Dermalogica Clean Bar and the Pre-Shave Guard

In Part 2 of my Dermalogica Fathers Day review I had my husband, Brett review two products - the Clean Bar and the Pre-Shave Guard. If you missed Part 1, have a look here as earlier today Camper reviewed the Daily Defense Block and the Daily Clean Scrub.

Unlike Camper, Brett has been using beauty products for a little while now. It took me a few years to convince him to look after his skin but now if the products are in his bathroom he will use them. He is a bit of a creature of habit though and tends to stick to products he knows, (quite the opposite to me who is on a mission to try every beauty product ever made - I guess that's why his bathroom is immaculate whilst mine is a tad over crowded!) so I was intrigued to see how he would go with his routine being shaken up!

Brett is 32 and has good skin. He doesn't break out anymore although does occasionally get shaving rash. He has a freakishly fast growing beard (he usually gets 5.00 shadow sometime around lunchtime!) so needs to shave every day. Also, having two young kids means that he is always tired so will sleep in as late as he can before he has to get up and get ready for work. This means that he needs products that don't add any time to his routine.


The Clean Bar RRP $39.00 142g

 What they say: A soap-free, acid-balanced cleanser in a convenient bar form. Fortified with Licorice Extract and Allantoin to help soothe skin, and Lactic Acid, Oat Kernel and Retinol to help exfoliate. Tea Tree, Lavender and a complex of botanicals maintain bar purity during use. Ideal for the most sensitive of skins, and for those who currently wash with traditional soap bars that are too high in skin-aggravating alkalis. Travels easily in a gym or travel bag. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

 

 

Pre-Shave Guard RRP $32.50 74g

 

What they say: A beard-softening shave prep for tough, coarse beards. Cooling Camphor helps tone to lift beard away from skin for maximum razor closeness. Soothing formula ads an extra layer of defense during shaving to help minimize razor burn and bumps. Formula is free of high-alkaline ingredients that can aggravate and dry skin. Works best when used underneath Soothing Shave Cream. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

 

 Brett is also not a beauty blogger so I have used the same interview format that I did with Camper.

Did you enjoy using the products/did you like how the felt on your skin?
I really liked how my skin felt after using the Clean Bar. I also like how the Pre-shave guard felt on my skin but shaving took a lot longer to do when I used it.

Was it easy to incorporate them into your usual routine?
The Clean Bar was - it was easy to quickly use it in the shower and didn't add any more time. The Pre-shave guard tended to clog up my razor. I had to rinse it more often so it took longer to shave. This made it harder to incorporate into my weekday routine.

Did the Clean Bar dry out your skin at all?
It left my skin feeling nice and no it didn't dry it out.

Did the Pre-shave Guard make shaving any easier?
It made the actual shaving easier - I didn't have to pull as much as the razor tended to glide over my face but then the Pre-shave Guard would clog my razor and it was difficult to rinse out so it made the shaving process take a lot longer. I didn't have time for this during the week but didn't mind it on the weekend when I had more time for shaving and to rinse the blade more thoroughly.
 
[Note the Pre-shave Guard comes with the following instructions: After cleansing, apply a thin layer to beard. Do not rinse off. Apply Soothing Shave Cream over Pre-Shave Guard. Shave, rinsing blade often. Rinse with warm water. For use only underneath Soothing Shave Cream. Brett didn't have the Soothing Shave Cream so used it with his normal Gillette shaving cream. This might explain why his razor kept clogging up and the shaving process took longer]

Did you notice any improvement in either the appearance or feel of your skin after using the The Clean Bar and the Pre-shave Guard?
It seems a bit smoother. 
Would you like to receive products such as these for Fathers Day?
I would like to receive the Clean Bar as that is not something that I would normally buy myself.  I could probably do without the Pre-shave Guard as this just added time to my routine.


In case you missed it in my earlier post, Dermalogica currently have a promotion where you can received 20% off if you purchase two or more products from the shave range. Hurry, this ends 1st September.

