THEGAYUK

Category: Style

  • GROOMING REVIEW | Bluebeards Revenge

    You may have heard that Christmas is upon us once again and with a week to go before the big event I draw upon last years disappointments from the other half as he opened a natural sunrise alarm clock. In my head it was the perfect gift for someone who has problems with getting up in the mornings, in his eyes it was a symbol of old age and plastic sheets!

    Determined not to make the same mistake as last year I was very pleased to receive the wonderful Bluebeards Revenge shaving gift set in the post to try out. It has everything in it the real man requires for shaving, including the doubloon brush, shaving cream, post shave balm and aftershave. As a new connoisseur of wet shaving since my Movember expedition it was nice to find a product that not only smelt great and felt smooth on the skin but one that would look good on the bathroom shelf as well.

    The Bluebeards Revenge aftershave cologne is a wonderful daytime fragrance with very fresh and clean scents. Long lasting for your hard days work it’s bound to raise a few heads. A whole range of kits are available from £20 – £110 and make perfect gifts for the bearded one in your relationship. I’m very hopeful on this one being a hit this year, plus I get a smooth faced boyfriend for Christmas, so it’s really a gift for myself!

    Pick up your kits from www.bluebeards-revenge.co.uk

  • Product Review: Rory Hutton Bow Ties

    Having a Rory Hutton bow tie will elevate your placing in society to the likes of a well respected art critic or fashion connoisseur.

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  • GROOMING TOP 5: Shaving Creams, Foams and Gels

    It can be the bane of every man’s morning routine, but a good wet shave is the surest way to look and feel your best.

    We’ve tested some of the best shaving products available in the market place and discovered that choosing the right shaving foam, gel or cream is the key to a nick-free, burn-free, invigorating shave.

    ★ EDITOR’S CHOICE ★

    L’occitan Shaving Gel transforms into a thick silky foam which glides easily onto the areas which you are wanting to shave. Its gorgeous masculine smell is evocative of summer evenings, woody but fresh. Boasting an incredible staying power whilst on the face as you shave, it allows easy passage of the blade as it cuts your hair. Just a small amount is needed as you smooth the silken gel onto your face. Skin feels refreshed and free from dryness after use. A little amount goes along way, making this our ‘must have’ shaving cream. Packaged in a classic brushed aluminium can, L’Occitane presents an impressive shaving product.

    £13.00 150ml

    http://uk.loccitane.com/l’occitan-shaving-gel,83,1,29969,270385.htm

    ClarinsMen have long been a brand of choice for many men who love its reputation and quality and their shaving gel is no exception. In classic Clarins packaging,ClarinsMen Smooth Shave is light and with Clarins’ distinct fragrance. The gel texture doesn’t foam until you lather in your hands or directly on to your face, so you don’t get great big dollops of it on the floor or on your clothes as you apply. It’s cooling and very soothing to the skin and allows your razor to glide naturally through your beard and moustache. Ingredients include Aloe, Wintergreen and Bison Grass, for a soothing, energising and purified shave. Ideal if you’re short of time, as the foam is thick and luxuriant adding protection to your skin in a rushed environment. We love it.

    £15.00 150ml

    http://www.clarins.co.uk/ClarinsMen%20Smooth%20Shave/C070100003,en_GB,pd.html?start=4

     

    Close Shave Cream by Neal’s Yard Remediespromises, like all NYR products to be: organic and contain no parabens, silicones, carbomer, phthalates, propylene, glycol, EDTA, mineral oils or synthetic fragrance or colours, leaving you with an irritation free shave cream for a closer, smooth shave. As there is no propylene in NYR’s shaving product so it’s not a gel like the other products we tested. The cream has a distinctive, earthly, natural scent, which when rubbed onto your face with water creates a thick creamy lather. Made with red clay to deeply purify your skin drawing out impurities, apple which is a perfect astringent and uses olive oil to soften your skin. Leaving you with a natural and organic high. Our skin felt renewed and fresh.

