If the likes of a hot pink suit, which featured in the initial Versace for H&M collection in November, didn’t quite do it for your sartorial tastebuds perhaps this second installment might. Called the Cruise Collection (basically meaning it’s designed with lounging around a pool in mind) it’s a lot more toned down in comparison. The trademark Versace prints are still featured on most pieces of the line but in a far less conspicuous way – making it a collection that’s much more versatile and wearable. Denims, shirts, shorts, t-shirts, and jackets all feature as do dressing gowns with a distinctive yet simple motif. If this collection tickles your fancy, you’ll be happy to know it hits stores on January 19th.

Racking your brain trying to come up for ideas for the office Kris Kindle or Secret Santa with your friends & family? Forget socks and cheap candles, this year think all things beauty and pampering. Here are some of my favourites this year for varying prices points.

Topshop “Smokey Eye Palette” approx €15
3 midnight shades and 1 bone colour to help you lighten and blend to the intensity you desire. It’s great to give fun eyeshadow palettes, as there are few people I have met that have not had need for one during the festive season. I also love the sleek design of the packaging, makes it super portable for top ups and travel.

Andrea Fulerton “For Your Nails Only” €15
Three 2-in-1 nail polishes. One side is the polish and the other is a glitter shaker. They come with a precision brush so you can create as many designs as you can come up with. All the nails polishes come in up to the minute metallic shades. Its the perfect solution for a stocking filler, or a tough secret santa.

Trilogy Signature Skincare Collection €29 approx
This is such a generous kit. You get 50ml of their soft Cream Cleanser, 20ml Certified Organic Rosehip Oil (I use this on myself and the celeb’s I work with) and a Vital Moisturizing Cream. Ideal for the traveller in the group.

Jo Malone “ Christmas Cracker” €34
This is the King of stocking fillers. These mini sizes of Grapefruit Cologne, Lime, Basil and Mandarin Body and Hand Wash and Pomegranite Noir Body Creme will have your loved one squealing with delight.

Fekkai Winter Glossing Set €45
This is serious stuff for stressed out hair. It immediately gives you soft, shiny manageable hair. A sweet treat for any fuzzy haired friends. It contains a Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner as well as a Glossing Cream – I swear by that glossing cream, it’s so light yet so hydrating, great on curls too.

Espa Spa Glamour €55 approx
This duo of Pink Hair and Scalp Mud and Exfoliating Body Polish is for the girl or boy that truely loves to spend time pampering themselves…but does not necessarily want to shell out on a visit to the salon to do it. The scalp mud is perfect for those dandruff sufferers and the body polish is ideal for someone with more oily skin that’s prone to body breakouts.

Soap and Glory “Big Slendour” approx €69
10 products and a beautiful bag to house them in. This is a beauty junkies delight.
Nothing is left to chance. Ideal for teenagers or the savvy consumer. It will have you in their favour all year round…or at least until Janurary. Plus everything smells divine and works a treat.

Bliss’s “Seasons Sweet-ings” €75
This is such a fun set of fabulous skin treats. It contains Vanilla and Bergamot body wash and foaming bath, Body Buff, which happens to my favourite scrub. Its awesome, really creamy and leaves a soft velvety finish on the skin. Body Butter divine! A super cute rubber duck completes the set.

Organic Glam “Orange Blossom” Candles €55 approx
This combines the scents of brazilian tangerine, green mandarin, sweet orange and moroccan neroli. Hand poured in to thick glass with a customised golden lid and 30hrs burn time. It’s free from chemicals, palm, paraffin and petroleum waxes. My tip is to leave it in a warm room or near the fire to get even more life out of it, once the wax warms up the scent will fill the room without you ever needing to light the wick. I kept this one for myself!

Creme de la Mer “Hydrating Facial” €225
6 facial masks for that at-home-spa experience. I do these with my sister and my mom which is hilarious because we all look like something out of the Halloween movies but more importantly we all look fab once we take them off. I cannot go without them. They impart tight, firm, hydrated skin that looks poreless. If you know someone who loves beauty but has everything, this is the gift for them. DIVINE.

