It’s that time of day. You’ve hit snooze countless times. The sun has been up for over an hour, and you’re suddenly in a frenetic rush to get to work. You do the essentials – brush your teeth, take a shower, and maybe even find time for a shave. You reach out for that aerated can of crap that you typically squeeze your shaving foam or gel out of, run the blade against your skin a few times, and realize, lo and behold, that you haven’t gotten a clean shave. Your skin looks dry, and your hands feel coarse. You may put on a suit and a tie. Even a pocket square. But you know you could look and feel better. So much better. If only you had a grooming routine – something that motivated you to wake up 30 minutes earlier, because you knew you would feel so damn good doing it.
How convenient would it be, instead of rushing through that morning frenzy, to have a routine that was all encapsulating. Sure, I’ve used face washes, exfoliants and moisturizers before. But they have all been from various brands, or from similar brands with different ingredients. Wouldn’t it just be easier to go with one brand that had an active ingredient as a foundational tool for their entire grooming kit. Seems logical enough right? If I’m relying on a skin care routine in the mornings or throughout the day, I would want to use products that are tied by a common thread, so that I know they are all working in unison to give me that refreshed, glowing look & feel that I am after!
BEAU BRUMMELL FOR MEN SNAPSHOT
Welcome to Beau Brummell For Men– a skin care and grooming products company where artisanal men’s skincare is crafted in small batches in a New York laboratory, to ensure consistency of the highest standards. Beau Brummell’s vision is both inspiring and effective: To help every man look and feel like a true gentleman, by providing a simple daily skin care routine and attention to detail.
While Beau Brummell’s production is conducted in small batches, they do offer an extensive range of grooming & skin care products so that no stone is left unturned, including: The Gentleman’s Facial Moisturizer, The Gentleman’s Facial Scrub, The Gentleman’s Face Wash, The Gentleman’s Facial Mask, The Gentleman’s Shaving Cream, The Gentleman’s Shaving Brush, Walnut Hand & Foot Scrub, Cedarwood Beard Oil Conditioner and a Hand Repair Lotion!
THE NAMESAKE & BRAND INSPIRATION
Where did Beau Brummell For Men draw their brand name and inspiration from? George Bryan Brummell, better known as Beau Brummell, was one of England’s most refined gentlemen from the late 18th to early 19th centuries. Born to a middle class family, Beau Brummell was enamored by style and personality, and became a testament to that as opposed to adopting principles of class and money. Beau Brummell’s true ambition was to revolutionize men’s fashion of the day, and he is now credited with inventing the modern man’s suit! He brought in the era of wearing finely tailored, fitted clothing – an age of fashion that became synonymous with the term ‘dandyism’.
In addition to his timeless innovations in Style & Fashion, Beau spent nearly 5 hours a day grooming himself! Following his lead, men throughout England and subsequently, Europe, began the practice of shaving daily, bathing daily and wearing fragrances.
As Beau Brummell’s website says “In the spirit of Beau, Beau Brummell is committed to improving the lives of men everywhere. It is our belief that with enough care and attention to detail, every man can look and feel like a gentleman. Let Beau Brummell enhance your appearance now, as he did for men centuries ago.”
PACKAGING AND BRAND VALUES
When I first received my extensive range of products from Beau Brummell, I was highly impressed on two fronts. First, and foremost, was the packaging. Elegantly presented in sleek black tubes, tubs or bottles, these products look absolutely exquisite. They make you want to take full pride in your grooming & skin care routine, as their offering looks absolutely stunning.
The second aspect that really stood out was the amount of product that sent me. I have been sent product by brands before, and it is usually done in a shoddy manner with small sampler kits. These guys went above and beyond and sent me full sized offerings of almost their entire product range. This showed me that on a philosophical level, there are two great guys running this brand. That they don’t skimp. If they’re not skimping on the product their offering, they are certainly ensuring that they deliver the very best with their actual product. You can see that their vision to helping gentlemen look & feel better is in fact authentic – something most brands simply cannot claim!
Courtesy of www.leclubdouze.com
FOUNDATIONAL INGREDIENT – ACTIVATED CHARCOAL
So what is the common ingredient that ties all these exceptional products together? Beau Brummell’s foundational ingredient across its entire product line is activated charcoal, which effectively works as a sponge for your skin. It can absorb the oils and toxins from your face and still leave you feeling fresh and rejuvenated. Activated charcoal, also known as cosmetic grade charcoal, is a natural ingredient that helps to detoxify the skin. Activated charcoal draws impurities away from the skin, through a process called adsorption. Adsorpotion is a process where articles bind to a solid.
