Friday, 20 June 2014

Speick Shaving Products - The Sensitive Skin Saviour!


Speick Shaving Products - The Sensitive Skin Saviour!

I'm writing this blog from a personal point of view, as someone who suffered for a long time with shaving related skin problems such as; razor bump, redness and irritation. Thankfully working at Executive Shaving, I got to try various products and practices, somewhat of a test dummy, and eventually find a cure that worked for me, and the answer lay in a plant that grows in the Austrian Alps!

The Speick Plant, or Valeriana Celtica to those with green fingers, grows at 1800m above sea level in the Austrian Alps and has been used in skincare as far back as 500 BC in Egypt. It is currently a protected plant and has been since 1936. To this day it is harvested by hand in the Alps by local farmers and Speick Natural Cosmetics are the only company in the world to use the plant. 

The brand use Speick plant extract as well as various other natural elements to make some of highest quality, natural, great smelling and sensitive skin care products available, and to me, are the saviour to all my shaving irritations!

I was first drawn to Speick by the Speick Men Eau De Toilette, and the amazing fragrance. The scent has elements of Lemon Grass, Patchouli and of course, the Speick Plant itself. The fragrance has a real 'spice' scent to it, which I love, and from there I was hooked on the fragrance.


This led me to try the other products, when I was going on holiday I decided to take the Speick Men Shaving Stick, as it is lightweight, compact, and great value for money. On using it for the first time, of course I loved the scent, but I was amazed at the fact I had zero skin irritation from the first use! Previously I had tried a whole host of sensitive shaving soaps and creams, but this one was immediately the one for me!

From here I went on to buy the Speick Men Active Shaving Soap. The Speick Men Active range, has a slight difference in fragrance, the range is formulated with ingredients designed to invigorate the senses, stimulating the central nervous system and keeping your skin's vital functions running at an optimum level, some real science! The scent is slightly lighter and more crisp than the Speick Men range, very modern. The lather is very impressive and the soap goes a very long way!

I've also recently started to use Aloe Clear Ingrown Hair and Razor Rash Treatment, before applying Speick Men Sensitive After Shave Balm, which was the final piece of the puzzle in stopping all shaving related skin issues, a must try for those with razor bump.

So today, my shaving routine consists of:

Fitjar Nyasha Pre-Shave Soap

I also use the Speick Men Active Shower Gel and Deodorant Roll-On, both for the amazing fragrance and the natural ingredients prevent any redness on my skin and under my arms.


So, to conclude, if like me, you've been suffering from skin issues such as razor bump, redness and irritation, then I cannot recommend trying the Speick range highly enough. For me it has proven to be the winning formula, and I look forward to shaving now.

If you would like any more personal advice about the products or the range, feel free to contact me directly at ruiraidh@executive-shaving.co.uk.

Happy Shaving!
Ruiraidh Thomson

Friday, 30 May 2014

Simpsons Luxury Shaving Creams Review - The New Scents!


Simpsons Luxury Shaving Creams Review - The New Scents!

So what do we already know about Simpsons? Well, we know that they make some of the most iconic Shaving Brushes in the Shaving World, their range of 'Chubby' brushes are as iconic as the Eiffel Tower or Scotland's woeful World Cup campaigns...

One of the biggest perks of working at Executive Shaving, is being able to try new products before they go to market. For the last week or so, I have been using one of their new scented Luxury Shaving Creams, and believe-you-me, they are worth writing about! Here are my thoughts on the amazing Lavender and Vetiver.


First Impressions: 
Simpsons Luxury Shaving Creams come presented in a sleek and stylish brushed aluminium tin, the Simpsons branding is subtle, yet instantly recognisable. The scent is neatly printed under the Simpsons logo.

Executive Shaving will be launching our own shaving cream towards the end of summer 2014, and we are hoping to use the same tins!

The Scent:
So what can we say about the Lavender and Vetiver scent, it's amazing! The lavender is not overly powering or too floral; it is light and uplifting, very pleasant. The vetiver scent has crisp notes with a deep dried grassy fragrance, natural and clean!

The combination of both scents really is amazing!

The cream also comes in 5 other fantastic scents of; Sandalwood, Peppermint & Rosemary, Café Latte, Vanilla & Rose and Citrus Burst. There is also an Unscented cream.

The Lather:Using only a small amount of shaving cream, the unit of measurement we like to use at Executive Shaving, is the 'baked bean', in a lathering bowl with a warm damp brush, the cream lathers easily into a wonderfully frothy mix, lathering with the utmost ease onto the face. The small amount gave me enough lather for three full lathers and passes with my razor.

Simpsons Luxury Shaving Creams have a consistency quite like that of Castle Forbes or Fitjar, so the cream is up there with the big boys of the shaving cream world and for only £12.95; it's a worthy player in the luxury shaving cream department.

The 125ml tin will easily give enough for two months of daily shaving, and with some shaving mathematics, this works out roughly at 2p per shave, a measly amount of money for the incredible quality and enjoyment you will get from this shaving cream.

To Conclude:
If you give me a moment I will try think of a negative about this cream.......nope I can't think of any.

