Menswear Product Of The Week Another Embroidered Shirt
This new season shirt has already been trolling me around social media. It's got something of the Bode vibes, which is all good, and from what I'm seeing looks even better on. You can't have enough embroidery atm.
Wear it open, over a vest, or closed with wide trousers à la King & Tuckfield.
Left & Below - Nanuska - Bodil Camp-Collar Embroidered Woven Shirt - £565 from MRPORTER
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Tried & Tested Indie Lee
In 2008, brand Founder Indie Lee experienced a health crisis that led to a general lifestyle re-evaluation, and that included looking at what she was putting on her skin (after learning that up to 60% of what we apply to our skin may be absorbed in as little as 26 seconds). Sourcing the world's finest ingredients and formulating with the help of leading, like-minded chemists, Indie Lee & Co. intrinsically blends nature and science and utilises alternative ingredient solutions to bring the most efficacious products to market without sacrificing safety.
TheChicGeek says, “I asked for the most male facing products to try and was recommended to try the Active Oil-Free Moisturizer, Banish Solution and Brightening Cleanser. I tried all three and overall impressions are; this is a quality range, all beautifully packaged.
"The Brightening Cleanser is a fine, fruity smelling gel-like cleanser perfect for the shower, the oil-free moisturiser is a non-greasy yet rich daily moisturiser - just needs an SPF - containing daisy and vitamin C-rich mandarin extracts helping to improve the complexion while milk thistle and pomegranate provide antioxidant benefits. Jasmine, great burdock and immortel flowers provide lightweight hydration - my skin looked healthy and nourished - and the Banish Solution is a thick, pinkish and talc-free solution, applied with a cotton bud, containing colloidal sulfur and salicylic acid working to draw out impurities and absorb excess oil while zinc oxide nourishes skin to alleviate dryness. This was perfect for putting onto spots and blemishes - remember to remove after drying before leaving the house! - and it really dried out and shortened the life span of any spots or acne. I enjoyed this range and looked forward to using it. ChicGeek Recommends."
Left - Indie Lee - Active Oil-Free Moisturizer - £47, Banish Solution - £20, Brightening Cleanser - £34
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Tried & Tested AKT Deodorant
Founded by actors Andy Coxon and Ed Currie, who took AKT-ion launching their very own (now award-winning) natural deodorant brand when the West End industry was shut down in 2020.
Dedicating three years to research, development and formulation, collaborating with leading experts in fragrance and cosmetic science, with exacting standards and a whole heap of creativity, Andy and Ed immersed themselves into the world of deodorant. The diligent duo created an all-vegan, gender-neutral, natural, plastic-free deodorant brand - that is tested on performers, not animals.
The AKT London range currently consists of three natural deodorant balms – SC. 01 ORANGE GROVE, SC. 02 AFTER THUNDER and SC. 03 The ONSEN – as well as THE APPLICATOR and THE ASSISTANT tools.
TheChicGeek says, “A few of us - meaning me - got out of the habit of daily deodorant during lockdown and WFH. If anything is going to get you back in to it, and fill you with confidence, this is it. The brass applicator is a bit of an indulgent faff, but it certainly nice to handle and look at.
”I tried The Onsen, which features vetiver, lavandin and citrus, which all smell delicious. A pea-sized amount for each armpit is sufficient and this really does last all day. You almost don’t need anything other fragrance when wearing this. 'The Assistant could easily be used on all your tubed products.”
Left & Below - AKT - Deodorant Balm - SC.03 The Onsen, £19, The Applicator - £26, The Assistant - £9
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Film Get The Look Elvis
A little less conversation, a little more action, please. This could, of course, be my epitaph, but on a week the Elvis film comes out, it’s time to look back and see how we can bring his 50s - when he was young and fit - feeling into our late summer wardrobes. Only fools rush in, but (hopefully) you can't help falling in love with...
Left - Austin Butler as Elvis in Elvis
Below - Diesel - L-KARIN Leather Jacket - £995
Right - Bershka - Faux Leather Trousers in Black - £35.99 from ASOS
Left - RM Williams - Santa Fe Boot - £375
Left - 1950's Elvis bowling us over!
Below - Scotch & Soda - Elvis Short-sleeved Shirt - £101.50
Below - Human Made - Heart Aloha Shirt - £219 from End Clothing
Left - Hello-ah Elvis!
Left - Superdry - Vintage Hawaiian Shirt - £39.99
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Return of the Ringer (Tee)
Dead ringer? I think not. The ringer T-shirt - those tees with matching piping around the arm and neck - have bounced back continually since their inception in the 1970s. From Stranger Things-like 80s revivals to 90s Britpop, the ringer T-shirt is back.
Left - Karl Lagerfeld X Alled Martinez - Ringer T-Shirt - £119
Thanks to a new collab. with Barcelona based designer Alled Martinez and Karl Lagerfeld, who has professed his love of the ringer T-shirt and emblazoned them with 'Team Karl'. He manages to balance a new feel of sexy and cute.
Gucci had them all over their latest adidas drop which taps into adidas' Originals heritage, while there are numerous designs out there or simply opt for plain.
If you want to get in on the trend, but with a minimal outlay, look on eBay where you can pick up plain ringer tees in a multitude of colours for around a fiver. It looks great on most body shapes and gives better definition to your arms while offering a retro edge.
More...
Menswear Product Of The Week The Koi Carp Hoodie
Forget adidas x Gucci. £480 for a cotton T-shirt? No, thanks. If you want fun and beautiful sportswear look to the latest collab. with Percival and Champion.
Percival has taken Champion’s classic sweats, hoodies and Tees and put its usual whimsical spin on it. Fungi, shamanic boogies, amethyst and chrysoberyl, wild flowers, bonsai trees, knotted snakes, entomology collections and, lastly, swirling koi carp are all beautifully and delicately embroidered. Seriously champion.
Left & Below - Champion and Percival - Koi Carp Hoodie - £109
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The Men's Guide to Self-Tanning
If you're feeling inspired by Love Island remember fake tanning is much safer than tanning in the sun. Men are 3x more likely to get melanoma than women, so if you want to be brown make sure it comes out of a bottle.
Over a quarter of British men aged 16–24 have already tried self-tanning, so you’re in great company. Whether you’re looking to get beach ready or to give yourself an added confidence boost, a self-tan may be the best way forward.
Follow the step-by-step guide to achieve that even, golden glow.
Moisturise: get into the habit early
For the smoothest tan application, it’s best to moisturise regularly in the build-up to your tanning session. That goes for your face and your body – but it’s best to use separate products for each. Facial moisturisers are formulated to address your specific skin concerns, like oiliness or acne, while body lotions tend to be a bit too heavy for the face and can make you break out.
We recommend moisturising your face twice a day, every day, after you wash it. For your body, apply a body lotion all over every day after you’ve showered or bathed.
Trim: 24 hours before you tan
Top tip – if you shave your facial hair, make sure you do it before you apply your self-tan. This is crucial, as it means your tanning product – whether you go for a clear tanning water or a mousse – sticks to your skin properly.
Shaving 24 hours before tanning is the optimum time. But if you’ve got a last-minute night out you need to tan for, don’t worry – you can still tan even if you’ve just shaved.
Exfoliate: 24 hours before you tan
Exfoliating your face and body is the next step. If you’re new to exfoliating, don’t panic – it’s really straightforward. Men's skin is thicker than women’s skin, which means it can be a bit rougher in texture too. That’s why it’s so important to remove any dead skin, which can turn a different colour to the rest of your skin when you’re tanning, resulting in an uneven colour.
To exfoliate, you can use a body scrub with physical grains that’ll slough off that dead skin. Chemical exfoliants, meanwhile use skincare ingredients such as salicylic acid, lactic acid, and glycolic acid to get rid of dead skin on the surface of your skin and in your pores for smooth, soft skin that’s ready to be tanned. The latter is better for your face because scrubs can damage the more sensitive skin there.
After exfoliating, make sure you moisturise again and pay close attention to your hands, elbows, knees, and feet. These can be tricky areas to tan because the skin is even tougher here. This softens up these extra-tough areas even more for easier application and adhesion.
Dry and protect: immediately before tanning
Reduce potential streaking when you apply your tan by completely drying your body hair, stubble, hairline, and skin completely. Then, apply a thin coating of lip balm or Vaseline on your nails, eyebrows, and hairline to prevent the tan from staining or leaving weird streaks around these areas.
Apply your tan
Now it’s time for application. For sprays, apply a single, light coating all over your body from an arm’s length distance using a soft, circular motion. Once applied, take a dry towel and gently pat away any excess build-up on stubble or around your hairline.
When using mousse, a tanning mitt is the easiest way to apply the product without staining your hands. The ideal amount for a first coat is three pumps for each section of the body. After applying, use a clean, soft-textured face cloth over any hairier areas of the body to avoid any build-up at the hair follicles and to prevent the hair from changing colour.
The trick to successful self-tanning is that less is more. Start small and work your way up to a deeper tan. You can even build up a deeper tan over the course of a few days if you’re brand new to it and you want to take it slow. A bonus here is that you’ll look like you’re bronzing more naturally!
Source Tan-Luxe
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