Origins (for Men) Save the Males Moisturizer

Origins Save the Males Moisturizer / $36

Backstory: We were in England, staying in a hotel for Richard's grandparents Diamond Anniversary party. We leave the hotel a day later. Richard realizes he's left basically all of his skincare at the hotel. Massive freakout ensues (not really, but maybe). Amongst the lost ones was a pretty nice Kiehl's moisturizer we were both using... aka bummer city. So the night of Christmas Eve, I picked him up a bottle of this as a last resort as Kiehl's had closed ridiculously early in hopes it would be a good replacement.

He wasn't so sure about it at first, so I began to try and use it because well, why not. He warmed up to it fairly quickly after that, and so did I. Though I was mostly using Enzymion at the time because the English weather had turned my face into an oil-slick, when we came back home and my skin returned to a normal state, this became my #1 daily moisturizer. It lasted us quite a few months which is surprising but the moment we ran out and I was forced to use something else, my skin wasn't very happy. Now? We're all good.

My biggest issue with most moisturizers is that they sit on top of my skin. This absolutely does not do that. It's lightweight and sinks in nicely leaving me with the perfect amount of hydration. Not too much and not too little. It doesn't make me greasy at all (it's oil-free!), and seems to keep my skin in almost pristine condition. I have absolutely no qualms. It's also really great with Richard's super sensitive skin too, soooo I highly recommend it.

I don't even care in the slightest that this is marketed and made for men. It does the job I want it to do and I absolutely love it. No product discrimination here!

Ladies: have you ever tried a "men's product" that you ended up loving?

Birchbox Man: November 2012

Birchbox Man · $20/mo

Another BB Man — a little late, but better late than never! This box is all about simplifying and supporting Movember, though not everything here represents those two things. Oh well!

Firstly is the American Crew Post-Shave Cooling Lotion — this is sure to be a hit especially because of how much Richard still loves the Kiehl's Brushless Shave Cream (which also contains menthol). The even cooler thing about this American Crew lotion is that it can also be used as a daily moisturizer! 

The EVOLUTIONMAN Wash & Buff is a handy little face scrub which exfoliates and removes dead skin cells with tiny microbeads. It's not supposed to cause any irritation to the skin which is a definite plus.

The Créme Styler by TOWELDRY (what is with these all caps brand names?!) is a lightweight styler that you warm up in your hands and use to style as desired. It's supposed to be long-lasting and contains keratin and organic wax, so we'll see how it goes!

Next up is a cute little card holder by Old Calgary. BB Man calls this a wallet but yeah, no, definitely not a wallet. There is no way Richard could put his cards and cash in here so I'm going with card holder. Either way it's adorable and awesome for days out when you don't want to lug around a big fat leather wallet. 

Last but not least is the John Varvatos Artisan Eau de Toilette. It's got a citrus-y scent — something I'm not used to smelling in colognes and perfumes, but really lovely none the less. 

All in all this was a great box. Doesn't beat the whiskey stones from last month (which we've been putting to good use), but still awesome! What do you guys think? Have you/your man signed up for this box yet? 

Birchbox Man: October 2012

Birchbox Man · $20/mo

This months BB Man is pretty badass if I do say so myself (Richard thinks so too ;). When I took the package out of the mailbox I was like "why the hell is this so heavy?!". I now know why.

First up are the Teroforma Whisky Stones — how awesome are these? They're one of those things that I've looked at/considered buying for Richard but never did. Luckily we're now the proud owners of six which means no more watered-down bourbon! They come with a cute little pouch to keep them in and a set of instructions so we can be sure we're using them correctly (can you really go wrong?).

Going along with the theme of alcoholic beverages, he also received a BB Man jigger — another thing we've thought about buying but never have. Precisely poured cocktails here we come! They also included a $10 gift card (not pictured) to Caskers, a craft spirits website, which I thought was a nice touch.

As with every other box, there are some everyday skincare/lifestyle products thrown in as well. This month is:

• Samples of Nickel Super Clean Scrubbing Gel, Super Speed Moisturizer, and Morning After Rescue Gel — all products are spa quality and should be interesting to try.
• Cartier Déclaration Eau De Toilette — A citrusy but musky scent which I've fallen in love with and seems perfect for the fall season. 
• Borghese Fango Delicato — A mud face mask rich in minerals for delicate dry skin. We all know how much Richard loves face-masks so this is a pretty foolproof item!
• The Art of Shaving Unscented Pre-Shave Oil (not pictured) — This kind of got lost under the other stuff so I forgot to take a photo (and to be fair I'm really not bothered). We have a few samples of this in the house and Richard is a bit meh on the whole Art of Shaving brand, so it's whatever!

