cologne

Solid Cologne UK – All Black Collection Gift Set

Have you ever had that frustrating moment when you arrive at the airport, and forget that you’ve still got your favourite big bottle cologne in your hand luggage? Well, I have! This is where the Solid Cologne UK  has an interesting option, a highly concentrated, wax-based cologne that is portable. Yes, dear readers, we know that we’re still in lockdown but here at The Amazing Blog we like to plan ahead!   

Solid Cologne UK is a British brand that launched in 2016 and is a sister brand to The London Beard Company (where I previously wrote about their Eastern Spice Beard Oil here). The idea for the concept was inspired by travellers who had a common problem, like us, of transporting fragrance in hand luggage and then being over the liquid limit. They believed this needed a solution, and from there Solid Cologne UK was born. This solid perfume concept goes as far back as Egyptian times with the anointing of an unguent’ a combination of animal fat, scented oils and resin. Since then, I’m happy to report the Solid Cologne UK has had a big update on this original formula! They’ve put their own unique twist on the idea, where their Solid Colognes are made with the highest quality of natural ingredients including beeswax, shea butter and jojoba oil. Quickly added, this is a far better for your skin compared to alcohol-based scents as they’re gentler, more moisturising and can be layered to get the right strength of your preferred ‘fragrance’.

Today, we’re talking about their All Black Collection (Pack of 3) which includes the fragrances of Sikandar, Malcolm & Valentin Cologne. Let’s start with Valentin which is light and fresh – perfect for trans-seasonal wear now, with its clean scents of basil, sage and mint, this made it not only my favourite, but also a big hit with the girls in the office too.  Malcolm has top notes of citrus with a tang of fruit from blackcurrant, bergamot and apple. However, the base notes pack a woody punch with incense, jasmine, sandalwood and musk. The final fragrance of this trio is Sikandar which again has a heady citrus top note but with more spice with middle notes including geranium, cinnamon and cloves. This one for me would be to wear in the evenings or at a cooler time of year.

With over thirteen different colognes to choose from, you can certainly adapt (or even mix and match) these fragrances to your mood thus channeling your inner masculinity, without them being too overpowering. The packaging comes in a sleek, pocket-sized sliding black 18ml tin, perfect no matter how small your luggage is. The products are not tested on animals and are even handmade in London. They are easy to apply, making them ideal for those times when you are on the go. I found that the fragrances were long-lasting, as well as rather timeless and elegant. There is something rather special about carrying around one of these tins, which allows you to dab a bit here and there in order to freshen up anywhere.  We heartily recommend these solid colognes they are not just reserved for us boys – the girls seem to love them too! All the colognes can be bought individually or in packs. The All Black Collection (Pack of 3) gift set can be purchased here for £50.00. The individual cologne can be purchased from £17.99 here.

Alvarez Gomez - Agua de Colonia Concentrada

 

As someone who loves a great refreshing aftershave or cologne, those lovely girls at The Amazing Blog have been sourcing me some great new signature smells to go forth into the summer. I told them to find me something light, breezy and a classic fragrance to boot. They bobbed up with Agua de Colonia Concentrada from the Spanish fragrance brand Alvarez Gomez  In fact, they’ve actually written about their Flores Mediterrneas collection here, so I was curious to try the Agua de Colona Concentrada find for me…

Agua de Colonia Concentrada is a timeless classic cologne and is one of the first fragrances created by the Spanish fragrance house Alvarez Gomez in 1912.  Now with its fourth family generation of owners, this company is a global name with over 100 years of experience in the fragrance sector, well-known for its quality and distinctive traditional fragrances. And as they say about this cologne, “it’s a product that has survived the intense competition of fashion and is knows no age, gender or time…” You’ll often find their fragrances in top 5-star Spanish hotels, showcasing their stylish art deco bottles and sitting in pride of place on many washroom shelves.