By Resident Pro Make Up Artist Ciara O’Shea

By Jean Guerin

Not sure what to get the man in your life for Christmas? Well look no further because you will be spoilt for choice at Dalvey. Dalvey may not be new to Grafton street but what it offers is a breath of fresh air.

Over decades of evolution Dalvey has striven to offer a comprehensive range of accessories to the discerning man. Combining excellence in contemporary design with high-grade materials, finely crafted and precision-engineered, the brand now offers unrivalled quality and breadth. Accessories include: briefcases, hip flasks, compases, gentlemens watches, cuff links, gloves, pens, watches, umbrellas, notebooks, ties.

Their shirt range is second to none. Shirts crafted from exceptional fabrics, cut and tailored to create a sculpted silhouette and finished with classic detailing. You will not wear a more elegant, comfortable or durable cloth.

The Grafton Street flaghship was opened last year, bringing the brand to the finest shopping street in Ireland. The design philosophy of Dalvey is informed by the principle of equipping discerning men with items that are expressly relevant to them. Central to the design process is the idea of an independent-minded man who constructs his own lifestyle, and who therefore needs versatile modern classics-pieces that make a statement of elegance and quality. If this sounds like someone you know, then get yourself down to Dalvey on Grafton Street. They now offer a bespoke shirt tailoring service, enabling customers to chose from a wide range of long-staple cotton fabrics, to have their precise measurements taken, and to make the styling choices necessary to have their own perfect shirts made. Always with great offers in store, your man will be the best dressesd at all the Christmas parties this coming season!

I’ve been enjoying the benefits of a healthy lifestyle of late including regular gym sessions and Pilates classes. Regular exercise means frequent showering, oftentimes two or three times a day. This can play havoc with the skin’s natural balance so using the right combination of products is vital. Kiehl’s Musk shower gel is a sumptuous all over body cleanser that’s gentle enough to use throughout the day. A’Kin’s Visibly Fit 24 hour moisturiser is a light, oil-free formula with anti-oxidants that really freshens up the skin. For sensitive skin, Nivea for Men’s Hydro Gel contains calming chamomile and aloe vera. If training outdoors an SPF is essential. Trilogy for Men includes a moisturiser with SPF 15 as does Kiehl’s energizing Facial Fuel. For that sensitive eye area, L’Oreal’s Hydra Energetic Ice Cool roll-on is very easy to apply and extremely refreshing. A firm believer your choice of aftershave says a lot about your style my current favourites include Armani Code Sport for its freshness. The newly released YSL Gingembre is a zingy scent with notes of ginger, bergamot and white pepper. For a real statement scent try Bleu de Chanel, it will have you smelling great all day long.

Hugh Laurie has joined fellow actors Patrick Dempsey and Gerard Butler to become the newest ambassador for L’Oreal Paris’s Men Expert range. Laurie has always been quite vocal about not “selling out” or being seen as a commodity so the pairing of him & a major cosmetic house might seem slightly unorthodox. However the series of adverts are noticeably more tongue in cheek than usual and also show Laurie using his English accent rather than the American drawl synonymous with the world famous character Dr House.

Who would have thought that Black Adder’s bumbling Prince George or foppish Berti Wooster would grow up to become the rugged face of mens skin care?! Personally I’ve always had a soft spot for him in whatever role, but these new ads are definitely bringing a certain something new to the table…

By Sarah Jane Langan

Burberry’s Christopher Bailey can do no wrong in my eyes and last week I clapped eyes on this sweetness from Burberry Prorsum. A duffle coat but no ordinary duffle. It’s made from felt with chocolate brown leather trim contrasting the bright orange. If anything it’ll brighten up the greyist of winter days. I also love the detachable hood, it allows for more variety to the styling. It means you can mix it up and wear with a hoodie for casual lazy days around town or simple just wear hoodless for a slightly more formal look. Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be getting my hands on one anytime soon. It costs €2,359.26…we’re all allowed to dream!

