By a Hair's Breath

I thought I would finally delve into the hair side of male grooming ... and no I'm not talking about manscaping! 

Firstly I should give you a quick idea of what my hair is like and the products I use. My hair is quite fine, but there’s lots of it and it grows super quick. The major issue I have is, that I have a sensitive scalp, that goes tremendous greasy and this leads to dandruff, urgh. Now this dandruff isn’t the standard dusting of white flakes on the shoulders but white bits that cling to hair roots. This is the greasy type of dandruff – the sebum and oils keeps the dry skin cells close to the scalp and thus I get these tiny pesky white beads (?) on my scalp. Not attractive, huh? But other than that I’m quite lucky with my hair; if it’s cut right, I don’t have to bother with any styling products. My hair seems to naturally be the way I like it to be.

Now my favourite shampoo to combat that auwld dandruff is Head &Shoulders Citrus Fresh Shampoo; now this is a classic for combating dandruff and keeping your scalp flake free. Furthermore this citrus powerhouse blasts through the most stubborn of grease, leaving hair clean, fresh and light. And it’s super gentle even on a delicate scalp like mine.

But I have recently discovered the Aussie Mega Shampoo; I actually find this to be a great shampoo that gently clarifies your hair and it also kicks dandruff’s flacky butt! This product leaves your hair feeling very light and bouncy.  The first thing I realised that this shampoo smells really good, almost too good. Think of a sweet yet subtle smell that you’d want on your hair. If your hair is already in pretty good condition and you want an everyday shampoo that won’t cause build-up, I’d recommend this product.

In my case I wash my hair every second day, so it can used as often as I like and my hair will shine all day long!

• It lathers well and creates good foam that can be felt as you rub the product on wet hair.
• It leaves hair feeling lighter and clean.
• Gently removes any product build up.
• A small amount goes a long way.
• It’s gentle enough to use every day.
• It contains Australian Kangaroo Paw Flower extract.

Secondly, when I wake up the day after washing my hair it felt barely greasy. Normally when I wake up the next day my hair looks greasy meaning I’d have to wash my hair again. However after using this product there was no greased back hair in sight!

Now when I do use styling products, I like to use products that are super lightweight, matt and don’t feel like I have superglue in my hair. The two that I opt for are Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray and LYNX Black Casual Styling Clay.

The Toni & GuyCasual Sea Salt Texturising Spray creates an excellent casual hold for a easy, and fast look. I spray it onto the top of my hair, focusing on my fringe and lightly scrunch my hair to give it a messy but neat look. This sea salt spray also smells ahh-mazin’ you nearly don’t need to wear an aftershave it’s that good!

I use the LYNX BlackCasual Styling Clay when I want a stronger hold. I find this to be a fantastic clay, as it has a matt finish and is ideal for everyday to formal use. What I actually like the most is that it’s lightweight and it actually feels like I've absolutely no product in my hair. Oh and it's easy to wash out!

I hope you found my convoluted hair post interesting and maybe informative?! If you have any product recommendation; then leave a comment below or tweet me!

MY TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

I recently went on a short trip to London and I thought I'd share my travel toiletry bag. I was only going for 3 days so I didn't bother to check a bag in... So I had to cram as much as I could into my 1 litre Ziploc bag. Not an easy task, I actually enjoy packing, I'm weird like that! So here's what I brought with me.

I placed my non-liquids in my Clinique travel bag that I received as a gift-with-purchase. In this I put my Gilette Fusion ProGlide Power with Flexball Technology razor and my Emma Hardie micro-fibre cloth and my toothbrush.

That was the short list; here is what I had in my Ziploc bag:

• Arm & Hammer toothpaste
• Lynx Dry Compressed Black
  
• Nivea Men Sensitive Shaving Gel
• Head & Shoulders Citrus Fresh Shampoo
• Original Source Lemon & Tea Tree Shower Gel
• Sample of Clinique for Men Post Shave Healer
  
• Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm decanted into a GoTubb
  
• La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] (of course)
• Origins Super Spot Remover
  
• Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion decanted in a GoToob
  
• Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair II
  
• Indeed Labs Eyslix
  
• Sample of Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel
  
• Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm
• Travalo with Boss Orange
  

I know this is a long list, but I felt I was justified and I don't think it's too extortionate of a list, is it?! Here is my reasoning; I was concerned about the drying effect of flying on my skin. I'm not a dry skin type but dehydration can exacerbate blemish prone skin but on top of that all the bacteria and germs that are recirculated in that dreaded airplane air, uurgh. So I carried my trusted skincare products that I knew would hydrate, heal but also keep my skin clear and blemish free. Not asking a whole lot am I?

I brought the Emma Hardie cleansing balm, as this deeply cleanses my skin – removes all impurities and blackheads but also adds a bit of nourishment to my skin. I justified bringing Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair II (the largest bottle) as I knew it would hydrate and heal my skin but it would also come to my aid if I got spotty L. I had just started using the Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion, a salicylic acid toner, as I wanted something to gently exfoliate my skin but would a help with blemishes, so this was a no-brainer. Effaclar Duo [+] and Origins Super Spot Remover are my trusted blemish fighting duo and the Super Spot is made for travel. The Reve de Miel lip balm is ideal for traveling as it super nourishing but in a non-sticky or greasy way. I never actually used the Clinique DDM Gel (while away!) but it was handy to have with me anyway. Oh, the Travalo is a handy way to carry your aftershave without bringing a heavy bottle. And Boss Orange in my opinion is a good option for both day and night, that can cover all occasions. The rest was just my ordinary hair & body care.

I know this may seem like a lot for a guy to take on a 3 day trip but I feel it is better to be prepared, as anything can crop up ( & probs will, knowing my luck) with your skin while traveling. And I feel that with the stress of traveling, running here and there, that your skin needs extra TLC while on the move. So here's what I brought with me, what would you carry with you on a mini-holiday?

Follow

LYNX IS THE NEW BLACK | LYNX Black Review

I love the latest offering that LYNX have to offer. LYNX Black, has been created by the same noses that are responsible for the creation of CK One and Marc Jacobs Bang, Ann Gottlieb.

LYNX Black is a cool, fruity but still sophisticated fragrance. Not what you would typically expect from LYNX –  it leaves a sophisticated veil of aroma on your skin and it comes from a humble aerosol.

There are 4 new products in the LYNX Black line; a hair & body wash; 48-hour deodorant; hair clay and of course, the body spray. LYNX Black is very cleverly aimed at the 20+ market; those that grew up with LYNX but are now looking for a more refined fragrance, rather than the usual assault on the senses of that (urgh) aerosol fog that we endured in the PE changing rooms.

The whole range is refined; the packaging is gorgeous. I adore the simple black and white packaging; no gaudy illustrations or strange names. Just simply LYNX Black. I think the ad campaign for LYNX Black epitomize exactly what it stands for - Understated Style. We are continually being assaulted visually, audibly and through smell, that it make a warm welcome that something says "here I am, simple as and I'm not going to crave your attention". But by doing so, makes it even more desirable, in my opinion.

 And remember Less is more.

You can find LYNX Black virtually everywhere but you can find them here at Boots and Tescos.

Follow