Shave With Pride with Harry's

Tumbleweeds have probably been busier than these pages lately, but these past six weeks have been super busy for me, and very rewarding. I've got some exciting stuff to share soon, but this week I'm playing catch-up with admin + tying up a bunch of loose ends before we take our annual summer holiday!

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American grooming brand Harry's have also been keeping productivity levels on max, with the release of their Shave With Pride campaign. In celebration of Pride 2018, June sees the release of the their latest progressive project - this incentive pushes forward the notion of equality, celebrating our individuality and freedom of expression.

The limited edition set includes  a "Rainbow" Winston razor handle, which has been designed using a unique colour-printing process, which insures every individual Pride handle is just a little bit different from the next. The bold cartoon illustrated packaging has been designed by graphic design duo Craig & Karl. The campaign is backed by several notable figures within the LGBTQ community.

Harry's will be donating all the profits from its UK sales to selected LGBTQ charities. The Shave With Pride set is available here for £24.

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A Day In The Life | My Skincare Routine

 

Take a look at this short video we created with online grooming + skincare store Mankind. They followed me around for a day - on a recent stop over in Manchester - to get a proper looking into the kind of things I get up to on a regular day. The film takes you through my morning + evening skincare routine, which includes a bunch of my current favourite products, as well as a couple of regular stop-offs in the city.

  Nice to play around with a little more video, no?

  Thanks for visiting,

  Mat.

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Exploring the Interior Design of Aesop London

Aesop Soho, London

Back in November I had the privilege of being shown around three Aesop stores in Central London. The focus of the day was not only on the carefully concocted skincare products, but also the design ideas behind each location. If you've ever visited more than one Aesop store you'll have instantly noticed that each is different from the next.

It's taken me so long to upload this post because this total wally (that's right, me!) managed to delete his whole memory card free from the original images. So last week I did the rounds once again, visiting Aesop stores at Covent Garden, Soho and Lamb's Conduit Street.

To be invited to spend an afternoon with Aesop's team, along with my buddy Oliver Hooson, was extremely flattering and exciting experience in itself. We got to hear about the humble beginnings of this Australian brand; their focus on creating environmentally friendly products since the mid 1980s, the theory of how natural ingredients work hand-in-hand with each skin type, as well as the brand's commitment to creating a unique retail experience, passion for architecture + why the small details matter.

Aesop Covent Garden, London

Each store has its own unique theme, with different designers and architectures being commissioned to create a memorable experience. From the Morroccan tiled flooring and moulded concrete of Covent Garden, the reclaimed enamel soap dish wall mounts of Soho, to the way the Lamb's Conduit Street store takes inspiration from its own history of being one of the cities most renowned bakeries – the attention to detail is second-to-none.

Aesop Lamb's Conduit Street, London

In the Lamb's Conduit Street store you'll find a relaxation area in the back, which is free to be booked out for treatments, or to be used as the perfect chill out area in the summer months. If you have time to visit the store then take a look at the floor tiles – they're the exact same ones which originally lined the actual street back in the day. And it's these small details that really make a difference, giving us more of a reason to invest.

The people of Aesop aren't in it to take over the market, but by following to their unique ethos, adapting to cusomter feedback and utilising meticulous design ideas they've won themselves many fans worldwide. I must say, I am definitely one of those people.

Thanks to Jess + the Aesop London team for taking care of us. If you're interested in hearing more about the design of each Aesop store then visit Taxonomy of Design.

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Murdock London at Hackett Spitalfields | Barber Service Review

Last week myself and Hollie took advantage of half term and headed down to London for a few days - We stayed at CitizenM on Bankside, as we loved the Glasgow hotel so much. If you're looking for a great hotel at a decent price then I'd recommend checking them out. On Monday morning we escaped the noise and took a trip down to Spitalfields. After a belly-full at Canteen (my new favourite place, thee best poached eggs!) we arrived at Hackett for my appointment at Murdock London. 

