As I've said before I am trying to explore more of the grooming side of my blog and this is the first real feature on hair care. I've done beards, I've done skin but nothing on the crowning glory.

I'm quite lucky to have thick, straight hair. While this is a blessing in some ways, it can be frustrating in others as it can be quite difficult to style as it tends to absorb product and just do its own thing.

I've just had a recent restyle for the summer (we're apparently experiencing this season right now) and I've gone for a pretty severe undercut with no blend. I decided to try something a little edgier than I usually go for, with a tighter shave and more length on top. I had the top hair just thinned rather than cut, to reduce bulk.

The folks at The Bluebeards Revenge set me a challenge; trial their new hair product range and come up with 3 different styles utilising the versatile selection.

I'm not a big drinker but I do enjoy beer. Nothing really finishes a summer day like a beer in the sunshine (if you are so lucky as to have sunshine).




Flavourly is the UK's #1 craft beer subscription service, delivering specially curated craft beers to your door from only £20.00.
I've toyed with the idea of a subscription service for a while now. Admittedly, beer was not at the top of the list of subscription ideas, but I was curious about allowing an expert to guide me while I learn more about the techniques, history and creativity behind the craft brewing process. The craft beer revolution is changing the way people drink beer. Independent breweries are producing new and exciting flavours, something to be savoured and enjoyed.

I was more than excited when a sizeable box of wonder arrived with me this week, packed to the brim with specially selected variety of beers. The concept is simple, introduce people to small breweries who are creating distinct and unusual beers that many may miss. Take the fun flavour quiz on their site and the expert team will interpret your answers into a selection of beers tailored to your tastes.

A couple of weeks back, the guys at Wingman got in touch asking if I would be interested in trying out their grooming products.
I remember seeing the company in it's fledgling form on the BBC2 show The Next Big Thing where companies competed for the chance to be stocked and supported by some of the UK's big high street names. I'm glad to see Wingman doing so well and was chuffed to be offered the chance to review their selection.

When I say selection, some companies send you one product, Wingman send me this amazing wonder bundle!
I kept a small selection back to include in my blog birthday giveaway but I tore into the others with reckless abandon.


A selection of face scrubs, face washes, moisturisers and 3-in-1 multi gels make up the core range.

Of all the products I was kindly sent, I think my favourite was the Mint Boom multi gel. I love body washes that don't smell of body washes and this zingy gel is just thing.It also has that not-unpleasant tingle when used just right...

I quickly ran out of Mint Boom and moved onto Citrus Blast; a light and fresh scent made for summer evenings.

The multi-gels can be used as a body wash, shampoo and shaving gel, making them ideal for taking on hols to save space in your dopp kit.
I took a bottle of Citrus Blast with my on my recent trip to Oslo and found it kept my skin moisturised and my hair well conditioned. It may not be ideal as your only shampoo, but for trips or after the gym; this is so handy.

I'm currently using the Cleansing Face Wash in my morning showers and it's keeping my skin pretty oil free and moisturised - what more would you want?

Wingman is available directly from their site with wallet-friendly prices starting from only £2.99

The folks over at Style Pilot one of the leading men's fashion sites, have featured little old me in their Style Interview column. I'm so chuffed to be included with some of the leading names in style , fashion journalism, photography and blogging.

I try to be honest in all my opinions, and there will never be a harsher critic of my style than myself! I've never proclaimed to be an expert on style, but this has given me just the confidence boost I've been looking for.

Check out my feature and thanks again to Style Pilot.

Let's face it, this summer has sucked so far.

Over here in Belfast, we don't really get much of a summer as it is and it seems I missed the week of sunshine while I was in Oslo. Since then, it's been a grey, muggy disappointment.

However, this is where your personality and creativity come into play. While grey is one of my favourite colours, it's not a summer shade. So you have to make your own summer and inject colour and life into your outfits where you can and it doesn't get any more colourful than Pharrell William's Adidas Originals supercolor collection. He has taken the classic shell-toe Adidas sneakers and recast them in 50 block colours.  The folks at JD Sports (the King of Trainers) allowed me free reign across their huge selection and I settled on these unmissable neon yellow kicks.



I took them for a spin across the cobbled streets of Oslo and has since used them to add some zing to my streetstyle.

I paired them here with simple dark skinny jeans. The exaggerated colour and shape of the trainers is really contrasted when you keep your jean silhouette slim. Because the colour is so out there, they really break up a darker palette, I've since worn them with an all black outfit, just having the neon as the single source of colour.  So whatever the weather, take matters into your own hands and own the streets this summer.

This weekend is the final of Wimbledon 2015 with the Women's Finals on today (Williams Vs Muguruza) and the Men's Finals tomorrow (Federer Vs Djokovic).

The team at Stella Artois sent me a fantastic bundle of goodies to help enjoy the weekend winners. The official lager of the tournament, Stella Artois' have unveiled a special celebratory chalice. Over 80,000 will be provided to the Wimbledon bars, delivering Stella Artois in true style. The chalice can also be purchased here with the option for a specially engraved message. A combination of style and function, this limited edition piece makes the experience all the more enjoyable.





I'm really not into sports but tennis is one of the few I will dip into, and the finals are always the most exciting part of the tournament. Wimbledon is a mix of modern and tradition, it has seen something of a revolution in the past decade or so with an international flavour mixed with English refined style.

