Barber Mind's Ocean Hair Grooming

We are all aware of how far the world of male grooming has jumped in recent years - thriving businesses popping up in our high streets catering to the particular need for us boys to take great pride in our presentation of self to the world. Therefore it’s inevitable that huge competition and artistry would be kindled, as the desire to push forward the boundaries gathered pace with our Italian cousins, grabbing the opportunity with both hands and not for the first time, giving us all food for thought at The Amazing Blog…

Therefore we invite you to enter the world of Barber Mind, an incredible space where the passion for doing what they do is best exemplified in their inspirational tag line: ‘Barber Mind is a point of view, a way of being. It’s born as a belief fixed in a tattoo, a prospect that contains the principles of the brand: Scruple, Care and Respect’. And we think that it’s a rather cool place to be, with precision styling, design and care of oneself.

Where better to start delving into their treasure trove, than with Barber Mind Ocean Hair Grooming, the perfect styling tool for that effortless aplomb which the Italians do so well - and your crowning glory is left smelling quite delicious too! Granted, that may be slightly missing the point, as this worthy bottle does so much more besides perfuming the locks; it’s styling properties are impressively firm without being sticky or claggy - perhaps the need to run hands through hair was a major factor in their research and development! Anyway, they certainly achieved a very tactile result, alongside the fresh and clean fragrance. Paraben and colourant free; petroleum and paraffin free and free from animal by-products, so the provenance here is quite impressive too.

Of course the fun doesn’t end with styling the hair, there is much more product and ethos on offer from the Barber Mind Team - not just for the hairdo either; there are beard oils, and shaving options to keep us in complete grooming heaven, all with the unmistakeable trademark of the core belief of Barber Mind. How cool is it that you can also source your own barber shop’s emblem pole, or if that is a tad on the excessive side for your bathroom, you might be tempted by a rather funky ring to signify an appreciation of the brotherhood, and it’s beliefs?

Clearly there is much to explore and enjoy through Barber Mind, but the Ocean Hair Grooming is a great place to start - £16.20 will bag you a 250ml bottle here, although there are intermittent offers discounting certain products and haircare kits - so keep an eye open!

Watermans Hair Growth Shampoo and Conditioner

Many of us have the same problem when it comes to haircare - we simply have too much. Endless bottles of cremes, mousses and gels litter our shower racks, and we must confess that some of them have never even been opened. We therefore decided to take decisive action at The Amazing Blog, to find minimal products that encourage your natural hair to shine, without the need to buy the entire haircare aisle. Our solution against hair loss, is the UK based company, Watermans, who have created an award-winning hair growth system pack. This includes their Hair Growth Shampoo and Conditioner, both packed with ingredients that make our scalps tingle, encouraging our hair grow to grown both quicker and stronger. Thank goodness for biotin, caffeine and argan oil!

Founded by husband and wife, Matt and Gail Waterman, the brand aims to provide haircare products that promote faster and thicker hair growth. This is something they have achieved, with sulphate and paraben free products that have grown the brand to become a household name. The Hair Growth Shampoo and Conditioner are full of DHT blocking ingredients (dihydrotestosterone, an androgen hormone responsible for androgenetic alopecia and pattern hair loss), which help to combat hair loss during pregnancy, menopause and in some cases, alopecia. With a unique formula which supplies oxygen to the follicles, this range gives brittle and weak hair new strength, fighting dandruff, flaking skin and itchy scalps.

Focusing on the Grow Me Shampoo, we were pleased to see that it is gender and race neutral, giving everyone the opportunity to presume wonderfully thick and long hair. By stimulating the cell metabolism and providing oxygen, the shampoo helps with undiagnosed scalp problems and hormonal imbalances that can cause hair loss. With the use of biotin, caffeine, argan oil, rosemary oil, you’ll need to leave the product on the scalp for 3-4 minutes to reap the full benefits - giving you plenty of time to sing your heart out. The Cholesterol Conditioner, with caffeine and rosemary extracts, contains a special anti-hair loss formula which boosts our hair, by replenishing and nourishing from roots to tip. To achieve the best results, the products are recommended to be used four times a week for 30-60 days.

We’re already sold, but if you're not sure, then this UK based company is listed by PETA as a business friend, highly against animal testing. If you’re as excited as we are about these products, then you can purchase Watermans' Hair Growth System Pack, containing both the Shampoo and Conditioner (250ml each) for £21.95 here.