Murdock has featured on the blog a few times now (here, here), and knowing I was a fan of their products the team got in touch and invited me down to sample a Full Beard Re-Shape and Cut-Throat Shave. I'm not usually one for treatments but I figured I'd be in capable hands with these fellas so I thought, "let's give it a shot". This branch of Murdock is actually situated at the front of Hackett's Spitalfields store, a small but perfectly equipped space. Being one of Hackett's concept stores, I was eager to have a proper nose around - It's filled to the brim with menswear and paraphernalia from Hackett's own brand and selection of concessions, sourced from around the world.

I was warmly greeted by my Barber for the day, Sam, a proper gent. After a brief consultation we decided it was best for me to go shorter. I've had a bit of a beard for a few years now (admittedly not a very good one, it falls into the chin-fringe category. I wasn't blessed.) and I wanted a change, as I've started to grow sick of its inability be a full-on Eric Young.

Sam explained that if your beard can't quite live up to something out of Jonathan's 100 Beards, 100 Days, then you just have to make best with what you've got. Solid advice to be honest. After that I was perfectly happy for him to go nuts, after all Sam's the expert.

The first step was to trim my beard + mustache down, define a new shape and determine an appropriate neckline. We chatted about the Sam's passion for Barbering, the product range, blogging and how the partnership between these two British brands started. I was quickly put at ease and therefore thinking less-and-less about those bloody Sweeney Todd scenes. After 30 minutes of prep - Including immense smelling lotions, balms, creams and five tremendous minutes of the hot towel treatment, I was finally ready for a traditional Cut-Throat Shave!

Several Murdock products were used in preparation for the Cut-Throat Shave - Including the Daily Face Wash, Pre Shave Oil and Eye Serum. A weaker man would have drifted off by this point. After a heavy dose of traditional Shaving Cream (which I've been using for a couple of years and highly recommend for the smell alone), I was ready for the main event.

I'd never experienced a Cut-Throat Shave before, my only knowledge extends to old western films and memories of my late-grandad shaving in front of the mirror. As you can see from the images it's a very delicate operation and one which only a skilled person should attempt. Sam worked his way around my neckline, cheeks and back of my hairline in around 15 minutes and I didn't feel a thing.

Post-shave I was treated to another set of balms, oils and my choice of cologne. I went for the spicy  Black Tea, which has subtle hints of leather and tobacco. Bearing in mind this was my first experience of a proper Barber service, I was extremely impressed. My face never felt so good and I was left smelling pretty amazing for the rest of the day too. Just ask Hollie! Admittedly it might look as though I don't have much beard left but I can assure you it looked better than the previous knotty mess.

Before visiting Murdock the thought of having a grooming treatment had never crossed my mind, but it was an very enjoyable experience indeed. Sam's knowledge and passion for the craft was a big factor towards the overall experience, which I thought was worth mentioning. Combine that with Murdock's quality British-Made products + charming store interior and you're on to a real winner! Highly recommended.

Please note - I was offered this service for review purposes, all options are 100% honest and based on my own experience.

For a full list of Murdock London's current services visit here. Murdock at Hackett - Spitalfields, 75-77 Brushfield St, London, E1 6AA.

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Nice Things @ Objects of Use

Chimney brush

Puck harmonica

Tin o Twine

Computer brush

Twin coloured pencil

Enamel bowls

Valobra shaving soap

Balloon powered cars

I know I know, I don't have much use for all this stuff. I don't have a chimney, any kids or shave that much but some of the products at Objects of Use are really beautiful in their own right. If I had cleaning gear as nice as they sell I know I would make more effort around the house, plus who wouldn't like a balloon powered wooden car, that would clearly enhance my day. Most of the manufacturers have been making these products for well over 100 years, only making little tweaks here and there to create the perfect design.

Their site is filled with nice things which would make perfect little gifts, definitely worth a bookmark.

Click the links below the images for product links, visit Objects of Use for more information.

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I'm currently offering 20% off all orders on my Etsy store with the code BUCKETS20.