This cologne is somewhat zesty and fresh with prominent lemon citrus that really lifts up the fragrance to set it apart from the others. The other top notes are geranium and lavender (two varieties here Spanish and English!) both of which add a little piquant. The middle notes of rosemary and thyme give a more mellow sweet and sour quality to the fragrance followed by the base notes of aromatic bergamot and lavender. This Agua de Colonia Concentrada perfectly captures the scents of the Mediterranean. What I particularly like is their Travel Kit which offers a selection of cologne, deodorant, body lotion and shower gel all for just £34. If you’d like to try Alvarez Gomez - Agua de Colonia Concentrada, it can be purchased here for £30 for 300 ml.  This is definitely topping the list for my go-to summer fragrance must-haves - in fact, it’s a ‘must-have’ for any time of year!

The Bluebeard's Revenge Aftershave Cologne

Bluebeard image For us men, shaving is possibly one of our least favourite tasks, so we are always on the lookout for new male grooming products to spice up this dull ritual. When we heard about The Bluebeard’s Revenge Aftershave Cologne here at The Amazing Blog, needless to say we jumped at the chance to try it. The Bluebeard’s Revenge is a gentleman’s grooming company inspired by the manliest of all men: pirates! Their slogan boldly declares that their products are for ‘Real Men Only’, and they take great care in making sure that their products have the best ingredients for your skin.

The aftershave cologne has really cool packaging that definitely bought out the inner child in us. It is a glass bottle emblazoned with The Bluebeard’s Revenge logo which is of course, a skull and crossbones, so you really are applying a special pirate formula, OOOH ARRGHH!

The cologne itself is a brilliant blue, which reminds us of refreshing Caribbean waters. The scent starts off very crisp, which is perfect for post shaving. Bergamot and Basil are the highlights, then it moves into a very classic fragrance; Black Tea and Watermint. Last, but not least, you get a hint of Vanilla and Sandalwood, perfect for keeping things spicy throughout the day. All in all, it is a very classic and masculine scent, perfect for the modern man. It feels wonderful as an aftershave as well, and is very soothing, which is a plus since you will be splashing it on those tender areas. We loved that the bottle has an authentic splash on applicator because it is very different from the sprays you see nowadays.

Beyond the aftershave, The Bluebeard’s Revenge has created a wonderful range of shaving and grooming products perfect for any modern man. Some of their products are paraben free as well, which is something we lookout for.

If you are interested in purchasing The Bluebeard’s Revenge Aftershave Cologne, it retails for £19.99 on their website. What’s more, The Bluebeard’s Revenge are offering you our readers a very special  20% exclusive discount until 31st October  2013 please quote AMAZING20 at the check out on The Bluebeard’s Revenge Online Store.

Take A Vacation to Istanbul with Lokum Colognes

blogimagelokum If there is one thing we really can’t get enough of here at The Amazing Blog, its perfumes and colognes. It could possibly be that there are just so many great scents out there in the world of fragrance, and it could also be that we just love trying new ones and searching for that signature scent. A new company we became aware of is Lokum Istanbul, and we were lucky enough to get to try out two of their colognes.

 

Zeynep Keyman, the brand’s creator wanted to unveil a collection of Eau de Colognes that were all ‘reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire’.  We received the travel size colognes Gardens of Babylon, which is a rich jasmine scent just like walking past a jasmine bush, and Mediterranean Sun, which has a sweet orange fragrance. They are crafted from the highest quality plants, and the bottle is sleek in design. Whether you choose spice or zest, these are sure to be a wonderful addition to any fragrance collection. Also, they are perfect to carry in a bag as they are travel sized at 50 ml. The smells are potent, but lovely. Quite pure in origin, they smell exactly as described and last quite a while on the skin. Lokum Istanbul also offers a range of non travel sized colognes that have more blended scents, but I think these travel sizes are perfect for summer with their pure nature.

 

If you are interested in an exotic fragrance destination to Turkey, you can purchase the Lokum Istanbul Cologne on their website and also at the Bluebird shop on Kings Road. The travel sizes retail at £11.00 for 50 ml and the full 200 ml sizes at £28.00 each.