men

Groomstars.com Review - Formal Gifts For Men

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style, Luxury Shopping

The website Groomstars.com is founded on an interesting idea - that being the concept that men are hard to shop for (especially when it comes to gifts for special occasions). As the name of the site implies, the focus of the site is offering gifts for the men who participate in weddings (not like routinely or anything). Along with the fact that guys are not super easy to shop for, most gift websites usually have items that either appeal only to women, or are gifts guys don't normally want. Groomstars strives to offering an enticing selection of male-minded gifts, and like many other gift based websites, Groomstars also features most (if not all) of their products as being personalized.

Featured products including a range of decent quality pens, holders, valets, watch cases, clothing accessories, hobbyist goods, nice tools, and other things men usually like, but wouldn't normally buy for themselves. I actually appreciate the selection a lot. It is as though someone waded through most of the obvious (and many non obvious) gifts a man would like and presented them in an easy to navigate place.

A lot of people will likely enjoy the site when shopping for groomsmen, a best man, the father of the bride - or anyone else who may be a friend, boss, or relative. Prices aren't cheap, but part of what you are paying for is the curated content. One such item that is nice is the Groomstars Striped Wedge Wood Watch box. It contains space for a few watches and related accessories, while the inside is cloth lined to prevent scratching. It comes in a nicely veneered closing box case with a personalized plate near the push-button opener. The inside is lined with soft cloth and quality is better than you might expect (or perhaps I simply have jaded expectations). Their watch boxes also come in a few different finishes and retails for $265 - all of course available for purchase online.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Groomstars watch box

Tags: box, case, gifts, groom, groomstars, men, personalized, watch, wedding

Luxist Giveaway: 3 TwinLuxe Men's Skin Care Products $100 Giftcards

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Men's Style

Luxist Giveaway: 3 TwinLuxe Men's Skin Care Products $100 Giftcards

Thanks to TwinLuxe, we have three $100 giftcards for any of their products (including high-end shaving kits, shaving creams, and other men's skin care products). TwinLuxe is a newer brand offering luxury shaving products for men, and the accessories to go with them. I initially announced and reviewed one of their shaving kits here. TwinLuxe offers seven skin care products, each having been specially formulated for the brand. The skin care products range from shaving cream, to post-shave creams, as well as moisturizers. To enter for a chance to win a gift card, all you need to do is visit TwinLuxe's website and choose what your most desired skin care product the offer is - and then comment below with your choice. You can see the full range of TwinLuxe skin care products here. Good luck and follow TwinLuxe on Facebook here.

THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED. THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER.

To enter, leave a comment on this post sharing which TwinLuxe skin care product you like most. The giveaway ends on February 11th at 8:00pm PST. See additional rules below.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before February 11th, 2011 at 8:00PM Pacific Time.
* You may only enter once.
* Three winners will be selected in a random drawing.
* Three winners will each receive one $100 TwinLuxe giftcard that can only be used once, subject to products availability, valued at $100, for full details and restrictions please contact TwinLuxe.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.

See full giveaway rules here.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: giveaway, luxist giveaway, men, shaving, skin care, skincare, twinluxe

Turms Red Wooden Complete Case Shoe Care Kit

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Shoes, Men's Style

Get some new shoes for Christmas? Keep them looking their best with the Red Wooden Complete Case from Turms, a small family company based in Montegranaro that makes wooden shoe lasts for many well-known Italian shoe brands. The kit comes in a beautiful wooden box with a pull-out drawer and silver handle and everything you'll ever need for taking care of your expensive shoes including polish, brushes, a shoe horn, shoe deodorant, suede protector, and shoe shampoo. Own this and you'll have no more excuses for scuffs, stains, or anything less than absolutely beautiful and perfect footwear. £450

Via acquire

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Tags: men, shoe care, shoes, turms

Holiday Shopping Guide: 10 Gifts for Your Man

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Holiday Guides, Men's Style

Shopping for a husband, boyfriend, or significant other can be intimidating for many of the same reasons shopping for dad often is, but you can take at least some of the guesswork out of the process by focusing on gifts that are fun, functional, and really good at doing whatever they were meant to do. And of course if they're also expensive and brag-worthy (like most of our favorite picks below) that's frosting on the cake.

Leather Officer Jacket, $2,195
If you want to buy him clothes take our advice and steer clear of the sweater aisle and set your sites on something like this Leather Officer Jacket instead. Soft dark brown lambskin and clean lines result in a look that's both trendy and timeless and will easily mesh with a variety of personal styles.

