FATHER'S DAY FRAGRANCES 2018

No Father's Day would be complete without a strong, well-rounded fragrance, a gift guaranteed to make your Dad feel good! Now, there are so many fragrances out there ranging from citrusy to spicy, ones with quiet projections through to loud projections and sometimes with so much choice, it can feel a little overwhelming. I have curated a Gift Guide to help with your decision making which should makes things a little easier for you...

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ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA - ACQUA DI NEROLI

Ermenegildo Zegna - 'A classic aromatic heart of Lavendin, Cypress and Rosemary adds cool woodiness to the invigorating spice of Neroli for strength and energy. Violet Leaves and Watermelon further facet the fragrance with a green crunch and refreshing splash.' 

You can purchase Ermenegildo Zegna - Acqua Di Neroli exclusively at John Lewis here.

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POLO RALPH LAUREN - ULTRA BLUE

Ralph Lauren - 'Beginning with an aromatic top note of lavender, fresh heart of geranium and sensual amber base of tonka bean, add in the splash of an icy cool sea breeze to the woody, amber, musky notes of Ambertonic, which together creates an ultra long lasting sensation. Finishing with the aquatic salty mineral accord brings it all together to create a new definition of absolute freshness in men’s fragrances.'

You can purchase Polo Ralph Lauren - Ultra Blue here.

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JIMMY CHOO MAN - BLUE

Jimmy Choo - 'On top, the sage’s aromatic imprint strikes a balance between freshness and the tonic transparency of bergamot brings a breath of fresh air and contrasts with the spicy warmth of black pepper. The intense texture of leather reveals itself in the heart of the fragrance, which dries down into a creamy sensuality of sandalwood which blends beautifully with the vanilla and sophisticated vetiver.'

You can purchase Jimmy Choo Man - Blue here.

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SERGE LUTENS - L'EAU FROIDE

Serge Lutens - 'People are always using expressions like: "The situation was too hot for me to handle." or "A chill ran down my spine." I simply applied a similar concept to an Eau.'

You can purchase Serge Lutens - L'Eau Froide here.

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HUGO BOSS - THE SCENT FOR HIM

Hugo Boss - 'The composition begins with a spicy note of Ginger. Maninka Fruit is mixed with tones of Lavender in the heart to create a sensual scent. Intensive Leather Accord that makes the base ooze magnetic masculinity.'

You can purchase Hugo Boss - The Scent For Him here.

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LACOSTE - L'HOMME

Lacoste - 'Dynamic top notes of mandarin and sweet orange essence combined with unexpected fruit quince and rhubarb infuse the energy of confidence. At the heart lies black pepper, ginger, transparent jasmine and almond which then dries down into a sensuous woody base featuring cedar wood with dry amber, musk, vanilla and Akigalawood.'

You can purchase Lacoste - L'Homme here.

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MONT BLANC - LEGEND: NIGHT

Mont Blanc - 'Clary sage and peppermint, enhanced with cool spices; cardamom and sparkling bergamot, set the fragrance’s fresh and lively tone. The opening is bright, like the natural radiance of our man’s aura. The middle notes immediately counterbalance this first impression of refreshing coolness with their warm elegance. The precious scents of cedar wood blend well with the floral lavender tones, a classic in men's fragrances, and slightly powdered violet.'

You can purchase Mont Blanc - Legend: Night here.

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YARDLEY LONDON - GENTLEMAN CLASSIC

Yardley London - 'A modern, sophisticated fragrance that opens up with a fresh citrus and spicy blend of cardamom & black pepper interlaced with a soft heart of floral notes, resting on a luxurious accord of sandalwood, musk, amber and a sweet hint of white chocolate.'

You can purchase Yardley London - Gentleman Classic here.

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I do hope that this Gift Guide has helped you with what fragrance to pick for your Father this Father's Day, and if you have your eye on any then please let me know as I would love to know which one it is! Don't forget to click the like button below, and to leave me a comment!

FATHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY - YORKSHIRE SOAP CO.

Following on from the recent Boutique Opening of Yorkshire Soap Co. arriving in Harrogate, I have been extremely lucky to be able to team up with them for this INCREDIBLE Giveaway in time for Father's Day next Sunday 17th June! 