    £12.85 140ml

    http://www.nealsyardremedies.com/close-shave-cream

    Simply Skin is a company which hand-makes all of its products. Lovingly created by the owner, Vivienne McAlister, her goal is to create products that are ‘carefully and thoughtfully designed to bring you pleasure and enjoyment’.

    With a base of frankincense, myrrh and amber this shave cream is luxurious. This shave cream doesn’t use a propellant and you lather with a little water onto the face, either with your fingers or with a shaving brush. Good old fashion values come to mind as you open the jar, which comes all the way from Weeps in the Netherlands, and spread the woody oriental cream ready for the ‘Ultimate’ shaving experience. Rather than creating a mountain of lather, the cream spreads a thin but protective layer over the face and the shave is wonderfully smooth and close. The pre and post shave oils are perfect partners for Simply Skin’s Ultimate Comfort Shaving Cream.
    €14.00 120ml

    http://www.simplyskin.eu/ourshop/prod_1751426-Ultimate-Comfort-Shaving-Cream.html

    ★BEST BUY★

    Original Source is a strong brand in the supermarket and not many of us haven’t picked up one of its gorgeous shower gels before and been enlivened with 7927 tingling mint leaves, well the bods at Original Source have created an Aloe shave gel which at £2.80 for 200ml is our least expensive purchase, by far. Made with Avocado oils and Aloe this foaming gel is perfect for re-energising skin and according to folklore Avocado’s benefits include the speedy healing of wounds. Perfect if you should nick your skin with the razor. The fragrance is soft, subtle and pleasant, and the shave is close and skin feels refreshed after use. The Aloe Vera serves as a natural antibacterial, to keep your face looking a feeling great all day. Vegan society approved, not tested on animals, and ‘packed with natural stuff’ Original Source is our Best Buy choice for shaving creams.
    £2.80 200ml

    http://www.originalsource.co.uk/skin-care-products/mens/shaving/aftershave-balm

  • GROOMING: The Perfect Shave

    From the excitement of your first top lip fluff to the perpetual ever growth of manhood, shaving becomes an intrinsic part of daily life for most men, unless you’re auditioning for the role of Jesus in Superstar, or your wanting to sport the kind of look a 70’s porn baron would champion.

     

    Years ago the choice of razor was limited to the cut throat blade and rather rudimentary electric shavers, now however there is a blistering array of choices. This week we’re focusing on the wet shave. It is by far the most time consuming method of de-hairing your face fleece but the results are much more pleasing; clean, close and smooth.

    Alex Glover, Master Barber at Murdock’s concession store in the menswear department of Liberty in Soho created a video to help demonstrate the perfect shave.
    1) Cleanse and Exfoliate

    Start your regime with a warm liquid face wash which will cleanse the skin of grease and any contaminates which might later cause skin problems such as spots.

    Glover says: ‘With the exfoliator you should just use gentle circles, lightly pressing into the skin so you can feel the granules moving around, but your not scratching your own skin’.

    Exfoliating your skin is the perfect way to remove dead skin cells from your face and will give you a brighter more youthful complexion.

     

    2) Pre Shave

    A good shave is all in the preparation, Glover suggests using a pre shave oil, which will help ‘nourish the skin and soften the beard before the shave’. The Murdock Pre-Shave Oil is £24.00 per 100ml

    If you’re not in a rush and happen to have hot towels (we’re not birthing anything) soak a clean towel in near boiling water and drape over your face for 3 to 4 minutes this will: ‘Soften the beard hair.’ explains Glover.

    The heat from the towels will also open up your pores and make the hair follicles much easier to shave.

     

    3) Lather Up

    This is the bit that as a kid would thrill me, the brush, the lather, it was all too exciting. Nowadays we tend to slap on some shaving cream and get busy with our blades, but taking a little extra time and using a badger brush will result in a shave you won’t regret as you walk down the street without bits of toilet paper stuck to your face.