Tags: gifts, gifts for men, holiday gifts, holiday shopping, men

Continue reading “Holiday Shopping Guide: 10 Gifts for Your Man”

Luxist Review: TwinLuxe Luxury Shaving For Men

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style

I remember when I was about 16 years old and I got a package in the mail from Gillette. It was a shaving razor, a few blades, and a can of Gillette shaving cream. I never asked for the kit. The clever marketing move done by Gillette gets men to use their products at a young age. Gillette taught me the "supermarket" approach to shaving, but I didn't learn what a "good shave" was until years later. The truth is that most men these days aren't familiar with the "art of shaving" (which is coincidentally the name a retail chain).

The modern gentlemen is expected to have knowledge in a number of areas, but topics concerning traditional forms of men's grooming are becoming lost. It is a shame, because the "supermarket" shaving experience doesn't even come close to what a proper shave can offer.

While not alone in this pursuit, new brand TwinLuxe is trying to get the "message" out there to men that a 'good shave' is a luxurious experience. In a sense it certainly is. A good shave is a process that requires good tools and a little bit of skill. Those wanting the modern convenience of a safety razor can forgot the straight razor experience, and still enjoy much of what a traditional shave has to offer. TwinLuxe intends to cater to the discerning individual by offering a high-end (according to TwinLuxe, they offer the most expensive regular production shave set currently on the market) shaving kit and accompanying men's skin products - each specially formulated by TwinLuxe.

Tags: blade, brush, kit, luxury, men, mens, review, shave, shaving, skin, TwinLuxe

Continue reading “Luxist Review: TwinLuxe Luxury Shaving For Men”

The Classicist: London's Williams Evans & the "Affordable" Bespoke Shotgun

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist

Bespoke shotguns have been part of the wealthy British gentleman's essential sporting kit since the turn of the last century. They're as much a part of the English country house persona as tweeds, wellington boots and Range Rovers. Such guns are often passed down from father to son and are cared for like the precious objects they most certainly are. All these things they have long been, but up until now they have never been what one would call "affordable". Now William Evans (above), a top-drawer London gunmaker since 1883, is aiming to change all that with a new line of lower-priced bespoke shotguns that still deliver the quality one expects from a well-established London gunsmith.

William Evans first learnt his craft by working for famed gunsmiths James Purdey & Son and Holland & Holland. In 1883 he founded his own gunmaking business near Buckingham Palace and by 1888 his reputation had grown enough for him to move to more prestigious premises in Pall Mall, opposite St. James's Palace. By this time the core of William Evans' client list was firmly established, notably with military officers in the Guards Regiments who ordered sporting guns and rifles before being posted to various parts of the Empire. The move to St. James's, the heart of London's gentlemen's club district, further strengthened his client list and the company attracted the patronage of members of several prestigious clubs such as White's, Boodles and Brooks.

Gallery: William Evans Gunsmith

Tags: bespoke, bespoke+guns, bespokeguns, British style, guns, hunting, London, men, mens style, Range Rover, shotgun, sporting, sports, UK, William Evans, william+evans+london, williamevanslondon

Continue reading “The Classicist: London's Williams Evans & the "Affordable" Bespoke Shotgun”

Hlaska Does Belt Buckles

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style

Hlaska has added two belt buckles designs to their line of menswear. The first one, called "Diving Bell," is available in antique brass or pewter and is inspired by WWII Navy Divers. The second design is called simply "Knot" and is available in pewter only. It draws its inspiration from the sea also, but this time from boating and climbing "figure-8" knots. Both belt buckles come with a simple leather belt in your choice of black, brown, or cognac and are a great way to make a statement with a casual outfit. $125

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Tags: belt buckle, belts, hlaska, men, menswear, nautical

Let Crown Shaving Company Take Care of the Shave

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style

Sure, Gillette's got a shaving cream that's so intense it will make John Cena accost you in the men's room, but what if you want grooming products that go the way of all natural caring, as opposed to cage match? In that case you need wares from Dino Caracciolo's Crown Shaving Company. Part of a family that's been in the barbering business since 1955, Caracciolo wanted to create lathers and lotions free of chemical fillers and synthetic fragrances, that would pair old world luxury with masculine appeal.

The five products are ambassadors for natural ingredients: the supreme glide pre-shave formula contains aloe, meadowfoam seed and orange fruit extract, the shave cream has Shea butter and white tea leaf extract tinged with eucalyptus and spearmint, the aftershave lotion is coconut and jojoba oils along with vitamin E, and the peppermint tea tree body wash and peppermint tea tree conditioner are similarly dedicated to the natural care of your skin. They're available online only, with the entire set of five offered for $75.