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Within this amazing Yorkshire Soap Co. hamper are all wonderful gifts ranging from Bath Salts, Diffusers, Candle, Shower Oils and other bath treats!

The full contents within the hamper are;

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  • Yorkshire Lad - Body Fuel
  • Yorkshire Lad - Bath Salts
  • Yorkshire Lad - Bath Blaster
  • Yorkshire Lad - Foam Bath
  • Yorkshire Lad - Shower Gel
  • Yorkshire Lad - Soap Bar
  • Yorkshire Lad - Glycerine Soap Slice
  • Whitby Bay - Luxury Reed Diffuser
  • Whitby Bay - Luxury Glass Candle
  • Whitby Bay - Reed Diffuser Refill
  • Blueberry Pie - Bath Bon Bons
  • Fresh Deli - Soap Bar
  • Sandalwood - Soap Bar
  • Botanical Selection
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For your chance to win this incredible hamper from Yorkshire Soap Co. all you need to do is the following;

  1. Follow me on my Twitter page here and follow Yorkshire Soap Co. Twitter here
  2. Retweet my pinned Father's Day Giveaway tweet here

For a second entry;

  1. Follow me on my Instagram page here
  2. Like & Comment: #MRLCYorkshireSoapCoGiveaway

It's that simple! All entries will be checked on my Twitter and Instagram feeds, and the winner of this bundle of treats will be announced live on my Instagram Story on Thursday 15th June in time for Father's Day.

I wish you the very best of luck!

A BRAND INTRODUCTION TO HAMILTON

About a month or so ago I met up with one half of the Male Grooming brand: Hamilton. 

Based in Leeds, perhaps it was always inevitable our paths would cross as I love all things Male Grooming as that is what I am trained in, and Hamilton being a Male Grooming brand of course meant that we go hand in hand together at some point!

Hamilton are strong believers in creating 'no nonsense' yet effective products that fit right into your Grooming routine and what matters to them are;

  • Functionality - Focusing on products that deliver on targeted solutions, functionality and results.
  • Free From - All products are SLS, Paraben and microbeads free.
  • Never Tested On Animals - None of their products have ever, nor will they ever, be tested on animals.
  • British Made - As Hamilton continues to grow, they strive to help support British businesses where needed.
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For this post I had kindly been gifted:

Hyper-Strength Hydrator -

This moisturiser contains Vitamin A and E alongside Shea Butter to help nourish and hydrate the skin whilst working with added collagen to reduce any fine lines and visible signs of ageing. 

I applied the Hydrator first thing in the morning and prior to application, I cleansed my face to ensure it was clean and to allow the product to absorb into my skin. I found that the Hydrator absorbed incredibly well into my skin and the overall appearance was dewy, soft to touch and my skin had a healthy glow! The texture of the moisturiser had a good consistency and didn't feel too heavy or gloopy when applied onto my skin. I also really enjoyed the scent of the Vanilla and Lime and it felt fresh and citrusey without being too overbearing!

Beard Oil (Vanilla & Lime scented) - 

This Beard Oil contains Apricot Oil to help hydrate, Argan Oil to soften the beard/facial hair and Vanilla to act as an antioxidant. I only have slight facial hair now compared to a year ago where my beard was a lot thicker and longer! However, Beard Oil is designed to work whatever the length of your beard/facial hair is so luckily this wasn't a problem for me. Like the moisturiser, I applied the Beard Oil in the morning after the Hydrator and could notice that my facial hair didn't feel as rough or as 'stubbled' as it had done prior to application. Again, the scent was delightful! Incredibly fresh and I only needed a small amount of the Beard Oil for the full effect.

I really enjoyed trying these two products out, and it was a great introduction to the Hamilton brand! For more details and to view more of their products, click here and to follow them on their Instagram, click here!

Have you tried any of the products by Hamilton before? If so, which ones? Will you be trying either of these products out? Do you enjoy using beard oils if you have a beard or facial hair? Do let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to give this post a 'like' below!

