MAISON MARGIELA - UNDER THE LEMON TREES

August 08, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

Maison Margiela Replica fragrances are all created to evoke images, impressions and emotions of those memories that we have perhaps long forgotten about. A fragrance that reminds you of a certain time in your life, or perhaps a certain somebody that you knew/know of! For this Summer season, I have been wearing their newly released - Under The Lemon Trees which is a fragrance that is sharp, fresh and incredibly citrusy!

MAISON MARGIELA - UNDER THE LEMON TREES

Top Notes: Lime, Petitgrain, Cardamom
Middle Notes: Coriander, Mate, Green Tea
Base Notes: Cedar, Rock Rose, White Musk

The opening of Under The Lemon Trees begins with a sharp and tart blast of the citrusy notes which at first is a little overwhelming but soon fades away into a fresher, more green scent. As the fragrance became more ‘green’ the fragrance then transported me to a hot climate, somewhere where the grass has been freshly cut with the sweet undertones of the citrus in the air.

Under the Lemon Trees is a fragrance that feels light and airy, yet has that warmth to it which adds more depth to a otherwise clean scent! The dry-down began around 1 hour into the fragrances performance and I found that the fragrance as a whole lasted up to 3-4 hours on my skin. A little disappointing, but Under The Trees is an Eau De Toilette so it was to be expected. In terms of its silage, the fragrance starts off with a medium-light silage but very quickly becomes lighter. Perhaps ideal for daytime wear!

If you are a fan of sharp, citrusy fragrances that feel fresh yet with added layers, then I would recommend trying Under The Lemon Trees! To find out more and to purchase, click here.

Be sure to read my other reviews on Maison Margiela: Replica fragrances below -

By The Fireplace | Filters | Gender Anonymous | Jazz Club Candle

Have you smelt Under The Lemon Trees before? If so, what are your thoughts? Have you smelt any Maison Margiela fragrances? Which ones? Any favourites? Let me know below as I would love to hear from you and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

SUMMER 2019 MENS LOOKBOOK

July 24, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

I recently met up with the incredible Sophia Carey who I have worked with previously and I wanted to create a Summer 2019 Mens LookBook that was a little ‘boho’ but still very true to my style!

We met on the rooftop of a building in Manchester and I am thoroughly pleased with the results! Let me know what you guys think below.

WHAT I WORE:

ZARA | SUEDE JACKET (BOUGHT A FEW YEARS AGO)

ASOS | REGULAR FIT OVERHEAD WHITE SHIRT IN CRINKLE VISCOSE

(I AM WEARING SIZE XS IN THIS SHOOT AND IT WAS HUGE!!)

ASOS | SUPER SKINNY CROPPED SMART TROUSERS IN BLACK

ASOS | PORK PIE HAT IN BLACK WITH DIAMOND CROWN

JEFFERY WEST | MARTINI JA32 ‘IBIZA’ LOAFER

TOM FORD - LAVENDER EXTREME

July 23, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

Tom Ford’s Lavender Extreme is fresh, creamy and bold. The bottle itself is worth a nod at too!

Top Notes: Lemon, Violet
Middle Notes: Lavender, Geranium, Rose, Cinnamon
Base Notes: Coumarin, Tonka Bean

I first came across Lavender Extreme in John Lewis and what initially drew me to the fragrance (regardless of the fact it was Tom Ford’s latest scent), was the bottle. The fragrance Lavender Extreme is encased in a beautiful, glass mirrored bottle that screams out luxury! But, I digress, let’s get back to the fragrance itself.

Lavender Extreme begins with a bold, sweet blast that at first feels rather overpowering but as the fragrance develops during the dry-down, that sharpness of the Lavender soon gets lost amongst the other notes. The fragrance then becomes much more creamier, almost vanilla-like due to the Tonka Bean note. In my opinion, I think that Lavender Extreme is a beautiful fragrance, however, there is nothing ‘extreme’ about the use of Lavender here…

For me, this is a perfect fragrance for somebody who like me, can only enjoy Lavender in small doses and enjoys rich, creamy scents. The longevity of Lavender Extreme lasted for up to 5-6 hours on my skin and its sillage I found to be placed somewhere between medium to heavy. The opening of Lavender Extreme is definitely the winning point throughout this fragrances performance and I would class this as genderless. Perhaps better worn for an evening setting to really make an entrance!

For more details and to purchase, click here.

Have you smelt Tom Ford - Lavender Extreme before? If so, what are your thoughts? What is your favourite Tom Ford fragrance? Are there any you’d like me to review? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

SUMMER FRAGRANCES 2019

July 22, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

I have put together 6 of my current favourite Summer Fragrances for 2019. Ranging from spicy to aquatic, to green and earthy, to fruity and woody, there is a fragrance to suit your mood throughout the Summer season!

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CREED - AVENTUS COLOGNE

Top Notes: Pineapple, Green Apple, Mint, Ginger, Mandarin Orange, Pink Pepper
Middle Notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver
Base Notes: Musk, Styrax, Birch, Tonka Bean

You may have heard of the iconic Aventus fragrance by Creed before, (I even named this my number 1 fragrance for 2015!) and the latest launch of Aventus Cologne slightly differs from the original in the sense that it is fresher and much more lighter on the skin!

