Disclosure: This is not a compensated or sponsored post. I was provided the product for review purposes only. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Father’s Day is right around the corner and if you are trying to come up with that perfect gift other than a tie, then I have some products that you might want to take a look at.

George “Beau” Brummell was a major influence on men’s fashion in the early 1800’s and beyond. Brummell “established the mode of dress for men that rejected overly ornate fashions for one of understated, but perfectly fitted and tailored bespoke garments.”  Now that attitude is being applied to men’s grooming with Beau Brummell For Men, the brand.

Beau Brummell had an understated yet elegant manner of dress and is credited with introducing the modern men’s suit.  His principles of harmony of shape and color contrast were so well respected that men of higher social status sought his opinion on their dress.  His personal habits–such as his attention to cleanliness, including shaving–influenced the upper strata of British and European society, who started to emulate him.

Because Brummell became associated with style and good looks his name (though shortened by an “L”) was borrowed for a variety of products such as the “Beau Brummel Brown” paint color used for a 1931 Oldsmobile and a “Beau Brummel” watch by LeCoultre (with a minimalist design and no numbers on the watch face).

Beau Brummell for Men (the brand) is applying Beau Brummell’s (the man) concepts of rejecting the overly ornate in favor of understated-but-tailored into grooming. Many of the Beau Brummell for Men products use activated charcoal.  I knew of activated charcoal and its uses for treating toxic reactions but I didn’t know that much about its use in topical products until I did some research for this article.  Now I’m surprised it hasn’t been used more widely.

Here is what they offer and my experiences with them:

Facial Scrub

This scrub uses crushed walnut shells and bamboo fibers instead of the typical “microbeads” which have caused concern because they can enter and pollute the water system.  The texture is more coarse than other scrubs I have used–the size of the crushed walnut shells are comparatively large.  This exfoliant can be used once a week (at the most) to help turn over the top layer of skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  It also has caffeine and a little menthol to help  skin feel a little more refreshed though, you can barely detect the menthol.

 

Facial Mask

This particular mask’s texture is a little firmer and goes on in a thinner layer.  The instructions say to wait 7 to 10 minutes before rinsing .  But more importantly, the post-application improvement to your complexion is quite noticeable. This is another product you would use once a week at the most.

 

Face Wash

I’m a big believer in shave prep, eschewing pre-shave oils in favor of a good wash.  I think it works really well at both cleaning and hydrating my face, without stripping off too much of the skin oil that’s needed for a good shave.

 

Shaving Brush

Easily the best value of the line.  Although it is not the largest brush out there (3.75 inches total height; 1.75 inch handle but a 24mm knot) and uses a fairly average grade of badger hair it is well-built and has very little of the typical animal hair “funk” when it gets wet (and the “funk” disappeared completely for me after just a couple uses).  This brush is easily competitive with brushes costing more than they’re asking for here.

Shave Cream

Mildly-scented with a Sandalwood-and-something-else note the Beau Brummell for Men shave cream is an excellent performer, right up there with the top-shelf British creams in my opinion.  It lathers easily and luxuriously, as you might expect.  The “cushion” aspect is exceptional.  The post-shave feel is good.

 

Facial Moisturizer

First, there’s a bit of a grey tinge to it instead of the typical pure white color of most products of this type.  I imagine it’s due to the activated charcoal ingredient.  Second, it had an exceptionally nice post-application “feel.”  It’s kind of hard to describe–it made my skin feel smooth to the touch without the heavy texture of some other products that have the same feel to me.  The over-all performance is very good.

The Bottom Line

Beau Brummell–the man–was all about rejecting the overly-ornate look and instead concentrating on a look that was both understated and tailored.  I love this line as their is something for every man in your life in this line. I would recommend this for all the guys in your life, they are going to love it.

Check them out on Twitter at @beaubrummellNY and Instagram and Facebook at @beaubrummellformen