PRETTY GREEN LOOKBOOK

I had first heard of Pretty Green by Liam Gallagher as the brand was founded by him in 2009. Pretty Green is very much a nod to the 90's with clothes that strongly represent both the mod and Rock'N'Roll era. When I had been approached to create a LookBook for the brand I was both honoured and chuffed, especially to represent Leeds!

I love the Rock'N'Roll look/vibes so when I was given the opportunity to choose some key items, I chose those that stayed true to my style and I also wanted to choose some pieces that I wouldn't necessarily have thought of wearing before such as the crisp white jeans alongside the Baker Boy cap!

Myself and Matt McCormick found a field adorned in yellow flowers and I felt this was the perfect location to tie in the Summer theme with the brand. I also selected a few pieces from the Katie Eary x Pretty Green Collection and had a lot of fun shooting this LookBook! I do hope you like the images and I would love to hear your thoughts on what you think to them. 

Have you shopped with Pretty Green before? If so, what have you bought? Have you viewed their latest collections? Have you been into their Leeds Boutique? Do let me know your thoughts below and don't forget to click the 'like' button!

© Photography: Matt McCormick

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WHAT I WORE:

PRETTY GREEN | Short Sleeve Floral Print Shirt

PRETTY GREEN | White Selvedge Jeans

PRETTY GREEN | Striped Denim Hat

PRETTY GREEN | Round Frame Metal Sunglasses in grey

KATIE EARY X PRETTY GREEN | Papilio Embroidered T-Shirt

KATIE EARY X PRETTY GREEN | Toria Print Swim Shorts

ST. TROPEZ: SELF TAN PURITY BRONZING WATERS

When I had sat down to start this post, at the time it had been scorching up here in Leeds over the Bank Holiday weekend, but as I sit here now in realtime four days afterwards, it is drizzly, cold and the Sun is nowhere to be seen. That is where the new St. Tropez - Self Tan Purity Bronzing Waters comes in!

I have always championed fake tan over the use of sun-beds, so much so that I could do a whole blog post based around how damaging and the long lasting effects of using a sun-bed are, but I'll save that for another time... Fake tan is gentle on the skin, the results can be instant depending on the tan that you use and furthermore, it's safe!

Mr Luke Christian St Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Waters

The first fake tan I had ever bought was indeed St. Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mist and the reason for doing so was because at the time the Bronzing Mist had been launched, my icon Kate Moss was the model for their campaign and anything she puts her name to, I buy into. It's as simple as that! Fickle? Perhaps, but with very good reason as ever since then, St. Tropez have become one of my favourites when it comes to tanning! Last week I had entered their Twitter competition and was selected as one of their few bloggers to be able to try out their latest Tanning creations; Self Tan Purity Bronzing Waters!

ST. TROPEZ SELF TAN PURITY BRONZING WATERS

Prior to application, I exfoliated my skin in the shower with an exfoliator and some 'hand scrubbing mitts' to ensure that my skin was product free and to allow the tan to work and absorb into my skin. The first thing that I noticed about the Water Mousse was the scent. It smelt so fresh, fruity, tropical and had a real beach/Summer vibe to it!

I applied a few squirts of the Mousse onto my tanning mitt and began to massage onto my skin. Now, this Water Mousse isn't an instant tan and because I'm used to using instant tans previously, it was a little bit of a challenge trying to work out where I had applied the tan in case I had missed any areas resulting in looking streaky and patchy, which of course nobody wants... I enjoyed the fact that the Mousse felt incredibly light, my skin felt refreshed and there was no stickiness to the product either! 

Before application

Before application

After application

After application

After about an hour or so, I then began to notice a colour change and it was only when my Mother came into my room and said "Ooo you can tell you've been out in the Sun today!" when little did she know, this was indeed St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse! This was just an example of how incredibly natural looking this tan was and there was certainly no fear of looking 'orange' with this. I liked that the overall colour appeared a cooler, natural tan as opposed to a warm, 'oh wow you've definitely fake tanned' look. 

After 6-7 hours, the tan had fully absorbed into my skin and by the point, my tan was completely dry. My appearance looked a lot healthier, I had a fresh glow about me and I have to say, it is honestly one of the most natural looking tans I have ever come across! Trust me, I have been through a lot of fake tans... Once the tan had settled, I then sprayed the Bronzing Water Face Mist over my skin and it gave my overall appearance a healthy boost and my face looked dewier!

