Brand Spotlight | KIR ROYAL

When one thinks of Kir Royal, what comes to mind is a simple cocktail with the refined taste of champagne. For me, the name has now taken another meaning - when I think of Kir Royal, what comes to mind is an exclusive men's clothes shop in the very heart of Valletta, right on St. Paul's Street.

I gladly made my way to KIR ROYAL last Thursday morning where I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Ludwig and we spent a couple of hours chatting away about fashion of course! I asked Ludwig what drove him to open a men's shop and without hesitating he answered that fashion is his main interest apart from his EU-related work, so while he is back in Malta on sabbatical, he decided that opening this shop was the way to go forward. He also stated that he wanted something exclusive; something that would give shoppers an experience rather than just rushing in the shop get what they need and rush back out again.

As for choice of place, Ludwig states that each time he walked down St. Paul Street, he always saw this abandoned place and it was only natural that once he made plans to open the shop he would choose that particular place. I must say he did a very good job at renovating it and now it houses an exquisite collection of formal and some more casual male attire.

What struck me the most in KIR ROYAL's little setting, is the way Ludwig manages to exude exclusivity even in the way he displays his stock - the feel of antique with a modern, fresh touch from the décor of the shop to the garments themselves really makes you want to return over and over again.

At KIR ROYAL one finds everything a refined man could ever need - from suit jackets to shirts, pocket squares, collar stays, shoes and even skin care. It is important to note that stock is limited to maintain exclusivity and one can also find that perfect little something for the dapper man in their lives. Ludwig personally curates the stock at KIR ROYAL and imports garments mainly from Italy as well as USA and Ukraine. In stock are also some high end skin care products for men.

I urge you to pay KIR ROYAL a visit the next time you are in Valletta and who knows, maybe you can start your Christmas shopping there! It may not be on the busiest street but to me, that further contributes to making your experience there worth while!

KIR ROYAL is also on Facebook. Alternatively, you can have a look at their website for more information about their Image Consultancy Service.

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Green Tea Peel-Off Masque

Working night shifts has had it's toll on my skin but thank God it is now getting used to them.  However, I always make it a point that whenever I can, I treat my skin once a week to a deep-cleansing facial and for these past weeks, I have been using a peel-off masque from my favourite face masque company, Montagne Jeunesse.  More specifically, I have been using the Green Tea Peel-Off Masque.

Besides Green Tea, this masque contains Ginger which helps reduce skin inflammation whilst maintaining the skin's elasticity and firmness as well as cleansing the skin of dirt and grime thanks to it's antibacterial properties; sqeezed Lemon is another constituent of this masque and it helps with revitalising and refreshing the skin (for ways on how you can incorporate lemon in your skin care and beauty regime, click here).  

The smell of this masque somehow conjures up images of Thai spas in my mind with the faint ginger and green tea scent and the colour and texture remind me of lemon flavoured jelly.  I know, yummy!! And your skin will thank you for using such a masque to aid it detoxify from everyday pollution and give it a deeper cleanse!

What's more? This masque will leave your conscience clear as much as your skin as Montange Jeunesse do not test on animals or use bits of our furry friends in their products! Moreover, this masque is suitable for Vegans, Coeliacs (gluten-intolerant individuals), Lactose and Nut intolerant individuals and it is also paraben free so skin really is in for a treat!

From my personal experience, I noticed that my skin looks instantly brighter upon using this masque and it truly feels deeply cleansed.  There is something about having to peel such masks that leaves me more confident that my skin in really clean.  The only downside to peel-off masques is that they can be quite messy to apply but on the other hand, they are very easy to take off!  I totally recommend this masque to anyone with blemish prone skin and anyone else who wants to give their skin a brand new start the natural way!

Valentine's Day Treat for Two with Montagne Jeunesse

With Valentine's Day around the corner, people plan what to do with their better halves and loved ones... a day out, a romantic dinner, a day at the spa, a weekend getaway, etc but what ever you choose to do, you always want to look your best! Enter Montagne Jeunesse and this pair of face masques for a special treat for you and the man in your life!

For Her

Montagne Jeunesse propose this Passion Peel-Off Masque for all you ladies out there to help you look blemish free on this special day.  This masque is made out of Passion Flower and Pomegranate, therefore it goes without saying that it is packed with anti-oxidants to help detoxify the skin.  It is also busting with raspberry, grape and cranberry which further aid in deep-cleaning your skin.

The texture of the masque is quite sticky and it is a nice reddish-pink colour, making it easy to peel off after chilling for around 20 minutes.  It smells really nice too! You may experience some tingling as the masque tightens but it subsides after a couple of minutes and I didn't have any nasty reactions to the masque.  The results were totally worth it as I was left with incredibly soft skin; what's not to love?!

