Grooming and Hygiene
-
I recently started using a Merkur Futur, and I must say, I'm impressed. For as long as I can remember, it was a $200 razor, so when I saw it on amazon for $50, I pounced on it. It's a really beautiful piece of functional art.
Additionally, I've fallen into a rabbit-hole of Oud out here in the Middle East. Is anyone else into Oud? Specifically the oud oil perfumes? Any favorites?
-
I've heard about the Tom Ford, and I'll check it out, but I'm seeking the real Oud oil. I'm talking about the stuff that you dab on a little drop and it lasts all day. Here's an artisan that distills his own Oud from Agarwood https://ensaroud.com/category/wood-resin/6 , but there are some commercial varieties available as well that are supposed to be very good as well. Ajmal is on of them http://www.ajmalperfume.com/
-
For the bearded ones I highly recommend the Brio Beardscape trimmer. I thought there was a beard products thread around here somewhere but can't find it now so I'm posting this here.
https://www.brio4life.com/products/beardscape-beard-and-hair-trimmer
Best beard trimmer I have found.
-
Just picked up a pre owned Feather AS-D2. Owned the first version for a little while but moved it on. Thought I should try the second version. Looking forward to trying it out.
Saponificio Varesino anniversary soap is a current favourite. Proraso pre and post shave cream / balm are still hard to beat.
Speaking of scents I have been using one called French Lover by Frederick Malle. Dodgy name but a great smelling fragrance, I believe it is oil based so lasts a while on the skin? Prefer it to Aventus which has been another favourite.
-
Came across this razor via The Holy Black website lastnite. I don't need another DE razor but I kinda like this murdered out look. They sell a bunch of other stuff like pomades, shaving creams, tees, etc.
-
Just started a new hair style for myself and did some testing on hair styling products. These two Clay/Waxes are absolutely phenomenal products! I like a matte or natural stromg and long hold. Made in the USA and England.
-
Nice! Mines is Aveda grooming clay after rubbing my face and scalp with one of their oils. Used this combo for probably 10 years. The dryness out here isn't an issue at all with the oil.
-
Layrite makes a solid product all around for the price. I prefer them over Suavecito in that price range. My personal favorites are the Natural Matte Cream and their Grooming Spray. Love the smell of Layrite products as well.
Layrite also has a cool story to it and the founder is quite the polarizing character (Donnie Hawley). Some credit him with keeping barbershops and the tradition/craft of barbering alive in the US as it was almost phased out with the boom of unisex "salon" chains in I believe the late 80's to 90's (GreatClips, Supercuts, etc..). They actually were going to film a documentary about Donnie Hawley called "It Ain't No Shear Luck" but I don't know what happened with it.
He's been the subject of some controversy as he does not give haircuts to women and I believe he may not even let them in the barbershop or if he does he has a separate section for them where they can wait for their man to get a cut. His theory is that barbershops are only for men and it should be a place for them to get away, have a beer, bull shit, and get a hair cut without women being around. He was also sued by a transgender man because he denied him service but I believe they settled out of court.
EDIT Also, I could be wrong on this but I believe Layrite (Donnie Hawley) was the first company to produce/invent a water based pomade which changed the grooming game. Pomades were traditionally made with a petroleum base before that and left a greasy residue (hence the term greaser), were hard to wash out, and would muck up a barbers grooming tools. Water based pomades can wash out easily with water but still give you the benefits of a traditional pomade for the most part.
-
@Jordonf9 I'm not sure what length you keep your hair at and what style you are rockin but if you like a matte finish with high hold I would also recommend Hanz De Fuko Claymation. It's a great product.
Arcadian Clay Pomade is also a good one for that style of product.
You can't go wrong with Layrite but if you want to try some other options I recommend those two.
-
@tmg:
@seawolf Tom Ford Tobacco Oud or Oud Wood are worth seeking out
I just saw this post (a year later) and I second the Tom Ford Oud Wood recommendation. That shit is amazeballs. It's probably the only scent I have in my collection where every time I smell it I have a "omg this smells fucking good" reaction like I'm smelling it for the first time. Love it…highly recommend.
Tom Ford Ombre Leather is also a great one but not for everyone.
I might have to start a cologne thread if there isn't one buried here somewhere already.
-
I'm a big advocate of Maison Francis Kurkdjian's scents; Masculin Pluriel, the Oud series, Baccarat Rouge 540, Grand Soir, Absolue Pour le Soir and Acqua Universalis are all top class.
Unless I'm sorely mistaken, @Mustafa911 is another fan of MFK's.