 

Does your man buy his own beauty products or are you in charge of that?


All opinions are mine and Brett's own and we received no remuneration for this post. These products were provided to Brett for consideration.

Dermalogica Daily Clean Scrub and Daily Defense SPF15

Fathers Day is this Sunday (2nd of September) so I have recruited my father, Camper (as nicknamed by The Crazy Kid who can't quite say Grandpa yet!) to review a couple of Dermalogica products for me.

A little bit of background on Camper - Camper is 61 and is of the generation of men who were not exposed to beauty products so did little more to their skin than shave it and perhaps splash a little after shave on. Camper is also an avid swimmer who notches up around 7km a day (in fact he is off to Hawaii on Friday to compete in an ocean swim!) so his skin is really put through its paces.

You might be surprised to learn that Camper isn't actually a beauty blogger himself. In fact, when I asked him what skin type he had, he looked at me funny and said Caucasian! As he has never had to describe his skin type before I guess this was a fair enough answer! Camper is asthmatic and has a few allergies. I learnt at a Dermalogica  info night that there is a link between allergies and sensitive skin so Camper most likely has sensitive skin.

I had Camper trial the Daily Defense Block and the Daily Clean Scrub.

Daily Defense Block RRP $56.00 100ml

What they say: This multi-tasking daytime lotion is the perfect finish to your Shave routine. Lightweight, non-greasy formula effectively conditions and enhances skin's protective barrier, which is critical post-shave. Extracts help fight ingrown hairs, breakouts, and skin-aging free radicals as non-greasy conditioners absorb fast for a shine free finish. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

The Daily Defense Block can be purchased here.






Daily Clean Scrub RRP $43.00 120ml

What they say: Clear the way for a super-close shave with this beard-lifting cleanser and scrub, containing micro-fine Silica beads to help remove oil and dulling skin cells. Lather cleans deep to help keep pores clear and minimize ingrown hairs. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.The Daily Clean Scrub can be purchased here.

 

As Camper is not a beauty blogger, I decided to interview him on his thoughts of the two Dermalogica products that he trialled.

 

Did you enjoy using the products/did you like how the felt on your skin?
I wouldn't say enjoy but they were easy to use. Apart from shaving cream I usually wouldn't be bothered with using any other treatments.

Was it easy to incorporate them into your usual routine?
Yes - although did take a bit longer

Was the Daily Defense Block non-greasy as they claim?
It felt greasy at first but then it rubbed in easily and didn't feel greasy after that. My hands felt greasy after putting it on so I had to wash them.

Did the Daily Clean Scrub make shaving any easier?
I thought so - the blade felt like it was gliding over my skin rather than pulling it.

Did you notice any improvement in either the appearance or feel of your skin after using the Daily Clean Scrub and the Daily Defense Block, especially after swimming?
My skin appears to be clearer and less irritated with fewer ingrown hairs but perhaps that just my imagination.

Would you like to receive products such as these for Fathers Day?
In lieu of nuts, chocolates, sweets and ginger - NO; in lieu of underwear and hankies - YES!

So there you have it, if your Dad is anything like Camper then he would be happy receiving these products for Fathers Day as long as you remember to get him a Darrell Lea Dads Bag as well!


Just a heads up, Dermalogica currently have a promotion where you can received 20% off if you purchase two or more products from the shave range. Hurry, this ends 1st September.

Have you already got your Fathers Day gifts sorted?


All opinions are mine and Camper's own and we received no remuneration for this post. These products were provided to Camper for consideration.

Camper road tests another Fathers Day gift: Pevonia Skin Fitness for HIM Kit

As I mentioned in my last Fathers Day post, Camper (this is the nickname The Crazy Kid has given my Dad as he can't quite say Grandpa yet!) is off to Hawaii next week to compete in an ocean swim. As he will be away for Fathers Day I thought that it would be most fitting if the next Fathers Day gift he road tests for us is a travel pack of skincare products. Camper won't be back from Hawaii until after Fathers Day so I thought that I would describe the pack that I am sending him away with before hand and we can hear the review upon his return.

