Diesel Only The Brave- Captain America Edition

Diesel Only The Brave  has a new bottle out for all the Captain America fans out there. The box was specially designed  by legendary illustrator Bryan Hitch showing Captain America’s iconic image .

Only The Brave is a  nice men's scent with  citrus, coriander and woods. It's not strong but just right. Rather nice for this hot weather.

This special edition  scent is LE and  available now at Macys for $ 67.50

Robert Verdi's Video Gift Guide to Father's Day

If it's a gift giving time of  year , then you know one of my favorite people, Robert Verdi has put togther a fabulous guide . This time it's Father's Day and he's grabbed up   something for all types of Dads including my fav of the picks- Carrera Sunglasses and Patch NYC candles. I know many candle loving Dads and I also have one of these very highly scented candles on my mantle right now.


Robert Verdi's Ultimate Father's Day Gift Guide

Aveda for Men Shaving Care

Another potential Father's Day gift is the Aveda men's line.  

They make some lovely shaving items including   Pure- Formance Shave Cream and an Pure-Formance Dual Action After Shave balm. The balm has a ice light scent  is moisturizing and has skin benefitting antioxidants as well as ingredients to reduce  oiliness ( sebum). The shave cream has organic lemon, verbena and lavender for a nice aroma and helps against razor burn. Both are over 90 % naturally derived.

All are available wherever Aveda is sold and at http://www.aveda.com/

LUSH Dirty For Men ( & Father's Day)

What could be better for men than a Line called Dirty ? Leave it to LUSH.

 Timed right for Father's Day here in the US , these are fun, useful products that any guy would like. My dad was quite thrilled with the Springwash  shower gel   which can be used for body and hair. He said  it did really well as a shampoo. ( and despite being very much a man's man,who works in dirt most days,  he's fussy about shampoo. ) It smells of mint and herbs and can easily be unisex.

 The body spray went over well too and I thought it smelled pretty nice. This is the time to up your guy from Axe  .

With minty and woodsy scents that aren't too strong but fresh and  refreshing,  the new line consists of shave cream, shower gel, body spray , hair gel and a nice gift set all wrapped up to go.

LUSH’s Dirty Gift ($19.95)

Contains: Dirty toothy tabs 0.09g, Dirty perfume 2ml, Dirty Springwash shower gel 100ml, Dirty shaving cream 45g, Dirty hair cream 15g.

The individual items:

Dirty Spring Wash Shower Gel ($9.95 for 3.3oz, $17.95 for 8.4oz, $26.95 for 16.9oz)- Minty with thyme and sea salt  that conditions skin.

Dirty Shaving Cream ($12.95)- Uses softening oats and benzoin, with lavender and sandalwood.  Smells great ( you might want to borrow this one ).

Dirty Hair Gel ($12.95)- Firm hold   and conditioning with fair trade coconut oil, linseed oil and balm herbal infusion.

Dirty Body Spray ($19.95)-  Herbs and woods .  Mountain fresh and light.

http://www.lushusa.com/shop/

Lab Series and NYC Event

Looking for a   Father's Day gift , one that's not a new tie? If in NYC hit up the Lab Series for Men event or anywhere else, check out the line for the men in your life.

King Colin Firth at the Oscars

It was All Hail The Queen when Helen Mirren one, and now we have the King. I have so much I could say about Oscars ( most boring red carpet ever except for Cate Blanchett, bless her daring heart)  but since so much has already been done and overdone, I'll give a little props to one of my fav actors Colin Firth as my Oscars contribution.

In case you were wondering where Colin got his glow ( besides that statue)  he was prepped  with skincare by Kyoku for Men .  I don't know about you but I think some of these products might be ones I could use for myself.

On a side note, as she did last year Colin's lovely wife did a recycled/repurposed dress as part of her eco challenge. I thought she looked beautiful if maybe a  bit too wedding dress-ish.  I posted on her Vogue UK blog here last year and it's still up and running this year with great behind the scenes pics.

 As for that men's skincare, here's what  Georgie Eisdell’s used on Mr. Firth's skin:
“When I’m grooming someone for the red carpet, I never have a lot of time, so my main goals are to plump, hydrate and increase blood circulation in the skin to allow a natural glow shine through. Massaging products into the skin really thoroughly and using a pressing motion for application are both great ways to increase blood circulation and let color to rise to the surface.

To prep Colin for the Oscars, I started with Kyoku for Men Razor Repair Balm, which contains witch hazel and aloe vera, to combat post-shave redness and calm his skin; it’s a great anti-inflammatory product, and I always keep it in my kit for emergencies!

