From Grannies-Only Nostalgia-fest to a Fast ‘n’ Fun Night Out: How Jackpotjoy Turned Bingo’s Image Around
Opening bands of the greatest music festivals of all time – Glastonbury, Woodstock
One of 2013′s most influential bands – The Status Quo – yes really
The ten best Psych albums of 2013 – so far… Sufis, Hidden Masters, Foxygen
I wrote a piece on flat-top haircuts yesterday and I know that EJ at Style Salvage would probably give them a thumbs up but what about the rest of you?
Elvis sported the flat-top’s forebear, the quiff and his haircut apparently got voted the most iconic hairstyle (I never trust these surveys!) so he must have been doing something right. Post your vote after the jump.
In the latest issue of GQ Style Charlie Porter is waxing lyrical about the ’21st Century Flat Top’ and I have to say I agree. It fits in with a new style preppiness and clean minimalism which is the antithesis of Hedi Slimane’s slimfit rockstar look.
Zara at Kiss and Make Up is sounding off about the new Thierry Mugler Angel Men perfume, she wants in on the male scent, which is out on April 14th.
I must admit I’m not one of those women who ever bought the female fragrance, it was always a bit too sweet and cloying for my tastes but apparently the new Pure Coffee fragrance for men is a lot more manly. It’s a blend of coffee, musk cedar wood and milk which sounds a hell of a lot more appealing than the classic female scent and will probably be a great pick-me-up.
Visit Kiss and Make Up for more beauty news and reviews.
Everyone has had that person they wanted to impress; the girl, the guy, the parent, the boss. And what better medium than fashion? Whether it’s the Louboutin slutty-stiletto (for the girls let me say) or one of Armani’s finest suits, the right look can make or break a first date.
So when Mick Jagger, a living legend with everything but height and anti-wrinkle cream on his side, took his fiancée L’Wren Scott (6′ 4″ to Mick’s 5′ 10″) to the premiere of ‘Shine a Light’ (the Rolling Stones’ new ‘rockumentary’) it was clear that he felt the need to give himself a bit of a sartorial boost. So how true is it that “love isn’t finding a perfect person, it’s seeing an imperfect person perfectly?”
Read on for more celeb examples and rather mean imagery.
(Image Source: Getty/ Pacific Coast News/Get Lippy)
Like tax and death, scent is one of life’s fickle promises. I have just returned from a trip to New York and I couldn’t help but notice how great everyone smelt (not in some strange Charlie’s Angels hair-sniffer way.) In the returning yellow cab to JFK, my week in the Big Apple flashed before my eyes as a flurry of smiling sales associates and the now dog-eared sample cards currently resonating through my conscience (and bedroom!) Whether you have a Grenouille like nose or are suspiciously blind to the sweet smell of- well smell, ‘cologne’ (or ‘scent’) is something that you need to be firmly acquainted with. The men’s fragrance market (and the cosmetics market in general) seems to be growing at the moment and there is an unbelievably wide range of scents from all the biggest designers. No longer does a few looks in a women’s show represent our male input in the industry but instead we are welcoming the right for men to truly express themselves through fashion and fragrance.
The following list is a collection of the sweetest scents on the market right now (in no particular order.)
Over at Kiss and Make Up Zara is showcasing JPG, the range of men’s make up by Jean Paul Gaultier, which is an extensive line of 17 products ranging from a fairly conventional face scrub to a more adventurous ‘fluid bronze multi complexion’.
My indie-boy friends in their youth used to sometimes smear a bit of eyeliner or mascara for a night out and some of my gay friends have been known to whack on a bit of fake tan or a hint of blusher but that’s as far as it goes make up-wise for them.
We’re going to put the JPG cosmetics to the test soon on an unsuspecting staff member in what should be a memorable video, but in the meantime take our poll to let me know what you think of manouflage.
A few weeks ago, I posted on the first pics from Ewan McGregor’s campaign for Davidoff’s ‘Adventure’ fragrance. So when this TV advert rudely interrupted my usual Sunday morning T4 routine, I was surprised to realise what it was. Unlike most luxury label adverts, this little film is subtle, succinct and pretty spectacular. It focuses around McGregor’s monologue on the usual blend of journey, travel, enlightenment and charitable experience but it is the stunning visuals which draws the viewer in.
I am beginning to think that this may be a trend in advertising; look at Louis Vuitton’s latest TV feature with wide-eyed travellers roaming the world in LV-labelled luggage. As I said before, McGregor is a relatable star and a man’s man- he’s not airbrushed or entourage-followed and this campaign only furthers my belief in Davidoff’s reinvention as a modern brand for the modern male.
See after the jump for Ewan’s latest televisual adventure (see what I did there?!)
Biotherm is one of my favourite cosmetic lines. Their cosmetics are light and fragrant and feel very expensive without actually being too expensive.