The Pevonia Skin Fitness for HIM Kit is a sophisticated travel-ready gift collection comes that presented in a sleek skincare pouch - exactly what Camper needs! The pack contains three products:

• Aqua-Gel Foaming Cleanser 50ml
• Easy-Glide Shaving Emulsion 50ml
• Age-Defying Myoxy Caviar Balm 15ml

According to Pevonia, The Skin Fitness for HIM Kit is designed specifically for men, to address the distinct differences in their skin, the three-step range is effective in desensitising in the skin, soothing irritability, preventing folliculitis, smoothing wrinkles and rehydrating the skin!

The range contains a whole bevy of beautiful, natural ingredients to really nurture the skin including Lemon Verbena, Lavender, Patchouli, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E), Ginkgo Biloba, Caviar, Marine Collagen, and Marine Elastin. Pevonia list the benefits of the kit as:

• Rejuvenating, anti-aging Ok, at 61 Camper might have missed the anti-ageing boat but hopefully the kit will halt the ageing process so once he is 90 people comment that he doesn't look a day older than 61!
• Smoothes wrinkles I'm sorry Camper, but you can definitely do with this...
• Firms the skin...and this!
• Non-greasy balm This is important as I know that if the balm left Camper's face feeling greasy then he wouldn't use it.
• Natural foaming cleanser Nice and easy for someone not used to cleansing.
• Promotes healthy skin Something we all need in our skincare
• Ideal post-sports/fitness Perfect for Camper as he swims around 7km in either chlorine pools or the ocean nearly every day of the week, plus plays and umpires baseball  on the weekends
• Counteracts sensitivity and irritability Daily shaving can really wreck havoc on the skin so it will be in constant need of soothing and calming 
• Prevents folliculitis I don't think that it matters what age a man is, if he is still shaving then he is still likely to get infected hair follicles from time to time so this is a must in a men's skincare product

This really is the perfect kit to send Camper over to Hawaii with as it is oing to meet both his shaving needs and nurture his skin from all he swimming that he will be doing. The only other items I need to get him are a good sunscreen and some shampoo and then all his travel beauty needs will be met. I really hope that he will enjoy using his Fathers Day gift!

The Pevonia Skin Fitness for HIM Kit is $AU105 and can be purchased online.

Are you getting you Dad any beauty products for Fathers Day? Should Camper be taking anything else with him to Hawaii. Since I have supplied Camper with all of his beauty products for his trip do you think that I should send him to Sephora with a shopping list of stuff for me??!!

Remington Powerhouse Clipper: powerful enough to cut through steel wool

My husband has been blessed or cursed with a head full of the thickest hair you can imagine - think hair as thick as Ray Martin's with the consistency of steel wool! Right now it feels like his hair is a curse as he has to get it cut every four weeks to keep it looking respectable; however, I am sure that when he is 80 and he still has a full head of thick hair he will realise just what a blessing it is.

After years of haircuts every four weeks he finally cracked and said that we needed to get a pair of clippers so that I could cut his hair at home. He gave me very strict instructions on what I was to get - I wasn't to get any cheap, crappy clippers; he has tried them before and they don't work on his hair. They needed to be salon quality.  So we decided to take the Remington Powerhouse Clipper for a test drive to see whether they had what it takes to tame his wild locks!

Image courtesy of beautydirectory

What they say: For the man that wants total control over the stubble on his head – not just his face – Remington introduces the new Powerhouse Hair Clipper. With an all-new Pro Power Motor, it is Remington’s fastest and best performing clipper yet. Providing the power to cut significantly more hair with every stroke, it delivers outstanding performance on all hair types and textures. The blades are coated in titanium and are self-sharpening to provide superior cutting performance. Other features include three interchangeable comb attachments for adjustable lengths ranging from 1mm to 42mm and Micro USB charging technology add up to make this the home-groomer’s clipper of choice. The clipper can run for up to 40 minutes when fully charged.

