SURF’S UP!

Eagle-eyed visitors to this site will have noticed something a bit different about Mankind of late. No, not the sleek new design or plethora of new features – it’s the addition of, er, me! Yes, Mankind now has its very own Grooming Editor.  Having written about male grooming for over eight years for newspapers and mags and having appeared on countless TV and radio programmes discussing the merits of moisturiser (hey, it’s a living, ok?) I’m now your eyes and ears on all things grooming (check out my ed’s picks for starters).

And I’m especially thrilled to have joined Mankind right now because when it comes to male grooming, the internet really is where it’s all happening. In fact, according to market research company Mintel a quarter of men now shop for their toiletries online. This is probably for reasons you know only too well: shopping online is fast, efficient and cost-effective, as well as a lot of fun at times. But the research suggests another reason why an increasing number of men are surfing for skincare: the conspicuous absence of sales assistants. In fact, the Mintel research reveals that over half of us hate buying products from consultants in department stores.

I can’t say this comes as much of a shock to me. Earlier this week I thought I’d see what it’s like for the average male consumer to buy a moisturiser and headed for the counter of a leading premium brand in a major department store. Frankly, Captain Willard’s journey in Apocalypse Now was less of a challenge. You know what’s it’s like - just when you think you’ve managed to navigate the endless barstool makeovers and nail technicians, the cosmetic world unleashes its most devastating weapon: the fragrance-welding Fembot – orange, lethal and administering fragrance in the way most people administer Mace. Oh! (or should that be Eau?) the horror! The horror! It’s usually at this stage that I simple up tail and leg it before I’m permanently blinded by Hugo Boss.

My point is, I work in the industry, and if buying a grooming product in a department store scares the living daylights out of me how must everyone else feel?  Thank God, then, for the internet (and yes, sites like this) where you can simply find what you want, pay for it and then get on with more important things like, er, life. Mankind, of course, was way ahead of the pack in realising that men have better things to do than shop (golf being one of them) and in realising that online is also where men want to get their grooming information from too.

But whether you’re here to discover how to apply a concealer, find a product to beat blackheads ore are merely hunting down some new blades for your razor you’ve certainly come to the right place. What’s more, by shopping online you’re at the forefront of the new grooming revolution. And if that isn’t enough, I read in the The Sunday Times last weekend that surfing the web can actually act improve your brain, enhancing your ability to make snap decisions. Hell, look at it this way - ten minutes spent on Mankind is practically a mental workout!

Suave, Cool and Stylish (And that’s before Humiecki & Graef!)

I was handed another fragrance today from a company I’ve never heard of - Humiecki & Graef. Now you probably know as well as I do that there are thousands of fragrances out there and most of us probably stick to our safety smells (CK, Davidoff etc etc). That’s the beautiful thing about working at Mankind, I have managed to realise that smelling the same as everyone else is definitely not the way to get noticed!

So, onto the new fragrance. It’s called Askew and, as with most of the new fragrances I smell, I wasn’t too sure at first. After spraying it and continually smelling it for about an hour I absolutely love it. It’s started to remind me of walking into up market bars in London when you get the distinct smell of class and perfection. You know that the people there understand fashion and want to look and smell good. They don’t want run of the mill fragrances, they want something that stands out and almost tramples on the typical ’safety smells’ that you buy in superdrug. Humiecki & Greaf Askew is definitely a distinctive fragrance. It would definitely help you stand out in a crowd.

I had a look at the Humiecki & Graef website to find out more about the company and they have an interesting concept. The fragrances are inspired by emotions and the two founders’ grandmothers and the experiences they passed down through the years. They have tried to keep them unique by having the bottles hand filled and caps hand stamped with the logo. It’s an interesting read - www.humieckiandgraef.com.

So, if you’re looking for something a little bit different and are willing to take a bit of a risk then I would recommend having a look at the Humiecki & Graef range, specially Askew! If anyone has tried these fragrances then let me know what you thought of them.

Win a Bond Makeover worth £15,000!!

I’ve worked in a few companies that have run competitions I couldn’t enter due to being an employee. Most of these have gone straight over my head but this time I’m upset. I want to look like James Bond!

Mankind are basically going to give away an experience that normally only sits with Royalty, Investment Bankers (until recently) and, of course, James Bond himself. The winner and two of his friends will be ferried around in a Phantom Rolls Royce, starting at the iconic No 11 hotel -
 www.number-eleven.co.uk– where they will be staying the night. From here they will head to Oliver Spencer for their own tailor made suits (I’ll stick with Slaters for the minute!!). Then it’s off to get a pair of Church’s shoes, a tailored Turnbull & Asser Shirt and a Swaine Adeney Brigg suitcase and umbrella. Once the shopping is finished the winner and friends head to the Nickel Spa in Covent Garden for treatments and then receive a grooming set from Mankind to continue their newly found style. The evening will be finished with a photo shoot, dining and martini cocktails back at No 11 London.

Now that is the sort of prize I would like to win! It’s something that I probably wouldn’t actually do for myself (or be able to afford!). As you’re probably not a Mankind employee you are more than welcome to enter. Just visit www.bondmakeover.com for more info on the prizes and details on how to get involved. Good luck!!