Berrichi For Men – Smoothing Age Defence

I’m always a bit flummoxed when it comes to choosing my own skincare, which is why I turn the trusted team at The Amazing Blog to give me a bit of direction. My wish-list isn’t always easy and this time I requested a face cream that would be light enough to absorb quickly, offer excellent protection against the elements, and also must be gentle enough not sting straight after shaving. A tall order indeed! They suggested For Men - Smoothing Age Defence from an award-winning Estonian skincare Berrichi where they recently reviewed their Day Age Defence and Night Power Defence here.

Founded by Berit Joosep, the brand started life with its artisan skincare in Joosep’s kitchen, where she drew inspiration from books on herbal culture and ancient beauty techniques. Today Berrichi is a multi-award-winning skincare brand (see The Beauty Shortlist Editor’s Choice Award here) it has expanded worldwide and is recognised for leading the way with ‘clean beauty’ and its unique botanicals.

This Smoothing Age Defence,  I was reliably informed, is a 24-hour high-performance anti-ageing skincare with unique Estonian ingredients. Reading more about their range Berrichi’s For Men, I discovered that their skincare has powerful algae-based antioxidants with astaxanthin and furchellaran which helps kick into action hydration, protection from UV radiation and slows down skin ageing. Well, that’s ticked off most of my asks! The other key ingredients here are organic oils from avocado and jojoba; plus the addition of apricot kernel, cacay nut oils and aloe vera leaf juice. The quote on their stylish black box also brought a wry smile to my lips: “Age might not bring you wisdom, age brings you wrinkles….” Having put this wonder cream to the test, it performed exceptionally well and had the advantages of being fragrance-free and light as a feather. It comes in an airtight pump bottle, is free from parabens, sulphates and is vegan, natural, organic and cruelty-free. Impressed? Then purchase your 50 ml bottle for 39€ here.

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.

Pura Vida Organic - CBD After Shave Moisturiser and the Shaving Gel & Wash

At The Amazing Blog we learned that Pura Vida is a phrase that originates from Costa Rica, and translates as ‘pure life’ or ‘simple life’. Today we’re talking about CBD infused grooming products from the Croatian skincare company Pure Vida Organic. As regular readers will know we are big fans of all things CBD (see here).

According to Pura Vida Organic founder Jennifer Deegan, ‘pure life’ is a philosophy that she encourages us to apply to our own lives, just as she applies it to the products that her company creates.  In a world where we have to address the issues of sustainability alongside those of our own consumption, here is a manufacturer proudly bringing us the purest natural alternatives to mainstream cosmetics, whilst also keeping the environmental impact as low as possible. Now of course as soon as one mentions CBD or Cannabidiol, there are going to be those who inevitably will flinch at the association with anything remotely cannabis-related (which we explain in our CBD feature here). However, it is worth noting that there’s some research now available on the benefits of CBD oil. With reports of good acne management, as well as relief from anxiety, neuroprotection and pain relief it opens up endless healing possibilities for the future.

The two products that we tried from Pura Vida Organics were the Shaving Gel & Wash, and the CBD After Shave Moisturiser. Apart from the obvious convenience of having a Shaving Gel & Wash in one handy bottle, the Budrovic Lavender from Hvar (Croatia) and peppermint water base gives a welcome refreshing boost to the morning ritual. It helps to set the skin up perfectly for an onslaught of a steel blade and includes aloe vera into the mix, which gives a gentle and soothing effect during cleansing. This continues unabated through to the completion of the shave, keeping irritation to a minimum.

However, should there be any stress or redness to the skin, then this is where the Pura Vida Organic’s CBD After Shave Moisturiser steps in with a defined calming sensation that comes through from the essential oils again of peppermint and lavender. These ingredients are also aligned with that of pine needles and the moisturising butter both providing immediate relief from irritation, with the 30ml – 620mg organic cannabis sativa seed extract (CBD) full-spectrum with 0.001% THC. Sustainability is also a priority for this brand, with all its packaging uniquely made from 25% grass. All products are vegan, Cosmos Organic approved, cruelty-free and handmade in Croatia. Pura Vida Organic’s Shaving Gel & Cleanser is 50ml, priced at €15.98 here, and the CBD After Shave Moisturiser is 30ml priced at €17.90 here. This is most certainly a brand to watch, and we can’t wait to try more from their skincare and body butters.

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.

La Sultane de Saba - Santal Ancestral Eau de Parfum

This is the last of our reviews, which is unashamedly immersing ourselves in the luxury of Christmas. Today at The Amazing Blog we’re on a journey with the mysteries of the Orient, enjoying the darkly mysterious sensuality as we experience La Sultane de Saba - Santal Ancestral EDP  from Paris. If the idea of escaping the humdrum and travelling somewhere exotic and exciting is your thing, then La Sultane de Saba is a brand you need to check out. It revels in both those things as it offers up its own particular concept of beauty treatments not just in a glorious array of indulgent products, but also through La Sultane de Saba spas and treatments (see our recent feature on their Rose Facial Set here) 

With such a backdrop, we knew that the Santal Ancestral EDP for men would be an experience to be relished and enjoyed, and were not disappointed. With the warmth of sandalwood forming the foundation of this scent, the most extraordinary sensory journey begins as we get notes of patchouli and cedar coming through too. Truly a heady mix to transport you to the sophistication and elegance of the Orient, and all the romance therein. Whilst it’s base is strong, there is a delicious freshness which comes through on the top notes of geranium and sandalwood - as Eau de Parfum, it of course, contains more perfume oil than that of Eau de Toilette, allowing its depth to be more intense, however, it’s definitely not overpowering. The sense of smell is such an evocative one, and Santal Ancestral is a fragrance that both indulges and celebrates this. At £79.00 for 100ml from here, it is definitely worth a try as this delicious EDP lasts and lasts. BTW if you love this, then why not try their other fragrance in the range Oud Wood here.