Reviews by Brand
Reviews by Thom Watson, qualified beauty therapist, testing men’s grooming since 2011. About Thom
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L’Occitane Cedrat Fragrance and Skin Care Collection for Men
I love a L’Occitane fragrance with my all time favourite being Eau des Baux with it’s vanilla, cypress and peppery incense. They’re always so different and particularly with men’s fragrance, break the mould and go beyond the norms of traditional masculine scents. Cedrat is no exception! When you think of Cedrat you’d be forgiven for thinking this is another…
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AesopDry / Dehydrated SkinEye CreamsFace MasksFace ScrubsFace WashesMoisturisersNormal-Combination SkinSerumsToners & EssencesAesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Skin Care
Not a review as such, more than a public service announcement! Aesop’s Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant skin care is a great all rounder regime for normal/dry skin that’s designed to hydrate, re-balance and protect against environmental and oxidation damage. I’ve reviewed a lot of the products in the range over the last year or so but as…
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LUSH Ltd Dear John & Dad’s Garden
It’s always a treat to play with LUSH Ltd fragrances and embarrassingly I’ve been sat on these for quite a while! The three fragrances are part of Volume 3 of Gorilla Fragrances which if you’ve yet to experience, firstly you really have to and secondly I reviewed some of the earlier editions here when they launched…
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Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream for Drier Skin Types
This is quite a short review because there’s not an enormous amount to say. Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream is the final variation that’s been missing from the iconic Dramatically Different Moisturising collection with the Gel for oily/combination skin, the Lotion+ for normal/dry combination skin and then now the Cream for drier skin. One of the additions to the DDM…
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Ormonde Jayne Zizan Eau de Parfum
Ormonde Jayne Zizan is a solid men’s fragrance. I’ve been wearing it this week in contrast to some of the sweeter, more caramel fragrances I’ve been wearing recently (Spice Bomb Extreme, Serge Lutens, Replica Jazz Club and Frapin 1697). Zizan takes the elements of traditional men’s fragrance such as vetiver, cedar, musk, sage and amber…
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Dry / Dehydrated SkinEye CreamsMoisturisersNormal-Combination SkinOily SkinPhotoageing & FirmnessSensitive SkinSerumsTwelve BeautyReparative Skin Care by Twelve Beauty
When I first tried Twelve Beauty (2 years ago now) I wasn’t blown away by how it made my skin feel. Although the formulations are exquisite, at the time it was far too rich and more than my skin needed. Two birthdays and a boat-load of stress later, my skin needs more these days! I’m…
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Aveda Botanical Kinetics Intense Hydrating Soft Creme
Is this you?: Not massively oily, but prone to being shiny. Skin feels fine later in the day but just after washing, feels tight and desperate for moisture. Prone to breakouts and blocked pores. What is a Soft Cream? If this is you, then let me welcome you to the world of Soft Creams. There…
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Bobbi BrownDry / Dehydrated SkinFace ScrubsFace WashesLip CareMoisturisersNormal-Combination SkinOily SkinThe Ultimate Skin Care Routine by Bobbi Brown
This has definitely been a long time coming and stupidly one of those reviews I’d assumed I’d already written years ago. Bobbi Brown skin care is just perfect – no bias and with plenty of testing. Do you have any skin care that you just feel safe with? Where whatever amazing, ultra-technical advanced product you’re trying,…
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Acne, spots & blemishesAesopDry / Dehydrated SkinNormal-Combination SkinOily SkinPhotoageing & FirmnessToners & EssencesTreatment Toners from Aesop
Most toners are a total false economy and are often only useful to make the skin ‘feel nice’. They usually provide very little function and it’s a total myth about them removing excess cleanser; there is never excess cleanser as long as you’re using one with water. So, what makes Aesop toners different? They’re brilliant…
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Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille
Created by the nose behind Chanel’s Coco Noir, Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille is an intoxicating vanilla gourmand scent. It’s beyond delicious. With black licorice, coconut milk, sandalwood beeswax, bitter almond, musk, vanilla, benzoin, guaiac wood and tonka bean; it’s a very three dimensional fragrance that gives depth below and above the vanilla. If you’ve ever experienced…