Charcoal is an extremely strong adsorbent, with a large surface area that can attract 100 times its own weight in impurities, making it an extremely effective detoxifier. Active charcoal is the same mechanism that allows you to run polluted water through a carbon filter, yielding clean, purified water suitable for drinking. It is the same process that Egyptians were using to remove toxins from their water millennia ago. It is a privilege to see Beau Brummell adopting this ancient wisdom and incorporating it into a sleek, modern aesthetic.
Beau Brummell’s entire product range, including its shaving cream, contains activated charcoal, making its products excellent at both detoxifying and moisturizing the skin.
As Beau Brummell so aptly say on their website “You wouldn’t go out in a wrinkled suit, so why step out with imperfect skin.”
THE GENTLEMEN'S SHAVING CREAM
Most of the negative effects that come from shaving come as a result of not having sufficient lubrication, often down to cheaper modern products. The key to a close, comfortable shave is to apply a quality cream that works to both moisturize and soften your skin and beard, both before and after your shave. This is exactly what The Gentleman’s Shaving Cream accomplishes!
Beau Brummell’s Shaving Cream comes presented in an elegant black tub, and provides you with an easy and luxurious lathering experience.
The Gentleman’s Shaving Cream offers a subtle blended scent of sandalwood, rosemary and lavender, offering a truly refreshing experience. The cream is loaded with glycerin, plant extracts and essential oils, which lock in moisture and helps keep skin hydrated, while simultaneously enveloping your facial hairs in a lubricated environment, allowing for a close and effortless shave.
Beau Brummell specifically avoids any parabens and artificial colorings, which are known to irritate and dry out skin.
Ideally, the cream should be whipped up in a lather and applied using the brand’s shaving brush (please see below).
Personal Experience: I personally loved using this shaving cream, with its sandalwood and rosemary scents, and the rich lather that it was able to generate. I felt an extremely close shave and my skin definitely felt smoother than with previous shaving products that I have used.
Value: At $28 per tub, Beau Brummell’s Shaving Cream offers exceptional value. A rich, scented cream that lathers easily and softens your skin, this exceptionally crafted and packaged item will last you for a while and leave you wanting for more.
THE GENTLEMEN'S SHAVING BRUSH
A badger hair shaving brush is essential to a closer, more exquisite shave. A shaving brush has three main benefits with regard to a closer, more effective shave (1) Allows you to formulate a much richer lather than you would be able to make with your hands. This allows your facial hair to be completely covered, rather than thin, runny lather, that will only cover the roots of your hair (2) The brush will help to gently exfoliate your skin, removing any dry cells or trapped dirt that may have built in the pores of your skin. Dry skin can interfere with the razor’s action on your face, causing irritation (3) The brush helps to lift, soften and cover each individual whisker on your face, making the hair much easier to slice through, allowing for the closest possible shave while protecting your skin from razor irritation.
Beau Brummell’s shaving brush is made from 100% badger hair. These rugged, yet soft bristles help to create a generous lather, helping to exfoliate the most stubborn beard hairs. This 100% badger hair brush helps you to get the most of your shaving cream, by bringing out the thickest lather possible. The brush’s rugged bristles help to lift your hairs up, aligning them to be cut, and forcing shaving cream deep beneath the beard.
Badger hair has been used for over two centuries to create the finest brushes, and The Gentleman’s Shaving Cream is proud to be continuing this tradition going forward!
Personal Experience: I found the brush extremely effective and easy to use, helping whip up a rich lather that would make the shaving process effortless.
Value: At $18, The Gentlemen’s Shaving Brush provides exceptional value, offering more in comparison to its price point than many of its competitors. This shaving brush is exceptionally well built and should stand the test of time.
WALNUT HAND & FOOT SCRUB
Need to soften your feet and hands after the relentless pounding and use that they are subject to throughout the day. Welcome to one of Beau Brummell’s most exquisite product offerings – their Walnut Hand & Foot Scrub. This stunning scrub is comprised of crushed walnut shell, pumice and oat flour to effectively remove dead skin & dirt, revealing a fresh, vibrant layer of healthy skin. A variety of natural oils leaves a smooth, conditioned feel.