Before it was available in this country, my Canadian friend introduced me to it. The fact that my countrymen couldn’t enjoy it’s benefits just added to its exoticism – imagine my chagrin when it finally became available on these shores. Hrumph.
Anyway, I’m resigned to that now, so I’m happy to share what I know
about it. As you may remember, I’m road testing a few cosmetics for
Brandish and the next one is Biotherm Homme’s Cleansing Gel.
As your skin gets older, it loses its ability to renew itself, so you sometimes need an exfoliator like Kiehl’s Energising Scrub to give you a bit of a hand scraping those layers of dead skin off your face.
Not only does this help the younger skin cells shine through, it also helps prevent the in-growing hairs you get from shaving- no small bonus if like me you’ve got curly hair and often have to excavate the little bastards with a pin. Too much detail? Let’s move on.
If you’re a man, there’s only one thing worse than wearing make-up – and that’s being caught wearing make-up. So it was with extreme caution that I approached Biotherm Homme’s Power Bronze tinted moisturiser. This moisturiser has a hint of bronzer in it which promises a natural healthy look – so it’s not going to make you change race or anything. It’s also a gel, which mean that it goes on easily and evenly so you don’t get any tell-tale streaks.
I must say, it does deliver on its promises. It was very easy to apply and gave a very subtle effect – more of a healthy glow than a tan. If you’re a pale Anglo-Saxon like myself, it’s a good way of fighting that ghostly winter pallor without making you look like a drag queen.
So, over the next few weeks I will be road-testing some men’s grooming products for the pages of Brandish.
First up is Kiehl’s Facial Fuel moisturiser, which promises to “uplift dull, fatigued skin”. Vitamin C and E, chestnut extract and soy, will apparently reinvigorate your skin and help protect it from the ravages of modern life.
I know, it’s like “Good one Kiehl’s” but I have to say, I’m sold. I’ve been wearing it for a few weeks now and the number of people who have, unprompted, said I look fresh and young has reached double figures. In that there’s two of them.
Still two ain’t bad – and neither of them knew about this experiment. Plus I really really want to believe it.
What I can be sure of is that it smells nice – all citrussy. It’s a lotion, which is good for greasy skin (creams are too heavy boys!) and it’s absorbed through your pores like a rabbit down a hole. It also gives you a little tingly sensation, which is fun. I’m a total convert.
Take a look at Gemma and I sat on the couch at Shiny Towers looking through a selection of gift ideas for men. They’re good for your brother or your bezzie, but frankly I think you just should treat yourself to one of these gift ideas because Christmas is usually disappointing enough!
Check out Kat and Stu’s ipod jacket video for more details on this product, and also because the video is hilarious!
I don’t know about you but I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, and at the time of writing Ladbrokes are offering odds at 4/1 of London getting one so I might well be in luck.
For those of you who are unfortunate enough to live in a climate where brass monkeys don’t live in fear of castration, you might just have to settle for some snow scented perfume. Those crazies at Demeter Fragrance Library claim to have bottled the smell of snow (riiiiiiight, Demeter, of course you have) and the scent can purchase it from their on-line store.
The Demeter range includes Dirt, Grass (both kinds), Laundromat and Lobster as well as more sensible smells like Gardenia and Ginger. It’s the loopier scents that are most entertaining however and I’m sure there’s a few perfect gifts in there. If you know anyone with a particular olfactory obsession, check it out.
Are you the sort of guy who enjoys a cheeky snifter during your morning grooming routine? Perhaps you hide whiskey in your tiolet cistern, or brandy in the medicine cabinet? Maybe you empty out bottles of cologne and replace it with vodka? If so, this Korres Absinthe Shave Cream (£16.50) was distilled just for you.
All right, you obviously can’t drink it, but this shaving aid really does contain Absinthe, the lethal herb-infused spirit that apparently sent famous artists mad and was reportedly the direct cause of at least one case of familicide. Hopefully, shaving with the stuff won’t cause you to hack your family to pieces, but it should ensure a clean shave and sweet smelling skin.
Not a name that you would have heard of before, Acca Kappa is a cosmetics brand designed for the true gentleman. Trading since 1869, Acca Kappa has been providing grooming goods for European royalty for over 100 years and, just by looking at their products, you can see why. It’s really is a brand for the sort of man who feels like he should have been born when there were still lands left to discover, and men fought not in the streets like ruffians, but with a sabre and one hand behind their backs. So much for modernity.
Each of their grooming tools, be it a paddle-brush, nail scrubber or razor, are crafted from various hardwoods which, in my book, is pure sophistication. Where’s the beauty or romance in a plastic Gillette razor, eh? Also in Acca Kappa’s 1869 collection is the range of soaps, body washes and shaving creams which contain natural, skin friendly ingredients such as almond oil and grape polyphenols. They smell pretty good too.
Acca Kappa’s website is under construction at the moment and, until they open their UK flagship store, you’ll have to trawl through Harrods or House Of Fraser to get your mitts on their fine products.
Via [Notcot]
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