Then, facialist Natalie Eleni applied the Kyoku for Men Eye Fuel to Colin’s Eyes using lymphatic drainage movements (using your ring finger, gently pat around the orbital bone in an outward motion towards the ear), which are great for re-energizing and de-puffing tired eyes.


Next, I applied the Oil Control Lotion down the T zone to absorb any excess oil and prevent Colin from looking greasy. It was very important to lightly matify his skin in specific areas to ensure that he stayed shine-free all night long. I then used Kyoku for Men Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 to refresh his skin and keep it looking healthy and rested.”



Bottom image: Vogue UK/Livia Firth blog

Chanel Bleu de Chanel After Shave for Men

The holidays often bring fragrance shopping for the men as well as the ladies. While looking around the Chanel site awhile back I was thrilled to see the the new  Bleu de Chanel came in a After Shave. Many of the men I know ( and my usual testers) like using after shave and some prefer it over cologne.  The hard part is that few high end brands do after shave. Enter Chanel, and that's a great place to start. ( Hey, men need Chanel too, right ? and it gives us one more excuse to go to the counter).

Bleu de Chanel  is called an after shave lotion, but it's a normal splash type, not any kind of balm.  It's is light but has just enough scent and is very fresh and masculine with a good bit of  citrus, vetiver  and cedar  to my nose.  The Chanel quality  of ingredients is very present  . It quiets on skin about halfway to the drydown, but retains enough scent to be "there" and just right.  My tester really liked it. It's not an earthshatteringly different scent , but one that will be new yet in the realm of comfortable familiarity.

The 100 ml aftershave lotion is $50 . Two sizes of EDT are also available.

Anthony For Men Special Deals & Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

For the men in your life, deals on great mens skincare both in Sept. and October and a reminder about keeping themselves healthy.

Anthony Logistics For Men,  is thrilled to celebrate ten great years of must-have products and charitable service with exclusive limited-edition sizes of their best-selling products. From 10/10/10- 10/16/10, customers who shop on Anthony.com can also purchase the brand’s top 10 products for only $10 each.

Anthony has always believed in “giving back,” and has made charitable donations and service an important part of the brand. All products under the Anthony Logistics For Men umbrella sport a blue ribbon for Prostate Cancer Awareness, and a percentage of all proceeds are donated to not-for-profit public charities dedicated to increasing awareness of Prostate Cancer. This year, he created two limited-edition products for September’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, including the best-selling Blue Chamomile Body Cleansing Gel in a jumbo-sized bottle.

 Shop at http://www.anthony.com/

Creed Aventus

Luxe perfume house Creed's newest men's scent is Aventus. Aventus is a tribute to Napoleon . Aventus means success and this fragrance will debut here in the US ( September) before Europe. Usually it is the other way round.

Aventus is citrus ( the bergamot) and lavender to my nose in the beginning. Mind you lavender is not one of the official notes . As it moves midway, the apple and patchouli come out but neither is strong, not is it fruity. I also smell oakmoss and the vanilla which are both listed as drydown notes.

This is a very English type scent I think and one that would easily appeal to women as well as men. When my friend Kathy aka the Minx smelled it , she immediately said " I would wear this".

Full note list :

Top - Blackcurrant, Bergamot, Calville Blanc Apples, Pineapple

Middle- Napoleon roses, Louisina Birch, Jasmine, Patchouli

Bottom- Oakmoss, Ambergris, Vanilla

Part of the proceeds from Aventus will will benefit American Rivers, a charity that tries to protect US waterways from harm. Nice cause and well needed.

Aventus is available now at http://www.creedboutique.com/ and will debut in October at Bergdorfs, Saks, and Neimans( now on pre-order)

30ml is $140 or 75ml is $240.

Alford and Hoff Men's Fragrance

Alford and Hoff is a luxury skincare line for men as well as a lovely men's fragrance.

The line was founded by two former athletes who looking for top notch skincare aligned with Dr. John Gross Of USC, famed in plastic surgery. Together they created the skin line using a proprietary anti-aging ingredient called "Sir2stac Complex" which is Sirtuin activating.

The fragrance is named simply Alford and Hoff and was created by well known perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux of Givaudan.

Quality ingredients were used here including what is called ORPUR " the highest quality absolute exclusive to Givaudan" which is included in the topnote .