    You need around a 2 to 3 centimetre by 1 centimetre dollop of shaving cream and mix it in a bowl with a wet badger brush. Soak your brush in water, before whipping the shaving cream into a ‘glossy looking lather’, Make sure the brush stays wet, which will help soften the beard further. Brush on the lather on to your face in circular movements, until you look like Santa.

    Next week we are doing a road test on the best shaving creams! Sign up to our mailing list now to be the first to know…

     

    4) Using your blade correctly

    Shave downwards from the sideburn down, in long cheek length motions, completing the entire cheek before moving onto the other side. If your hair grows downward, you can continue down the neck, but if your hair grows sideways you would shave in an upward motion, towards the jawline. Taking your time around the Adams apple and around the jawline as to not make any cuts. ‘Make sure your blade is at 30 degrees to the skin’, says Glover ‘that allows the blade to sweep across the face quite smoothly and it’s the perfect cutting angle.’

     

    You need to ensure that the blade you use is sharp and new. Dull blades tend to tug at hair and cause a lot of pain and is more likely to cut you. The more blades your razor has the better. Stay away from any razor that has less than 3 blades. Keep a stock a spare blade heads for your razor and change the head regularly.

     

  • GROOMING: Top 5 Hand Creams

    Nobody wants hands that Skeletor would be proud of, so we’ve been checking out the best options to keep your mitts looking young and beautiful. Available online and on the high-street these are our ‘Top 5’ hand creams.

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  • GROOMING REVIEW: Right Guard XTREME COOL

    TGUK were sent some of Right Guard’s new deodorant and shower gel ‘xtreme cool’ range. We decided to put them to the test on the hardest working member of The Gay UK team.

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  • 10 Things You Ought To Know About Wearing Short Shorts

    10 Things You Ought To Know About Wearing Short Shorts

    The summer months are upon us and some of us are daring to bare.

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  • GROOMING REVIEW: got2b Surfer Matt Paste

    Schwarzkopf got2b Surfer Matt Paste 100mls

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  • TOP LIST: The Best Fake Tans

    Tango used to be a dance, then it was a drink and now, it’s word to describe the tans of those who aren’t in the know.

    So here at THEGAYUK we’ve tried the best and the worst – the good and the bad. We’ve been shades of adonis and shades of wallpaper from the 70s. Here are our top choices.

    MAKE BELIEVE
    MakeBelieve Airbrush Bronzer has to be one of the best, if not THE BEST fake bake I have ever tried. What attracted me was the fact I hadn’t seen it advertised anywhere before with the ubiquitous 74% of 30 people agreed statement – which always makes me steer clear. Once home it was simple to apply and the colour is actually a tan colour. Of course, you have to make sure you prepare your skin, but it’s a far cry away from the 3 bottle systems some fan tans require.

    A little pricey for the size of the bottle – you don’t get too many coats for your cash, but the colour and ease of use puts it in my top 3.

    St. Tropez

    No fake tan review would be complete without the ever-present St Tropez. The tanning system that revolutionised the fake bake. It was the first tanning lotion that actually gave you the colour of holiday and not the colour of several E numbers.

    There are several steps to the perfect St. Tropez tan, but lets face it how many people actually use steps 1 and 2? My advice is stick to the moose and make sure you’re not flaky before applying.

    One of the problems is the drying time – which is lengthy, so I used to do it before I went to bed, usually to wake up with brownish stains on my bedding. Never attractive.

    TESCO TAN

    I know what you’re thinking, the mans gone mad, but bear with me! This was a little gem I found when I was student all those years ago, back in the days when I was dancing and prancing. Cheap – check, tan colour – check, easy application – check. Streaks when sweating – surprisingly resistant!

    No tricks just old fashion slap it on fake tan. Tesco’s proves you don’t need to spend over £30 in order to get a good colour. In fact you don’t need to spend a tenth of that! From all the tans I’ve ever ended up using – the Tesco own fake tan, was always the one that got me compliments – and as we know – every little helps.