While white is the main story on the courts, it's always fun to spot the well dressed attendants in the crowds. Blue is always going to be a smart, masculine option, but it's the sheer scale of shades on show that makes it so versatile.

David & Romeo Beckham

Ronan Keating

Kit Harrington & Adam Lallana

Stanley Tucci

Bear Grylls

James Middleton

What are your predictions for the finals?

Enjoy the weekend everyone, whatever you get up to!

While I like to visit new places, I don't really enjoy the "travel" part of travelling. I get fidgety and bored and need something to distract me while flying. Being a blogger doesn't help as I want to read or write or record most of the time. With that in mind, I packed a few essentials for blogging on the go during my recent Oslo trip.

Snugg iPad case
The folks at The Snugg kindly sent me a new case for my iPad Mini a few weeks back and I knew it was the perfect accessory to take on my trip. I didn't want to bring my laptop and the case's built-in keyboard turns it into a handy notebook. The case also swivels and folds back on itself, allowing you to use it as a standard tablet or freestanding for watching videos. I went for vibrant lime green so I can easily find it in the bottom of a bag.







Polaroid Cube

Another present from Caelan (I'm spoilt I know), I'd written a wish-list post for this little gizmo a while back and was excited to take it on its first big outing. A 1080p HD camera in a splash-proof, shock-proof cube with a handy magnetic for snapping and filming on the go. I've uploaded some pictures and footage taken on the Polaroid Cube from our trip below.
 It does remind me a little bit of Zelda's robots from the Terrahawks. The show scared the shiznit out of me as a kid but I do love my cube, so I'm dealing with the stress.





Moleskine Journal app


I love Moleskine notebooks. I have a few in my collection but I am averse to actually writing in them as I feel I'll only ruin them with my messy handwriting.
Enter the digital version of the classic Moleskine notebooks as a handy free app. You can choose between plain, ruled, squared, story board or planner pages. What I love most about it is it's just not a digital interface, you can write by hand too if you fancy a sketch or doodle amongst your notes. I think it's a little more creative than the usual notepad apps available. (It even has a virtual elastic strap closure) In addition to all this fun, you can password lock the app if you choose to use it as a journal.



What are your go-to gadgets when you're blogging out and about?

This time last week, we were loving life in Oslo

The trip was my birthday present and I had been counting down the days since December until I jetted off to the capital of Norway. I'm not much of a resort-holiday-kind-of-guy; I'd much rather be pounding the streets of a city than getting sand in places it shouldn't.




I've had a long love affair with the Scandinavian countries, the style, the culture, the design and the stories all speak to me.
Despite being a bit of a hoarder, I secretly wish I had that pared back look that comes to mind when you think of Norwegian style. Functional design with unrivalled craftsmanship.
(I'm also a bit of a mythology geek, I remember one of my favourite books as a kid was a book of Norse mythology)

draw me like one of your french girls

Oslo is just a 2hr flight from Dublin and we arrived around dinner time on Monday evening. Our hotel was on the edge of the trendy Grünerløkka suburb; think a Scandi-Shoreditch. What was once a traditional working class area has been transformed with a host of restaurants, bars and cafes making it the destination for the modern urbanite.
We headed to the Vulkan complex for a bite and a nosey, the complex itself is a mix of shops and restaurants in the middle of an industrial estate, centred around a huge indoor food market offering a wide selection of traditional and modern Norwegian fare.

Vulkan

Be advised, food can be quite expensive even for the most modern of meals and alcohol is even pricier. 2 spirits and mixers will set you back just under £20...

Oslo itself is relatively compact, most areas can be walked to in less than 30 minutes but the city boasts a great tram and bus system if you're not feeling that pedestrian. I recommend packing a pair of comfortable trainers and get exploring, I find you always see so much more of a city on foot.

Ode To Osaka installation in the Oslo Museum of Architecture. The internal structure literally breathes, expanding into the room; filtering out external pollutants.

I'd highly recommend picking up an Oslo Pass, this little ticket will allow free entry to many museums and galleries in the city AND it allows free use of public transport. We bought 48hr passes which cost around £50 each. This might seem steep, but most museums have an entry charge between £8-10.

The Barcode Holmenkollbakken Ski Jump

We topped off our trip with the grand tour, a guided tour of the highlights of the city finished with a 2hr cruise around the fjord. In hindsight, we should have taken this tour on our first day as it gives you a great idea of the city's landscape you can revisit areas later in your stay. We missed out on the Munch exhibition as we thought this was included on the trip and didn't visit it in our free time. You also get a discount on the Grand Tour if you have purchased the Oslo pass

Caelan is wearing a Farah short-sleeve Oxford shirt courtesy of House of Fraser

• Must See

Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art Set in the heart of Tjuvholmen, a revitalised dockside. The area hosts mix of apartments, shopping and restaurants but the highlight is the museum. Among the current collection are pieces by Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin.




Vigeland Museum This sculpture park is a vast garden filled with the works of celebrated Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. 

The Monolith

Oslo Opera House Whether you are a culture vulture or not, the Oslo Opera House is an amazing piece of architecture. It also has an open roof that offers great views of the city and surrounding fjord.

I opted for Oxford cotton shirts for most of my day-time outfits as I think they are always that bit smarter. They work equally well with jeans or shorts (in the event of an unexpected heatwave such as we had) and you will still feel cool and comfortable. I packed the classic combination of white, navy and baby blue as this trio of tones will work with most outfits.

My trip was over all too soon but we are already planning our next Scandinavian trip. Copenhagen anyone?