Manly Mondays - Chill Out Time

Hello everyone, 

This one will be a very quick Manly Monday I'm afraid, I have my first exam of the season tomorrow...wish me luck! I didn't want to disappoint you all by missing out a week from the column so here is a little evening relaxation inspiration for all you gentlemen out there. 

There is nothing better at the end of the day than a nice steaming mug of tea, or so I'm told, I'm not a tea drinker myself. After a long hard day at work Mr.Gingersnap likes nothing more than cosying up on the sofa with tea, chocolate and a DVD. Sometimes he likes to swap the tea for a whisky so we found some chocolates to make the best of both worlds. 

These choccies are by Anthon Berg, each has it's own different liquor secreted in the delicious dark chocolate casing. There are some well loved favourites in there like Jim Bean, Remy Martin, Cointreau and XO. They are really yummy and so rich, it's quite a luxurious treat with 16 different chocolates. Definitely a winner over here! 

Mr.Gingersnap is a big lover of second world war history and must have watched HBO's Band of Brothers a dozen times, but now he has a new excuse to watch it as I have got into it too. This 10 episode series follows the Easy Company as they train and join the war effort. This series has some serious ups and downs, I have been in tears of laughter and sadness multiple times already. Each episode focuses more on one soldier, helping you form an emotional attachment to them all as individuals. I think the most heart wrenching part of this is that it is based on real life events and has commentary at the beginning from actual surviving members of Easy Company. With some big names like Damien Lewis, Ron Livingston, Donnie Wahlberg and Scott Grimes it really is a must watch, but have the tissues at the ready! 

What do you like to do to unwind in the evening? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Manly Mondays - Breakfast of Champions

Hello everyone, 

Don't you just think the week would start off so much better with a big breakfast? I am all about breakfast and finding new ways to make it interesting, I feel that if you have something yummy and exciting to look forward to you're more likely to want to get up. Keeping that in mind here is a favourite recipe of Mr.Gingersnap's. I usually make this for him on Sunday, though he likes to "help" by eating my ingredients as we go along! 

I first saw the idea for Bacon Egg Cups over at A Little Freckle and thought they looked too good not to try! They can be made as a big breakfast, a brunch or as a starter depending on how many you want to make. I wrote this recipe as if you are making 6, so 3 each, but in the photos I only made 3, sorry guys. 

You will need: 

• 6 medium-large eggs 
• butter 
• 3-4 slices of brown bread 
• cheddar cheese 
• pepper 
• paprika 
• 8 rashers of bacon 

Firstly you want to grill your bacon until it is almost done, this usually takes around 2 minutes for each side under the full heat of the grill. The bacon should still be a little soft and pink. While you are doing this pre-heat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark.

Next, prep your muffin tins with a bit of butter for greasing. Just get on in there and smear a thin layer around the bottom and sides of the muffin part of the tin. 

Use a glass to cut circles out of your bread, I find that one slice of bread makes two circles if you go to opposite edges of the slice. Save the left-over bits for the birds, they get hungry over the winter! Place the bread circles in the tins, one in each hole. 

Slice your bacon into strips and wrap it around the edge of the muffin tin, if you have gaps then use some bits from the extra bacon slices to patch it up. If you don't need these bits then just eat them...yum! 

Grate your cheese so you can make a layer of similar thickness to the bread inside your bacon cup. Almost done! Crack one egg into each bacon cup, sprinkle on some black pepper and a teeny bit of paprika and voila, ready for the oven. 

I find that to have a runny yolk it is best to cook them for 11 minutes. If you like a more solid yolk, try 12 or 13 minutes. When they are done it is super easy to scoop them out onto a plate and enjoy! 

This recipe is really quick and easy, you can serve them on their own as a breakfast, with beans and tomato as a bigger brunch or serve on a bed of rocket salad singly for a tasty and decadent looking starter. 

How do you enjoy your breakfast? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Manly Mondays - L'Occitane Voyage

Hello everyone, 

Let’s do a change from the double Ted Baker streak for Manly Mondays, just so y’all don’t get bored of us! This time we have trialled the L’Occitane Voyage set for men, so going a bit more up market this week. For those of you who may not know L’Occitane is a gorgeous brand based in Provence, France. All their products are made in France, frequently featuring typical french plants and herbs. 

First off, we didn’t even have to open the box to know this set smelt so good! Aaah I’m going to have to go away and sniff it before I keep writing…right I’m back. The Voyage box is a set aimed for facial grooming on the go. There is a body wash, shaving gel, after-shave balm and soap all in cute travel sizes. The packaging is a very neutral silver, bronze and navy blue, perfect for a classy man! 

All the products have the light, signature scent for men from this brand, it really is quite distinctive! The fragrance is fresh and masculine, bringing to mind vanilla and shea butter with a much spicier undertone. The shaving gel seems to have the lightest scent and doesn’t really linger on the skin, which is fabulous if you are an after-shave loving guy! Mr.Gingersnap reported that he noticed a real difference in how irritated his skin was post-shave, after using the shaving gel he said his skin felt smooth and nourished. Happily, there was no stinging when he applied his favourite Diesel after-shave. 

The after-shave balm has a stronger scent and could be used as an after-shave itself if you fancy a more subtle fragrance. It really soothes the skin and seems to provide a decent degree of protection from the harsh wind if you have to rush straight out of the house. I’m sure you all sympathise with post-shave hyper-sensitised skin! 

He found the scent of the soap balances really nicely, however, he wasn’t such a fan of the body wash. The scents seem to have been blended differently, it’s a much tangier, more chemical aroma. Overall Mr.Gingersnap enjoyed this set and would like to give this 3/5 stars. He thinks he would buy the shaving gel and balm again, but not the body wash. 