Before application

Before application

After application

After application

Overall the St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Waters definitely lives up to its name in the sense that it is incredibly light on the skin, easy to apply, it is hydrating and again, incredibly natural looking! Even now after 4 days of the tan being on my skin, it is still clear to see! To view the two products and to know a little more about them, click here.

You can purchase both the St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse and the Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist online now or in your local drugstore. 

I'm up against some other fabulous bloggers in terms of whoever creates the best blog post, gets their review onto the official St. Tropez website! So please, help support me and share this post with your friends and make some noise about it on social media! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram and don't forget to tag St.Tropez too!

Have you used any of the Fake Tans by St. Tropez before? Have you tried their newest Purity Bronzing Waters range yet? If so, how did you find it? Will you be trying these out? Do you like instant tan, or gradual tan? Do let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click the 'like' button below!

ZIRH PRODUCTS

Having worked with MaleSkin on many blog posts before, I always get excited to receive a bundle from them as they work with such a vast range of brands and for this post I was kindly gifted some products by Zirh!

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I received;

Now, as I sport a bit of facial hair, I was unable to review the Post-Shave Solution and the Shave Cream but I wanted to include these in this post as it could make for a great gift this Father's Day in a couple of weeks time? Both the Post-Shave Solution and the Shave Cream are soothing with ingredients such as Aloe, Ginseng and anti-oxidants all of which help to hydrate, comfort and relieve any skin irritation!

DAILY FACIAL CONDITIONER

I applied the Daily Facial Conditioner both first thing in the morning, and last thing at night before heading to bed. I cleansed my face prior to using this and found that my skin felt hydrated, felt softer to touch and appeared dewier! The consistency of the Daily Facial Conditioner felt light on my skin and didn't feel too dense or heavy. I also liked that it had a matte effect to it, as opposed to making my skin look shiny and greasy!

To purchase the Daily Facial Conditioner, click here and to view more Zirh products, click here.

Have you tried any of the Zirh products before? Have you tried any of these mentioned? If so, how did you find them? Have you shopped with MaleSkin before? What products have you tried from there? Do let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click that 'like' button below!

*Please note, this post has been sponsored.

TOM FORD - COSTA AZZURRA

After a widespread of disappointment when Tom Ford announced Costa Azzurra had been discontinued late last year, Costa Azzurra is officially back, and I for one couldn't be happier!

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I remember when Tom Ford released three blue fragrances from a sub-collection of which there were:

  1. Costa Azzurra
  2. Mandarino Di Amalfi
  3. Fleur De Portofino

COSTA AZZURRA

  • Top Notes: Seaweed, Driftwood, Agarwood, Celery Seeds, Ambrette, Cardamom
  • Middle Notes: Juniper, Myrtle, Lavender, Lemon, Yellow Mandarin, Artemisia
  • Base Notes: Mastic/Lentisque, Olibanum, Incense, Vanilla, Vetiver, Oak

Out of the three, Costa Azzurra was my immediate favourite because it was unlike any other Spring/Summer fragrance I had previously smelt. I had always been accustomed to the idea of a Spring/Summer scent being quite light, citrusy and sweet! For me, Costa Azzurra was the total opposite, an aquatic, woody scent that transported me along a coastline where the sea breeze meets the saltiness of the ocean.

The opening of Costa Azzurra began with a burst of the citrus notes that quickly dried down into a more aquatic, dense scent with the woody notes soon coming into play. Admittedly, Costa Azzurra didn't last too long on my skin and slowly began to fade between 3-4 hours which was disappointing, but allowed me to use that as an excuse to spray some more head to toe... In terms of the sillage, I found it to be soft to medium and I had been complimented several times from having worn this!

To purchase Tom Ford - Costa Azzurra, click here.

Be sure to check out my other Tom Ford fragrance reviews on Oud Minerale, Sole Di Positano, Soleil Blanc, Neroli Portofino Acqua, Noir De Noir, Tobacco Oud and Tobacco Vanille!