With three days full of shows and events ahead of me, the long days of LCM can be tough on my skin (and my body). SO I always carry around some essential items to keep me looking and feeling my best. Take a look inside my LCM kit bag.

Moisturiser
It’s important to keep my skin hydrated, running in and out of hot buildings, braving the elements outside and, of course, the excess of alcohol, means my skin is left feeling dry and un loved. This season I’m using Nip+Man Manotox. I’ve been using Manotox for about three months now, I keep it in my gym bag for an additional boost on the go - the small packaging and easy-to-use pump make it perfect for LCM. It It’s a powerful, advanced technology moisturiser with high performance LIFTONIN to minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while the Gransil and sea minerals smoothen and revitalise the skin leaving it looking and feeling fresher.

£19.95 from nipandman.com

Lip Balm
Another effect of the above, and excess talking, is dry lips. Buckler’s Chapped Lip Remedy is a particular favourite of mine. It is rather gluttonous in texture and very thick so a little goes a long way. I only tend to apply it once in the morning then again in the evening and I find it enough.

$7 from themotley.com

Hair styling
It’s always important to keep my hair looking good so this season I’ll be carrying around Aveda Pure-Performance Grooming Clay. Apart from smelling amazing thanks to the rich mix of spearmint, vetiver and lavender, the texture is light and airy for a soft handle that glides through hair. I love how it works with my curly hair when it’s long, it tames it into any style I choose with a subtle hint of wave.

£20 from Aveda.co.uk

The ultimate hangover cure
I could never make it through LCM, or being ‘tipsy’ in general if it wasn’t for rehydration sachets. Normally used for people suffering with excess fluid loss issues (from either end), these little sachets of powder are the best kept secret to avoiding feeling like the world has ended the next morning. Best option is to be sober enough to remember to take them before you go to bed, otherwise just get it in you as soon as you can.

£2.99 form Boots.com

Now, it hasn’t really ever occurred to me before to go looking for fragrances on the high street. I’m not a fragrance snob, OK, maybe a little, but you just never associate fragrances with high street brands. But this is something that’s changing, more and more high street brands are jumping on the sweet-smelling wagon of own-brand fragrances, and Superdry in one of them.

Superdry has a large offering of fragrances, starting from around £30. The range is well rounded with something for any occasion that will appeal to the older and younger fans of this behemoth high street brand.

While the scents can be used at any time – it’s your choice after all, I’ve categorised them into occassions to wear them to help you get a clearer picture.

First up is the colour range; each bottle is sleek in design with a cool Zippo lighter-style flip lid.

Orange

With top notes of blood orange, Superdry’s Orange opens with a burst of citrus for a fresh and clean scent. The fragrance settles in with notes of frankincense and sandalwood and lingers with a final sweet touch of patchouli. It’s an easy-to-wear day fragrance that’s going to pair well whether at work or off duty.

Blue

Superdry Blue isn’t a groundbreaking scent, but it’s still one of my favourites; a fresh aquatic fragrance, the composition opens with top notes of bergamot and gives way to a heart of refreshing pear and clary sage. The moss base gives it a bitter and crisp finish with the perfect weight. Keep this one for workwear – sprits your suit and shirt and off you go.

Steel

Steel is lively fragrance, with an effervescent nature that makes it a refreshing choice day or night. Invigorating top notes of lime and bergamot, lime in particular, open into a long heart of cardamom and piquant violet leaves as the fragrance settles. The base notes are listed as cedarwood and moss – the cedarwood is the driving force and the dominant smell that lingers after the moss’ murkiness wears off.

Black

Easily the after-dark fragrance of the range, Superdry Black is a timeless, signature scent that will linger in the mind of wearers young and old. Initial notes of lavender, jasmine and juicy lime open the fragrance with an opulent, sugary-sweet smell – though its sillage is short lived. The base notes are deep and lingering with a narcotic blend of sandalwood, balsam and incense, leather and moss taking hold and delivering the weight of the fragrance. It’s a masculine scent for the modern, discerning gent.

Finally we have the latest dry range of colognes – a special premium range. Presented in a textured box with a fabric lined, layered cardboard inner frame, the bottle are made of weighted glass and feature a removable aged-leather wrist strap.

Dry Oil

“Combining a striking fougère accord with vanilla notes, Dry Oil is built around a fusion of lavender and iris that is lifted by lemon, petigrain, cypress, cardamom and neroli and strengthened with rich ambery rose. The vanilla accord is supported with cedarwood and patchouli and sweetened with ambrette seed, coumarin and musks.”

This Dry fragrance is truly unique; it’s the sort of scent that has you constantly coming back for, whether you think you like it or not. It’s intoxicating and intriguing. The whole presentation is on-brand with Superdry, it’s edgy, feels worn in and durable but in an up-to-date way. The metallic nature of the fragrance if very masculine, while the musk and base notes offer complementing warmth.

