THE MEN’S ROOM: Body Lotion for Dudes

By Mark Reed

Cold. Harsh winds. And my God, the storms we’ve had in the last few weeks… It’s not been a bumper month for the city.

It’s a harsh time of year for skin too. And, as guys… Well, you can’t just buy Olay, or Ponds. Well you could, I mean, we live in an enlightened world, right? But I have my limits. Buying a feminine body lotion wouldn’t be so much “crossing the rubicon” as it would be “flying a space shuttle over the rubicon and heading out towards Alpha Centauri” for me.

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So it’s a good thing that Palmer’s have turned up with a body and face lotion for men. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula for Men is also different to many existing men’s products in the field, because… it smells. Which guy’s products generally don’t do. And cocoa… that’s chocolate.  But the result is surprising, pleasant, and one I keep coming back to. The cocoa actually manifests as a rich, dark, and quite masculine scent. Masculine, and yet strangely subtle and gentle too: It’s certainly not going to offend anyone’s nose.

‘The Beauty Night’ and why you must schedule one

By Tammi Ireland

Ladies, you have to agree with me there is nothing better than feeling sexy, confident and beautiful – just for you.  But how do you get that way if you’ve worked three different deadlines in a row, felt sick from lunch and been told some horrible news?  You schedule it!  Just like your dentist appointment or meeting your superiors, this is important, too.  Once a week is all I ask, and I’ll explain why it’s so great right now…

Tonight was my ‘Beauty Night’.  I try to schedule one a week or – failing that – one a fortnight.  On ‘Beauty Night’ everything gets done. And I mean everything.  Here’s my ‘To Do’ list…

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Obviously there’s no way I could (nor should) do all these on a daily basis, so scheduling one night a week to check everything off the list is not only a great idea, but also something to look forward to.  Because you feel AMAZING afterwards.

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It’s all in the products you use – ‘Beauty Night’ is not the night to skimp on products. On ‘Beauty Night’ it’s the best of the best.  Here are my must haves, working down the ‘To Do’ list:

Natural Body Scrubs – Not All Are Built Equal

By Tammi Ireland

Body scrubs are one of those products that you don’t really need, and which can all be a bit same-same.  They exfoliate (so does shower gel with a loofah) and they wash off anyway, so why spend big, right?  Well, I had to eat my words when I tried Burt’s Bees Honey & Shea Sugar Scrub (RRP$29.95) because the experience and the results were amazing.

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The first thing I noticed when I opened the Burt’s Bees Sugar Scrub tub is just how thick the product is – you literally have to dig down and then scoop out the scrub.  Next, I notice the texture – not too granular (read: not painful to use). Check and check!

The Men’s Room: Natural Skincare

By Mark Reed

The Franc Essentials Sample Set is, for a man at least, perhaps a little too much. It’s five steps, it takes a while. And… it’s too effective. Your skin feels completely different after even the first experience. It’s certainly not an every day process. However…. Hungover on a Sunday morning after a big night? Not feeling fresh? This might be the perfect antidote. I mean, I’d still have the bacon and egg breakfast too, but this will definitely help.

 

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Cleanse is first. I only required a small amount. Massaged in, it felt like it did it’s work, without being harsh on the skin: I don’t think I’ve tried anything that felt so natural before, organic; As if it was mixed from ingredients straight out of the backyard. The natural oils and seeds, and the appealing but asexual scent they give off are surprisingly relaxing.

The Exfoliate is next, and again, the effect is staggering: The natural ingredients really go to work, and you can spend a couple of minutes massaging them into the face in the shower if you don’t watch yourself: For all Franc’s stressing of their natural organic designs, it’s probably not great news for our dam levels. Oh well… If you’re only doing it on a Sunday morning….

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Adult Acne – No One Wants It

By Tammi Ireland

Three months ago, my skin decided to revolt against the relative-perfection it had provided me throughout my life and burst out with adult acne on my forehead.  Goodbye top knots, hello Cousin Itt hair waves to cover anything above my eyebrows. But I love my top knot and acne at this age just.won’t.do.

