Danielle Creations - Damn Handsome - Gentlemen in D-Stress Emergency Tin

There’s no getting away with it boys, the pressure on us all to present the very best version of ourselves on a daily basis gets turned up a notch every time we step outside. There was a time when a visit to the gym three times a week, maybe the odd protein shake, and the briefest moments spent putting our outfit together for the day ahead would suffice. However, now the girls at The Amazing Blog tell me that we are now in a new world of reality TV, a never-ending stream of must-have products or procedures, and of course devices which capture every untucked shirt, bad shave mishap which can then be splashed across Social Media for our competitors to troll …!

The Gentlemen in D-Stress Emergency Tin from is an invention from Danielle Creations who are best known for their cutting edge make up and grooming kits. They are part of Upper Canada Company a global brand although they based here in the UK. We discovered them as they offer everything from innovative cosmetic accessories to men's manicure and shaving sets. As regular readers will know we’re always happy to discover anything that can alleviate some of that pressure and help us in our quest to keep as much as we can on tiptop form, which is where this, one of our latest #amazingfinds comes into its own.

Simple ideas are often the best and most successful kind, and here we have Gentlemen in D-Stress Emergency Tin from. This is an essential kit of 24 items to choose from and seemingly for every possible kind of emergency! Containing all that we boys could ever need need to keep us as pristine as possible. Utterly compact and certainly portable, this tin will happily slip into a briefcase, gym bag, or rucksack without taking up much room, and give you the chance to remedy any slight mishaps which may occur at the tip of our digits effectively. Measuring 5cm x 9.5cm x 12.5cm, and only weighing in at 146g, it is brilliantly compact.  Within each selection of the tin, we find a collapsible comb, 2 x collar stiffener sets, 1 x glasses cleaning cloth, tweezers, shoehorn, nail clipper, 2 x plasters, 5 x cuticle sticks, a stain remover wipe, a deodorant wipe and a vanity kit including cotton buds, a cotton pad and nail file! In fact, everything to aid a grooming emergency. What we especially enjoy about these inspired kits, is the fact each tin is not rammed full of odds and ends, so the option of adding one or two of our own essentials from the personal bathroom cabinet is available to us also. You’ll find this Gentlemen in D-Stress Emergency Tin here at a mere £9.99 only.

R&R Luxury - Shea Oil Marrakech Nights & Liquid Black Soap

Let us at The Amazing Blog bow down to the wonders of shea butter, and its remarkable natural healing qualities, as developed by the R&R Luxury skincare company based in Ghana and bringing 100% natural African luxury to our skin in their formidable men’s range.

Developed by the founder Valerie Obaze in 2010 as her quest to bring a moisturiser that could be as gentle on a grown-up’s skin as well as that of a newborn baby, we have literally at our fingertips, the pure unadulterated natural benefits of shea butter which is the main constituent in both the face and body oil and their Liquid Black Soap.

The Face & Body Oil is tantalisingly called Marrakech Nights, and the main ingredient, of course, is shea oil which is particularly effective in the treatment of various skin conditions such as scarring, dry and/or ageing skin, as well as sunburn. Because it is so gentle of course, sensitive skin can also be soothed by this balm. Just a few drops are enough to be rubbed between the palms, and then applied directly to the skin when wet, or added to another body cream for an overall application.

R&R’s Liquid Black Soap contains the essential oil of lemongrass which gives it the most wonderfully fresh fragrance, and a burst of aromatherapeutic essence producing a highly effective and thorough cleansing gel. Again, with the benefits of the shea butter, this is particularly good for treating complaints like eczema, psoriasis and acne. Being 100% natural means we also don’t have to worry about parabens, artificial colours or mineral oils.

The unisex range is available from the website here. The Shea Oil - Marrakech Nights at 250ml at £17  and  Liquid Black Soap at 250ml at £12.50. The brand is actively seeking new distributors, so hopefully, availability will increase soon. With that and also the company’s success at 2018 Pure Beauty Awards, it can only be a matter of time before this range racks up yet even more success.

Shakeup Cosmetics

My turn dear readers to say ‘Happy New Year’! Today I’m kicking-off with one of our #amazingfinds which is a new brand of men’s cosmetics. Apparently us boys have different skin to the girls… (NB: Girls at The Amazing Blog!) that may sound a glib expression, but there is an increasing amount of data to show that our skin is 20 - 25% thicker due to the presence of testosterone, which goes some way to explain why certain products manufactured for women can be ineffective for us. Since we also have slightly larger active sebaceous glands, our pores tend to be larger leading to a higher propensity of acne and pore blockages. Of course, we also put our skin through the dreaded daily slash of a sharp blade which inevitably stresses the epidermis, making it far more sensitive.

Happily, for us twin brothers Shane Carnell-Xu and Jake Xu have come to our rescue - they are the driving force behind Shakeup Cosmetics and are shining the light ahead for us boys to reap the benefits of a skincare range as diverse as that for women, but specifically tailored for our needs. Whilst we all want to look our best, not everyone wants to make it headline news when we walk into a room, which is where Shane and Jake have come to our aid with their Shakeup Cosmetics For Men range. Although born in Beijing, the boys emigrated to the UK in their teens and are proud to have formulated and produced their line here, ensuring the highest standards, as well as rejecting animal testing, and keeping their products totally vegan-friendly.