What we thought: Our first test drive of the clippers was not a good one, and we may have ended up having a little marital tiff over them! We did not find the instructions that easy to follow; however, it may have been that we were approaching the process with an assumption that we already knew what we were doing. Hubby works in the corporate sector so he has to have a sensible haircut - he didn't want it too short. In the past he has gone for a number 3 so that is what he wanted with this cut. The comb attachments have numbers on the side for the different cutting lengths. I set it to 30 assuming this would be the equivalent to a number 3, but when I started clipping no hair was being cut. Hubby was getting annoyed with me and was telling me that I was doing it wrong (I may have responded with 'fine, do it yourself then' before calming down and having a second attempt). I eventually worked out that the numbers referred to the length in millimetres that the hair would be cut so I was attempting to cut his hair 3cm long, which was longer than it actually was. Once we had made this realisation I switched attachments and tried again, and immediately cut a bald patch into his hair. This initial hairdressing session was conducted on Christmas Eve - he had 2.5 weeks off work so figured if I messed it up it would have just about grown back by the time he had to go back to work - good move! I then experimented with different lengths until we came across the one that was most suitable - 18.

Comb attachments

Once we had worked out which attachment we set the clippers to, cutting was a breeze. It takes me about 10 minutes to do his whole head, and that is mostly because I am being a perfectionist. I will go over it about 3 times until I can no longer hear the buzz sound of hair being cut so that I know it is all even. I then remove the comb attachment and shave the hair at the nape of the neck with the blade so that it is even. This is my favourite part - it makes me feel like a real hairdresser!

One thing we have noticed is that the clippers perform better when plugged into a power point rather than running on battery. It may be that we hadn't fully charged them but they definitely buzz louder and cut easier when plugged into power than when running on battery.

The clippers are not too loud to use which is excellent as I usually conduct our hair dressing session in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed.
As well as hubby's hair, I also tried cutting The Crazy Kid's hair with these clippers but that was a fail. Just before his second birthday his hair was still very fine and, apart for one tuft on the top of his head, it really wasn't much more than peach fuzz. I know in some Asian cultures they shave their babies head to encourage thick hair to grow to grow back. I decided to adopt this philosophy for Crazy. I was too scared to use a razor on a wriggly 2 year old so though that these would be the perfect alternative. Unfortunately his hair was just to fine and kept sliding straight through the clippers - it was like attempting to cut animal hair. It might actually have been a blessing for Crazy that the clippers didn't work as I was planning on shaving a Christmas tree into the back of his head (I do tend to get rather festive)! Since this initial attempt his hair has thickened up. I attempted to clip it on one other occasion but unfortunately he now has a fear of loud noises. Although the clippers aren't particularly loud, the constant buzzing terrified Crazy so they have joined the list, along with vacuum cleaners, blenders and jackhammers, of appliances we can't use around him!

Since getting the clippers in December, I have cut hubby's hair each month and, apart from our early issues, we have not had any problems with them. Actually I lie, I have had a problem - I keep getting hair splinters when I cut his hair. I had a really tender foot and when I checked it I found a hair growing out of it. This scared the crap out of me as the skin on the sole of your foot cannot grow hair so I immediately thought the worst. When I googled it I came across 'hair splinters' - an affliction that commonly affects hairdressers. I pulled on the hair in my foot and it slid straight out - I had a damn hair splinter and not some scary disease! I got another one in my lip after the last session. But, other than hair splinters, we have no complaints at all about the clippers and would recommend them to anyone who wants to cut their own hair and requires salon quality equipment.

These clippers retail for $73.95. Considering my husband was paying $25 per haircut it makes them excellent value as they have paid for themselves after 3 months.


Do you cut your own, or your family member's hair at home?

Does anyone have a tip for avoiding hair splinters?!


All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. These clippers were provided for consideration.