Grooming gadgets

One of the least appealing things about reaching middle age is the things your barber suddenly starts attacking. I was in the chair a few weeks ago and he solicitously started snipping not only the hair I intended but also a quick clip of nasal hair and inside the ears.

I have rewritten that first sentence three times to try and make myself sound better. It doesn't work.

So I was pleased when among all the stuff Sassoon for Men is releasing lately, including a number of beard trimmer products (as people who read this blog regularly will realise I quite enjoy being clean shaven), included the Titan Series 'hygiene trimmer'. It's nicelty designed, not too expensive, does the job, is easily washable and unlike my last one from Boots' own-brand range, it has a flat base so it stands up in the bathroom cabinet. I'm amazed more people don't think of this when designing these things.

The other gadget I've been playing with is a clever nail clipper from StylFile, the company owned by Tom Pellereau and Lord Sugar sparked by Pellereau's win on The Apprentice. Pellereau, you might remember, was a bit of a boffin and a very good thinker. Yes, he came up with the "emergency biscuit" when they were asked to design a biscuit but actually being prepared to throw any idea out and see if people react is a good thing.

This time he's attacked the concept of nail clippers. They generally have parallel blades so they more or less snap the nail off, which then flies around the room. If they had a scissor motion, he's presumably reasoned, then the nail would simply fall into the bin. And that's what he's done - very simple indeed and like all good inventions, obvious with hindsight.

Would I have put his face on the front of a beauty brand? I'll pass on that, but then I wouldn't put mine there either.

Christmas presents 10: Skin care stuff

Woody Allen once said (no doubt incorrectly attributed) that he didn't like growing old but it beat the hell out of the alternative. It's a view with a lot to recommend  it, and Christmas is an excellent time for other halves to drop hints by donating moisturiser.

Actually before you even do that I'd look at the cleanser they're using. Clean skin will moisturise better than flesh with soapy residue on it; Dove has a nice little package available this year of gentle cleanser plus Hydrate+ moisturiser which have the benefit of being completely unscented. They do the job as well as some of the vastly more expensive alternatives you can buy.

Likewise Rehab London (pictured) offers a couple of different moisturisers that won't add their own scent, which is always welcome. Morning Glory is aimed at normal skin, if you produce a little more oil than the rest of us then fine, they have a "no Shine" option (pictured) which works very well indeed. And yes moisturiser is still a good idea after you've shaved even if you have oily skin because it will soothe you - you've just dragged a naked razor over your skin, remember? (And don't forget to use a decent shaving cream as I've recommended here).

If you want something for your whole body or just a few chafy bits (spare us the details) then you could do distinctly worse than Palmers' Cocoa butter formula body lotion, which I've been trying out and is very pleasant stuff. Its only drawback is that you do end up niffing rather of, well, cocoa butter, which isn't at all nasty but will clash with any cologne you might want to use. I put some on after trying out the Original Source Orange and Cinnamon shower gel that's out for Christmas (rather cleverly the company gets its customers to vote for which gel should be released during which season) and ended up smelling like a chocolate orange. Each product is fine by itself but watch those combinations!

A foot nibbling frenzy

That headline is of course up there purely to irritate people who like SEO.

So anyway, I was on holiday in Center Parcs the other week and something caught my family's eye - the chance to try this remove-your-dead-skin-by-attacking-it-with-fish thing. These are not my feet in the picture, by the way - I was the noddy on the end of the camera, and it's a phone photo so not all that great artistically, but you get the idea.

Before I tell you much about it, though, let's take a couple of basics into account. The fish are nibbling the dead skin off your feet because this is how they survive - OK, but some less reputable establishments starve them so they nibble more off. This is a bad idea as it is simply cruel. Second, if you're thinking about this, you need to ask how often the water is changed. It's a small tub of liquid so any minor infections anyone before you has had will be transferred. You have to offset this against the fact that the fish will need the water to have matured a bit - they can't survive long in completely fresh water, it needs to have the right chemical balance. Feel free to ask your "therapist" about all of these things and if they're evasive don't give them your money.

The Center Parcs version looked OK so I stuck my feet in, ten quid for ten minutes. Tickly as hell at first, then not unpleasant except for all the kids walking past and pointing, going "eurgh".

And yes, some of the dead skin on my extremities did indeed go away. The woman in charge said I'd need to top up every month or so if I wanted completely soft feet (further research suggests actually a half-hour session is better for a first one, topped up by ten minute bursts once a month). I'm not going to bother - I don't need soft feet particularly and if my family hadn't been doing it I probably wouldn't have bothered even the once. But if softer skin is your thing, subject to all the cautionary stuff above i'd recommend it.

Later that day I had the second men's facial of my life. Last time it made a positive difference. If I'm honest, after the advice and help I've had at The Valet including hot towel shaves every other month or so, it didn't make such an impact this time. I gather I turned up clean, so all the scrubbing and stuff you get in a facial was a little redundant. It's a good idea to take an hour or so of time for yourself occasionally - but another time I think I'll stick with a hot towel shave.

Why I like The Valet barber/grooming

I'd forgotten doing this video, as it happens on my birthday in April. The guys at The Valet wanted something for their social media channel so of course I agreed. In some ways it sums up a bit about why I write this blog, so I'm presenting it to any readers who might be interested.

I'm quite well disposed to them at the moment since the makeup woman at the BBC on Sunday said my hair was looking very good indeed - OK, that's vanity, I know, but it's always nice to hear and that was Mags from The Valet who did that, that was.

In this clip my hair's been done by George.

Shower gels for blokes

Shower gels are an odd breed. Some smell very strong, others smell of very little - and they all seem more or less to do the job. I've been lucky enough to be sent some samples. I've tried the lot and can assure you I'm very clean.

Pick of the bunch according to my tastes has to be Anthony for Men's hair and body gel. It's just as well I liked this one because the PRs had a bottle I can only assume was intended for a health club or something - they come in massive quantities if you'd care to pay that much. I found the blue chamomile blend soothing and refreshing at the same time, with a pleasant scent which didn't linger.

Trevor Sorbie's Mg offering is similar; does the job, sweet-ish clinical smell that doesn't hang around and then you're off. It isn't aimed at hair as well otherwise it might have been first choice for an idle tight-fisted fool like me (no doubt there'll be a dermatologist along shortly to explain that hair and skin are very different and should under no circumstances use the same cleaner - no matter, the Anthony suits me very nicely.

Another couple I've looked at are from Manatomicals. These aren't quite to my tastes and I think the manufacturer would be pleased to hear it. One's called "Young free and tingle" hair and body wash - I'm 46, married and a tingle makes me worried my circulation's on the blink. It does have a hell of a zingy, minty scent and certainly woke me up; regular readers will know that I'm fond of a dab of cologne so anything that's going to overpower that is probably not for me. But it's pleasant to use, as is the same company's other offering, called "Are you looking to get picked up?"

See the above personal details - 46, married - if I got caught with something with a name like that in my bathroom cabinet I'd probably be on some sort of register within minutes, or at least be considered some sort of weirdo. It has a more subtle blend of mint than the other one and if not for the name I'd be rather fond of it.

But then the fact that something's not aimed at me shouldn't be held against it.