Mr Smith's Balancing Shampoo

When The Amazing Blog were asked to come up with Australia’s best exports, shampoo was not our most obvious answer. Heaven knows there are a huge range of Aussie brands on offer here in the UK, from beachwear to popstars; beers to soap operas, and everything in between. However, a haircare company which has proved to be incredibly popular is now happily making waves over here, in the elegant form of Mr Smith - a gender neutral, high performance range of haircare products. We have happily welcomed them to our shores.

Mr Smith’s hair care products are beautifully presented in the most stylistically monochromatic packaging. It is clear where the makers want us to focus our attentions, and that is within the pristine white containers of nourishment, designed for tending to our luscious locks. And it is Mr. Smith’s Balancing Shampoo which immediately caught our attention, as the fragrance created a therapeutic massage of the nostrils - and that was before it had even been applied to the scalp! With rose geranium, patchouli, jasmine and mandarin in the mix, such a result is probably not a surprise. The addition of shea butter, avocado and lime oil makes for a sublime sense of clean too. Mr. Smith have clearly been painstaking in the research and development of this range, and with the shampoo in particular, nourishment and enrichment of the hair follicle is key, and has certainly come through in just one blissful wash!

As with many coveted brands, sourcing gems such as the Mr. Smith Collection may prove a little on the challenging side, but they have just recently launched in the UK, so here’s hoping they get to spread their magic more widely soon. We managed to track down the delights of the Balancing Shampoo here. At £25 for a 300ml bottle, the price reflects the effort that has been lavished not only on the shampoo, but also the entire range. This includes conditioners and styling options; all of which are sulphate and paraben free and PETA certified. What’s not to love?

UPDATE 2023: From our reader's feedback, this product is no longer available in the UK. We suggest trying portals like eBay or Amazon to see if you can purchase it there.

Urtekram - Purple Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner

Finding natural shampoos and conditioners that work, don’t leave the hair like the texture of straw, and are colour safe, leaving your hair smelling fresh; are for us at The Amazing Blog rarer than hens teeth! So on great recommendation, we were excited to try Urtekram’s Purple Lavender Shampoo & Conditioner. They boast that their Purple Lavender Conditioner is 45% organic of total, 78% organic of total, minus water and minerals, and 100% natural origin via COSMOS ORGANIC (certified by Ecocert Greenlife). That for us, is always a good start.

The company named is derived from the Danish word “urtekraemmer” advocated for organic foods in Denmark. The passion of the founders sparked the creation of the company, which eventually branched into other beauty sectors, such as bodycare. The organic pioneers, Lisbeth Damsgaard and Ronnie McGrail, began their adventure in the 1990s. Today, Urtekram has earned much success, with products in most supermarkets and health food shops. Each year, the company develops between 80-100 new products, and every part of the process is sustainable, from production, to packaging and ingredient choice. Now that’s the type of brand that we’re happy to get behind!

We tried the Purple Lavender Shampoo and Conditioner which are both certified organic, containing natural ingredients. This range is designed to moisturise the scalp, alleviate itchiness, and revitalise brittle hair strands. The shampoo gives an intoxicating aroma of lavender which helps enhance a tranquil showering experience. The blend of the lactobacillus ferment and willow bark extract creates shine and balance. We gently massaged the shampoo around the entire scalp, using the pads of our fingers to scrub and exfoliate. After a good rinse, we worked in the conditioner, leaving it in the hair for up 2-3 minutes. We’re delighted to report that this organic and natural Purple Lavender combination delivered the results that we were after, soft tangle-free and lightly fragranced locks. Purchase a 250ml bottle of shampoo here for £5.40 and an 180ml bottle of conditioner here for £6.30. You can also purchase the two as a set here, for £14.85

Friday Favourites - New Haircare

Gorgeous, healthy hair will never go out of style and here at The Amazing Blog we're always on the hunt for the latest haircare products to suit each of our specific needs. If like us, you have anything from the frizzy and unruly to the sensitive scalps or have hair loss issues, then we’ve got you covered. Please read on, as we’ve got some new and exciting brands to share with you.

There is nothing worse than unruly and frizzy hair. Those of us on this boat understand the struggle of styling this type of hair and the frustration of having it frizz-up within moments of styling.  However, the smoothing system from the new Australian brand evo got our tresses on a sleek lock-down. The creators at evo are a no frills, professional hair and beauty brand that tells it like it is. They are 'saving ordinary humans from themselves' and we like their straightforward attitude and cheeky personality that bursts from their luxurious products.

