Men's Grooming Tips And Advice

Today I am looking back at one of my older fragrances, and it’s BANG! from Marc Jacobs. I got this scent back in 2011, and it was a blind buy, so I didn’t really know what to expect from it. I can honestly say that after all this time I have hardly worn it, and it’s never been one of my favourites, in fact it’s a one which is probably one of my worst purchases, I’ve never really liked this scent at all. But now, years later, how do I feel?

First of all let’s talk about the bottle. It’s a really distinctive and nice shape, and it was used in the next scent, Marc Jacobs BANG BANG which is a blue bottle and nicer than this one. It’s a jagged edgy bottle shape, covered in chrome plastic, and has the Marc Jacobs BANG logo to the middle.

The scent itself is an incredibly masculine fragrance. I really like this style of scent, I usually call it a night fragrance because they’re usually too musky to wear through the day, and this is certainly that. But I think it goes too far, and it’s really peppery.

I have Gucci by Gucci which is quite a spicy and pepper style of scent, it’s also one I really like, however that seems more refined and toned down to this. BANG! has always seemed too sharp to me, just that bit too much musky.

But now years later and letting it breathe, I have slightly, only slightly, changed my mind. Yes, it’s still very strong, but if you leave it for a while and let it calm down, don’t use too much and it’s not so bad. I think think it’s too much for my personal style, and so I won’t be using it much, if ever again.

I have to say, if you’re looking for something which is sharp, spicy and punches of pepper, this is worth a look. In the colder weather it will work on an evening, if you can handle all the woody notes.

Best season to wear – Autumn/Winter
Scent type – Spicy/Woody/Aromatic
Age Recommendation – 25+
Best Worn – Evening, Date Night, Out With Friends, Casual

Top Notes – Pink Pepper, Pepper

Middle Notes – Woody Notes

Base Notes – Elemi Resin, Benzoin, Vetiver, Patchouli, Oak Moss

Do you have Bang! What do you think of this?

Here’s another one of my old scents which I have been going through recently, and it’s a really nice one, Calvin Klein Encounter.

I think that Calvin Klein Encounter is a very underrated scent, and probably shown the least love out of all the fragrances from CK.

It was released in the Autumn of 2012 and I think I got this back in the Winter of 2012, and I really liked it.

I’ve never seen too many people talk about it, it doesn’t seem to get much love from scent lovers or the general public, and I don’t really understand why.

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Do you call it Bvlgari Aqva, or Bulgari Aqua?

Actually if you know Bvlgari, it’s stylised in the old roman lettering, but of course it’s pronounced “Bulgari Aqua”. My first scent from the high end fashion house was Bvlgari MAN which I love…I mean it’s one of my favourite fragrances ever.

After I got that, I was intrigued by the brand, so I bought a few more of their scents, this being one of them.

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You may remember that one of the fragrances I got for my last birthday was John Varvatos Dark Rebel Rider, so this week I’ve tried it out to add to my aftershave reviews, and this is what I think of this one.

It was first released in 2016, so it is a fairly new fragrance. When you check out the box, bottle and even the name, you’ll know what type of scent you’re in for. Dark Rebel Rider is how it sounds, and the image on the box is that of a leather biker jacket, so it’s not a surprise that it’s a dark leathery fragrance.

But as always I will start with the bottle. It’s wrapped in a faux leather pouch type of cover, which comes with two chunky zips to the side. You can keep the bottle in it’s pouch while using it, or take it out, as the bottle top and sprayer is exposed so you’re able to use it. The spray is nice and wide, so you don’t need to have too many sprays of this to get good coverage.

As for the fragrance itself, it’s a dark, musky and leather type of smell as mentioned above. It is quite smokey and woody, it reminds me of Hugo Boss Bottled Oud, which also has a dry woody kind of smell to it, however this smells more like incense as it’s more smokey.

I would think that this scent is more for an Autumn evening, when the dark nights are closing in, it makes me think of a night by the fire in the countryside with a glass of whisky in your hand wearing a heavy jumper for the chilly nights. It’s a masculine gentleman style of fragrance.

The longevity is quite good, and it has a good range too, you don’t need to use a lot of this for it to be noticed. If you’re looking for a smokey woody type of scent, you should give this one a look.

Best season to wear – Autumn/Winter
Scent type – Woody and smokey
Age Recommendation – 25+
Best Worn – Evening, Casual, Formal

Top notes: Lemon, Bitter orange, Aldehydes, Saffron, Marjoram, Hyssop
Middle notes: Iris, Osmanthus, Black violet, Labdanum, Somalian incense, Benzoin, Tolu balsam
Base notes: Russian leather, Cocoa, Vanilla, Atlas cedarwood, Patchouli

This is my first ever scent from Kenneth Cole, and it’s a good one, this is Black Bold. They say that this fragrance aims to embody the old essence of New York and celebrate confident individuals who like to live life on the edge. How does it smell? Here’s my review of this eau de parfum.

