Category Archives: Grooming
A Scent For Mankind – Kenneth Cole’s New Fragrance
Kenneth Cole’s latest scent is geared toward the refined, modern, and evolving man, and you can see more about these men in a video below. Their characteristics were taken into consideration when coming up for the scent, which resulted to one of aromatic and woodland qualities.
The fragrance, in a clear bottle with leather covering on the side and on the cap, opens with pineapple (briefly), tarragon leaf, cardamom and ginger, and then moves into cinnamon and sandalwood among other greens. A classy scent that isn’t too strong, Mankind is a good candidate for your everyday office fragrance, and will help ease you into spring. 3.4 oz, $72, Kenneth Cole
Share:
John Varvatos’ Detailed & Versatile Artisan Acqua Fragrance
The third fragrance from John Varvatos’ Artisan collection, the Artisan Acqua is one you’ll want in your collection for more than the Mediterranean-inspired light, but versatile scent of citrus blended with spices and herbs. Visually appealing and making summer that more desirable, the packaging is a clear flask-like bottle that has a beautiful hand-woven rattan cover over it with an antique cooper cap and tag—showing the same detailing Varvatos gives his clothing.
Citruses in the scent include tangelo, mandarin and paradisamide (a fruit note of guava and passion fruit with a little bit of grapefruit, rhubarb and cassis), and greens take over with the heart notes of clary sage, lavender, coriander, toscanol and others. The scent is fresh and light, allowing you to use it during the day or for a night out, and would pair well with either the casual look of jeans and a tee or with a crisp dress shirt, tie and trousers. 4.2 oz, $84, John Varvatos
Follow Vee Travels and Andrew Villagomez on Twitter and Instagram: @AndyVeeNYC
‘Like’ and follow Vee Travels on Facebook
Share:
Men’s Travel Grooming Essentials: Ursa Major Face Tonic & Face Balm
Hailing from Vermont, Ursa Major is a nautral skin care brand for men that uses natural ingredients to create gluten-free, vegan, non animal tested products that are designed to gives us healthier skin. Among their products offered include the 4-in-1 Essential Face Tonic and the Fortifying Face Balm, which work well together.
The 4-in-1 Essential Face Tonic (8 oz) has four uses as a cleanser, an exfoliator, a post-shave healer and a toner. Thinking of it from a traveler’s perspective, a cleanser and post-shave balm are always needed for even a weekend trip to clean and freshen your face on the go (instantly) and to fight off razor burn or ingrown hairs. With the UM face tonic, you get the extra benefit of not having to pack several different skin products. $24, UrsaMajorMen.com
Share:
Men’s Travel Grooming Essential: eShave Hair Styler
Maintaining your mane while traveling can be a hassle, especially if your current choice of hair cream, gel or wax isn’t small enough to bring onboard your flight.
Providing shaving products and tools for almost 20 years, eShave has dabbled more in the men’s hair care market and released a new hair styling cream in the spring that smells fantastic—well only if you don’t hate citrus scents—and does its job right.
In a travel-friendly dispenser (at 1.7 oz), the Hair Styler has the scent of orange and mint, and has a light body made with a naturally-derived sugar-based emulsifier to enhance the hair’s moisture, plus beeswax to soften and add volume. You get a little shine, but it’s not obnoxious as others that give guys that Jersey Shore glow.
Share:
Gift Guide: 6 Men’s Fragrances For Every Occasion
The holiday shopping season is among us, which means it’s time to start thinking gifts. Continuing Vee Travels’ gift guide series, this week covers six great men’s fragrances to use in different occasions and situations:
Make A Statement: Odin’s 11 Semma
Recently released from the New York boutique Odin, the 11 Semma is vibrant, but not overpowering. Using a concoction of chile pepper, clove, myrrh, cinnamon and tobacco leaf, Odin’s 11 Semma offers a sweet, woodland masculine and feminine scent that is perfect for man (or a woman as it is unisex) who wants to stand out. (3.4 oz, $165, Odin)
Vacation Refresher: James Bond 007 Ocean Royale
When James Bond comes to mind, there are a number of ocean and Caribbean scenes to recall, which is why the icon’s fragrance brand went with the sea for the inspiration of the 007 Ocean Royale. The user will feel refreshed when the bergamot, lime, anise and seaweed accord touches his skin, then the Jamaican woods take over to get the user even more vacation ready. (1.7 oz, $40, Khols.com)
Share:
Gift Guide: Men’s Grooming And Body Care Sets To Love
Photo via Flickr
The holiday shopping season is among us, which means it’s time to start thinking gifts. Continuing Vee Travels’ gift guide series, this week covers the shaving and body care sets that the men in your life (or you) will want to use each day:
The Art Of Shaving – The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave in Ocean Kelp
Known for its premium quality grooming products, a shave set from The Art Of Shaving is always a classic holiday gift. Its trademark The 4 Elements of The Perfect Shave helps you get a close shave while minimizing or preventing (which depends on your razor and own technique) razor burn, ingrown hair and cuts by following the easy instructions of how to apply and use the shaving experience essentials: pre-shave gel (2 oz), shaving cream (5 oz), after-shave lotion (3.4 oz), and a Pure Badger Black shaving brush. The fresh Ocean Kelp scent comes with light aromatic oils of laminaria allege extract and coconut acid, among others, and leaves your face feeling nourished and energized, in my case. ($115, The Art Of Shaving)
Share:
5 Weekend Travel Grooming Essentials For Cartagena
Photographed at the Tcherassi Hotel in Cartagena, Colombia
After picking out a weekend travel ensemble for Cartagena, your bag and other accessories to bring along, grooming is the next step. Cartagena is surrounded by the Caribbean waters, so sweat, the heat and hair tangles were kept in mind when selecting the following. They are also also under 3.4 ounces:
Weekend Travel Grooming Essentials:
- Fight Odors – Dove Men+Care Antiperspirant, for 48-hour odor and wetness protection that’ll come in handy with any flight transfers and the humidity ($6).
