Vetiveryle Acetate. Best worn throughout the daytime!

Purchase here!

MONT BLANC - LEGEND // £60

A fragrance designed to evoke strength, tenderness, modernity and tradition. I find this can be worn throughout the daytime and has long lasting power!

Purchase here!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you smelt any of these featured in my Gift Guide? Has this Gift Guide inspired you in any way and introduced you to some new fragrances? What sort of fragrances do you like to wear? Let me know your thoughts as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click the 'like' button below!

VALENTINES WITH HOTEL CHOCOLAT

February 08, 2018 by Mr Luke Christian

No Valentine's would be complete without some heavenly chocolates and what better gift than the Hotel Chocolat's 'Valentine Chocolate Box'!?

Filled with 27 delicious bite-sized treats ranging from heart-shaped caramels, fruits, tipples and pralines, these are the goodies inside!

Perfect in Pecan
Rasberry Daiquiri
Champagne
Vanilla
Chilli Caramel
Passion Fruit
Salted Caramel Kiss
Nuts about Raspberry
Salted Espresso

Each chocolate flavour comes 3 times, ideal for sharing with your loved one and that cheeky third one could be an extra treat for yourself, right? I won't say if you don't...

To purchase Hotel Chocolat's incredible Valentine Chocolate Box, click here!

Have you shopped with Hotel Chocolat before? Which is your favourite chocolate? Will you be treating your other half to this Valentine Chocolate Box? Or will you be treating yourself!? Do let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you and don't forget to click the 'like' button!

FUDGE URBAN ANTI GRAVITY POWDER STYLER

January 23, 2018 by Mr Luke Christian

Having bleached my hair a month or so ago, I have noticed the condition of my hair is a little dry, quite fine and if there's one thing that it lacks, it's volume! To combat this problem, I have recently been trialling the Anti-Gravity Powder Styler by Fudge Urban in the hope that my hair will appear thicker and more voluminous.

I applied the Anti-Gravity Powder onto clean hair and at first glance, this did look like Talcum Powder! I then sprinkled the Powder onto the roots of my hair and gently rubbed in until the desired effect began to take shape. Instantly my hair had more of a lift and shape and I found it easy to style!

The effect was matte which was an instant winner in my eyes as I prefer products that make my hair appear matte as opposed to shiny. For me, the Anti-Gravity Powder lasted nearly all day and if and when my hair started to lose shape, I found it easy to restyle!

You can purchase the Anti-Gravity Powder Styler here.

I will be reviewing a lot more haircare products by Fudge Urban over the upcoming months so do keep your eyes peeled! In the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts on whether or not you've tried the Anti-Gravity Powder Styler before and if so, what did you think to it? Have you tried any Fudge Urban haircare products? Which ones? Don't forget to click that 'like' button below!

NIGHTTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE WITH MARIO BADESCU

January 21, 2018 by Mr Luke Christian

For the past month or so I have been using a few skincare products from Mario Badescu and have been implementing these into my nighttime skincare routine! I received a rather large bundle which was very exciting but for my nighttime routine, I chose to stick to just three products to test out if this combination worked...

NIGHTTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE:

Enzyme Cleansing Gel
Aloe Vera Toner
Hyaluronic Moisturiser

Papaya and Grapefruit are both infused together to create this Cleansing formula which helps to remove excess oil whilst refreshing and cleansing the pores of the skin. I began my routine with the Enzyme Cleansing Gel to remove any product on my face prior to this and dampened my skin first. I then massaged the Cleansing Gel gently onto my skin and then washed off with warm water afterwards. Over the course of a few nights my skin felt smoother and I liked how the Cleansing Gel didn't dry out my skin! You can purchase the Enzyme Cleansing Gel here.

Once I had used the Enzyme Cleansing Gel, I then used the Aloe Vera Toner to soothe and cool my skin from having just cleansed it. Alcohol-free, fragrance-free and free from any rough chemicals, I poured a little amount onto a cotton circular pad and gently massaged this in circular motions in an outward direction. This felt gentle on my skin and really cleaned out any dirt/impurities making my face look overall much cleaner and refreshed! You can purchase the Aloe Vera Toner here.

For the final step of my Nighttime Routine with Mario Badescu, I then needed to get some moisture back into my skin to keep it hydrated which is where the Hyaluronic Moisturiser came in! I go through a lot of moisturisers to review for my blog but I have to say, the Hyaluronic Moisturiser is definitely a new firm favourite! My skin had a radiant glow and a few of my friends commented on my skins appearance afterwards too! The texture of the moisturiser is a little thick but not too dense, and I found that the moisturiser absorbed really well into the pores of my skin also and didn't create a shiny effect, more of a healthy glow. You can purchase the Hyaluronic Moisturiser here.

Overall I have thoroughly enjoyed using these three products by Mario Badescu and have since noticed a huge difference with my skin! As I mentioned previously, a few of my friends have since commented on my skins appearance saying how 'fresh faced' I appeared and I've noticed a difference in terms of my skins texture too. Much more smoother and hydrated! I look forward to trying out the next batch of Mario Badescu goodies and will share my thoughts on those with you very soon...