What is your favourite L’Occitane product? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Manly Monday - Ted Baker Clerkenwell

Hello everyone, 

I’m back again for another Manly Monday! Maybe I should slow down on the posts so I don’t run out of content? Anyway, this week we trialled another Ted Baker gift set. This time the Clerkenwell Core Collection. 

Well, this lot certainly went down better than the last lot. Of the Ted Bakers this is the favourite as the fragrance has more a tangy tone to it. The anti-perspirant seems to be more effective at keeping a fresh scent throughout the day, although it does fade considerably, lasting a similar amount of time to the Redbridge range. The scent may be lighter, but a lovely aura persists and keeps away any sweaty stink. However, it still doesn't last the claimed 48 hours, but what product really does? 

The body wash was again the favourite, Mr.Gingersnap reported that it made him feel refreshed and energised every time he used it. The scent would make a lovely aftershave and he felt the matching anti-perspirant could just be used as a body spray as well. He much prefers this scent, with it being his favourite so far of all the products trialled. It's a pleasant day to day smell, but of all the brands Champney's is still the winner. He liked the completeness of the set and found the addition of a soap and flannel a nice change. The body spray and anti-perspirant could be considered a bit samey as they are very interchangeable, but this would be a positive if you really loved the scent. 

The packaging is less obviously masculine than the previous set, this time with a white, purple and orange theme running throughout. There are actually more products in this set: an anti-perspirant, a body spray, a body wash, a moisturising soap and a flannel. It really is the ultimate starter kit for male grooming. Mr.Gingersnap stated that he would go out and spend his own money on this, which really says something. 

I think this would make a really lovely gift set for that special someone, be that partner, son, friend or brother! We gave this 4/5 stars as you get a lot in the set and it serves many purposes. 

What is your favourite Ted Baker product? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Manly Mondays - Ted Baker Redbridge Review

Hello everyone, 

It’s time for another Manly Monday! This week we have been trying out the Ted Baker Redbridge gift set of an antiperspirant and body wash. Yet again a gift from Christmas, the packaging is gorgeous with a copper and grey theme, making it a definite winner with me. Mr.Gingersnap tried these out over the course of a week so we have combined all his daily thoughts into one big post. Now onto the products themselves :-) 

He thought that the deodorant, while nice was more aimed at an office worker, he said he “felt he should be wearing a suit with it”. I suppose that is the target market of Ted Baker, it is a more high end product, being considered a luxury brand. He felt that it was good, but not as good as the previous Champneys Sport deodorant at keeping him smelling fresh at the end of the day. It is less of a functional product, acting more as a post-shower fragrance. The scent is very sweet, smelling almost edible, but becomes cloying when combined with physical work. Mr.Gingersnap wanted to give this product 2/5 stars for functionality, but 4.5/5 stars as a scent. 

As a body wash the scent is more appropriate as it is lighter and works better with water. It lathers up well and is quite refreshing. The scent lingers long after the shower. Whilst he originally thought it reminded him of cinnamon, he has since changed his mind to vanilla…men never read the labels. The label states that it is infused with pink pepper, cardamon, tobacco and vanilla. It is less of a distinctly manly scent and he found it slightly too sweet and spicy for his usual tastes, giving it 3.5/5 stars. 

Overall he found the spray didn’t live up to it’s claim of 48hour activity, but would be nice for someone in a less physical job. The shower gel was more of a hit and he went so far as to say that he would consider re-purchasing it for himself as a treat. The duo goes well together and would make a lovely gift, but he would prefer a slightly more refreshing smell. 

Have you guys tried this? Let me know what you think in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Manly Mondays - Champneys

Hello everyone, 

I thought that I might start doing a weekly or fortnightly post about products for men, this blog is very heavily weighted with products aimed at the female market! How accidentally exclusive of me, I am determined to change that! This type of post is designed to give you ideas for treats for yourself, a partner, a friend or family member. Everyone deserves a treat every now and again. Thank you to my wonderful partner for being the guinea pig of these products…no boyfriends were harmed in the writing of this post :-) 

Lets kick it off with the Champneys' sports range, obviously for men. The packaging is similar to Clarins' ranges for men, block colours of red and blue with gold font seem to be a favourite and I have to agree that they definitely look very smart. They make lovely looking gifts. 

Onto the products themselves, the set we have trialled is composed of a deodorant and a hair/body wash. Aimed at post-exercise showers and grooming they have a very refreshing citrus scent to them. The body wash was a particular hit, the scent is very masculine without being overpowering and lathers up like a dream. A small amount lathers up hugely, unlike some products where a lot is needed in one go. I definitely enjoyed the change in scent from farm animal to fresh lemons! 

The battered state of the bottle is testament to it's popularity! 

The deodorant was put through quite rigorous testing, being a farmer my partner’s job is very physical and he can sometimes be a bit smelly (I still love him regardless). For him it is important to find a deodorant that keeps him smelling fresh all day, through all the heavy lifting and long hours. He tested this product on quiet days first and it withstood the test, for the heavier work he found that it was better than a lot of others and definitely helped him feel fresher at the end of the day. Although the work did get the better of it towards the end! The scent is again very masculine and reminds me of a spring or brook, it has that outdoorsy lemongrass and fresh, clean water smell to it, mmmm lovely! 

Don’t be put off by it not lasting the whole day, when you work with cows there is little that can keep the smell away for ever! Mr.Gingersnap recommends these two products wholeheartedly and gave them 4/5 stars overall. 

If you have tried this brand or would like us to review another one let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo