The Best Special Care Products for Men
Reviews by Thom Watson, qualified beauty therapist, testing men’s grooming since 2011. About Thom
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Amanda Lacey Skincare
Not only am I very excited to be working with Amanda Lacey on a new project with her, it has been a delight to try out 3 pieces of her renowned skincare. If you’ve not heard of Amanda Lacey before, it’s because her skincare is not lining every boutique in the country with very select…
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TOM FORD for Men Skincare and Grooming NEW Brow Gel, Shave Oil and Exfoliator
This was a very pleasant surprise. I had the TOM FORD Men Skincare and Grooming exclusive when it first launched back in 2013. Since then there has been the addition of the Beard Oils but these are the first releases that are suitable for everyone. The new additions to the Skincare and Grooming collection are: TOM FORD for Men…
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NEW launches from Clinique For Men with the Sonic For Men and Charcoal Face Wash
Launches from Clinique for Men come but once in a blue moon, but when they do, the men’s grooming and skin care industry scrambles into action to copy and replicate their inevitable success. Big changes are upon us It just so happens that a couple of weeks back I was talking with the British director of…
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E45 Dry Scalp Shampoo Review: Is It Any Good?
Yes, E45 Dry Scalp Shampoo is a good, no-nonsense option if your scalp is dry, itchy or flaking, and no, there is nothing in it that causes hair loss. It sits in that odd middle ground between a pharmacy product and a cosmetic, and it does the calming job it sets out to do without…
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(MALIN + GOETZ): My latest obsession in skincare
I am obsessed, seriously. Malin + Goetz skincare is one of the best brands I’ve come across to date with innovative products, fabulous formulations and even beautiful packaging. Their range of skin care targeting blemished and problem skin is stunning and very effective. (MALIN + GOETZ) Detox Face Mask This is bloody bizarre, I absolutely…
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Make any moisturiser blemish busting with Boots Botanics 100% Tea Tree Oil
I was reminded of this absolutely fantastic tip on Monday when visiting one of The Body Shop stores to find their blended Tea-Tree oil is now being sold at an eye-watering £7 a bottle (it’s only a blend, not pure). However, all you need for this is a bottle of pure essential tea-tree oil. I’ll…
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Exclusive: Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel
Launching exclusively in Boots stores from 28th February and nationwide from 21st March, this is the new oil-controlling, non-irritating, gently-exfoliating and blemish-controlling skin treatment from Clinique. I have spent a huge amount of my professional career working with people who are dealing with spots, acne and blemishes; the physical results are often unpleasant but the…
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Sampar Glamour Shot Eyes
So you’ve probably already read my review of Sampar Glamour Shot (if you haven’t, it’s here and a great place to start) and discovered the amazing skin brightening, tightening and lightening benefits it has to offer, so what about the eye area? To get the most from your skin, always look for separate eye products…
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Sampar Glamour Shot
You may not have heard of Sampar before and if you’re in the UK, you may be forgiven for not doing, but I can exclusively tell you that they’ll be launching here in the UK this spring. Sampar is France’s biggest selling skincare company, their products are truly innovative, equally as outstanding and despite not…
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Aesop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel Review
This is weird, really weird and if you’re into skincare this is going to excite you; actually, even if you’re not into skincare this is still something really interesting. Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel is a kind of a mask, moisturiser, treatment and serum all in one. It’s designed to be used once or…
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Weleda Skin Food Moisturiser
Winner of Essentials 2012: The feelgood all-round eco beauty hero and loved by Adele, Rihanna and Vicky B, this bizarre, cool, nourishing and awesome skin protectant has been a backstage beauty secret since 1926. This is the premier offering from Weleda. Ideal for patches of dryness and flakiness, this beautifying balm is perfect for dry…
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REN Vita Mineral Emollient Rescue Cream
I seem to be reviewing a few emollient creams lately such as La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm and La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra. REN Vita Mineral Emollient Rescue Cream is certainly something a bit different and stands out for a good few reasons. Renowned for using weird and wonderful Bio Extracts, REN Vita Mineral Emollient Rescue…
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La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra
If you have a tendency to react to products or have very sensitive skin, as I do, then La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra is something that might just be the ticket for you, carrying The British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval. 100%-free from lanolin, colorants, alcohol, artificial fragrance, parabens and preservatives with space-age anti-contamination and ultra-hermetic packaging,…
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Acne, spots & blemishesDry / Dehydrated SkinLa Roche-PosayMoisturisersPhotoageing & FirmnessRazor Burn & Shave RashSensitive SkinSpecial CareLa Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Review
If I read one more tweet about how marvellous Sudocrem is for spots and soothing the face, I’m going to rip my own arm off and use it to beat every single person responsible for spreading that absolute farcical garbage. La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm actually is the product that works and treats…
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Acne, spots & blemishesDry / Dehydrated SkinMoisturisersNormal-Combination SkinOily SkinPhotoageing & FirmnessRazor Burn & Shave RashSensitive SkinSerumsShavingSpecial CareDr. Jackson’s Natural Products
I’m in love. You all know by now that I’m not Mr. Natural, but you know something, I’ve been brought around by Dr. Jackson’s Natural Products, a fabulous new range being stocked over at Mankind, launching today with an armoury of great grooming goodies, all with potent, natural formulations. There’s no nasties, plenty of ethics,…
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Weleda Hayfever Kit
Whilst hayfever isn’t strictly grooming related, it’s something that will effect many of you as it does me. Over last 6 years, I’ve lived with the most terrible hayfever that often leaves me practically paralized with inflamed sinuses, massive susceptibility to respiratory infections and totally unable to do anything; so much so I take a…
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Dark Spots & PigmentationEnlarged & Blocked PoresMakeup & TanningRedness & RosaceaREN SkincareSpecial CareRen Satin Perfection BB Cream
Back in 2011, I had to order my BB Cream direct from Korea via eBay. The UK hadn’t even heard the phrase BB Cream but now it seems every grooming and beauty brand out there has brought one to market. So you’re probably wondering why I’m reviewing this? Surely it can’t be anything we haven’t…
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Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner
Like many in the UK, I’m fairly new to Bioderma products and also like many, the Bioderma Micelle Solution Micellar Water was the first product I tried and fell in love with. The Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner is a lightweight serum designed to shrink pores and reduce excess surface oil and shine. With lashings of…
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Kiko Soft Focus Concealer
Products designed to replicate the cult Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Éclat aren’t really anything new. Clinique Airbrush, The Body Shop Lightening Touch and Clarins Instant Light Brush On Perfector are just a few but Kiko’s Soft Focus Concealer is the first budget priced highlighting concealer I’ve come across that’s really worth noting. A while back…
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Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream
By now you’ll know I’m a pretty big BB cream fan as for guys, they’re the ultimate grooming product — light coverage, calming and protecting. Well this is CC, Colour Correcting, and is designed to calm, protect and balance out colour concerns such as shallowness, redness and uneven skin tone. I’ve been using it for…
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Dark Spots & PigmentationEnlarged & Blocked PoresKiehl'sNormal-Combination SkinPhotoageing & FirmnessSpecial CareSun ProtectionKiehls Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream
From getting hold of one of the world’s first mainstream BB creams by Korean skincare company and BB pioneer BRTC, to dashing through duty-free to bag myself Clinique’s travel-retail exclusive BB, I love them and feel I’m quite the Blemish/Beauty Balm connoisseur. Late to the BB game Kiehl’s have arrived very late to the BB…
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Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector Invisible Bright
As you may know, over the last few weeks I’ve been doing Clinique’s Great Skin challenge to see if in two weeks, I’ll have that famous Clinique skin glow. Well I’m on week 3 and I’m incredibly impressed, not only is it glowing, it’s holding on to more moisture and my pores are noticeably smaller…
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Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator
Clinique’s Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator is part of my two-week great skin trial using Clinique 3-Step Skincare. Not only does it complete my skin regime leaving me feeling hydrated and balanced, it really keeps my skin shine free throughout the day. The product boasts the ability to keep your skin mattified for up to…
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Crème de la Mer The Essence
The 21 day, £1,500 treatment from Crème de la Mer. This is the pure treatment, this is an almost pure concentration of that little bit of magic that comes in every product from the brand – The Miracle Broth, developed by botanist and physicist Dr. Max Huber. After 21 days, skin is said to be…
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Caudalie Premier Cru The Cream
[att_box color=”blue” text_align=”left” width=”100%” float=”none”]Click here to enter my giveaway to win the Caudalie Premier Cru collection.[/att_box] Combining every single one of Caudalíe’s registered patents into one, powerful anti-aging, anti-hyperpigmentation and firming (anti-sagging?) day and night moisturiser. What immediately struck me about this product was how easily it sinks into the skin without leaving a…
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Lush Grease Lightning Spot Treatment
A fantastic anti-blemish gel that can be used either as a spot-on treatment, or as a lightweight, bacteria killing serum. I’ve been using this since it’s launch a couple of years ago. I’ve always been highly blemish prone and instead of either denying it or just letting it happen, I’ve been able to effectively manage…
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Clarins UV Plus HP Day Screen High Protection SPF40
I’m a bit of a Sunscreen fascist to say the least. We really need to be wearing it all the time because whenever there’s natural light, there’s UVA and UVB, not just when it’s ‘sunny’ and where there’s UVA/UVB there’s sun damage. In brief, sun damage kills. UVA risks the DNA in our basal cells…
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STEAMCREAM Natural Moisturiser
This has been in my review list for a while now, and I was fortunate enough to pick up a STEAMCREAM All-in-One Natural Moisturiser when I visited Hyper Japan back in November. So what is it? Well, STEAMCREAM is an award-winning, multi-purpose, nourishing and hydrating cream, hand-made in small batches with fresh, natural ingredients and…
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NeoSTEM Anti-Accelerated Ageing Serum
This is something rather special, with a wonderful research history that has gone on to become part of the incredible product selection over at M&S Beauty. Before I even tell you what it is or how it works, I will tell you that on the M&S website, it’s received 4.9/5 stars overall and 5/5 for…
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Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Booster
Pumped full of Hyaluronic Acid and Red Marine Algae, Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Booster is the go to product for anyone that needs extra skin hydration, which I will tell you is about 99% of us as even those who fight with oily skin are often massively dehydrated. This product has been a huge buzz…
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NuBo Perfectionist
NuBo produce luxury, high quality skin care for both men and women but a rarity as they have an extensively dedicated male skin care range. The NuBo Perfectionist Shade One is for both men and women and although there are lots of corrector / perfecter type products out there, none that I’ve found are quite…
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Dr. Nick Lowe Anti Blemish
As with Neal’s Yard, skin care from Dr. Nick Lowe has been on my radar for such a long time, but I’ve never taken the opportunity to try it out, until now that is and where better to start than with a range designed to combat my oily / combination and blemish prone skin. The…
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Crème de la Mer The Moisturising Gel Cream Review
You may have already read my review of Crème de la Mer The Moisturizing Cream, which I referred to as being great for dry / normal skin types, so what about those of us who tend to be a little more oily? Well Crème de la Mer The Moisturizing Gel Cream is the answer. The…
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Crème de la Mer The Moisturizing Cream
Can men use Crème de la Mer? A question I’ve been asked a few times with a really straight forward answer… Yes. The Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream is one of my winter favourites that I’ve used seasonally for around 3 years to not just help defend against winter damage, but repair the skin…
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Christian Gio BB Cream
Containing the skin ingredient Smooth skin trimmed defects cover Skin Protection Cream Christian Gio – A Korean name you just don’t see much these days, but that aside, this is yet another outstanding export and this time, it’s exclusively designed for men. I have tried and tried to get an ingredients list for this product…
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Acne, spots & blemishesEnlarged & Blocked PoresFace ScrubsLa Roche-PosayMoisturisersNormal-Combination SkinOily SkinSensitive SkinSpecial CareLa Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel / Astringent Lotion / Mat
Recently in Spain, through visiting one of the billion or so pharmacies that are placed around the city at every turning point (still haven’t gotten to the rout of why there’s so many) I ended up trying Toleriane Soothing Protective Skin Care as I’ve been using Tretinoin and needed something to calm my skin down.…
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Clinique Even Better Concealer
I don’t often review makeup products but I thought this to be an outsanding exception. If you read my last review about Clinique’s new eye cream – Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector, then you know that I sometimes, as do many, have a concern with dark circles around my eyes. Clinique Even Better…
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Tretinoin and Vitamin A Treatment: What It Does to Skin
Introduction Tretinoin, also known by the brands Atralin, Renove and Retin-A is a skin irritant that causes an increase in skin cell turnover, skin cell regeneration and the synthesis of proteins such as elastin and collagen. It’s used commonly in the treatment of acne / blemished skin as well as having powerful anti-ageing benefits. It…
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Concern: Folliculitis / Infected Hair Follicles / Chicken Skin
Introduction This is a concern I’ve had brought to me many times and is something I’ve battled wit myself since I was a teenager. Folliculitis is a microbial infection of the hair follicle, normally on the body, that shows up as small red bumps that may or may not have yellow heads. It’s very common…
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Enlarged & Blocked PoresEye CreamsFace ScrubsMoisturisersNormal-Combination SkinOily SkinRazor Burn & Shave RashSerumsShavingSpecial CareZirh Skin Care and Shaving
You may or may not have heard of Zirh before. They’re a brand that are relatively new to the scene here in the UK, but they’ve exploded with a bit of a bang and I have been informed that they’ve been around for 20 years or so in the US. I was sent the range…
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Portable High Frequency Machine
I promise you that this isn’t a photo of something from Ann Summers despite looking like remarkably like one… So I’ve heard but this is most certainly a Portable High Frequency Machine. This weird looking device has amazing practical dermatological applications but particularly so for spots and acne. High Frequency is used to treat and…