No is all lost however. Zara currently have an orange trench in stores. No quite the same as a duffle but it has some nice detailing: double breasted, military style epaulets and a waist-tie belt. I tried it on and nearly bought it but something stopped me. If you’re in the market for a bright coat, it’s definitely worth checking out.

I hate admitting it but yes I’m getting older (aren’t we all says you). Recently though whether it’s through the power of advertising or simply just wanting to take that extra bit of care of myself, I’ve become particularly conscious of my skin especially the area around my eyes. Up until relatively recently my skin routine, if you could even call it that, consisted of a good face wash, the occasional facial scrub, finished off with a healthy dollop of moisturiser which I applied all over my face.

It appears I’ve been doing myself a disservice. Previously unbeknown to me is that your average moisturiser should NOT, I repeat NOT, be used around the eye area. In fact using a general face moisturiser here can prove to be too heavy for this sensitive skin and cause all sorts of puffiness in later life. And no one wants that!

I was recently introduced to the NeoStrata skin care range which includes ‘Active Intensive Eye Therapy’. I feel better already just saying the name out loud. It promises to target crow’s feet and puffiness using a “multi-mechanistic” approach that plumps the deep layers of the skin, smoothing lines and wrinkles from the inside out so the eye area appears more lifted. I’ve been using it daily for the past month or so and while I can’t honestly say that I’ve noticed a massive difference, the area certainly does feel smoother. Like with a lot of these things it’s an investment in the future and good eye care now will really pay dividends in the longterm.

So what makes NeoStrate so special? Well it contains the unique SynerG Formula 6.0 which employs a multi-mechanistic approach to building and plumping the deep layers of the skin. Apple Stem Cell Extract protects the longevity of skin’s own stem cells so your skin behaves like younger skin. Never a bad thing in my book. Also peptides stimulate components to produce more collagen, and together with patented NeoGlucosamine reinforce collagen’s surrounding support structure. NeoGlucosamine also inhibits a key enzyme in melanin formation, reducing the appearance of uneven pigmentation while caffeine helps deflate puffiness under the eye and hyaluronic acid acts as a natural moisture magnet. Vitamin E provides antioxidant benefits.

A clinical study found that after 4 weeks of twice daily use respondents reported the following:

• 94% eye area appears lifted, improves skin texture and radiance
• 88% wrinkles (crow’s feet) are less noticeable, increases skin firmness/elasticity
• 87% reduces under eye puffiness
• 81% skin looks younger
• 77% reduces dark circles

Definitely cheaper and way less painful than an eyelift.

NeoStrata Skin Active Intensive Eye Therapy RRP €55 (15grams)
For local stockist information, please contact Pharmed
Tel 044 9334602 or email info@pharmed.ie

I’ve always respected the Hackett style sensibility and over the past couple of seasons I’ve found I’ve been particularly drawn to it. A lot more than usual and I’m not exactly sure why. Perhaps it’s just me. And getting older. But there’s definitely something about the overall aesthetic that really appeals me. Perhaps it’s my inner ‘squire’ yearning to be freed!

I readily admit it’s not a look I’d be into wearing every day, nor do I plan to, but there are times, particularly If I’m attending a slightly more formal occasion and want to look extra sharp that Hackett beckons. So you’ll understand when their latest look book lands I’m always very interested to see what new twists they’ve introduce. Autumn Winter 2011 does not disappoint. As always very smart looks for the modern man are presented. This year the focus seems to be very much on texture and fabric more so than colour. Rich tweeds are tailored to perfection while luxurious cable knits, patchwork jackets, cords and leather all offer a more preppy style for casual comfort.

The collection spans different themes including Après Chic, Country Kit and Old School along with the ever elegant Hackett Mayfair. The two pieces I’m coveting are the Brown fur trim leather jacket (€1000) and the grey wool patchwork jacket (€650)…At those prices, I’d better start saving!

Keep up with Darren on Twitter here!

Gents I think it’s fair to say that at this time of year, most of us are pretty ill-prepared for the onslaught of freezing weather and the havoc this plays on our skin. It’s our extremities that bare the brunt, primarily to the detriment of the face, lips and hands.