Double Dry

“Opening with a fresh burst of bergamot, juicy Sicilian mandarin and clean frozen grapefruit. A heart of aromatic juniper, rosemary and subtle sichuan pepper with a base of rosewood, musk, incense and oakmoss.”

Following on from Dry Oil’s metallic nature, Double dry is still a masculine scent but with a little added punch. The opening citrus notes hit the back of the nose and are followed by the peppery, aromatic heart. It’s a potent scent that lingers to reveal a musky base.

While most of the fragrances on offer at Superdry follow a rather formulaic approach of fresh/aqueous top notes that develop into deeper woody/moss scents, they are worth taking the time to sample. At a reasonably low entry price for the 40ml, you may find yourself saving a few bob over the higher end style.

Superdry fragrances start from £29.50 for 40ml and can be bought in store or online at Superdry.com

Find out everything you need to know about the benefits of salicylic acid

It’s the star ingredient of the moment and the buzzword on the grooming industry’s lips; salicylic acid is appearing in everything from cleansers, toners, masks and wipes with the promise of cleaner, clear skin and reduced pores.

Originally derived from the willow tree, salicylic acid is one of the main ingredients of aspirin, also derived from the same tree, and shares many of its properties. It’s predominantly used in treatments for acne, due to its ability to penetrate the follicle. It’s a gentle alternative to harsher acne-busters such as Benzoyl peroxide as it won’t make you sun sensitive and has less side effects.

When applied to the skin, salicylic acid causes the top layer of skin to swell, soften and finally peel, thus removing dead skin cells and clearing out the top layer of clogged pores. Don’t worry though; this swelling in miniscule and you can’t see it happening!

Now, salicylic acid won’t stop acne by itself, it’s great at preventing clogged pores and reducing inflammation like a non-abrasive exfoliant, but if you already have acne, you will need to use it in combination with other products to fight the causes such as excess oil and dirt. Whether you combine it with acne medicine or other products, salicylic acid will prep the skin, leaving a balanced complexion and pores that are primed for maximum treatment and moisture benefits.

Most over-the-counter products containing salicylic acid only have concentrations of about 2-5%, so they are pretty harmless. Those with already very sensitive or dry skin types may see some dryness or redness with excess use, but with such low percentage compared to the typical 10-15% Benzoyl peroxide products, most people won’t suffer any side effects. There are products out there with higher concentrations of salicylic acid, but these are usually for targeted use on small areas to treat such things as calluses and warts.

People with skin conditions such as psoriasis may also find benefit in using salicylic acid, as it will help to break down the excess skin forming at the surfaces causing the redness.

How to use Salicylic Acid

Though salicylic acid as available as a stronger gel to be left on as a mask before washing off, I don’t recommend using it. This sort of strength treatment should only be undertaken with supervision from a professional as miss-use can lead to skin irritation and pigmentation damage in those with darker skin.

Most of you will be using salicylic acid in the form of a cleanser or exfoliant.

Be sure to wash your face first, to give the acid a clear path to your pores. You can use your standard face wash or a cleanser for this if your salicylic acid is in an exfoliant.

Apply to the face, avoiding the eye area, and leave to settle for a short period of time to let the product do it’s work. If you rinse it off too quickly you won’t get the maximum results.

After rinsing, apply your chosen acne treatment or standard moisturiser.

Products with Salicylic Acid

Aveda botanical kinetics™ exfoliant

Simply wipe this easy-to-use, non-abrasive exfoliant over your face in the evening after cleansing.

Korres Sage & Salicylic Acid Regulating Cleansing Gel

Designed for use on the face and body, rub this gel into wet skin and rinse off.

Vichy Homme Anti-Irritation Shaving Foam

This shaving foam will help keep unsightly in-grown hairs at bay; ladies can also enjoy the benefits with use on the body.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

Formulated without artificial fragrances, this classic scrub is blended with Salicylic acid and rice-based powder to buff the skin and remove dead cells

Are you a fan of salicylic acid? Get in touch on the comments below and let me know your thoughts. Or find me on Twitter.

As part of my fun-filled trip to Dublin, I also had chance to check out the Primark SS14 menswear collection, or Penneys for you Irish folk.

It’s always an interesting conversation, and a question I get asked a lot as a fashion writer: What are your thoughts on Primark? There is often an assumed distain from the fashion masses for high street stores and their mass-produced and fast fashion, but it is often misplaced.

I have no issue with Primark and other low price point high street stores; they have a place in the industry, providing accessible fashion for the masses that aren’t in the position to be spending excesses on designer clothing. My only gripe with certain high street chains is the layout of the stores. The factory-esque, crammed rails make the clothes feel as cheap as their price. I love it when stores give one item of clothing and entire wall, putting a high emphasis on value, both monetary and style wise. This is the prestige I put on clothing, hence why I have built a career around this love.

Primark has made many strides in recent years to change this; their latest store offering on Tottenham Court Road in London is plush, modern and generally cool. The store layout is exiting, and though still very ‘space-efficient’ it has a lot of cool elements including giant TV screens with campaign videos that make you feel like you’re buying to a lifestyle and not just buying clothes.

