Inspira - 4 Men Only 24H Skin Supercharger

As the girls at The Amazing Blog will tell you, I’m hard to please on my requests and this time there was a caveat to my brief... I decided to put them through their paces, asking for an anti-ageing post-shave skincare - but - from a new brand that I’ve never heard of before. Hah, I thought that’ll flummox them. Well, apparently not! They found me this a little known gem called 4 Men Only 24H Skin Supercharger by Inspira, see below.

Inspira is a German company based in Aachen, founded in 2000 and best known for creating solution-based skincare, boasting a motto of ‘maximum effect, but as natural as possible’. As a leading cosmetic laboratory, they create skincare for both the professional and consumer market. All products are formulated using the latest cutting-edge scientific research, with both natural and biotech active ingredients. The 4 Men Only range here has a unique key botanical ingredient called scutellaria baicalensis georgi (aka as Chinese skullcap). This is a hardy plant that thrives in inhospitable conditions and is rich in baikalin (known for its anti-ageing properties) to help delay cellular senescence and promote rejuvenation of skin cells.

The team found this 4 Men Only 24H Skin Supercharger which was shortlisted in 2019 Pure Beauty Awards. It comes with lots of precious and actives such as allantoin, bisabolol and D-panthenol.  Plus the hyaluron and pentavitin provides intensive moisture, while ectoin protects the cells. The other ‘natural’ ingredients include barley, juniper and oak bark these are all anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing, whereas the natural caffeine from guarana enhances a fresh, youthful glow. Lastly, the baikalin here also restructures and tones the skin. The product has a gel-cream consistency I found it very soothing, particularly after the razor scrapes of shaving. They suggest that this is for combination or oily skin, although I have a normal skin type and found it to be very light and hydrating.  Most gel creams are sticky or heavy, but this Inspira cream smoothly blended seamlessly into the skin with its translucent pale blue hue. The aroma is sophisticated, subtle and refreshing - best of all it’s not too over-powering for a night time routine. To use, simply put a small amount in the palm of your hand and gently massage into cleansed skin. They have many other products in the range such as eau de toilette, eye and face lift and body/face wash - all of which are worth checking out too. The Men Only 24H Skin Supercharger comes in 50ml black sealed airless pump with stylish metallic branding and can be purchased for € 29.50 here

Rosenserien Wash and Shave Gel for Men

While a product that contains essential rose oil may sound like it is designed specifically for women, Rosenserien, an award winning brand, has totally changed my mind. Based in Sweden, Rosenserien is a natural skincare brand that has products for the entire family. Their natural products nearly all contain rosa damascena flower oil which offers a wide array of benefits for the skin. Having heard so much about this brand from the rest of the team and enviously seen the girls sporting a health tan using their natural Self Tan see here. We boys at The Amazing Blog were thrilled to have tried out a product of our very own from this range, with their Wash and Shave Gel for Men and were delighted with the results.

First of all, this Wash and Shave Gel has a refreshing, sporty scent that is perfect for any man. While combining a face wash and a shave gel into one, this two-in-one product cleanses and softens the beard hair before shaving. It is 100% natural, 100% vegan and contains more than 75% certified organic ingredients. The key ingredients include aloe barbadensis leaf juice, mentha piperita leaf water (peppermint), argania spinosa kernel oil (argan), hamamelis virginiana leaf extract (witch hazel), and rosa damascena flower oil. To use this product you simply wet your face and neck and massage the gel into your skin, until you get to have a nice lather. Then you can shave and rinse with warm water. Afterwards, you’ll notice that this gel leaves the skin feeling refreshed, clean and smooth. Even if you are not shaving, the product still makes for a great face wash and is suitable for all skin types. You can purchase a 100ml tube of Rosenserien’s Wash and Shave Gel for Men here for £24.

King Brown Pomade - Matte

Hair is vital to complete a slick look. It doesn’t matter if its day or night, at work or relaxing with your mates, it never hurts to look smart. The Amazing Blog recently learned of a great modern wax that keeps your hairstyle in place. King Brown Pomade, based in Australia, uses the history of men’s grooming in their favour. Its product withstands time, not trends, according to King Brown Pomade. 

King Brown Pomade embodies both tradition and quality in its formulas. The Matte Pomade, made from clay and beeswax, gives it an excellent consistency for a natural look, textured styles, matte-look classics, and a light to medium dry hold—a tricky balance to find! Malt extract is added for hair conditioning, too. We love how easy restyling can be with this product, and because of its clay and wax base—no crunchy residue is left behind. The Matte Pomade works for all hair types at any length. It also has a light enticing scent with notes of rosemary, bergamot, cedarwood, basil, and leather, which drives us wild!

You can purchase the King Brown Matte Pomade 75g here for £14.95.

‘Gameface’ Moisturiser by Triumph and Disaster

Who likes dry skin? Not us! We boys here at The Amazing Blog understand the importance of keeping skin moisturised at all times.  Thanks to our friends at Triumph & Disaster we have found this a real 'game changer' in the moisturiser world. There is a great story behind this brand with its sporting roots. Triumph & Disaster was founded in 2011 by Dion Nash, a former New Zealand international cricketer, who realised the toll sun, wind and sweat were having on his skin. This inspired Dion to create a naturally based skincare brand specifically for us boys, which not only protects our complexions from the environment but also utilises the latest technologies in green science. Previously we tried out Triumph & Disaster’s No Dice Sunscreen, and this product set the bar high for the rest of their products.

We are happy to report that Triumph & Disaster has done it again, and lived up to our expectations. We requested their latest Beauty Shortlist 2018 award-winning ‘Gameface’  Moisturiser to try. Three of the star ingredients in this moisturiser are ponga fern, horopito oil and jojoba extract. Ponga is fern found in New Zealand, it works to tighten skin making us look younger upon application to the face. Horopito is an antioxidant-rich plant that is also from New Zealand which conditions skin and leaves it with a healthy-looking appearance. Jojoba is a botanical extract that comes from the seed of the jojoba tree which is very similar to the oil that our skin naturally produces. This helps to balance your skin's oil production creating a more balanced skin.

When applied this moisturiser has the subtlest of woody fragrance undertones that are almost undetectable. What we love about this product is that it effortlessly melts into the skin absolutely leaving no residue and yet leaves the skin feeling soft and nurtured. Triumph & Disaster is known for combining science and nature to create the most effective products on the market and we were certainly 'bowled over' with this little gem. You can purchase the ‘Gameface’ Moisturiser by Triumph & Disaster here for £36.