Have you tried any products from Mario Badescu before? Have you tried any of the ones I've mentioned here? If so, which ones? Do you have any recommendations that I should try out and would like to see me review? Let me know if so, and hopefully I will be able to! Do comment your thoughts below as I love to hear from you, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

ANTONIO GATTI LOOKBOOK

January 18, 2018 by Mr Luke Christian

Antonio Gatti offer a wide array of Men's clothing ranging from Coats, Blazers and Jackets right through to Footwear and Accessories. I was recently contacted by the brand and was offered an item from their website to select and I chose the Men's Slim Fit Wool Coat B116!

I chose this coat as I favour tailored coats and felt this would best reflect my style and wanted to give a laidback feel to the overall look by pairing it with some tailored trousers and white trainers! The coat itself was incredibly warm and I liked the detailing on the coat such as the tan leather patches on the elbows. These are detachable also and won't affect the quality of the coat either!

Matt McCormick and I went back to our first ever location that we shot together at Brewery Wharf and despite the freezing temperatures, I felt rather wrapped up within this coat! I hope you like the images and it would be great to hear your thoughts!

WHAT I WORE:

ANTONIO GATTI || Men's Slim Fit Wool Coat B116

RIVER ISLAND || Black Roll Neck Jumper

ASOS || Slim Smart Trousers

NEXT || Tab Trainers

Have you shopped with Antonio Gatti before? If so, what did you buy? Do you like my choice of coat? Do you like the images we took? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click that like button!

*Please note, this post has been sponsored.

JACK BLACK BEARD GROOMING KIT

January 15, 2018 by Mr Luke Christian

Having recently dyed my hair platinum blonde, this has meant that my facial hair has had to be trimmed down rather a lot as my facial hair had a lot of red, warm tones to it which of course you can imagine, clashed with the ice cold blonde!

Despite this, it has still been important to keep my facial hair in good condition, and MMUKMan kindly sent out Jack Black's Beard Grooming Kit to me, which has proven to be easy to use and very effective!

The products that make up the Beard Grooming Kit are:

Beard Oil

This Beard Oil contains Kalahari Melon Oil & Vitamin E which are both powerful anti-oxidants to help protect skin against the environmental effects that may occur against the skin. I used 3 drops of the Beard Oil and rubbed them into the palms of my hands before massaging into my facial hair. Now despite having short facial hair, the Beard Oil was still able to absorb itself and my facial hair didn't feel as brittle or as tough afterwards! I also liked that it hydrated my skin underneath which often facial hair can get in the way of in that area and my facial hair felt soft as opposed to feeling oily! To purchase the Beard Oil, click here.

All-Over Wash For Face, Hair & Body

One of the many reasons why I thoroughly enjoyed using this cleanser was because it combatted all three areas in one! Working for my face as a cleanser to remove any product build-up which left my skin feeling smoother, working on my hair by doubling up as a shampoo however, the scent wasn't as strong as I would have liked, and thirdly working on my body as a body wash! You can purchase the All-Over Wash For Face, Hair & Body here.

Beard Lube

I am familiar with Beard Oil but Beard Lube was a new one for me... Containing Jojoba & Eucalyptus, this Beard Lube acts as a shave cream, pre-shave oil and a skin conditioner. Unfortunately I was unable to try this out as I don't feel as though the clean shaven look looks any good on me! You can purchase the Beard Lube here.

The Beard Grooming Kit also comes with a little beard comb which is handy to keep your facial hair in shape and groomed and to purchase the Beard Grooming Kit, click here! For more information on many other Jack Black products click here, and to view MMUKMan for more, click here.

Have you tried any of Jack Black's Beard products? Have you tried any of the products mentioned? If so, which one? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click the 'like' button!

*Please note, this post has been sponsored.

ROJA DOVE - ELYSIUM

January 11, 2018 by Mr Luke Christian

I first became aware of Roja Dove whilst watching a Channel 4 documentary about a year or so ago and became rather intrigued by his thought process and how he drew inspiration to create each fragrance! That being said, I had been gifted his Elysium fragrance and it is making me long for the upcoming Spring/Summer seasons...

Top Notes: Lemon, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Thyme, Lime, Artemisia, Musk
Middle Notes: Lily-Of-The-Valley, Rose de Mai, Jasmine de Grasse, Apple, Blackcurrant
Base Notes: Galbanum, Pink Pepper, Cypriol, Vetiver, Cedarwood, Juniper Berry, Benzoin, Vanilla, Labdanum, Leather, Ambergris, Musk

The opening of Elysium is quite sharp and with the bitterness of the citrusy notes bursting through such as the Lemon, Bergamot and Lime.

That bitterness soon fades however into a more woodsier direction with a hint of spiciness to it! In terms of the longevity, I was rather impressed as the scent lasted for up to 7 hours on my skin and its sillage was medium-heavy.

I gained a lot of compliments from having worn this and I will be honest, during the dry-down I did get a slight Creed - Aventus feel to this, however, the difference between the two fragrances is that Elysium has a much more sweeter feel to it!

Overall, a well-rounded fragrance by Roja Dove and a perfect fragrance for wanting to impress those around you whilst being effortless. You can purchase Elysium here!

Have you smelt Roja Dove - Elysium before? What did you think to it? Have you smelt any of Roja Dove's fragrances before? If so, which ones and what are your thoughts? Don't forget to click the 'like' button below and do leave me a comment as I would love to hear from you!