At the moment, we have the Under Eye Concealer and Moisturiser, called ‘Eye Eye Captain’, the ‘Let’s Face It’ Tinted Moisturiser, and the ‘Lip Life To The Full’ Volumising and Moisturising  Lip Gel, with the first two of that list coming in Light, Medium and Dark shades for the skin palette. Retailing at £20 for the Concealer, £25 for the Moisturiser, and £12 for the Lip Gel, we can get our hands on these goodies from here and that stalwart of the pioneer brands, Harvey Nichols - and when HN starts stocking a range, you know it’s one to watch! This range is certainly one to try, as there is a revolution afoot in the male grooming world, and it is being spearheaded by dynamic teams like Shane and Jake who believe in natural, wholesome skincare, and are bringing it to market for us to enjoy.

Andalou Naturals – Men’s Invigoriating Body Wash, Grooming Style Balm & Herbal Deodorant

Stem Cells are grabbing our attention today - fear not, we will delicately avoid beginning a debate on ethics, but rather, let us focus on the benefits which can be had from the science employed in the extraction of the exotically named phytocannabinoids from the mature stalk of the hemp plant, fortifying us with a veritable armoury of goodies to counteract free radicals, oxidative damage and pollution. Yes, we at The Amazing Blog are talking totally natural skincare here - a revolutionary, patented liposomal technology which promotes and protects the vitality and longevity of skin stem cells, and thereby giving us enhanced skin health. All this comes to us from the incredibly popular Californian brand of Andalou Naturals whose range is as expansive as it is diverse.

Started by Stacey Kelly Egide and Mark Egide, who have a long track record of success building brands in the natural space. For over 30 years these visionary partners have been creating category-defining brands like Beauty Without Cruelty, Avalon Organics, Alba Botanica, Alba Hawaiian, Sonoma Soap Company, Un-petroleum, and The San Francisco Soap Company.  Andalou Naturals, the first non-GMO project verified beauty brand and has a comprehensive product portfolio and distribution network in North America, Europe, and Asia. Founder Stacey said “for Andalou Naturals, my goal was the create an empowerment brand with a mission to influence the industry to do better”

Of course, the full range offers up lots of benefits from all sorts of sources - the apple, grape, rose, and the organ tree kernel, all contribute their nutritious elements for our skin’s wellbeing, but for today we are highlighting three of the best in Andalou’s men’s grooming range, starting with the minty refreshing Men invigorating Body Wash  which comes in a bumper 25ml tube, giving us the 3-in1 action, for hair, body and face. It can be bought here for £10.79. This one gives great value for money, and has been formulated with cannacell antioxidants and organic hemp seed oil. There is also aloe vera in the mix to soothe, and bioavailable vegan ingredients, keeping the natural credentials high, making this suitable for all skin types.

The cannacell antioxidants are also to be found in the Men Herbal Deodorant in Mountain Sage, along with the essential hemp seed oil and vegan probiotics, which is again it’s very gentle on the skin, neutralising any odour in a mild but effective way. Sizewise, we have a stick of 75g  here for £8.55

Interestingly, Andalou gives us another 3-in-1 option when it comes to their Men Grooming Style Balm which can be used to shape and condition our hair, scalp and beard. Clearly giving a nod to the avoidance of too many bottles of potions in our grasp, here we have an easily absorbed application to create and finish off the well-groomed look we are asking for. Priced at £10.79 here for a tube of 125ml. What makes this, the deodorant and the body wash all very appealing is that they are 98% nature-derived, non-GMO project verified, and vegetarian with a large vegan offering, Plus, they're gluten-free and cruelty-free. And we love that these are quality grooming products are accessibly priced for our wallets!

Urban Jack - Revolution Shave Serum

We have often wondered here at The Amazing Blog, why when it comes to shaving the unwanted follicles from our varied skin types, many shaving preparations often obliterate any view of the actual epidermis? When we are about to drag a ferociously sharp razor edge across our chins, would it not make more sense to have a cream which actually keeps visibility as a priority, allowing us to see what we are trying to do? We all have highly individual challenges when it comes to our skin, whether that be problematic acne or moles which obviously need to avoid the unforgiving blade, or indeed the more aesthetic requirements of trimming away only that which we are wanting to get rid of.

The anwer to this conundrum has happily arrived in the stylishly  designed range of products from Urban Jack - and in particular a hero product in the shape of their Revolution Shave Serum which was swiftly transferred onto the beard which needed a bit of attention. Boasting some seriously impressive ingredients -vitis vinifera (grape) fruit meristem cell culture, which are powerful antiioxidants that protect skin from UV stress and maintains the cell characteristics of epidermal stem cells; limanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil which functions as a skin-conditioning agent,  oryza sativa (rice) bran oil extract for skin soothing enzymes and antioxidant properties. And always one of our favourites, shea butter which not only provides a rich source of vitamin A, but is also rapidly absorbed into the skin and seals in moisture helping to keep those wrinkles at bay. The rice bran oil also brings unsaturated fatty acids to the mix, as well as natural antioxidants and vitamin E to help protect the skin, whereas the alba seed oil helps to form a natural barrier to keep moisture within the skin, avoiding dehydration. As proud as Urban Jack are of this shaving gem that is made up of 96% natural ingredients, they also take great pride in being against animal testing, as well as dermatologically tested, totally vegan-friendly, and of course made in the UK!

Urban Jack offer up a few suggestions to their customers of ‘how to use’ here . It comes  in at a very competitive priced £18 for 30ml, the Revolution ShaveSerum is available through their online shop here where the complete range can also be thoroughly inspected, which is definitely worth checking out for all the other goodies on offer. Standard delivery is free of charge, but we also have the option of next day delivery which is charged at £3.95.