"The moment i wake up, Before i put on my make up..."

A couple of years ago while Mrs M was working as a make up artist she had a youtube channel reviewing products. Her make up collection was huge and even her personal stash of beauty products now is pretty big. Although she no longer makes video's for the channel and very rarely reviews beauty products , Ive still noticed a rise in people doing this online. It seems that online beauty product testing and reviewing is huge. While i was having a beard grooming session this morning (Ive got to look after it its all the hair Ive got) i thought about how funny it would be to write my own beauty product haul, what else am i going to do with my spare time?

My plan was to write the post a bit tongue in cheek but without realising it turns out i use many products throughout the week to keep me looking the picture of youthfulness you all love to see when visiting the blog. So here it is, the contents of a hairy mans toiletries bag...

First up the bag itself:

Yes i know, not at all macho! but then Ive never claimed to be. We were sent two sets of the Gruffalo Chums wash bags from Trunki back in November as part of our products to review while we were away last year. I assume they were meant for the boys but me and Mrs M quickly claimed ownership haha. These are perfect wash bags and hold a surprisingly large amount of products. Opeie loves the Gruffalo books and I'm a big kid so i was hooked as soon as i saw them.

Having a smooth head takes work and i have to shave it every couple of days to keep it close or i end up looking a bit of a scruff. Choosing the right Razor is really important and for me there's nothing finer than the Merkur HD 34c Safety Razor.  Merkur safety Razors are a more traditional way of shaving. There's something quite empowering about shaving with a stylish all chrome heavy duty razor. The Razor is perfectly weighted and its simple yet elegant design makes shaving a joy rather than a chore. The best part about shaving like this (especially in my case shaving my head) is no hair build up either side of the blade. Being able to take the Razor apart to fully clean the blade is one of the most appealing things about this classic German Razor.

With specialist websites about, dedicated to shaving like The Traditioal Shaving Company, its great to know there is somewhere out there to buy all the things you need for your classic razor. Being able to use a variety of blades for this razor is also a great addition to the large list of positives to traditional shaving.

Ive been through so many different shaving creams over the years but have only recently found one that works for me thanks to a surprise gift from Santa last year. Dr. Bronners Lemongrass Lime Organic Shaving Gel ticks all the boxes for me, scented (but not over powering), not sticky, foams up nicely and lubricates the blades great causing less shaving accidents. An all natural shaving cream means that you don't have to worry about what your skin is is letting in.

Mrs M is always looking after us and has quite a lot of product knowledge when it comes to ingredients in beauty products as well as in food. She has been telling me for years that i should change the deodorant i use and switch to something more natural. Dr. Organic pomegranate deodorant is Aluminium, SLS, Paraben and Alcohol free and it smells amazing. It's by far the best natural deodorant I've found.

The beard has been known to be a sign of wisdom and prestige since days of old. Sadly without the use of product I would end up looking like a recently thawed out caveman or Shropshires answer to Mr Twit. To keep my facial foliage under control I use two pretty amazing products. The first being one of two products that my unruly tash couldn't live with out. For years Captain Fawcett moustache wax has been shaping my upper lip and giving it the love and support it has needed (especially in this rather dreary and windy weather). The Expedition strength sandalwood scented wax is great for high winds and rain holding my moustache exactly where it needs to be. For days when the weather is a little calmer, a more gentle wax that is great for shaping and leaves the sweet smell of lavender right under my snout.

For the general treatment of my bushy face i use Dr Organics Moroccan Argan Oil hair treatment Serum. Its a daily hug for the furry mask Ive come to respect over the years. Looking after your beard is so important. Nobody wants to be kissing a musty smelling mess and i never want to end up like my old science teacher (we'll call him Mr P.) who would turn up to lessons with the mornings cornflakes still present below his chin.

For Christmas our very own ginger Santa showered us with gifts. Chris over at Gingerjamphoto.com presented me with a lovely moustache shaped comb proving that my best buddy has as much respect for the tash as i do (Thanks Chris x).

When your a stay at home dad smitten by that beautiful child that you've created, much of your day is taken up smooching up a storm (Nanny Roo knows what I'm talking about she often leaves a trail of lipstick marks when we visit). All the smooching is great but can leave your lips chapped, dry and cracked. I like to counteract the effects of physical affection with either Burt's Bees Beeswax lip balm of my new favourite, Hurraw raw and Organic earl grey lip balm. The Gruffalo chums little mouse is great as a lip balm case.

I tend to get really dry hands especially when I'm driving and I've been through all sorts of moisturisers. They all seem fine for a brief time but then I need to reapply over and over again. One afternoon while shopping in Wholefoods and after a chat about my dry hands I had the nicest hand massage from a lovely lady. I'm not usually the sort of person that would stand in a shop being touched up but as she rubbed my hands I was unbelievabley relaxed. I thanked her and continued my shopping but I couldn't stop looking at my gleaming hands, they felt amazing. Before leaving I went back and brought some Melvita Crème Mains hand cream that she used for the massage and I've never looked back. It's organic, smells lovely (again not overpowering) and it makes my well moistured hands glisten.

Its really important to look after your body especially when you are approaching your mid 30's at full speed, sometimes I feel like I'm not doing a great job but as I pulled all these products together I realised that I'm doing alright. Im not feeling old which is a great start and my skin is in pretty good condition but i believe thats partly to do with my oily skin (keeps you looking younger don't you know). Well that's it, my complete beauty regime. What are you essentials?