Well I’ve some good news, a winter skin saviour if you will, comes in the form of ‘Everything Balm’ from New Zealand skincare brand Trilogy and I’m glad to report it does exactly what it says on the tin. A fuss free, versatile and soothing balm, it is the ultimate multi-purpose product.

At this time of year my lips always end up cracking and become chapped (caused primarily moving from warm central heating indoors to freezing cold temperatures outdoors). Normally my first line of defense is a trusty tube of Carmex. Recently however my lips began cracking so I decided to replace Carmex for some Everything Balm. I applied a small amount of the soft, supple balm to my lips a couple of times within a 12 hour period. On application I felt instant relief but more impressively by the following morning my lips felt renewed without trace of chapped skin.

The best thing is this balm can quite literally be used for practically every purpose. Impressed with the results on my lips, having forgotten gloves for lifting weights at the gym, the skin on my hands developed small welts where I had gripped and were slightly stinging. Again I reached for my tub of Everything balm and applied it my hands. The results – within the space of minutes my hands felt soothed, softened and the hard skin subsided.

Everything balm is a multi-tasking skincare tool for use on skin anywhere on the face or body. What’s more it’s perfect for travel so if you only use one skincare product this winter make it this. You won’t regret it.

The Science
Combining antioxidant-rich Certified Organic Marula Oil and Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, both revered for their skin healing and preservative properties, as well as Jojoba, Olive, Avocado, Honey and Vitamin E to deeply nourish your skin. Softens dry elbows, knees, hands and feet; provides pure and natural skin care for baby and makes dry lips delicious again.

Use Trilogy Everything Balm for:

Soothing dry skin: Intense long-lasting moisture barrier protection and relief; a great remedy for ‘I’ve been skiing all day’ skin.

All over nourishing & protecting: Soothes and repairs chapped or rough skin on elbows, knees, hands and feet. Heavy-duty damage control for long-haul flights.

Healthy nails: Softens and protects cuticles

Perfect massage oil: Warmed between palms it glides over the skin’s surface, easing bumps and bruises

Lip conditioning: Smoothes and softens

Multi-purpose moisturising: With botanical super-emollients to replenish skin’s moisture levels, post shave, apres sun or whenever you face the elements

Looking after baby: Replace mineral oil based baby products with Everything Balm.

Everything Balm 45ml RRP €16.95.
Available from Unicare, Arnotts and selected pharmacies and health stores nationwide.

Up until recently I would have always discounted Penneys when thinking of affordable menswear clothing. That I’m happy to report has all changed. For a long time, Penneys designers focused most of their attentions on womens fashions but over the past 12 months or so that has changed. The result you’re likely to pick up gems which touch on the season’s trends at a fraction of the cost of anywhere else on the high street.

Waxed jackets are very popular this season with the country heritage trend and this black waxed 4 pocket jacket is a steal at €26. Admittedly it’s not going to last a lifetime but it will do the trick. Pictured above it’s worn with light grey hoodie €25 and cowl neck Chambray shirt €13. Red and black 50’s style check shirt €11 and Diesel washed denim jeans €17.

All from the Penneys Menswear Collection for Autumn 2010.

Q. I’m a business executive who wears a suit, shirt and tie 5 days a week. I pride myself in looking well groomed for clients. Recently, work has introduced a ‘casual Friday’. For me this is my biggest nightmare. I just hate wearing casual clothes to work so I have stuck with the suit which, to be honest, gives me confidence in who I am. My colleagues are now slagging me off. Are there any simple rules you can give me so that I can dress down on Fridays without giving up on my high business standards? Any help would be really appreciated.
Adrian, 36 years, Dublin.

Adrian I completely understand your predicament. I think it would be more appropriate if ‘casual Friday’ were actually termed ‘smart-casual Friday’. In essence you dress professionally but you are still relaxed. It is a middle ground between strict business and what you wear knocking about on a Saturday afternoon. This is what most companies intend and you can be sure the top brass won’t be wearing their faded denim jeans and t-shirt to the office. You can still look smart without being completely suited and booted. In situations like this I always recommend opting for a collared shirt. You can forego a tie and leave the top button undone. This immediately sets the right tone. Instead of a suit jacket, you could layer with a smart V-neck sweater (M&S have a great selection of colours from €16). Blue denims should be ruled out but chinos or flat front trousers are acceptable. You may even prefer to wear suit trousers. Finally avoid trainers at all costs and pair with some well-polished shoes.