For Him

For some hassle-free 'man'tenance, Montagne Jeunesse, propose another peel-off masque, namely, the Zap Them Peel-Off for Men which is also targeted against blemishes.  This masque contains ginger to tone and firm the skin's appearance and rosemary, which calms any outbreaks. 

My boyfriend didn't complain on the scent of the masque but the tingling did bother him a little until it subsided.  One thing he commented on was the fact that although the masque is a light green colour, it dries transparent so a little extra colour could help to see where you have missed.  Other than that, he enjoyed being pampered a little with a masque designed especially for men and it involves nothing other than splashing his face with water and chilling for 25 minutes before he just peels it off!

These masques are part of the natural skin care products range from Montagne Jeunesse and they retail for £1.09 RRP for the Passion Peel-Off and £1.29 RRP for the Zap Them Peel-Off.

Hope you have a sexy, natural Valentine's Day!

Check out the Montagne Jeunesse facebook page for more natural skin care fun!

PR Samples

No Nonsense Natural Grooming for Men by Montagne Jeunesse {Part 2}

Good morning ladies! Continuing from Part 1 of the review about the 5 new products for male grooming from Montage Jeunesse, here are the reviews on the last two products in the range which I tested out myself as I have been quite prone to zits lately thanks to the air conditioning at work (it dries out my skin no matter how much water I drink and to compensate, my skin produces more oil, leaving me with zits!)  Anyways, I also tried the Eye Rescue gel patches for my dark under-eye circles.

• Eye Rescue

Too many late nights? Eyes are always the give away, so use our mineral rich sea algae Eye Rescue to get rid of puffiness & tell tale dark circles... (We won’t tell if you don’t!).

These eye patches are the most interesting of the bunch and I have to admit I was quite curious as to how they present themselves.  Basically, you get two light blue coloured gel patches that fit under the eye area and they are packed in a small plastic case in protective covering against each other.  They feel very moist to the touch and are very soft.  Once you peel off the protective backing, all that's left to do is just adhere them to your under-eye area and relax for 10 minutes.  To get the maximum benefits a further help de-puffing, pop these in the refrigerator before use... they double up as a refreshing treat!  To be honest I didn't notice any reduction in dark circles until the next morning, when the skin under my eyes looked more like the colour of how skin should be! However, I did notice an immediate de-puffing of the area.  The gel pads feel very refreshing and should I see them in shops locally, I would definitely stock up on some!  The main ingredients in these patches include:
1. Red Algae, to increase skin firmness and soften lines and wrinkles
2. Sea Kelp, to hydrate and oxygenate
3. Dead Sea Salt, to soothe and heal
The image below shows the gel pads in their packaging:

• Zap Them Peel-Off

Spot of bother? No worries... our peel off mask with Ginger extracts will lift away dirt & grime for cleaner, clearer skin.  Practice your pulling power!

The smell of this masque didn't really remind of ginger but it is still fresh-smelling (maybe because it contains rosemary).  Unlike the picture on the pack, its colour is a transparent light green and it applies quite smoothly but due to its gel texture, it may feel sticky at first.  I was going to remove this mask after only a few seconds of applying it as my skin was burning! However, when I looked in the mirror, I didn't see any red patches so I decided to leave it on and remove it should the burning sensation get worse but it subsided after a couple of minutes and I'm so glad I didn't take it off!! Before peeling off the masque, (the fun part) I noticed that the mask itself tuned a bit bumpy around my nose. I soon could see why... it lifted off most blackheads from that area leaving me with clear and clean skin! My face felt really squeaky clean after using this masque and the zits have almost cleared all out now so I definitely recommend this to anyone with skin prone to breakouts!  The ginger in this mask helps tone and firm the skin's appearance while rosemary calms outbreaks to leave you with fresh and flawless skin!

So that's it ladies! Try and give these products a shot with your man and see what they have to say about them... they are bound to change their opinion about having to deep clean their skin once a week!

You can get these masks from Asda and Morrisons nation wide in the UK as well as on www.montagnejeunesse.com.  The masks retail for £1.29 RRP and the eye patches for £1.99 RRP.

No Nonsense Natural Grooming for Men by Montagne Jeunesse {Part 1}

Hello lovelies :) How's your day going so far? Mine is going pretty well actually as I have just passed my driving theory exam this morning and I got some money as a birthday gift (I'm turning 22 tomorrow).

Anyways, today I want to share with you some grooming tips for guys courtesy of Montagne Jeunesse.  If you aren't aware, Montagne Jeunesse, in collaboration with the Cardiff Blues Rugby Team, have released 5 new Natural male grooming products!  Even the product descriptions are as cheesy as guys can get :P In MJ's own words, "They get the job done, are hassle free, straight talking and don’t take themselves too seriously".

I was kindly sent the 5 new products to try out but I decided to leave the testing in the hands (or rather faces) of my boyfriend, Dad and brother.  I tested the peel off masque and eye patches myself as I am the only one who gets puffy eyes and dark circles out of them.  I will be splitting the reviews in two posts, otherwise, one post will be too long.