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Tags: crown shaving company, men, mens grooming, shaving, shaving cream

Butch Bakery Cupcakes For Men

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Men's Style

Butch Bakery in NYC is founded on the idea that men like cupcakes as much as anybody, and it's about time those girly little baked goods manned up and got butch. Not a pink sprinkle or smiley face to be seen, this bakery features 12 delicious cupcake flavors geared for manly men with names like "Beer Run" (chocolate beer cake with beer-infused buttercream topped with crushed pretzels) and "Driller" (maple cake topped with crumbled bacon and loaded with milk-chocolate ganache).

Beer? Bacon? Sounds crazy but I'm actually intrigued. You can order your own dose of "where butch meets buttercream" online (but heads up they currently only ship to addresses within the city).

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Tags: bakery, butch bakery, cupcakes, cupcakes for men, men, new york city cupcakes

Titan Collar Stays by Exuvius

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Men's Style

A great gift for the innovative MacGyver type in your circle these Titan Collar Stays by Exuvius are a fun and potentially useful spin on an old stand-by. These collar stays do much more than just keep collars looking crisp, like a Swiss Army knife for the refined set they also function as screwdriver, bottle opener, and cutting tool so even with empty pockets you'll never be without essential survival tools and the means to impress fellow party-goers. Made of 100% titanium, laser cut, and light as a feather (less than 1/8" thick) a set of 4 goes for $49.99.

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Tags: collar stays, Exuvius, men, titanium

Basil Racuk - Bags for Real Men

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags, Men's Style

In a world where men seem to have few choices for truly stylish, yet manly bags, Basil Racuk is breaking the (manbag) mold. While some men helplessly carry a tote or messenger bag, or, god help them, a backpack, the choices for men of taste have been somewhat limited to briefcases and doctor bags.

No longer. Basil Racuk, which launched in February 2008, has interesting, elegantly rugged man bags that don't bring your masculinity into question.

Basil, the brand's designer and namesake, comes from a NY fashion world background. He had a menswear line in the 90s which sold at Barneys, among other retailers, and then worked on Seventh Avenue for many years at a leather company, where he learned about skin qualities. In 2001, Basil moved to the San Francisco Bay area. "I immediately felt at home amidst the valleys, mountains and streams. It's a great place to be, and a great place to reimagine what it means to design. It has influenced my design process tremendously."

Basil Racuk caters 50 percent to women and 50 percent to men, but it's the men's bags which truly caught our attention. I asked Basil via email what his design philosophy is when it comes to designing for men.

"My decision to get into accessories was that bags and such are an area where men (specifically) should given a product that is well-made and 'simply thoughtful' in its design. Further to that is my belief that 'branding' is no longer relevant in the way that we've come to expect it over the past 10+ years -- and should therefore be eliminated whenever possible. Because of this, there is no visible marking on the exterior of my product."

Even without a big, gaudy logo emblazoned all over your bling-free bag, there will be no doubt about its quality -- or that it's expensive. Click through the gallery to see a few of the items available on basilracuk.com. Basil Racuk custom bags are available through Leffot in NYC (10 Christopher Street) and will be available from Union Made Goods in San Francisco beginning January 22, 2010.

Every item is handmade to order.

Gallery: Basil Racuk Bags for Real Men

Voyage travel bag with vintage moleskin lining

Tags: bags, basil racuk, BasilRacuk, briefcase, man bag, ManBag, men

Cloisonne-Tipped Sunglasses from Scheyden

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Scheyden, a sunglasses brand well-known in the aviation and auto industries, has a fabulous new eyewear model: The Scheyden Hybrid. The Hybrids come in three styles (two are pictured; the Revelstoke above and Jet-A below) and in tortoise-shell (shown) or black colors.

Scheyden Jet-A

Scheyden Hybrids are composed of cedar rolled composite frames with hypoallergenic NiHg temples to prevent irritation and cloisonne tips (how luxe).

The advanced technology of Scheyden Precision Eyewear is the "preferred choice" of the US Air Force Thunderbirds and Redbull Air Racing pilot Pete McLeod. The reason? To start with, the lenses have hydrophobic coating to repel water (including perspiration), the silver dioxide reduces light refraction, they offer 100 percent UVA and UVB protection, optional polarization, and, most importantly, magnesium hexaflouride coating reduces glare and reflection, keeping your vision clear and you on your game. The titanium in the frames is lightweight and won't corrode or warp.

In other words, if your dad/husband/friend is into flying, fishing, boating or anything that requires him to be in the sun, you've just found his holiday or birthday present. Scheydens retail for $249 to $445.