Does your hair eat combs for breakfast? Then this Lockdown Smoothing Treatment will become your newest ally in this crazy world of the hair battle. This 150ml bottle of 'liquid tamer' is formulated specifically with colour-treated, medium to course texture haired individuals. What makes this one stand out amongst the crowd for us is that it gives you the shine and smoothness you desire, without any of the weight or grease. We’ve said goodbye to those pesky strays and hello to sleek hair simplicity. This leave-in treatment is the hero of the line-up, which also has the mane tamer shampoo and conditioner. We adore the light, refreshing and subtly sweet scent of the lime and the way our hair seems to get softer with each use. You can purchase the Lockdown Smoothing Treatment here for £29.95

Next up is a new discovery for us, so we’d like to formally introduce you to Halier, a new Polish brand that specialises in creating haircare products that promote growth and prevent hair loss. They use the latest scientific technologies to provide effective products. We asked to try out their Fortesse Shampoo and Conditioner and one of us in particularly has been enjoying using them to help build up the quality of her hair.

Fortesse Shampoo works to prevent excessive hair loss and promote healthy hair growth while cleansing and preventing split ends. The shampoo is able to do so because it contains the Advanced Hair Booster ™ Formula. This formula specifically works to condition hair follicles, improve hair elasticity and regenerate the scalp. The product also contains horsetail leaf extract, fatty acids esters from olive oil, saw palmetto extract, biotin, and vitamin B3. These unique ingredients help to create moisture-rich hair that is healthy and full of vitality. We found that our hair has been noticeably shinier and much easier to style. Fortesse Conditioner contains the Hair Vitality Complex ™ Formula which works to prevent excessive hair loss and boost hair growth. It also contains horsetail leaf extract, fatty acids esters from olive oil, saw palmetto extract, biotin, vitamin B3 and ricin oil. The combination of ingredients in this conditioner work to reduce hair loss, promote hair growth, balance oil production, and promote hydration.

After using the combination of these two products we noticed that not only did our hair smell great, but after a few washes we noticed our hair was healthier with less hair loss and giving us a fuller head of hair. The only caution we have to flag-up with this haircare system is that it is not a colour-safe, so if you colour your hair, please do a patch test first. You can purchase a 250ml bottle of Halier Fortesse Shampoo here for £29 and you can purchase a 150ml bottle of Halier Fortesse Conditioner here for £32.

Finally, we're featuring an organic and natural haircare which almost feels like it came from 'mother nature' herself. These products are particularly for those of you with super-sensitive scalps, and/or chemically coloured or treated hair too. Both these products are from the very special myrto naturalcosmetics where we tried the Bio Shampoo Sea Buckthorn Chia and Bio Antistatic Hair Oil which are sourced straight from plants to give the hair the best natural shine, volume and vibrancy.  myrto naturalcosmetics is a German skin and haircare brand by Eva Silvana Kruck, founded in 2012 myrto strives to produce products sourcing only the freshest and most natural ingredients wherever possible; which means small batches with no preservatives or chemicals. Eva was initially motivated to create her own product line due to the needs of her own children's skin disorders. She paired up with Prof. Dr. Peter Kruck to create a range of organic effective, nourishing and natural beauty products for everyone. 

This shampoo is perfect for dry, dull, damaged and chemically treated hair. The combination of sea buckthorn fruit oil and organic chia seed extract work to strengthen every hair fibre, add luminous shine and help to prevent hair breakage. Derived from plant amino acids, the gentle wash-active cleansers in this shampoo leave your hair clean but never stripped of the essential oils naturally produced on the scalp. We loved this shampoo with its invigorating sea buckthorn fruity fragrance. A little goes a long way with this one and you can even dilute it with a bit of water for extra sensitive scalps that still need a good cleanse. The Bio Shampoo Sea Buckthorn Chia is available to purchase here for €9.50. 

The Bio Antistatic Hair Oil has already found its way into our Executive Editor's bathroom! This magical hair oil is an intensive repair for fine and chemically treated hair, and extremely effective if you also happen to have fly-away/statically charged tresses. Containing organic cold-pressed seed oils from macadamia, jojoba and basbass it is a superb hair repair complex that smoothes the surface of the damaged hair fibres giving deep regeneration for split-ends.  You can purchase Bio Antistatic Hair Oil here for €16.50. What we love about all the myrto naturalcosmetics products is that they have no preservatives, alcohol, silicones, petroleum derivatives, synthetic colouring or artificial fragrances. These products are also without the genetic modification or nanoparticles and... are vegan!