Simpsons Luxury Shaving Creams are without a doubt a worthy contender for the title of 'King of the Shaving Creams'. Look great, smell amazing, paraben free, amazing lather, value for money... This cream is most certainly a new favourite and will make a very regular appearance in my shaving routines from now on! I urge you to try it and join me on this!

Ruiraidh Thomson
Executive Shaving

Friday, 23 May 2014

The Ultimate Products for your Morning Grooming Routine

The Ultimate Products for your Morning Grooming Routine

Hello, welcome to the first ever Executive Shaving blog post on Blogger. First off, I thought it important to introduce ourselves; we are Executive Shaving, the leading retailer of men's shaving and grooming products online in the UK! 

In this blog post, we intend to introduce you to just some of our products that we believe you should be using as part of your Morning Grooming Routine, looking at; Shower, Shaving, Moisturising, Hair and Fragrance. Everything you need to look and feel as sharp as possible when you leave the front door to face the day ahead.

Shower


As much as I'm sure we would love to, it's not always possible to spend the amount of time and effort in the shower that Patrick Bateman does in American Psycho, so what products are out there that are quick, easy and effective?  

Face Wash: Truefitt and Hill No.10 Cleansing Scrub - Stimulates skin-cell renewal with a gentle exfoliation, deep cleansing and toning.
Shower Gels: Speick Men Active Shower Gel - Refreshing body wash that's packed with natural ingredients and ideal for sensitive skin.
Shampoo: Geo F Trumper Coconut Oil Shampoo - contains extracts of coconut which is packed with nourishing oils. 

Shaving


This is our specialty! There's not a lot we don't know about shaving so choosing just a few products was always going to be hard, but we've picked some great all- round products that will make your morning shave close, easy and fuss free.

Pre-Shave: Claus Porto Glycerin Lime Basil Soap - Smooths and soaks the skin before shaving whilst softening the bristles making them easier to shave.
Brush: Executive Shaving Super Badger Hair Brush - The soft haired brush helps your cream to lift bristles off the face, allowing for an easier smoother shave. 
Cream: Claus Porto Lime Basil Shaving Cream - Packed with lanolin and glycerin, this shaving cream helps your razor glide across the skin shaving the bristles with ease.
Razor: Muhle R89 Safety Razor - The top selling safety razor that gives a close comfortable shave, reducing shaving related skin problems cartridge razors often cause.


Post-Shave: Proraso Aloe and Vitamin E Aftershave Balm - Alcohol free and full of Aloe Vera and Vitamin E which helps soothe shaved skin reducing the chances of skin irritations such as razor burn.

Moisturising


Now, for those men that don't think moisturising is important, we'll be the ones

laughing when we're still looking youthful while they'll be looking like an old leather sofa! For us, there is only one product that we can say gives you everything you need from a moisturiser.
The
Executive Shaving Intensive Moisturising Balm is; easily absorbed, lightly fragranced and packed full of natural ingredients. Made with water from Loch Lee in the Scottish Highlands which provides the Moisturiser with great mineral values that your skin will love!




Hair

Now, in my honest opinion, doing my hair is often the favourite part of my morning

routine! There are so many great products out there, to suit any hair type and create the look you're going for. Here's a look at some of our products that you can use to get a great look.

Comb: GB Kent Large Folding Pocket Comb - These amazing combs are saw cut by hand, and fold away neatly into the handle, ideal for carrying in your jacket pocket.
Styling: Yardley English Lavender Brilliantine - What a product this is! Softens the hair, giving it a a sleek and smooth look with excellent hold, can be used on any hair type and will hold your hair style perfectly.
Scent: Agua De Colonia Barberia Combing Water: It's not for every man, but there are products that leave your hair with a light fresh scent such as the combing water, that also increases hair volume.

Fragrance


Here's the fun bit! Many men often just choose

one fragrance, and stick to it, and that's fine, but there are so many products that can be worn for different occasions, making smelling great, fun. To me, I like to put my fragrances into three types; daytime, night-time, special occasions (weddings, parties, hot dates etc.) 

Daytime: Taylor of Old Bond Street Eton College Cologne - A light, crisp and modern scent, very fresh. Combining notes mandarin and lemon with warm, woody and spiced tones, giving a really unique fragrance.
Night-time: Dalvey Nocturna Gentlemen's Cologne - This is a real favourite at Executive Shaving; a rich, deep, dark and mysterious scent, ideal for when the sun goes down. Nocturna combines elements of Pepper, Spices, Jasmine, Amber and Haitian Vetiver, amazing!


Special Occasions:Castle Forbes Special Reserve Neroli Eau De Parfum - Now, here's the really good stuff! For the times you want to make a statement with your fragrance, Castle Forbes is a bespoke Scottish Perfumer. Their Neroli EDP is out of this world, combining natural oils of the Bitter Orange Tree the scent uses Neroli Oil from the blossom, Petitgrain Oil from the young shoots and Bitter Orange Oil from the fruit, the scent is deep but both light and woody at the same time, truly special. Eau De Parfum also has the longest lasting scents of any fragrance type. 


So what are you waiting for?
Go get started and upgrade your morning routine, make it worth jumping out of bed for. At Executive Shaving, we openly encourage customers to get in touch with us regarding any shaving or grooming related queries, contact us through Email, Google+, Facebook, Twitter...whatever suits you best!

Ruiraidh Thomson

Executive Shaving