Murdock London Travels North & Competition

Northern News Alert! Barbers and Gent's Grooming specialists Murdock London are venturing up to the north of England. Murdock's products were exclusively sold from their super cool stores (and some concessions) dotted around London but now the stylish chaps of the north can get a look in. Their kit is being sold through John Lewis stores in Liverpool, Cheadle (Greater Manchester), Newcastle and not strictly the north but Nottingham as well.

As I'm based up north (Blackpool to be exact) they sent me a couple of their most popular products to test drive. The Avalon British cologne and candle to be more precise. I have the say the cologne is like no other aftershave I've really ever used, it's fresh, citrusy and smells like you've just been given a wet shave from a guy in a white vest and braces. I've worn it tones already and had quite a few compliments.

As with anything for me the packaging and presentation matters a great deal. It's simple stuff really, nice traditionally shaped bottle and charming label. Lets just say the guys on the Young Apprentice could learn a lot from this!

Competition - 

As for the candle I'm going to let one of you guys have it. I'm not one for candles but it smells just as good as the cologne (and me). You can find out a few more deets about it here but just of the top of my head, "Notes of Sicilian bergamot, Calabrian lemons and hand picked lavender from the fields of Haute Provence, whisk you away to cocktail hour on the Grand Tour, with a fresh modern twist"....comes to mind! 

I reckon this would be a pretty wicked gift for any chaps but for women too, as it's not overly manly. Or you can just have it for yourself? So if you fancy a free Christmas gift or a treat for yourself just comment on this post saying that you want it. That's it, no nonsense, just a comment. 

I'll keep the competition open for a week and will pick the winner at random on the day. This one is only open to people in the UK though, sorry. I'm going to try do a couple of competitions in the run up to Christmas so you guys will have some good stuff to give to your loved ones or keep for yourselves! So check back for more soon, I'll be keeping them unisex too. Best of luck.

Painting Days

I've had a blank canvas knocking about around my house for while, I bought it last year at some point with the intension of painting a seaside scene. The problem was, I had all my paints stolen when I was at college and I hadn't replaced them, till last week. I bought a pack of 10 mini tubes of acrylic for £1.50, at that price why wouldn't you!

What spurred me on was the BBC1 series, Modern Masters. If you have been on Twitter on Sunday's you can see I'm not the only one who is really into programme, "A series charting the life and explaining the work of modern artists Picasso, Matisse, Dali and Warhol, and looking at their influence on contemporary art, design and architecture."

Salavador Dali is by far my favourite artist of the modern time but the episode on Matisse was one that struck a chore with me. I was exposed to a lot of Matisse's work when I was younger and we have a few books on his work. So I thought I'd like my Matisse inspired piece a go.

Cheap paints and the only thing I could find for a palette. 

I stuck masking tape down in random strips, with the intension of filling in all the gaps with different shades of paint. Creating blocked off section....nothing too taxing.

And here we go, now this isn't actually the finished product, I'll have to wait till the paint dries to peal off the making tap. I do actually quite like it with the masking tape still on but I least I have this image to remind me afterwards. Hopefully it will turn out pretty well, it's a good start anyway, I mean I used to do paintings all the time when I was younger (I was never academic in the slightest and ended up in all the bottom sets because of this).


I post the final thing on here soon, permitting it's actually ok of course! What do you guys think?

In other news, I was lucky enough to be invited down to Harvey Nicohols, Manchester,  the other day to check out the newly opened, "Men's Quarterly" section. I was sent down to check it out for my job. This is the first time men's grooming has had its very own section. I was talked through all the products and then offered a facial! I have to say I was a wee bit apprehensive at first but it did feel a bit great. 


I left with a lovely goodie bag filled with products from Korres, Lab Series, Ren and Kyoku. I don't usually spend much on bathroomy products and resulting in me having terrible skin. So I will give them a go and hopefully they will convince me to carry on using some of the brands. On first whiff, the Korres Juniper and Rum shower gel just smells amazing.