Tags: Air Force, AirForce, men, pete McLeod, PeteMcleod, scheyden, sunglasses

Win A Bottle Of ckfree for Men

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Sometimes it's a little sad for us to only give away only one of something so today we've got ten bottles of Calvin Klein's latest perfume, ckfree for Men for ten readers. To launch the fragrance Calvin Klein has created the "Live Free" Map tool. The tool is an interactive experience which shows you the best places in the world to "live free" and lets consumers share their most 'free' locations around the world, using Google Map software. What defines free? It's not a matter of cost, it's about experiences that make the heart and mind feel lighter. The list includes best beaches, sporting stadiums, casinos, road trip destinations and more.

The scent is designed to be a journey as well. It has top notes of absinthe, jackfruit and juniper berry with a masculine heart of suede, coffee absolute and tobacco leaves grounded in a base of oakwood, patchouli and Texan cedarwood. We are giving away 10 1.7 ounce bottles of ckfree valued at $47 each. To enter leave a comment about your favorite 'free' place (you can also add this place to the ckfree 'Live Free' map application).

Some other important details:
* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before November 20, 2009 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* Ten winners will be selected in a random drawing.
* Ten winner will receive a 1.7 ounce bottle of ckfree for Men valued at $47.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Source

Tags: calvin klein, CalvinKlein, ckfree, ckfree for men, CkfreeForMen, giveaway, men

A Spa a Man Can Love?

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

We all know that spas don't tend to be man caves. There's nothing macho about walking around in a soft fluffy robe, about sipping water infused with cucumbers or citrus, or contemplating the condition of your pores. Spa cuisine is also not something that's designed to appeal to a strapping appetite -- you can't score any swagger points by eating steamed veggies. And that's before you get to yoga, meditation, and aerobics classes -- all wonderful activities, but not something a guy's guy is going to brag much about.

John and Ginny Lopis, owners of The Lodge at Woodloch in Hawley, Pennsylvania and spa industry veterans, knew this too, and so when they opened their own spa, about 90 minutes from New York City, they decided to purposefully make it a place where a guy would feel comfortable. This comes through in the décor of the common areas, which, true to its name, is lodge-inspired, with a bit of a feel of a traditional study thrown in too -- there's lots of wood, metal and rich cozy upholstery. This also comes across in the range of activities available -- the spa is set on 75 wooded acres, and it has its own lake, so activities include hiking, mountain biking, kayaking -- and there's a golf course right across the street. What's more, the food that's served here is certainly in the genre of spa cuisine -- healthy, lower fat, calorie conscious -- but it's not about deprivation: there's a full wine list, for instance, desserts, chocolate and treats. Ginny Lopis jokes that they think of it as a five-star ashram.

When you walk through into the spa wing, you're in more familiar territory, but it's new-age light and bright, but still, nothing aggressively pink or feminine anywhere -- except maybe in the treatments, for instance, the Lavender Garden Dream, which is a polish, wrap and fully body massage or Chamomile Flowers, a body polish and moisturizer.

Even with all of this man-bait in place, the clientele is, as you'd expect, mostly women. When I visited a few weeks ago, I noticed many mother-daughter, girlfriend getaway types of spa-goers -- but I also spotted more than handful of men, holding up their half of a vacationing couple. The menfolk were a bit furtive, and not much evidence during the day, as I took a class called "Breathe and Change Your Life", stretched in yoga, and jogged in the woods. But early one morning, as I watched knots of women striding with great purpose on the spa's fitness trail, creating flashes of neon lime and bright pink power-walking through the trees, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted one guy, going off to fish in the lake, his pole over his shoulder.

Gallery: Man Spa: The Lodge at Woodloch

Tags: men, spa

2009 Omega Constellation Watch For Men

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

There hasn't been a new Constellation from Omega in years, but 2009 brings a totally refreshed look that is true to the original and resists too much modern 'edge.' 1982 gave us the first Constellation watch, which was a very unique timepiece at the time - when the angular look was in. The new model retains the iconic bracelet with links and bars, the bezel claws, and the bezel lined with Roman numerals (on those models without diamonds of course).

The global appeal of the watch requires an array of models to fit regional tastes. The case is sized up to 38mm wide and goes down to 35mm for the men's models. Inside the watch is Omega's in-house made Co-Axial caliber 8500 or 8501 movements - which were certainly not available in the originals. Quartz movement versions of the watch are also available. For me the look has always been an acquired taste though there is nothing to dislike about the sensible good looks of the watch. In addition to the steel version, editions of the watch are available with gold accents and different color faces. Look for the new 2009 Omega Constellation models soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 09, 2009, constellation, men, mens, omega, timepiece, watch

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