First of all I have to begin with the bottle. It’s a circular shape and is all black and very smooth and sleek. It has a faux-leather wrap around which covers most of the body of the bottle, which has the simple and clear Black Bold Kenneth Cole branding to the front.

It’s a nice clean design which will sit well on a shelf or draw, it’s fairly distinctive so you’ll be able to distinguish it from other bottles you may have.

What Does Black Bold by Kenneth Cole Smell Like?

As for the smell itself…The name is a giveaway for the style of scent this is going to be; Black indicates dark, and it is that. It’s a woody aromatic type of scent, very inviting and a mysterious kind of smell. It’s spicy but not sharp, and has quite a subtle and soft element to it.

It’s quite a gentlemanly classic fragrance without being too musky or woody, and is strong enough to leave an impression without being overpowering.

There are very slight citrus notes, but I get more woody tones from this.  I would wear this on an evening, and would work in most situations.

Best season to wear – Autumn/Winter
Scent type – Slightly woody and spicy, Aromatic
Age Recommendation – 21+
Best Worn – Evening, Casual, Formal

Top notes: zesty citrus, herbal tones
Middle notes: ground nutmeg, lotus flower
Base notes: wood, leather, musk

Have you tried Black Bold? If you have let me know your thoughts, and as always you can check out all my aftershave reviews if you’re looking for your next scent.

Pall Mall Barbers first opened it’s doors in 1896 at 27 Whitcomb Street in London, and at the back end of last year celebrated it’s 120th anniversary and is one of the oldest barbershops in the UK.

They sent over their signature scent, Sandalwood & Colve Cologne, which evokes the atmosphere of old-school barbershops.

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I never had the original Only The Brave from Diesel, so I can’t compare it to this incarnation, but here’s the one which I do have, it’s Only The Brave Tattoo.

As far as the bottle goes, it’s the same shape and style as the original. It’s quite innovative and original, a fist shape, but instead of a light colour, this is black-blue in colour with Only The Brave Tattoo written on it in a graffiti tattoo style and Diesel branding to the front. It can be stood up in two positions, which is quite unique for a fragrance bottle.

Contrary to the attitude and raw-ness of the bottle, the scent is something different. It’s fresh and fruity, you get a sense of greens which is strong, and a smaller hint of some spicy notes which don’t feel sharp and are quite subtle. On balance it’s a nice scent, it will work well during the day, and if you prefer a lighter scent with just a bit of punch for an evening, it will work in that setting too.

I have had this fragrance for a number of years, and while it’s never been a favourite, it’s definitely not a bad smell at all.

Best season to wear – All Rounder
Scent type – Fruity, Fresh, Slightly Spicy
Age Recommendation – 18+
Best Worn – Day, Evening, Casual, Formal

Top Notes – Red Apple

Middle Notes – Sage, Bourbon Pepper

Base Notes – Amber wood, Benzoin, Amber, Patchouli

Let me know what you think of this if you own it or have the original. You can find more aftershave reviews if you’re looking for a new scent and this one doesn’t sound like a favourite.

Hey Guys!

So this week I have been checking out another one of my old scents for fragrances revisited, and I’ve gone all the way back to 1993 and to this, Calvin Klein Escape For Men.

Actually, I did not get this in 1993, since I was only 9 years old back then. In fact I probably first got this one in around 2005, but it does bring back some memories.

It’s not as iconic as CK One, which has legendary status, but as soon as I sprayed this the smell of the 90’s came rushing back.

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When it comes to shaving, I think it’s safe to say we all have our very own regimes and how we do things. I certainly do, and it usually involves a couple of steps, from start to finish. The Real Shaving Co. is a British gentlemen’s grooming brand who manufacturer their products in the heart of Somerset, and have been offering superior skincare since 1953.

I’m taking a look at a couple of their products. They combine modern formulations with decades of experience in skincare expertise, focusing on both normal and sensitive skin. Their products are free from parabens, microbeads, SLS and SLES which is increasingly important these days.

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I have been checking out the latest B. Men skincare product range which is a mid-range budget friendly bunch of products from Superdrug aimed at guys looking to keep their face and skin in good condition for a good price.

Looking at the products I actually thought they were more expensive, they have a really nice look and feel to them, the design of the packaging has to be commended, it’s something I really like about these, and that’s before you get started.

So which products are in the range?

There’s shave cream and post shave balm which are specifically for shaving, then there’s a charcoal face scrub, hydrating gel and finally a moisturiser. Let’s get into the details.

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