Regular readers of my blog will know my love of Dermalogica products, so when they got in touch about their latest masque, I had to give it a try. Dermalogica were running a special masterclass in Fenwick with a face mapping skin analysis, sadly I could not make it down but they were happy to send over the brand new Charcoal Rescue Masque for me to try.
Since I shaved my beard off I have been using facial products more and more to get my skin back to being used to not having a beard, including scrubs and moisturiser. I always profess the use of an aftershave balm, it really helps a guys skin stay smooth and free from irritation.
Masques are something which I use less, but I have used them in the past with good results, so it was great to try this one from Dermalogica. Masques are used to detoxify and brighten the skin, and are good if your skin is looking or feeling a bit tired. They say it has Activated Binchotan Charcoal that powerfully absorbs impurities while Sulphur promotes cellturner for dramatically brighter skin.
I tried the masque which is really easy to use. You use apply it on your face, leave it for 7 – 10 minutes and then wash it off with warm hands. After 7 or 8 minutes you can really feel the masque on your skin, and once I removed it off it certainly does feel different, it feels more refreshed.
I have only used this once so far I cannot write about the long term looks of my skin yet, but it is definitely off to a good start. I’ll probably use this once or twice a week maximum, so I will update this post then. I’ll combine it with my Dermalogica face scrub which I have, as well as a moisturiser.
When it comes to shoes, I really love the derby style. It’s the one style of shoe I will busy time and again, and really love. Derby shoes are a smart shoe, and can be worn for almost any occasion; From a summer wedding to a night out, they’re pretty versatile when it comes to pairing them with your fashion.
I already own a pair of Kurt Geiger derby shoes, and in fact they’re my second pair, after getting those last year as my go-to smart footwear choice.
Do Not Go To The Botanist On A Saturday Night For A Drink
You have been warned. Don’t go to The Botanist on a Saturday night for a drink. We were out at the Weekend and met up with some friends who were already in The Botanist, so went to the bar for a drink.
The Botanist is a bar-restaurant which is fairly new in Newcastle. They take space in the old Monument Mall building, with the entrance a small side door next to Jamie’s Italian. Once you’re in, there’s stairs to climb (they also have a lift), and you’ll have to walk up a couple of flights of stairs to get to the bar. They’re numbered, I think there were 53 if I remember. Once inside the place looks really nice, and the ceiling and rest of the décor is a bit of a feature. The layout is cool, with tables and the bar in the centre, and it has a nice upstairs. They had a live band when I was there on Saturday night, who sounded pretty decent. The drinks are mostly cocktails, with a couple of other options, but this is seen as a place to grab a cocktail, so everyone in the place is ordering and drinking cocktails.
The service…What service? Calling it slow would be so much of an understatement it’s untrue.
Saturday night is of course a busy night, that’s to be said in most bars in Newcastle. This was a reasonably busy Saturday night, but it was not extraordinarily busy, just your average Saturday night bar busy. We were there for around 20 minutes, did not get served, and then left. When you say a bar is busy you’re probably thinking that the bar is packed and it’s 6 or 7 deep of people, with lots of movement. This is not what busy means at The Botanist. I was at the front of the bar, with a person either side of me, and saw the guy next to me who was there before me get served. I stood for around 15 minutes and still did not get served. That’s not too unusual, but what’s unusual is that in that time the guy standing next to me STILL had not got his drinks! The barman who was in front of me was making cocktails, but I have no idea where they were actually going, because nobody at the bar seemed to be moving!
This was the most bizarre experience at a bar I have seen. The bar staff seemed to be making drinks (3 or 4 serving), they looked like they were busy working, but looking around nobody seemed to be moving away from the bar and nobody was drinking. I actually have no idea what to make of it. I go to so many places which do cocktails; Jalou, Revolution, Alvinos, Browns…They all take a little time, but it’s nothing like The Botanist! It’s genuinely the longest I have been at a bar and nobodyat the bar actually got a drink! I let my mate stand where I was for 5 or 10 minutes, we still didn’t get served, the guy who I was standing next to STILL didn’t have his drinks, so we left.
If you want to go to the Botanist because of the cool décor my advice would be go, take a couple of pictures, then leave and go somewhere else for a drink. Since I didn’t get a drink I can’t tell you what they were like, other than expensive, which is not a surprise for a place like this, and would not be so appalling if you were able to actually get one of their expensive drinks.
You can pay a visit to their website here, it’s much better than wasting your time visiting it in person. Maybe you can order drinks a few weeks in advance, or B.Y.O.M (Bring Your Own Mojito). Needless to say I’ll not be hurrying back.
On a positive note I now have a new found respect for the other bars which I thought took their sweet time, but they’re actually quite rapid. Check out my other Newcastle Bar Reviews here.
I really like Floris scents, and if you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know the love I have for Floris Santal, which is definitely one of my favourite fragrances which I currently own. If you aren’t familiar with Floris, they are a British perfume house, founded in 1730 in London and have a range of men’s and women’s perfumes, as well as scents for the home.
They also offer fragrance customisation, along with a bespoke perfume design service, where you can design your own scent from the ground up. So when my friends over at Floris told me about this fragrance, I had to check it out.
The friend zone, what a place to be. What can I say about the friend zone?
It’s not a place you want to visit too often that’s for sure, but if you happen to not be a douche and you’re actually a nice guy, it’s a place which you can find yourself in a fair bit.
I recently got the GANT Pour Homme Eau De Toilette scent from GANT, and is the first scent I have had from the brand. The first thing you notice about this is the bottle, which is a very dark blue colour, with the glass having a thatched style of pattern throughout the bottle.
It has minimal GANT branding to the front of the bottle, with the top and atomiser being a smooth matte black colour.
Remember that Tommy Hilfiger logo? If you were a child of the 90’s like me, you’ll remember that distinctive Tommy Hilfiger flag logo which was synonymous with the brand back in the good old days of the 90’s. As you’ll know if you’re a regular reader, I love that 90’s fashion is back (check my 90s fashion tips) and Tommy Hilfiger was one of the major brands back then.
A few brands have been doing re-releases and re-branding, going back to the 90’s, such as Calvin Klein, French Connection, Ellesse and Kappa, Tommy Jeans is the latest label to be making a very fashionable comeback, fashionably late of course 😉
The collection comprises of flag sweatshirts in a couple of colours, available for £90, as well as a couple of tees in a few colours, costing £40. The capsule collection is finished with a denim jacket with trademark logo to the back, costing £150.
The T-shirts are well worth a look at, if you’re into 90’s or street style these will go down well and be a nice little addition to your wardrobe, or if you’re thinking ahead to the Autumn/Winter, the sweatshirts look really good.
Brogues are a style of shoe which I have never previously owned. Brogues are all about the detailing, the perforations are what give a pair of shoes the brogue title. There’s many variations, from a full brogue/wingtips to half brogues and quarter brogue, they’re defined by the amount, and style of perforations which are on the shoe design.
Spring is now in full swing, which means warmer weather, but it’s also the time of April showers, and a jacket or coat is still needed when you want to go out. BHS have a great range of jackets for this season, and I’ve been working with them to let you know about their range of jackets for the Spring, and I have styled one up for the blog.
Ralph Lauren have launched their latest fragrance for Spring/Summer 2016, Polo Blue. I have a few of the Ralph Lauren scents, and they are very pleasant. A while back I got a scent from the Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection, number 2, which was quite a sweet style of smell.
This brand new offering is Eau De Parfum rather than the usual Eau De Toilette which you’d be used to seeing, which means it’s a stronger formulation of a scent.
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