I love toiletries, men’s grooming products, whatever you wish to call them, I love them!
So when the lovely ladies in the Beauty department at work asked me to trial
Kyoku For Men, I jumped at the chance.
Designed specifically for men's skin by Asim Akhtar, Kyoku for Men products combine cutting-edge skincare technology with effective natural ingredients.
Kyoku for Men incorporates ancient Japanese knowledge of the active properties in natural extracts with up to the minute scientific research, resulting in the ultimate luxury grooming line for the active urban lifestyle.
The body products range is broken up into the four elements: earth, wind, fire and water. I was drawn to the wind selection so I picked these.
I began my regime with the
wind body wash.
In a rectangle shaped bottle with a push top lid I struggled somewhat with getting a decent squeeze/pouring action into my hand.
Once successfully decanted the green tinted liquid that oozed from the bottle smelt wonderfully fresh. Perfect for awakening your senses in the morning. The fresh light herbal scent smelt naturally clean and not overtly synthetic as with some shower gels. I found the body wash didn’t lather up as I’d expected but this wasn’t an issue, just a point of difference.
If I had to use one word to sum up this product it’d be ‘invigorating’.
The body scrub
The liquid was clear with microbeads that gently yet effectively exfoliate the skin.
Some scrubs can be too harsh but this was perfect for my face as well as my neck and shoulders. I always use a scrub before shaving as this lifts the hairs.
The body scrub felt wonderful and my skin was left feeling refreshed whilst my face was sufficiently prepped for the next stage.
The shave
As winner of ‘best shave product’ at the 2011 GQ Grooming Awards the Kyoku’s sake infused shave crème was one of the products I was most keen to trial. It came in a large pot that sits smartly on your bathroom shelf.
This smooth mint green hued crème had a pearlised sheen to it which I found rather inviting. The crème spread easily over my face with use of a bristle brush (but the packaging assures that you can also use your fingertips).
When I had finished sweeping my razor around my stubble I instantly noticed a subtle and pleasant tingling sensation that made my skin feel as if it’d had something of a renaissance.
Like all good men I quickly followed up my shave with a balm.
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Kyoku for men razor repair balm |
Kyoku for men razor repair balm
This light balm blended in well into my skin and unlike a lot of post balms was not at all oily and did not leave my hands covered in gunk. My skin now felt smooth and fresh.
The finishing product was an oil control lotion. I have naturally oily skin, which is great for warding off the wrinkles for a few years but is not pleasant with the much dreaded shine that so many of us men have to cope with.
I applied this to the bridge of my nose, forehead and the cheek area directly below my eyes as these are the areas prone to oiliness. The lotion was easily absorbed and left my skin soft, matt and ready for my busy work day ahead. I had just one product left to try.
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Kyoku for men lip fuel |
The lip fuel
With an SPF of 15 this avocado oil, peppermint and green tea leaf balm imparted a gentle softening and energizing feeling to my lips with a rather pleasant yet subtle tingling.
My lips were moisturised without looking girly and glossy.
All in all, I really enjoyed the products. They gave my daily grooming routine a compacted feeling of a spa day treatment. An excellent men’s grooming product range perfect for those who pride themselves on exquisite self maintenance.