- To Cool Off – Epicuren Colostrum Hydrating Mist, a refreshing mist with life-supporting immune factors, growth factors, amino acids and nutrients ($36).
- A Light Fragrance – Lacoste Eau De Lacoste L.12.12 Blanc, woodland fruit scent that’s one of my personal favorites ($39).
- To Keep Hair In Check – Leonor Greyl Eclat Naturel, smooth and light styling cream for dry hair that reconditions and detangles ($46).
- For Tired Eyes – Clinique Men’s Anti-Fatigue Cooling Eye Gel, hide the evidence of any wild nights (or red eye flights) with this roll-on that brightens tired-looking eyes by combating puffiness and dark circles ($28).
Tell us some of your weekend grooming essentials in the comments below Read the rest of this entry
Share:
Travel Essential: Niche For Men Deodorizing Face And Body Wipes
Photo via Niche For Men
Whether you’re traveling for city to city for work or living a city life of crowded subways and streets, there are times you’re going to break in unanticipated sweat—and who has time for that?
If you don’t have a moment for a quick shower (or there isn’t one available nearby), Niche For Men are male face and body deodorizing wipes to help you fight the sweat and the unpleasing smell and feeling associated with it. Individually packaged, each wipe folds out to hand towel (9″ x 11″) and is infused with ginseng, aloe vera, soothing oils and a masculine scent.
I tried out one of these bad boys after a long day in the city that had me hopping to different showrooms, attending a press preview and shooting street style. While I didn’t break in too much sweat, I did a bit, and felt gross from being around so many people on the subway and train back to Stamford. I pulled out a wipe from its slim, tearable case and wiped the oils off my forehead first, and started to feel fresh again. I continued with the rest of my face, neck and arms, and just like that it was as if I showered and sprayed myself with a light cologne. The wipes are also reportedly strong enough to clean you up after long work outs.
Think of Niche For Men as a backup shower you can keep in your fitness or carryon bag, office desk drawer or even your back pocket (as the wipe is folded down to 3″ x 4″ in the packet). Starting at $3 for a set of two wipe packets.
Follow Vee Travels on Twitter and Instagram: @VeeTravels
‘Like’ and follow Vee Travels on Facebook
Share:
World’s First Grooming Line For Gay Men
LAID Brand’s Not So Str8 is a new pheromone-charged hair and body wash product line that’s specific for men and women who love the same-sex. The first gay grooming line in the world, the gender specific body wash and hair styling products use a blend of custom pheromones, called pherottraction, and aims to boost the users senses and confidence, while stimulating same-sex loving men or women around you.
The products offered for men include a refreshing, citrusy 2-in-1 shampoo and body wash ($23.20, 12 oz) and a forming paste ($21.60, 2 oz) that actually gives your hair a good, mild-to-average hold and a non-greasy feel.
I researched and tested the products for Out Magazine, and you can see how the pheromones are used to attract the same-sex on Out.com.
Follow Andrew Villagomez on Twitter and Instagram: @AndyVeeNYC
Share:
Men’s Travel Essentials For Healthier Skin From Epicuren
Photo via Fredgoldstein
Traveling can be stressful at times, which not only takes a toll on our minds, but can negativity affect our skin as well. One way to fight back to you keep the skin healthy is to use a moisturizer, but why just pick up a random bottle from the drug store when you can get quality that has added benefits.
I stumbled upon Epicuren Discovery, a skin treatment brand from California that offers an array of enzyme and propolis based skin care and spa products. The core of its line is based around Epicuren’s own enzyme protein complex, Metadermabolic, which encourages the skin to self-rejuvenate through a combination of a waterborne solution of B Vitamins. Epicuren describes this process to be like aerobic exercises supporting our metabolism.
After looking through the catalog of products, I tried out ones that seemed best suited for men. With new, smaller sizes released this year, I’ve selected four different products that will not only are the perfect travel size, but each are great for all skin types and offer aid to different parts of your journey (pictured from left to right):
Vee Travels 