Speaking of the clothes, Primark’s SS14 menswear collection is simple and accessible and most importantly fun. There’s a lot of bold colour, retro dyes and nostalgic logos and though some of the looks aren’t my personal style, there are some great individual pieces, especially some of the prints, which would work well when paired with higher send separates.

I really like the printed jersey shorts and the floral print chino shorts, they’re just easy ways to liven up a summer look.

Take a look at the SS14 campaign

Fast becoming the ‘go-to’ place for a quality trim in central London, I popped along to Ruffians Barbers in Covent Garden to see what the buzz is all about…

I love getting my haircut, I don’t know why; it’s just a thing. Maybe it’s the carefree chitchat, maybe it’s the relaxing head massage/shampoo, maybe it’s simply that my hair never looks better than that moment you walk out of a barbers, fresh and clean.

Ruffians founder, Andrew Cannon, created the salon in 2012 out of personal frustrations at the level of quality and experience available for men in barbers and salons. This is something I couldn’t agree with more and it was great talking to Andrew about it. It occurs too often, that men are given the short end of the stick in the hairdressing world. The smokescreen of the £8 men’s haircut down the local deludes us, and leaves us with often poor quality cuts that are bashed out in around 20 minutes – I can’t tell you how much I long for the days when these places die off. You wear your hair every day of your life (until you lose it, obvs); don’t you think it deserves a little better care?

The flip side to the above is that when you do get the companies who offer a better, tailored men’s service, including a decent 45-minute plus cut, you are overwhelmed in an inherently feminine environment.

This is where Ruffians has found its niche, and an eagerly awaiting target market. Ruffians is cool and masculine without being intimidating, it’s also inviting and homely without feeling too fussy. The layout feels like classic barbers but with a modern finish. The blend of old school Belmont barber chairs and modern lighting complement each other nicely.

During my visit, I got to experience the cutthroat shave while my friend Seb had his hair cut. It was a great experience. My barber Steven talked me through every step and told me about the products used - SIDE NOTE: Ruffians uses all of their own, unique products, designed especially for use on men’s hair and skin. All are available to buy.

The shave was great, I am such a fan of this style of shaving and it’s something I really want to learn for myself one day. My beard looked sharp and my skin great – the multiple hot towels, creams, cleansers and a final cold towel her super indulgent and the level of effort I wish I had time for every day!

Check out the photos from my visit below.

Today we learnt the sad news that poet, writer, and civil activist, Maya Angelou has died.

This post is a little left field of my usual content, but this something personal to me I wanted to share. Maya Angelou was a phenomenal woman and writer, he ability with the spoken and written word never ceased to stop me in my tracks. I can even remember the first time her work came into my life, but it was during my GCSEs at school and the work was her poem Still I Rise.

It is a magnificent poem, that is filled with defiant imagery, urging a never-ending battle with oppression and negativity with grace and pride as your weapons. The poem covers slavery and sexism with the occurring question of what is offending the recipient of the verse. “Does my sassiness upset you?” “Does my haughtiness offend you?” and “Does my sexiness offend you?” she asks. It’s so provocative, and after reading more about her story it just becomes filled with inspiring strength. 

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise. I rise.

With the loss of Maya Angelou, the world has lost unmatched wisdom. Over the years she has shared some globally quoted sayings, many which are so relatable to us all. Spoken with a voice that is full of sorrow, joy, pain and strength. Here are some of my favourites:

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.”

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.”

“Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.”

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”‘

“It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”

She was a giant on whose shoulders many people have been able to stand and achieve greatness.

R.I.P. Maya Aneglou

For this week’s Groomed I review the REINVENT Leave In Conditioner.

Like many men, I can’t deal with a lot of fuss; I like to keep things simple. This extends to most areas of my life, including hair care. I have often found it amazing how the opposite sex can spend so much time putting in countless products for different aims – when you add in all of the ‘leave in for X minutes’ together, you’re pretty much finished for the day.
This is why I’m loving REINVENT’s new Leave In Conditioner. Taking out the hassle of waiting and rinsing, you simply apply the conditioner to shampooed and towel-dried hair.
It’s packed with hair care features, it soothes, conditions, protects and enhances colour.

“REINVENT Leave-in Conditioner provides optimum moisture and serves as a shield to restore and protect treated hair, leaving it flexible, easy to style and maintain.”

Work REINVENT through to the roots and you’re done. You can then blow dry it in and style your hair as desired. I tend to use it of an evening and leave it in to dry naturally if I’m not going back out.
REINVENT is part of the Nanokeratin System family, a scientifically proven micro size molecular hair repair and enhancement system. Offering innovative hair care for the modern man or woman, the system has solutions for hair in any state and you can visit the site and take a simple test to help guide you to the right products.

REINVENT is available at salons across the country for around £25. Check out the website for your nearest stockist.