Prepare your pores! Brace your blemishes! Ready your wrinkles! The Gentleman’s Journal Grooming Awards have returned to your bathroom cabinet in a flurry of antioxidant-enriched, nutrient-infused, sandalwood-scented excitement. And, as always, we’ve tasked five trusted celebrities with the job of judging the best the grooming world has to offer.
This year, we’ve split the products into five categories: Skincare; Shaving; Shower; Scents; Styling. And, after spending a month with bumper boxes of these products, our judges — including model Toby Huntington-Whiteley and actor Max Brown — have crowned the winners of each category. So, each day this week, we will reveal the scents, salves and serums you should be buying. Today, we kick things off with skincare…
Sam Harwood’s definitive winner in the skincare category was Patchology’s Rejuvenating Eye Gels. Here’s what the model had to say about them:
“They’re the perfect hangover disguise! My go-to product for when it’s a little too obvious you’ve had a late night, these are just so good for reducing puffiness and dark circles — and making me feel human again…”
The patches are a simple, five-minute treatment that deliver essential ingredients such as caffeine and hydrolysed collagen into your skin to stimulate micro-circulation and leave you with brighter looking eyes. And, costing just £11.90 for a pack of five, they’re also great value.
Adam Tanous is a mainstay of the Gentleman’s Journal Grooming Awards panel. And, as he does every year, The Dapper Chapper founder has once again delivered an in-depth and considered test. Here’s why he chose the Shiro Neem Aging Care Face Mask as his winner in the skincare category:
“It’s comfortably the best face-mask I’ve tried. It was a highly indulgent experience that left my skin feeling fully rejuvenated for almost a week.”
Tanous also gave a special shout-out to the Dr Barbara Sturm Face Cream, of which he said: “Another highly indulgent product. If budget allows, your skin will thank you for adding this to your skin routine. I applied it once a day in the evening and would wake up with a face that felt hydrated, nourished and ready for the day”.
Model and personal trainer Toby Huntington-Whiteley adds something a little different to our judging line-up. Rather than leaning towards beautifying products, his choice of Bamford Grooming Department’s Sport Arnica Balm shows a focus on practicality over primping. Here’s what he thought:
“Being a personal trainer and working out most days, I always have aching muscles. Using this after a shower, post-workout or before bed, I genuinely noticed that my muscles no longer ached as much. Additionally, the balm itself is non-greasy or sticky — and, with its subtle scent, it isn’t as overwhelming as other muscle relieving products I’ve used in the past.”
It’s glowing praise. But thoroughly deserved by Bamford’s innovative entry into this category — a balm with a medicinal base of analgesic and anti-inflammatory arnica montana. Workable and soft, the active ingredient is also supported by circulation-boosting ginger and antibacterial tea tree leaf extract.
As an actor, Max Brown knows the importance of keeping his skin camera-ready. And, in its second first-place position of the year, the Downton Abbey star also chose Shiro’s Neem Aging Care Face Mask as his skincare winner. Here, he explains why:
“As with all the categories, this was a tough one to judge as there were so many lovely products. But, for me, the winner has to be Shiro. The face mask was easy to apply, and left my face feeling both rejuvenated and moisturised. Just a lovely way to recoup after a busy day in the city.”
So what makes this mask so good? Crowned the winner by both Adam Tanous and Max Brown, it may be expensive (£20 a pop) but Shiro has specially developed the mask using oil from the neem tree — and chocked it full of liquorice extract to restore moisture and improve the texture of your skin. Sounds like a winner to us.
Eric Underwood is also a face mask man. The American British ballet dancer, and friend of Gentleman’s Journal, chose a Dr. Barbara Sturm product as his winner — but not the same cream that got an honourable mention from Adam Tanous. Here’s what he had to say about the Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Mask:
“My skin felt instantly rejuvenated after this face mask — smooth, moisturised and fresh. It’s brilliant!”
And that’s all thanks to purslane, a beauty ingredient developed especially by Dr. Sturm to nourish and protect the skin. The mask, priced at £90 for a 30ml tub, is also infused with a calming blend of aloe vera and chamomile. Apply it before bed, and it will do its intensive work; moisturising and soothing your stressed skin into a glowing complexion.
Like the sound of those eye masks? Here, we round up the best eye creams money can buy…
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