I found that the Aventus Cologne seemed to dry down a lot faster than the original and the projection wasn’t as bold. With that being said, if you are a fan of the original Aventus, then the Aventus Cologne is a great fragrance this Summer if you’re after a lighter take on such an iconic scent!

I would recommend wearing this during a hot Summers day and to purchase and find out more, click here.

ULRICH LANG NEW YORK - APSU

Top Notes: Green Leaves, Coriander, Violet Leaf, Bergamot
Middle Notes: White Tea, Jasmine, Water Lily, Pink Pepper, Iris
Base Notes: White Musk, Cedar, Amber, Olibanum

A unisex fragrance that has a very ‘green’ feel to it with its opening feeling very sharp and spicy. When I say it feels ‘green’ I mean exactly that. It reminds me of freshly cut grass which at this time of year is ideal!

With the fragrance being rather light to give off that fresh scent, unfortunately its sillage is rather weak…

This lasted for up to 2-3 hours on my skin but despite its performance being weak, I still wanted to feature this as if you’re a fan of the ‘freshly cut grass’ scent, then you will enjoy this fragrance!

To purchase, click here.

DIESEL - SPIRIT OF THE BRAVE

Top Notes: Bergamot, Galbanum
Middle Notes: Cypress, Fir
Base Notes: Labdanum, Tonka Bean

A woody, spicy fragrance that has a linear performance throughout. This lasted for up to 5-6 hours on my skin which was rather impressive given that its sillage was medium!

Out of these fragrances, I would say that this is the most ‘safe’ in my opinion. Perhaps better suited to the daytime!

If you enjoy clean, safe fragrances that aren’t too loud, then I would recommend trying out Spirit Of The Brave.

To purchase and find out more, click here!

ESCENTRIC MOLECULES - 03

Top Notes: Ginger, Lime Peel, Peppercorn
Middle Notes: Orris, Egyptian Jasmine, Tea Notes
Base Notes: Vetiver, Sandalwood, Cedar, Mellow Balsams, Musk

Possibly the strongest fragrance within this blog post, 03 by Escentric Molecules is bold, spicy and intoxicating.

The opening begins with a woody, earthy feel that then dries down into a more fresh fragrance and if you like the note ‘Vetiver’ then this is sure to be a winner for you!

The note Vetiver is very strong and remains prominent throughout the fragrances performance.

In terms of longevity, 03 stayed on my skin for up to 6 hours and its sillage is medium to heavy. I would recommend wearing this fragrance on a cool, Summer’s evening!

To find out more and purchase, click here.

MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN PARIS - MASCULIN PLURIEL

Fragrance Notes: Grapefruit, Lemon, Lavender Absolute, Leather Accord, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Vetiver

Masculin Pluriel is a fragrance that is sophisticated, smooth and well rounded!

I’ll be honest, Lavender isn’t one of my favourite scents and I try steer clear from that note in any fragrance however, in this fragrance there is something rather modern about it that gives off a clean feeling.

In terms of its longevity, this is one of the longest lasting fragrances featured! The fragrance lasted for up to 8 hours and left a gorgeous, sweet scent long afterwards.

Its sillage was medium to heavy and I would recommend wearing this on an evening. To purchase, click here.

PENHALIGON’S - BLASTED BLOOM

Top Notes: Wild Berries, Sea Water, Green Leaves
Middle Notes: English Rose, Pink Pepper, Hawthorn
Base Notes: Cedar, Moss, Musk

Blasted Bloom by Penhaligon’s is crisp, tart and clean. This fragrance has a real aquatic vibe that transports me to a beach somewhere!

During the dry-down, Blasted Bloom then becomes slightly woody and its performance remains rather linear.

The longevity of Blasted Bloom lasted for between 4-5 hours and although this is a very light scent, I was rather impressed by its longevity.

Its sillage is light-medium and I would recommend wearing this both during the day for a refreshing boost, or at night on a warm Summer’s evening!

To purchase, click here.

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Have you smelt any of these fragrances listed? If so, which ones? Are there any you would like to try out? Which are your favourite fragrances to wear for the Summer season? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

*Please note, some of these fragrances had been gifted to me.

KIEHL'S AVOCADO NOURISHING HYDRATION MASK

July 15, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

Ahead of Kiehl’s newest product launch: Avocado Nourishing Hydration Mask, I had the privilege of being gifted this to be able to try out!

‘Inspired by freshly picked avocados, this rich and addictively creamy facial mask intensely hydrates skin, leaving it feeling soft and replenished with moisture. Formulated with Avocado Fruit Extract, omega rich Avocado Oil and Evening Primrose Oil, this mask leaves skin feeling nourished whilst helping to prevent water loss by sealing in moisture. For soft, healthy looking skin, our mask is the perfect pick!’