-
Unpopular opinion: The only cologne I've been able to tolerate is Terre d'Hermes, which sits in my closet probably going rancid by now. So many of them are too feminine, floral, citric, or otherwise objectionable to me, but I found it to be an unobtrusive, masculine, and pleasant scent. Then I realized that Eau de Nothing is an unobtrusive, masculine, and pleasant scent, and unlikely to offend anyone–anyone who has been stuck in an enclosed space with someone who overdid a cloying fragrance understands how unpleasant that can be!
Brandi is especially sensitive to scents (certain esters can trigger serious migraines--riding in Ubers with terrible air fresheners can take her out of commission for the evening), but I found myself losing interest in adding smells to me before we met. She doesn't mind Terre d'Hermes if I felt the need to wear it.
The foreign scents that I do carry come from mild sandalwood soaps my friends make, whatever lingers of my shampoo and conditioner, the aforementioned Aveda items, and occasionally shave soap (I use the aforementioned Aveda oil in lieu of aftershave).
-
I'm a big advocate of Maison Francis Kurkdjian's scents; Masculin Pluriel, the Oud series, Baccarat Rouge 540, Grand Soir, Absolue Pour le Soir and Acqua Universalis are all top class.
Unless I'm sorely mistaken, @Mustafa911 is another fan of MFK's.
Yes I am
I have roughly 70 bottles of niche colognes . MFK Oud is a master piece.
I liked MFK APLS , Oud, oud satin mood. Satin mood is sexy and compliment getter . Just any cologne you have to wear few times before
You started to like more . You can’t disowned beautiful fragrance because of one wear /dislike.Tom Ford Tobacco Oud , noir d noir are good. Amber absolute is my favorite but sadly discontinued. TF Oud Wood is ok and western take on Oud .
If you you guys want one nice fragrance that is beautiful cold weather , try Profumum ambra aurea . Amazing amazing potent and beautiful fragrance . One 100ml bottle will last you a life time because you only need one spray of the goodness
I must spray ambra aurea today !!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Oud and Oud Satin Mood are my favorites of the series as well and I prefer the extraits to the edps.
Alongside MFK, Histoires de Parfums is my other go-to fragrance house. I'm wearing 1740 Marquis de Sade right now and I'm convinced that non-oudy, masculine, mysterious winter scents don't get much better than this.
I think TF's Amber Absolute is being reintroduced… In the meantime, MFK's Grand Soir and HdP's Ambre 114 are other solid ambers.
-
I have only sampled one MFK fragrance (pluriel masculin)…. it was definitely quality and I did really love it. I've held off on purchasing a bottle only because for a barbershop fragrance there are plenty of designer options at a much lower price that do damn near just as well. Like I said though, definitely blended well and absolute quality. I definitely want to sample BR 540 as well.
Oud is probably a less tolerable fragrance to the masses in the western world than it is in other parts but TF Oud Wood is a very wearable Oud fragrance. I just love the stuff.
Tom Ford actually just released a new fragrance from his private blends line, Beau De Jour. Interested to give that one a shot.
-
I'm a sucker for a good barbershop fragrance though so I'll probably end up getting a bottle of MFK Pluriel Masculin.
-
I'm a sucker for a good barbershop fragrance though so I'll probably end up getting a bottle of MFK Pluriel Masculin.
Yeah. Like you said, barbershop frags are ubiquitous but I haven’t got my nose on anything quite like Pluriel Masculin… It’s really versatile too.
For US-based folks, kindly notice that MFK’s products are almost always the cheapest when purchased from the international version of the house’s own webstore. Their samples are very affordable there too.
-
I'm a sucker for a good barbershop fragrance though so I'll probably end up getting a bottle of MFK Pluriel Masculin.
Yeah. Like you said, barbershop frags are ubiquitous but I haven’t got my nose on anything quite like Pluriel Masculin… It’s really versatile too.
For US-based folks, kindly notice that MFK’s products are almost always the cheapest when purchased from the international version of the house’s own webstore. Their samples are very affordable there too.
Definitely agree. It almost feels a little unfair to label it a barbershop scent cause that might give the impression it's "generic" in a sense, but at the same time it definitely has that barbershop scent to it (which isn't a bad thing at all to me but may be to some) but it most certainly is next level/top shelf barbershop.
-
Thanks guys. @manufc10 I have a tub of Claymation coming tomorrow, so we shall see how good it is to me.
I think I am going to document each clay, wax or pomade I have, document, take pictures freshly applied and after a full day(like The Pomp does). Right now my hair is short as I just got a new style. I do have thin hair, so doesn't take too much right now, but still notice differences.
