In Rotation: November 2013

Changes in my routine as autumn ends and winter begins. Deeper scents for the ever-lengthening night-time - including winter rose, black pepper and frankincense - to soothe and add spice for some manly grooming.

From left to right:

Clinique: Post-Shave Soother

Byredo: Rose Noir Bath Soap

REN Skincare: Invisible Pores Detox Mask

Kiehl's: Facial Fuel Anti-Wrinkle Cream

Molton Brown: Re-Charge Black Pepper Bodyscrub Bar

Diptyque: Frankincense Scented Candle

Bluebeards Revenge: Ultimate Pre-Shave Oil

Diptyque x Liberty, Insolite Limited Edition Candle (£45.00)

'Tis the season for a Liberty collaboration it seems. First the high-end department store teamed up with Nike, and now with French fragrance-house Diptyque. 

The latter is perhaps the less surprising combo of the two, given the two founders of Diptyque did first work together designing fabrics and wallpaper for Liberty. 

This limited edition candle, Insolite, has been inspired by the aromas and fragrances of curiosity cabinets and boutiques like Liberty. And with orange, lime and canelle at the top, and laurel leaf, juniper, cardamom and ginger in the heart, this sounds just up my street.

Packaged in an incredibly beautiful box featuring classic Liberty prints interwoven with Diptyque motifs, this is something I would like to get my hands on tout suite.

Diptyque, "Un Air De Diptyque"

Slipping through my letterbox this morning was this beautiful card from French fragrance-experts Diptyque. What it tells me, on suitably embossed card, is that there is a new member of the Diptyque family: "Un Air de diptyque". 

Un Air de diptyque is a home fragrance diffusion system. Though not your average one, naturally. The electric diffuser is designed to discreetly emit your favourite Diptyque fragrance. There are currently five fragrances to choose from: amber; fig; baies; feu de bois; and the signature 34 boulevard St Germain. Each comes in its own capsule.

Un Air de diptyque is available in stores now - yours for just *gulp* £240.00. The capsules, sold separately, are £25.00 each.

How might you use yours!?

My New: Diptyque, Tam Dao Eau de Toilette (£50.00, 50ml)

I have been inspired since reviewing Terre d'Hermes last week to break out of my (admitted heavenly fragranced) Penhaligon's rut this autumn and to try something new. I searched high and higher for my autumnal signature scent, but have now landed on Diptyque's Tam Dao Eau de Toilette.

Part of the woody family in Diptyque's range of personal fragrances, Tam Dao is a unisex eau de toilette that is full to the brim with character. To me, this is a truly unisex scent. And I'm certainly not alone in thinking this. In fact, one reviewer on the John Lewis website says that both she and her husband use it...

Maybe I just have a thing for sandalwood (see my earlier body lotion product review), which is the real heart of this scent, but I find Tam Dao deeply intense, rich and dryly inviting. Perfect for a sunny afternoon in an autumnal Hyde Park or for an evening by the fire wrapped in your favourite blanket. 

With its blend of rosewood, cypress and cedar, you can also see how this woody fragrance maintains its light and class, which is so emblematic of Diptyque. You get a faint whiff of rose in there for good measure (one of the top notes), but it's the musk and amber at the base that really ground this for me. Everything works together cohesively, giving you something natural and earthy whilst still very sophisticated.

The longevity is also pretty awesome.

I have been wearing Tam Dao to work and it has received a number of compliments. My lesson learned from this: although lovely Tam Dao is not a fragrance to go unnoticed. As a result, it might be best to wear with caution if you're in a set of the ultra conservative.

The bottle is pretty damn classy too I must say. The name of the fragrance is woven into a jungle scene, with elephants roaming around to tell of Tam Dao's Indian inspiration. 

Tam Dao is £70.00 if you want to splash out on the 100ml bottle, otherwise it's £50.00 for 50ml. I would at the very least urge you to go and request a sample!

In Rotation: September 2013

Sharing the contents of one's bathroom might under any normal circumstances be considered, well, inappropriate. But as I review this stuff all the time I thought it might be fun to share some of what is currently in my grooming rotation for September.*

If there hasn't already been a review of each of these products then there soon will be, so bear with me!

On that note, here you have it (clockwise from top):

Redken: intra-force daily stimulating treatment

Dermalogica: invigorating shave gel

Elemis: deep cleanse facial wash

Aesop: oil free facial hydrating serum

Kiehl's: men's aftershave balm and moisturiser

Baxter of California: night cream AHA

Murdock London: hair doh

Korres: vanilla plum body milk

Diptyque: tam dao eau de toilette

Molton Brown: revitalising eye treatment

PS, you can ignore the olive green tiled background, I happen to like my bathroom so there!

* of course, this is only a snapshot - I'm using new, different and extra products all the time.

The Best: Scented Candles

Now, I know some modern men who wouldn’t go near a scented candle. These men aren't as modern as they think. There's something missing from their lives and it's simply quite sad. Not just for the lady at bath time, the array of man-ified candles out there is staggering. Below are five glorious (and very nicely packaged) waxy wonders to convert you to the ways of the scented candle.

1) Penhaligon’s, Blenheim Bouquet Classic Candle (£32.00)

With its advertised “bracing mix of citrus oils, spices and woods”, Blenheim Bouquet is a gem, and a true classic of the Penhaligon’s range. There’s lemon, there’s lime, there’s pine and there’s black pepper. For a fragrance developed over 100 years ago, it smells like it was conceived yesterday.

All in all just wonderful. And manly, god dammit. And very, very British. 

2) Molton Brown, Re-Charge Black Pepper Single Wick (£36.00)

I go on about this range again and again (see my review of The Best: Body Washes), so please forgive me. But this is a champion of masculinity in a candle. With top notes of bergamot and ginger, and base notes including musk and vetiver, this is the perfect fragrance to accompany a winter’s evening trapped indoors with a special someone.

3) Diptyque, Menthe Verte (£20.00/£40.00)

If you want to bring some fresh country air to your city pad, then you cannot go wrong with Diptyque’s Menthe Verte scented candle. First, these candles scream left bank chic. An ode to nature – open the windows and let the cool summer breeze waft this scent through your warehouse conversion.

4) Neom, Pine, Cedarwood and Eucalyptus (£15.00/£39.50)

Layers of green hibiscus notes combine with deeper woody undertones to create a balsamic, unisex blend. So says the Neom website. The Neom travel sized candles, at £15.00, are a bit of a bargain, and being stocked at John Lewis ensures they're widely available.

5) Muji, Green Fig (£10.95)

The smell of figs makes for a great scented candle. Diptyque do a wonderful one. But meeting your fig-y needs at the other end of the market is Japanese wonder brand Muji. Still made with high quality ingredients, this offers you a fruity way in to the world of the scented candle without breaking the bank.