What do you guys think of this months box from Birchbox Man? Totally loving all the drink making goodies!

Men's Shaving: Merkur Safety Razor & Kiehl's Shave Cream

Merkur Solingen Double Edge Razor · $43

Merkur Super Razors (10) · $6

Kiehl's Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream - White Eagle · $16

After receiving a mini of the Kiehl's shaving cream in the his August Birchbox,  Richard knew he wanted to buy the full size which ultimately sent him on a journey to (also) find a better razor. 

The Brushless Shave Cream is pretty awesome — it's packed full of menthol leaving your freshly shaved face nice and cool. Before applying, Richard usually puts a warm cloth over his face to make the hair softer and easier to shave off. Afterwards he applies a small amount of the cream to his face — it's quite thick and there is no lather so it's pretty different if you're used to shaving foams. The thing he likes most about this is that the menthol "makes the hair stand up on end" which obviously is going to make it easier to get a closer shave.

The next step was upgrading from a Gillette razor to a Merkur Double Edge safety razor. He grabbed one at the Art of Shaving store for more $$ than he could have spent on Amazon, but oh well. Razor wise, it's heavy, really well made and not to mention elegant. It takes him longer to shave because unlike the Gillette which follows the shape of your face, you actually have to work and turn to get a proper shave with the Merkur. That said, as you get more used to using this kind of razor you do get faster/better over time. The razors themselves cost basically nothing which is a total plus; $6 for 10 vs $22 for 8 Gillette refills. They also last longer because you can easily dry them after each use — something you can't really use with a disposable razor. Most of all, he says shaving now is "fun".

All in all, switching to a great product and using better tools leads to a better experience. It also leads to a cleaner and smoother face *swoon*.

Birchbox Man: August 2012

I've got to give it to Birchbox — they're killing it when it comes to the mens boxes! This month Richard got some pretty good stuff. 

The t-shirt is from Barking Irons; it's amazingly soft and is this really awesome grey color. They say it's "vintage fit with short, angled sleeves" but other than the sleeves it seems like a pretty normal tee to me!  It's $46 for a two-pack of these shirts so getting one in a $20 Birchbox? Worth it. Next up is the Oribe Ultra Gentle Shampoo and Conditioner which Richard has yet to try but from the looks of it they seem pretty good, especially because they're gentle and hopefully gentle enough for sensitive skin.

As per each Birchbox he's recieved so far, there were some things wrapped in some green paper with a Birchbox sticker-type thing holding it together. Inside we found three pretty awesome little products. 

Richard's not much of a lip balm person but he has enjoyed using the C.O. BIGELOW's My Favorite Lip Balm. It's got shea butter and almond oil and isn't too thick or greasy on the lips aka perfect for men. The Marvis Classic Mint Toothpaste is bomb. Seriously. I tried this and love it and am honestly considering purchasing it. Not only is the package all vintage and badass, but the toothpaste is so good that the sample is already gone. The last thing in the box this month was Kiehl's Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream. Kiehl's is a pretty great brand when it comes to skincare so this seems like a pretty great product. It's a menthol-infused cream which means you'll get a nice cool shave (literally).

What do you guys think about these products? Have you signed up for Birchbox Men yet? 

Birchbox Man: July 2012

Birchbox Man · $20/mo

Stuff for guys on a women's beauty/style blog. Really? I mean, really? YES REALLY.

We can't forget the fact that I'm married to a man that does like to indulge in skincare and haircare products quite often, so I kind of feel the need to write about it (and why not!?).

I have to admit straight away that I am 10000% more impressed with this box than I was with mine (/sob). Anywho, this pretty little box was filled with some awesome stuff. As you can see we've got some Benta Berry G-1 Super Moisturizing Face Cream, John Allen's Shave Slickwater — two pretty badass products from what I can tell. In the neatly wrapped package, there was a Supersmile Whitening System, and not pictured were the Cordies and the Wrapster from Quirky.

I've got to give it to Birchbox, they definitely packed this full of stuff Richard would be (and is) interested in trying and using. I'm really excited that there is now a beauty box for men that actually caters to the guys likes and needs. The questionnaire he had to fill out while signing up was fun and they really hit the nail on the head with picking things he'd like. Bravo, Birchbox. Now if you could only get mine sorted out :)

What do you guys think of this box? Are you interested in seeing more stuff for men? Would the guys in your lives enjoy something like this?