Personal Experience: As a gentleman, there are not many things besides typical moisturizers that will get you excited about cleaning your hands and feet. However, Beau Brummell’s Walnut Hand & Foot Scrub definitely hits the spot, allowing you to feel relaxed and completely taken care of.
Value: At $28, this exceptional hand & foot scrub that is beautifully packaged in sleek, black bottle casing provides incredible value.
THE GENTLEMEN'S FACIAL MASK
Facial Masks help to deeply clean skin, purifying and clearing one’s complexion. They effectively act as a sponge, to draw out impurities from the skin, while essential minerals within the clay are released and the skin absorbs them.
The Gentlemen’s Facial Mask treatment draws out impurities using Kaolin-rich clay and activated charcoal, with natural conditioning botanicals subsequently softening your skin. This mask will become part of your weekly routine. The result is a refreshed, more vibrant complexion.
Beau Brummell’s Men’s Facial Mask is rich in activated charcoal (please see ‘common ingredient’ above). In the amount of time that it takes the mask to dry on your face (7-10 minutes), the activated charcoal draws out and absorbs toxins and dirt from deep within your pores. With regular, weekly use, The Men’s Facial Mask should reduce the amount of breakouts that you experience, and leave your skin feeling soft and fresh.
Personal Experience: While this was my first time using a Facial Mask, I could definitely feel the effects of brighter looking and softer feeling skin immediately after the treatment. It was an absolute pleasure to break into facial mask treatments using Beau Brummell’s product, and would highly recommend it for anyone interested in upping their grooming game.
Value: At $28, this exquisite product that yields immediate results is a definite bargain. Additionally, it is presented in a beautiful black tub, making it the perfect gift for yourself or a significant other.
THE GENTLEMEN'S FACIAL MOISTURIZER
Moisture is the key to a healthy looking face, and The Gentlemen’s Facial Moisturizer ensures that you are always looking refreshed and hydrated! This product is infused with Argan oil, a natural, non-clogging moisturizer. Activated charcoal helps draw out toxins from your pores, while caffeine provides you skin with an energized feel!
Personal Experience: The Gentlemen’s Facial Moisturizer worked like a charm. Soft and with a refreshing feel, my skin felt softer and looked brighter soon after application! I would definitely recommend this daily men’s moisturizer to all men! In fact, they recommend using it twice a day.
Value: At $24, this product provides exceptional value. With an effective ingredient mix that does an excellent job at hydrating your skin and removing impurities, this sleekly packaged moisturizer is a definite buy.
HAND REPAIR LOTION
With the amount of use we subject our hands to on a daily basis, they become highly susceptible to increased dryness and callousing. A lotion that conditions your hand and helps keep it moisturized is therefore extremely important!
With Beau Brummell’s Hand Repair Lotion, activated charcoal helps absorb toxins, thereby purifying your skin. The addition of shea butter, glycerin and avocado oils work together to help provide the right moisturizing balance for your skin.
Personal Experience: This beautiful product left my hands feeling moisturized and soft immediately after application. Furthermore, the addition of shea butter and avocado oils provided the perfect balance of texture and scent for an enhanced grooming experience!
Value: At $25 per tube, this well crafted, effective and scented moisturizer is a steal. Presented in elegant black tube packaging and with a product that will last you for some time, I would highly recommend this hand moisturizer to anyone that is looking to elevate their grooming routine!
SUMMARY
Beau Brummell For Men adheres to its brand’s vision of helping men feel like true gentlemen, by providing the market with an extensive, effective array of well crafted grooming & skin care products. The five products listed above that they have sent me have all worked exceptionally well. With subtle scents, such as sandalwood or rosemary, they are an absolute pleasure to use. Moreover, the packaging they are presented in enhances the overall user experience, and makes you look forward to using their products in the mornings and throughout the day. Their pricing is very reasonable, providing excellent value. Every now and then, you come across a brand whose product you both completely indulge in and want to preserve and take care of, all at once. Beau Brummell For Men is that brand!
Beau Brummell For Men is happy to offer The Dark Knot readers a 15% off sitewide discount, using the following discount code: KNOT15
This post was sponsored by Beau Brummel For Men, but my opinions are my own.