It goes without saying that Avocado seems to be everywhere at the moment, whether it’s on some toast in an Instagram flatlay, whether its crushed into a healthy smoothie, or whether its a main ingredient within a skincare product. Either way, if you haven’t come across Avocado thus far, I’m sure it’ll just be a matter of time before you do!

Prior to applying the mask, I cleansed my face ensuring my skin was clean and then applied a layer of the Avocado Nourishing Hydration Mask. This mask advises you to leave on for 15 minutes, but with any mask, I always feel that you know your skin best so if you need to take it off before the advised time, that’s okay! I would advise you however, to not go over the advised time limit as you don’t want to cause any skin irritations or breakouts.

The texture of the mask was quite thick and dense, so to break this down, I rubbed this into the palms of my hands to create a smooth texture to allow the application to work easier. Once applied, my face felt quite damp and had a green glow. (My family compared me to Shrek at this point!) I then rinsed the mask off after 15 minutes and immediately saw that my skin look refreshed, nourished and felt incredibly soft to touch!

Kiehl’s Avocado Nourishing Hydration Mask is out now and can be purchased here.

Full list of ingredients:

Aqua/Water, Aloe Barbadensis/Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Persea Gratissima Oil/ Avocado Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Shea Butter, Squalane, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil/Rice Bran Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera/Carnauba Wax, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil/Safflower Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Mel/Honey, Nylon-66, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate. Stearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl, Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Citrus Limon Peel Oil/Lemon Peel Oil, Copper PCA, Limonene, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Citral, Beta-Carotene.

To read on more of my reviews of Kiehl’s products, simply click below:

You can also read about the three events that I went to with Kiehl's:

Kiehl's Pure Vitality Launch | Kiehl's On Wheels; Manchester | Kiehl's Boutique Store Opening; Manchester

Have you tried the new Kiehl’s Avocado Nourishing Hydration Mask? If so, what did you think to it? Have you tried any products by Kiehl’s before? Which one? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

GILLETTE - FUSION5 PROGLIDE SUBSCRIPTION KIT

July 08, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

*Please note, this post has been sponsored.

Earlier this year, Gillette launched a much talked about campaign: ‘We Believe: The best we can be.’ This campaign got everybody talking and highlighted so many different stereotypes on the word ‘masculinity’. I perceived this ad as a positive as it showed the world as it is today. Highlighting that those old, stereotypical ways of treating women and how that ‘boys will be boys’ mantra is no longer acceptable!

Whilst I think that there is still a long way to go, what I liked about the ad was that our society and what we should do as a collective is begin to work on changing those old stereotypes to show the younger, new generation on how to behave and what is and isn’t acceptable.

Gillette was one of the first ever shaving products that I used when I was younger and I feel that they play a key part in a teenage boys life whilst growing up! That experience of father and son bonding over how to shave correctly has almost become a ritual for so many.

GILLETTE - FUSION5 PROGLIDE SUBSCRIPTION KIT

I had recently been gifted a subscription kit by Gillette and you can select a kit from 3 options:

Mach3 Starter Kit
Fusion5 Starter Kit
ProGlide Starter Kit

I received the ProGlide Starter Kit and within the neatly packaged blue box contained:

ProGlide handle
2 ProGlide replacement blades
75ml shave gel
Razor travel case

The ProGlide features a 5 bladed razor, indicator lubrastrip, precision trimmer and flexball technology. As I applied the shave gel across my face, I liked that it didn’t feel too harsh when on my skin nor did it cause any skin irritation! I then used the razor across my face and with the flexball technology, this allowed the razor to move freely whilst still having control over it. The handle was sturdy and the razor eliminated most of my facial hair easily!

This subscription kit is ideal for somebody who is looking to take that next step from a classic razor, and wants something a little more sturdy that feels more advanced which delivers great results! The kit is worth £17.37, however, if you select this when signing up for a subscription kit, then it will be worth £6.95 saving you £10.42. It’s a no brainer right?

To sign up and find out more, click here!

Have you tried any razors by Gillette before? If so, which one? Have you tried this Fusion5 ProGlide razor before? What do you think to it? Let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button below!

BOOHOOMAN - PRIDE COLLECTION 2019

July 04, 2019 by Mr Luke Christian

I have been invited along to London Pride this year with the charity, Action On Hearing Loss and not only will it be my first time going to London Pride, I’m also walking with the charity in the parade too! I am so excited for this opportunity and to celebrate, I had recently been gifted some clothing from boohooMAN Pride Collection.

I met up with Matt McCormick and we went to Temple Newsam found in Leeds. I wanted the backdrop of the stunning flowers and plants to let these pieces really stand out, and once again, I am thrilled with the results! I hope you all enjoy this LookBook as much as Matt and I do and if you’re going to Pride, I would love to know what you’re going to wear!

Have any of these items of clothing caught your eye? Are you going to any Pride event this year? If so, which one? Let me know your thoughts down below and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!

WHAT I WORE:

boohooMAN | PRIDE LOOSE FIT STRIPE T-SHIRT WITH LOVE PRINT

boohooMAN | PRIDE LOOSE FIT T-SHIRT WITH BACK PRINT