First off, a general word about Montagne Jeunesse and their products...

By now, Montagne Jeunesse is established as a company that is synonymous with the production of natural products without testing on animals and most of us, if not all, have tried one, two or their whole range of ever increasing treatments for the face, hair and body. Being cruelty free and made out of natural products, MJ products are also suitable for vegetarians!  

So, on to the reviews, starting with the packaging :) Basically, MJ kept the same packaging format but this time, we get a man with the product on his face to illustrate the package contents with the ingredients and a fun description of the product at the back.  

The shape of the pack is also different from the women's ones but the amount of product is the same for both.  The packaging plays an important part of the marketing strategy as all three of my testers agreed that it is much more drawing to have a product targeted for men.  They also agreed that the packaging presents the product really well and it conveys the right expectations.  Dad tried the Blackhead Mask, Johan tried the Morning After Scrub and James (my brother) gave the Dirt & Grime Clean Sauna Mask a shot.  All three left the mask on for 15 minutes total and the products can be used more than once.  Here's what they have to say about them!

• Morning After Scrub

We can't promise to keep you squeaky clean after a lad's night out but with Natural Charcoal this scrub draws out dirt and grime to revitalize and sort out your skin. Well, it's a start...

So the first thing you notice as soon as you open the packet, it the smell of the masque which Johan liked.  It doesn't smell like burnt charcoal or anything, it just smells nice but not girly (if you know what I mean).  The product is very easy to apply and the exfoliating granules are quite small indeed.  However, Johan did find them a bit harsh for his rather soft skin.  Despite him commenting that the masque felt a little bit abrasive, he didn't have any redness on his face and while rinsing it off, it felt much softer to work with and he was left with nicely fresh, soft and smooth skin.

The main ingredients in this masque are:
1. Charcoal, to help absorb oil
2. Pumice, exfoliates to help get rid of dead skin
3. Borage Seed Oil, to condition and hydrate the skin
4. Hemp seeds, to nourish the skin, leaving it looking healthy

Therefore, I'd recommend this masque to someone with oily skin, combination skin and those who experience episodes of mild dryness whenever they need to feel fresh and clean after a day combating with pollution and weather elements.

• Dirt & Grime Clean

Get up close and personal with our exotic hottie. This self warming face mask is packed with Cinnamon & Ginger to open your pores and rid your skin of dirt & grime... leaving you with a complexion as smooth as your best chat-up line.

My brother tested this mask out and I was pretty amazed at the fact that he agreed to have a face mask applied to his face! When I asked him about it, he just answered that the mask is targeted for men, hence no fears of smelling like a lady!

Speaking of smell, this is the best smelling mask of the bunch! It is bursting with the warmth of cinnamon and ginger scents yet it's not at all an overpowering scent. Personally, I also like the bright orange colour My brother quite liked the warming sensation of this mask and even commented that his pores will be deeply cleaned which is in fact what the final result was.  It is a bit messy to apply with your fingers so I suggest you apply it with a wooden spatula.  After using this mask, my brother's skin looked much more healthy and clean and he even asked me to re-apply the mask another time! Way to go Montagne Jeunesse!  This mask is most appropriate for guys with oily or normal skin.

• Blackhead Mask

Fancy some steamy fun in the shower? Slap this on, let the licorice extracts deep cleanse & purify, then jump in to rinse off... not quite what you were thinking? Your skin will thank you anyway!

The last mask I will be writing about in this post, is the Blackhead mask which was tested by my Dad.  I selected this mask for him as he is prone to blackheads seeing that his job requires him hours on end in traffic (he works as a sales representative and most of the time, his work involves a lot of driving, meaning he has to face quite a good lot of pollution).  

He really liked the licorice smell of this mask as did I.  The texture of this masque is quite thick but it spreads easily onto the skin.  It starts to hared after a few seconds and dries to a much lighter grey colour than it originally is.  It is recommended that this mask is showered off but although Dad rinsed it off instead, he still commented o how refreshing the mask felt.  Me and Mum commented that his skin looked brighter and definitely cleaner :) All this was thanks to the licorice root extracts which open up pores and rebalance the skin as well as willow bark extract which is known to be a natural remedy for problem skin and leaves the complexion looking bright and radiant.  This product is most suited for normal and oily skins.

Overall, the boys enjoyed being pampered with these masks and they all liked the final results.  I would recommend these masks to all men who are conscious about their appearance and want to look and feel good effortlessly!

UK residents can get these products at Morrisons and Asda nationwide as well as online on www.montagnejeunesse.com.  The masks retail for £1.29 RRP while the Eye Rescue retails for £1.99 RRP.  

For my Maltese readers, I haven't yet seen these new releases yet but you can get MJ products from various supermarkets as well as from New Look and Peacocks outlets.