World Cup fever may be over for another four years but there’s no denying the influence such massive sporting events have on style. It’s more than just football making an impression, with fashion taking inspiration from practically every sport including boxing, tennis and American football to produce gym-tastic collections.

Far from an excuse to don your tracksuit in public, sporty chic is a more sophisticated yet practical look. Shorts, denims, sweatshirts, vests and relaxed suiting all feature in this style. The likelihood is you already have a lot of these items in your wardrobe. It’s how you combine them that will create the look and inject the laid-back elegance.

For me it’s the simplicity of this style that really works. For starters, stick with a simple colour palette of neutral tones for a very modern look – black, white, grey (my personal favourite) or navy are top of the list. By all means add accents of colour but these should be kept to a minimum or you risk looking very Acid House or worse still like one of the jocks from Glee.

Likewise be aware of shape and balance in your outfit. If your bottoms are looser, your tops should be more fitted and vice-a-versa, otherwise you’ll appear totally shapeless.

Personally I like to keep it clean and sharp, to evoke a classic almost preppy look. I’m loving the return of shorts in menswear at the moment especially when paired with a casual hooded top such as this grey one from River Island or for a more preppy look team with a cricket-style V-neck jumper. Wearing a blazer with rolled up sleeves is a simple styling touch that really adds to the vibe or opt for a top with sporty toggle detailing like this navy Coachella sweater from Reiss. Wear these with smarter trousers for a subtle nod to the trend. Zips, straps and pockets will all add sport chic kudos. Runners or hi-tops will also inject the necessary ‘active’ feel to your look.

Highend designers Dolce and Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Gucci have all channeled this look. Calvin Klein pushes the boundaries with crop tops for men. The jury’s still out on how many men will actually be brave enough to wear crop tops. My advice is don’t go there (even if you have got Ronaldo-esque abs!). On the highstreet Tommy Hilfiger and Diesel nail this look while River Island and Reiss are perfect if you want to touch on the trend without going over board.

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Some three decades ago, Sylvester Stallone a.k.a Rocky Balboa made his first triumphant ascent of those famous steps in Philadelphia, a scene cemented in cinematic history for generations to come. Decked out in his grey training pants, t-shirt, hoodie and a black beanie, Rocky, the striving athlete pulled himself out of anonymity, and with him he brought what would become a mainstay of men’s casual wear around the globe – the hoodie.

The hoodie’s ubiquitous presence in this immensely influential film franchise garnered huge popularity and sowed the seeds for what has become the wonder garment of relaxed, chilled out, casual wear for man, woman and child everywhere. But the life of the hoodie, or to give it it’s full title the hooded sweatshirt, began in the 1930s, as a practical piece of clothing with the first ones created for laborers working in the frozen warehouses of upstate New York.

From it’s working class roots to big screen appearances, the hoodie has come a long way – to teams of practically every sport from football, rugby to athletics as well as surfer, skater and snowboard types and slowly maturely it made it’s way into everyday wear for the masses.

Today, the hoodie should be considered a must-have in the wardrobes of every man. The highstreet is continually updated with all manner, colour and cut of hoodie, perfect for practically any casual occasion. Mine (I have at least 6 that I wear regularly) are my saving grace ideal for creating a casual yet cool look for occasions when you’re simply not up to anything else i.e. Saturday morning brunch after a hard night out on the town.

Even high-fashion designers like Gucci, Armani, Jean Paul Gaultier and Versace, have started producing hoodies while on the highstreet shops such as Topman, Urban Outfitters and Indigo & Cloth (Dublin) are taking the essence of the hoodie and combining it with other garments to create a hoodie-hybrid. Think zip down hooded cardi’s, hooded tee’s and hooded denim/check shirts. One word of advice, unless it’s raining heavily avoid wearing the hood up in public and never team your hoodie with a cap unless you’re going for the ‘I’m going to mug you’ look.