Cue frantic search for any possible clearing agents.

Don't do this. Ever.

While I quickly eliminated the (already minimal) breakout-inducing foods from my diet, I looked into the best topical product to reduce redness and bumps.  PHYT’S Certified Organic Skincare came to the rescue with their Creme S (RRP $71).  Specially formulated with sulphur for breakouts along the forehead and temples, Creme S smells like it works (read: not like flowers) and that’s because it does.

The Men’s Room: Eau So Good

By Mark Reed

Eau Thermale Avene. I’ll admit, compared to previous product reviews I’ve carried out, it’s not the most masculine sounding stuff in the world.

Frilly name aside, all you need to know is this:  Once you try their Men’s Care for Sensitive Skin Range, you will never go back. This will be a review rich in hyperbole. 

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I used the Sensitive Skin Shaving Foam and the Sensitive Skin After Shave Balm. The Shaving Foam is perfect. The can is perfectly constructed. The nozzle is a work of engineering genius that wouldn’t be out of place in Formula 1- No post spray dribble! How did they do that? Who are these people? Why aren’t they designing hover cars for us all?

The Men’s Room: It came from…. NEW ZEALAND!!!

By Mark Reed

New Zealand. A land only accessible via a wardrobe, a kingdom ruled by a lion. This mystical, make believe land has captivated us for as far back as I can remember. Which is last Tuesday.

Kiwi outfit The Aromatherapy Company, however are very real. Their line of Men’s products, MAN, is VERY REAL. So real it quite literally hurts.

I had three products to test: Their Facial Scrub; Their Shaving Cream; and their Aftershave Balm. The packaging is man sized. Even the design font is man sized. Subtle this ain’t.

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Mother’s Day

By Tammi Ireland

Hugs!

Dear Mum,

I love you lots.  I know you’re sometimes stressed with work and rarely have time to yourself, taking care of the household and all.  That’s why – this mother’s day – I present you with a gift that will calm your nerves, smooth your weary (but beautiful!) skin and make your bathroom and self smell delicious… Franc Essential Ultimate Gift Set (RRP$229).

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Featuring the best-selling Franc Exfoliate and my personal fave Franc Balancing Mist (in your choice of rose oil or lemongrass), it’s truly the ultimate present for you this mother’s day!  It also comes with the Franc Cleanse, Verve, Serum and Moisturiser (so you’ll never know I saved $44)!

Love and kisses (on your yummy-smelling, smooth face),

Tammi Xx

P.S. Other Mother’s Day specials from Franc include a buy one get one free offer (same sets) when you purchase either the Franc Essential Absolut, Travel or Ultimate Gift Sets!  See here for more.

pics: We Heart It + supplied

How to Fake Fresh, Luminous Skin

There is nothing worse than those days (often Mondays, like today) when you feel off your game.  You feel dull, lifeless and really tired and sometimes you look that way, too.  As luck of the universe would have it, these are the days of your first date/job interview/meet the in-laws/(insert already nerve-wracking event here) and the last thing you need is a dull complexion. Today, luck is on your side, as I’ve compiled a quick list of the best ways to get a sparkling, luminous complexion that will trick strangers into thinking you’re a supermodel.

You could look like this...

Step 1 – Prep.

As with any killer makeup, it’s important to prep your skin to look amazing.  The best way to be on your way to bright skin is to slough away all the dead skin you already have.

It Makes Sense to Clean Your Face This Way

When reviewing these products, I got to thinking about Organic and natural skin care.  Before I got into beauty writing, as a young teen, I would scoff at the idea of an organic product doing anything productive to my skin.  I mean, weren’t the chemicals what worked to cleanse deeply and give me that tingling, tight feeling?

Beautiful, natural skin.

Well, I’ve since learned that tingling, tight feeling shouldn’t be lusted after.  Tight skins means the pH levels have been interupted.  That’s no good.  So, really it makes sense to clean your face, i.e. remove all impurities that are makeup, with products that are natural and don’t add more chemicals to the mix.