Alford and Hoff starts out rather sweet smelling for a men's scent but it's still masculine. It smells like light rum , maybe a rum and vanilla coke without the coke? There is a vanilla note in there and that along with the rum lasts throughout to the drydown. I get some musk, and then the amber notes towards the drydown. This is not a dry scent nor is aquatic at all, which I found refreshing.

That blend of rum, vanilla , and amber makes it a very warm and soft scent. One that warms up more as it goes. It is not strong nor light, and has medium sillage. It's quite different from any men's scent I've tried in awhile. If you love masculine scents ( as this could be unisex) or are looking for something special and high end for the man in your life, it's definitely worth a sniff.

Full note list per Alford and Hoff:

-Topnote: The aromatic power of fresh citrus and intoxicating herbs.

-Midnote: The scent deepens as a drop of sweet rum leads into the core of rare oils and absolutes. Warm, addictive vanilla and tonka beans from the world’s most exotic regions.

-Drydown: The long lasting background of golden molten amber poured over weathered leather and soft suede .

　
Alford & Hoff EDT (100 mL) is available for $125 at http://www.alfordandhoff.com/, Bergdorf Goodman, and Neiman Marcus. ( Full skincare line available as well )

Anthony for Men Helping Birds in the Gulf

Anthony Logistics has carved out a reputation as a company that gives. That giving is now extended to the embattled birds in the Gulf oil spill. It breaks my heart when I see images of these poor creatures and I am glad that rescue organizations are there doing their best. One of these is Tri State Bird Rescue. If you watch Anderson Cooper on CNN you may have seen them in action cleaning the birds.

To help the rescue Anthony is giving 50 percent of all proceeds from their Anthony Logistics For Men Body Cleansing Gels and Shampoos to Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research and Brown Pelican bird adoption program (Louisiana’s state bird) to support the wildlife rescue efforts following the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

" Anthony For Men chose Tri-State Bird Rescue because the organization is one of only two organizations in the country that can professionally manage a response to a major spill. Rehabilitation of oiled wildlife is a complex, crisis-oriented endeavor and Tri-State takes a teamwork approach to oil spill training and response, stressing the need for regulatory agencies, responsible parties, state and federal wildlife professionals, colleagues in wildlife care and concerned citizens to work together both in preparations for and response to oil spills. "

You can buy the products at http://www.anthony.com/ and read more about Tri State Bird at http://www.tristatebird.org/

Bird image: AP Photo/Dave Martin via Huffington Post

Bath and Body Works Signature for Men

Bath and Body Works brought out a new Signature line for men last month. It comprises 4 scents and 3 different products- body wash, deodorizing body spray, and cologne.

What I loved was the quality here. These smell really good. I had the Oak cologne to try and to me this smells every bit as good as many high end men's fragrances. I love when great scent can be gotten a good price point but only if the quality is there. Oak is my favorite, but the others , especially Ocean, were nice as well.

Oak is a bit sweet, and smells at times to me like old , oak cask aged whiskey. There obviously is an oak note and it's a dark oak. Plenty of soft woods give it a lived in feel ( mainly the cedarwood) and it sits really well on the skin. It's not strong at all and has no aquatic or green notes . You can find them in the other fragrances in the line.

Those other scents are:

Citron- a woodsy citrus with sandalwood , Ocean- green, fresh and aquatic with vetiver and Noir- which I haven't tried.

All are available now at all Bath and Body Works stores and online.

The big semi annual sale just ended, but there are still deals on multiple bottles.

Body Wash is $ 12.00
Cologne is $ 29.40 for 3.4 oz
Deodorizing Body Spray is $ 12.00 for 4 oz

Korres for Men

Korres is a brand many of us use and like , but they also have a great men's line and shower gels that are unisex scented and suitable for the guys. With Father's Day on the horizon , here's a look at some of the products.

One that seemed nicest to me is Marigold & Ginseng Aftershave Balm. This is a light lotion featuring marigold ( antiseptic) , ginseng( firming) , witch hazel( astringent) , ProVitamin B5 and Korres' trademarked Active Aloe for moisture.

The lotion has a very light herbal scent, sinks in fast and left my hand (where I tested) feeling soft and smooth. The Dad liked that it was cooling on skin and said it would be nice on/after a hot day.

The line also features a men's eye cream with SPF 6 called Ruscus and Chestnut Eye Cream SPF . ( No girly smell, the chesnut gives it a woodsy, nutty smell) , Ginseng Face Gel Cleanser and more.


On the shower gel end , the Basil Lemon or Juniper and Rum are a good men's choice . The Basil Lemon has a light lemon note and a little herbal/basil spice. It's refreshing especially for summer and the fragrance isn't overpowering and won't linger past the shower too much. The shower gel also has the Active Aloe for added moisture . I haven't smelled the Juniper /Rum but it sounds really good.

