TOP PRODUCTS YOU MAY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF-
Ulrich Lang New York, Vitaman, Blue Beards Original Beard Care, Sachajuan
words/images JUDITH ECOCHARD
words/images JUDITH ECOCHARD
An entire room was given over to several lines of men’s fragrance and skincare---as well as giftables like luxury candles…at the recent ENK NYC tradeshow.
First up was ULRICH LANG NEW YORK...
We know a lot of women who wear men’s cologne too…and so we sniffed away with guys and gals in mind. Results: the intoxicating masculine scents from Ulrich New York---are rich, and exclusive-- and we wanted them all.
New for this small niche fragrance company (found at fashion forward stores), is Nightscape Eau de Toilette that was developed in collaboration with the fragrance house Firmenich.
The grabber is the patchouli that’s NOT the hippy smell of days gone by. Instead the warm scent drew us in, as this highly-concentrated oil was blended with bergamot, geranium leaves, cedar wood, musk amber, soft leather (we assume a derivative thereof), and Tonka bean.
Upshot= sophisticated and contemporary.
And so many levels…not obvious in your face aroma, but complex and slowly revealing like fine wine…
COOL PACKAGING: Emerging artist Matt Licari had the honors.
AVAILABLE: Departmentstore Quartier 206 Berlin, Barneys New York, Miomia Brooklyn and Liberty London. Retail is $110 for a 3.4oz Eau de Toilette (92 Euros)
VITAMIN hails from Australia and is already the number 2 best selling line of men’s grooming/skincare products at Barney’s New York…because, as we were told by the rep…”it’s quality stuff that works.”
We got interested because the clean, packaged skin and hair care goodies are free of commonly used synthetic chemicals…which makes sense as the founders are a herbalist/naturopath and a facialist beauty specialist committed to effective skincare, that's naturally based.
Big bonus is that no artificial fragrances or colors are used either…serving up masculine scents that are enticing--- not a turn-off out of a lab tube.
Many of the indigenous plants and fruits from down under (Grass Lilly, Kakadu Plum, Quandong)---are rare but featured in this collection.
Best sellers include the Body Cleanser, Styling Crème and Shampoos, and the i-zone Eye and Lip Reviver Gel ($55) that targets puffiness, dark eye circles and lines.
Price Ranges: $23.50-$60
Deciding to ditch law school for preaching to men in search of smoother, softer beards, the founder of Bluebeards Original, Paul Kaniewski, teamed up with his wife to form this PA based entity, dedicated to getting the itch out.
Essential oils are featured prominently imparting a light scent--- for active ingredients like lime that dissolves oils and helps prevent ingrown hairs, aloe and shea butter to sooth skin.
BONUS: Free of parabens, sulfates and artificial fragrances and colors.
New: A leave-in conditioning wax that “rubs in easy and adds shine.”
SACHAJUAN (ttp://www.sachajuan.com) is a Swedish line of hair care that we had the pleasure of trying out at Wittenmore House (http://whittemorehousesalon.com) ---a salon with a huge celeb following - on Grove Street in the West Village.
Functionality features prominently in the DNA of this insider brand that has arrived stateside, courtesy of Woodley and Bunny --- a Williamsburg Brooklyn based salon/apothecary with an active e-commerce site that stocks many, many cult fav international beauty products that are tough to find anywhere on the planet.
The MO of the Sachajuan (the first names of the founders, FYI) is the proprietary OCEAN SILK TECHNOLOGY which is “the process of extraction and synthesis of a selection of nature’s most nutrient mineral and protein rich plant life, algae.”
Forming a non-oily protective film ---the assortment of effective hair solutions is oh so timely, given the excesses of summer…and fittingly, the OCEAN MIST ($28) is a best seller…as it gives shape and holds like a day at a salt water beach...and...
a bandage for the hair---that works for men and women.