Simply adding a hoodie is a great way of dressing down and adding a casual look to an otherwise formal ensemble. Perfect for any late summer BBQ’s that go on way into the night when the inevitable chill of the Irish summer takes hold. Forget gas-guzzling heaters, keep it simple and bring a hoodie!

When it comes to our hair, let’s face it, we blokes pretend we don’t really care what it looks like. But, secretly we love it when we hit style perfection. When your hair is right, the whole world rocks. It’s many a year since I embarked on my pilgrimage in search of the perfect product and low and behold this week I may just have reached my hair heaven.

As a teen, I got through bucket loads of extra strong gel. Yikes! As a twenty-something I dabbled with hair-sprays (yes, hair-sprays), waxes, pastes and liquid sprays. None of them really did the trick. Too hard. Too flat. Too fuzzy. Too sticky. Then along comes Mineral Control ‘Mess It Up Putty’ from those lovely Studio Line people at L’Oréal Paris and, hey presto, my hair is doing all the things I thought it never would – a messed up style with a natural look.

Here’s how it goes. Small amount in the palms, apply to dry hair, ruffle it up and wink at yourself in the mirror. It takes a while for the 24 hour extra-hold technology to kick in so you can sculpt and shape your quiff if you so desire. The result. Supple hold (not quite ‘extra strong’ as it says on the tub) but with no stiffness so it’s really natural, healthy-looking and strokable. Not exactly sure what the minerals do but they can’t be bad for you and the product smells yummy and fruity. Try it out if you want a really easy-to-apply product that looks effortlessly cool.

I can’t remember the last time I ordered a big mug of coffee. Today it’s a tall Americano, thank you very much. What was a night at ‘the pictures’ is now termed heading to see ‘a movie’. Thankfully U.S. cultural imperialism is not all bad though. New autumn-winter clothing lines for men feature some of the hottest looks in years with glorious Americana riding roughshod all over the more fickle trends. Unashamedly male, widely accessible and wonderfully playful, for my money the only style worth embracing this ‘fall’ is that inspired by the men of Stars and Stripes.

Justin Timberlake’s clothing line, William Rast, led the stampede last year with a seriously cool contemporary take on the American classics. US fashion royalty Michael Kors was hot on his heels. Topping them both was designer Michael Bastian with his witty and uber-cool Americana celebration, bringing the look bang up to date. The look is a great one. Getting it right is as much a mind-set as a dress code.

The best way I can describe Classic Americana is that it blends the alpha-male image of a guy who’s just taken a break from chopping logs or rustling cattle, with the sophistication of the pioneering adventurer – be it an all-American aviator or an ‘easy rider’ on the open road. Icons date right back to rugged Rock Hudson types and continue with contemporaries such as Brad Pitt, Tom Brady (NFL star quarterback and hubby of Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen) and the effortlessly stylish John Meyer.

Americana is a very accessible look that will suit most guys. What’s more it’s highly likely you’ll already own many of the signature items, a wallet-friendly bonus. Note to self however, Americana is not an excuse to start wearing the stetson you’ve had buried in the back of your closet for the past decade!

Statement outerwear pieces are a big part of the look and one of the most ubiquitous items is indeed the leather jacket. Superdry has one with just the right amount of detailing in the pockets and zips. Get yourself down to Indigo & Cloth on Dublin’s South William Street to pick up any amount of additions to your look including plaid shirts and hoodies from the Lee 101 collection along with some really well cut denims. Distressed-looking leather boots (such as these, €95 from French Connection) aplenty are available from Top Man or Pepe Jeans. The look can be softened with a seersucker jacket or canvas loafers for a more indoorsy aire.

Steer clear of adding too much U.S. -inspired preppy wear though as this can fudge what should be an unfussy aesthetic. Americana is all about kicking off the suit and being ready to go for a few beers with your buds or heading off on a daytrip to the mountains.