All are available at http://www.korres.com/ , Beauty.com
and Sephora or Sephora.com ( No men's skincare online yet).

Polo Red ,White and Blue

Many of the men I know love Polo in some iteration. They are happy to get it for gifts and so this holiday season we get a new one Polo Red,White and Blue.

This new one is crisp, sporty and has a mountain air feel. It's not overly aquatic but has a bit of those notes. More like cold, winter air with some herbs and woods. Not too wildly different but not the same as any Polos before either. It is said to be a cooler variation of Polo Blue. I rather liked it. It was fresh without being watery.

The scent was made with Winter Sports in mind ( after all an Olympic year is coming) and the logo is done with patriotic racing stripes.

Notes include:

Red apple,cucumber, clary sage, lavender tonic, creamy white woods and white musks.

4.2 oz EDT $ 69.50
2.5 oz EDT $ 52.50

Available at Macys, and http://www.ralphlauren.com/

Anthony Logistics for Little Men Charity Initiative

Anthony Logistics for Men has another product out to aid a charity in need. This time it's to help an adorable little boy named Kai. You can read on for all the info and how to buy. Perfect to get the little ones started on good grooming and an awesome baby shower gift.

100% of profits are going to the charity by the way.

"To commemorate the birth of his twin sons, Anthony Sosnick, founder of Anthony Logistics for Men, created a two-in-one product designed for the next generation of grooming-savvy men, a gentle cleanser for both hair and body with a formula does not sting the eyes. And now, the sale of this product can help make a significant difference in the life of one special child. From now through the end of May, 100% of proceeds through the sale of the Anthony For Little Men Foaming Hair and Body Wash will be donated to the Hope for Kai fund.

Kai, not even 5 years old, was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia and is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. At the same time, his father was also diagnosed with a rare type of Lymphoma. The medical costs for Kai’s treatment are enormous and more than his family can manage. ALFM supports Kai Anderson in his journey to find a donor and receive necessary treatment to fight the disease. "

Anthony For Little Men Foaming Hair and Body Wash is $12.00, available at http://www.anthony.com/. please see http://www.hopeforkai.com/ for more information on this charitable initiative.

Ralph Lauren Notorious and Purple Label for Men

Notorious is one of the newest releases from Ralph Lauren Fragrances. Meant to evoke an old world movie star glamour , the company even commissioned a video from acclaimed ( and rightfully so ) director Wong Kar -Wei. See it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2nQYIbKwao

The scent is a bit of a gourmand , and categorized as a spicy oriental. I think a mix of the two works well. It is a bit oriental and a bit gourmand. One of the main notes is from the Chocolate Cosmos flower. It is used as a note for the first time in a fragrance here. I once had Chocolate Cosmos growing in my yard. They were so pretty with their deep brown/burgundy shade. Unfortunately I can't remember if they had a strong scent or note, but either way, I am intrigued by the use of this flower.

The chocolate of that flower is very light here. Notorious is more floral and spice . When I first sprayed it I got a lot of floral, a hint of the chocolate and a hint of the blackcurrant. The bergamot is there very much but by the mid point is gone. As it dries down the peonies and the Iris come out. To me this has a strong Iris scent until well after the drydown. By then it's very much the patchcouli, musk with some chocolate.

The sillage is medium and it has good lasting power.

Top Notes: Black Currant, Spicy Pink Peppercorn and Italian Bergamot
Mid Notes: Chocolate Cosmos, White Frost Peonies, Fiery Carnation
Base Notes: Patchouli Musk, Vanilla, Orris

1.7 oz $ 65.00

2.5 oz $ 85.00

6.7 oz Body Lotion $ 45.00

5.3 oz Body creme $ 70.00

http://www.ralphlauren.com/

For the men there is what I though was new, but isn't- Purple Label. I have many Ralph Lauren mad men I know and none of them, nor I ,have come across this one, which leads me to think it may only be online and in RL shops.

It is really nice, very elegant and not strong but not too light . A little fruit overlaying the woods. The bottle here is gorgeous, in deep purple, and it comes in a lovely presentation box that opens like a book to reveal the EDT. A great gift. I plan on recommending this to a dear friend whose husband is Mr. Ralph Lauren. He will be thrilled.

Notes:
Blackberry, tobacco flowers, woods and suedes, mahogany
2.5 oz $ 70.00
4.2 0z $ 90.00