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Acne, spots & blemishesCliniqueEnlarged & Blocked PoresKIKO CosmeticsMakeup & TanningMoisturisersNormal-Combination SkinOily SkinSensitive SkinSpecial CareSun ProtectionThe Body Shop
The Manface Definitive BB Cream Review
I know you’re thinking you’ve possibly read this article before, but it’s become so obscenely popular that I just wanted to pop it at the top of the blogroll again: This is it; this is my definitive review of BB creams. Back in September of last year, I started to hear the rumblings of the…
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Urth Hydra Therapy Antioxidant Treatment
This is a stunning mask and/or overnight treatment with Red Seaweed, White Tea, Hyaluronic Acid, Pure Essential Oils and vitamins A, B5, C, D and E. Created by Urth, a producer of Asian inspired skincare created especially for men. I have to say it’s absolutely amazing. I will warn you however that as you apply it…
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Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant
So what is so good about this cream? I see it absolutely everywhere I go, no matter which shop, department store, airport, airplane or country I’m in – there it is, beaming away with its gorgeous white packaging and red door logo. Designed to calm, protect and hydrate for, you guessed it, 8 hours; this…
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Origins Super Spot Remover
I don’t know I haven’t reviewed this already. I picked a while ago, and it’s just one of those things that you don’t really pay attention to, you just use it when you need it and then forget about it until next time. This teeny-tiny blue plastic bottle with white plastic lid contains 10ml of…
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Foad Wax
OK. So here’s one just for us guys with moustaches. Well, not myself because I can’t grow a moustache for toffee, but for those of us who can, I’ve got something pretty special to share with you. Makeup and prosthetics artist Patt Foad who has worked on films such as Sherlock Holmes, Pirates of The Caribbean, Captain…
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Calvin Klein Makeup for Men
I’ll be honest. I’ve never been that much of an advocate of makeup on men, because you rarely see it done well. The idea of makeup on men, I feel, is more to be corrective rather than enhancing, covering spots and helping to even out skin tone etc, rather than lashings of blusher, bronzer, eye…
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REN Photoactive Sun Veil SPF 15
I’ve found the product that will set me up for the summer and keep my unbelievably pale skin protected from Manchester’s hot summer sun – REN Photoactive Sun Veil SPF 15. This product is one of the best dedicated facial sun screens I’ve come across to date. It’s designed to be worn over the top…
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Shiseido Active Energizing Concentrate
This wasn’t my discovery unfortunately, I found this in Shortlist a fab free paper I picked up whilst in Manchester. The Shiseido Active Energizing Concentrate is an anti-ageing serum targets fibroblast cells which are responsible for the production of elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid. They’re saying the turnaround on this product is about two weeks, but I’m…
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Kiko BB Cream SPF15 Review
Firstly… Hurrah! This is my 100th Post! Now just to fill you in BB creams are blemish balms yaddah yaddah, created by Dr. Christine Schrammek blah blah, read the review and history of them here in my old post, but they are the best thing in the world for men! Why you ask? Well because they all…
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Neat 3B Face Saver Review: Antiperspirant for Your Face
I’ve been using these products for a couple of weeks now, especially as we’ve gone into some unseasonably hot weather and I’ve just been abroad. I never thought my prayers in cosmetics could ever be answered so well, but oh they have been. A fabulous US company called NEAT FEAT, have a range of products…
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Acne, spots & blemishesEnlarged & Blocked PoresFace MasksFace ScrubsMoisturisersNormal-Combination SkinOily SkinREN SkincareSensitive SkinSpecial CareREN ClearCalm3 Range
It’s been a while since I’ve been this genuinely excited and actually quite giddy to use a new product range. The range consists of 4 products, a clay facial wash, clay mask, day moisturiser and night moisturiser. Unlike many so called ‘acne-care’ series, this range has no beaded exfoliating scrub of any kind which made…
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Clinique Redness Solutions and Redness Facts
Redness is one of those concerns that can’t be treated with a simple moisturiser and general skin care routine. Depending upon the severity, whether it’s simply high-colour, right through to rosacea, different steps and measures need to be followed to ensure a chance of improvement. Redness is caused by blood vessels that are closer to…
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Biotherm Homme Force Supreme
Biotherm Homme Force Supreme Rebuilder. The first product I was lucky enough to try from Biotherm Homme’s anti-ageing range is the Re-Builder, a facial roller-ball massager that releases an powerful oil free serum. The serum contains caffeine to reduce bags and calm the skin and soy protein to visibly tone and tighten the skin. There’s…
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Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator
NEW Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator! This wonderful new creation from Clinique went live this week and is a variation on their ridiculously good Moisture Surge Moisturiser. This version is a gel/cream moisturiser designed for a very dry to dry combination skin type, whereas the original is for all skin types, but might…