There are so many hair styling products for men on the market, how do you know which one to use?

The best way, is to ask an expect. Like one of the barbers at our very own Pall Mall Barbers shops in Central London.  With their collective experience of cutting and styling men’s hair, they’ll know exactly which hair styling product to use to get the look that you want.

One thing we often find, is that men like to stick to what they know.  Whether that’s the hairstyle they’ve sported for years, or the products they’ve been using.  Have a chat to your barber next time you’re in and you’ll be surprised to learn that you could get a better result or finish to your hair, with something other than the hair styling product you’ve relied on for so long.

Our range of hair styling products for men has been developed over many years using the finest ingredients – ones that really work, and also smell great. And we’ve tried and tested them with the people that matter – our customers, to make sure that they definitely do what they say on the tin.

Whether you want a smooth slicked back look, like that of those Mad Men Don Draper and Peter Campbell, or maybe you prefer a more rugged, casual and messy style like Prince Harry likes to sport, then we’ll have just the right hair styling products for you.

Your barber will advise you and show how to use the product properly – we always suggest that you use a little bit first, warm it between your hands and then apply it. We’ve even created a load of videos to give you advice  on how to use them if you can’t call into our barber shops. Why not head over to the Pall Mall Barbers YouTube Channel and have a look.

Check out the full range of hair styling products for men, watch a few of the Pall Mall Barbers videos and then go ahead and order them online too.  What could be easier?

Beard Care Advice

For all things beard related, Pall Mall Barbers really are the experts. So if you're looking for  beard care, styling and maintenance,  the team have compiled their top tips for guys participating in Decembeard.

Since 2011 Beating Bowel Cancer has invited men to take part in Decembeard and raise money to help those affected by bowel cancer by getting sponsored to grow a beard. Every December, the campaign is designed to raise money for the charity, helping and supporting people with bowel cancer and their families and raising awareness of the disease, its symptoms and the need for early diagnosis.

TOP TIPS

• In the initial stages,  use trimmers to beard trim and keep it sharp. Even light stubble can look stylish with some lining out and shaping.
• Don’t throw your razor away just yet; keeping the neck and cheeks clean shaven, this gives the beard a more prominence and adds to the overall shape.
• Shave away the flyaway hairs on your cheeks and keep the lines on the face quite natural with a nice curved line.
• Your neck line, depending on your beard type i.e. natural, styled or stubble, will vary.  But try not to let the beard grow too far down the neck; taking the neckline higher will give a fuller and thicker look.
• When determining the neckline, start anywhere between the top of your Adam’s apple and the crease in your neck that leads to your jaw.
• To keep the beard looking neat and healthy use a shampoo and/or a conditioner, you will notice the difference straight away; it will be easier to manage and will become a lot easier and a comb will fly through those knots.
• A good looking beard requires good styling and home maintenance. A small beard kit is essential to keep it  in line. A basic kit should consist of Scissors, a fine tooth comb, beard oil and a moustache wax.
• To keep unruly facial hair in order with a healthy shine, add a few drops of beard oil and smooth over the beard. Pall Mall Barbers Sandalwood and Clove Beard Oil which helps to condition beards.
• Even with these great tips, you may not fancy doing it yourself. If that's the case, call into one of our barber shops or make an appointment online and book in for a beard trimming service from London's beard experts.

We trim your beard and get it into shape for you, so that it'll be easier to care for and maintain.

You can also pick up our luxury Beard Oil in store or order it online.  And we've got a great video of Erin from Pall Mall Barbers showing you how to use it. Watch the beard shaping video here.

Get the Look - Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman always comes across as very professional and confident, but he's also a bit edgy.  We like to think of him as stylishly cool.

So if you want to Get the Look of the star of Les Miserables, X Men and Wolverine, here is our advice on how to get your hair cut, how to style it and which products to use.

Book an appointment at a men's barbers and ask him to scissor cut the back and sides of your hair  to around an inch in length, whilst leaving the hair resting on the top of the ears. We'd actually recommend taking along a phone of Hugh Jackman with you, just in case to show your barber exactly the type of look you want to achieve. You can book an appointment at our London barber shops online.

With the top of the hair, your barber should take a section in the middle and cut this to around 2.5”.  This will be used as a guide to then connect the remaining hair to this. Ensure the hair is cut neutrally and not left longer on any one side.

To finish this style off, we would recommend blow drying it using a small round brush and push from left to right. This will get some volume into the roots.  Once the hair is dry, point cut into the hair. This adds texture and allows the styling product to flow through the hair. Point cutting should always be done when the hair is fully dry so that you can see where the texture needs to be added.

To finish your Hugh Jackman look, we'd recommend a great product like Pall Mall Barbers Texture Enhancer.  Use a small amount, warm it through your hands and then just run your fingers through your hair, topping off this look by pushing your hair back slightly when the hair is dry. This gives a stylish yet care free look. If you want to buy some of this product, call into our London barber shops or get it online along with a range of other men's hair styling products.

We've got a great short video, where Dan from Pall Mall Barbers is demonstrating exactly how to use this product.  Hugh Jackman hair styling video

Looking After Your Beard

Beards... for men, are still really popular and it seems they're getting bushier too.  They do require some maintenance to keep in shape though, so it's important to regularly wash and condition that hairy face of yours.

We've got a great list of top styling tips for beards - shaping and maintaining them  from our resident beard experts at Pall Mall Barbers. Check out our blog article on beard trimming to see the  full list.

But maybe it's not you that's growing all that facial hair, but the man in your life.  And as Christmas is coming, we've got some great gift ideas of men that include some luxury beard care products - beard oil or moustache wax anyone?

We've even got a beard oil video on our youtube channel to show the bearded fellow exactly how to use it, so for Beard Oil or Moustache wax tips have a look.  Don't forget you can buy them both online too.

All beards need trimming but it can be a bit tricky if you're new to the whole beard thing. Maybe treat the man in your life to a voucher and get our barbers to shape it into style and at the same time offer some expert tips on how to care for and maintain it?

But it's not just us that things our gifts for beards are great, even those experts at Beard Bias Blog think so too! They've included the Pall Mall Barber shop gift vouchers on their Christmas List for a Bearded Gent.

Post Shave Balm

Post shave balm is the best way to finish your daily shaving ritual.

The final step in the Pall Mall Barbers unique 3 Step Shaving System is our Sandalwood and Clove Post Shave Balm.

If you’ve followed the 3 step process, it’s important to finish with a product that will soothe and smooth your skin, so that it looks refreshed and feels comfortable.

We developed this product after years of experience shaving men’s faces and noticing which products worked and listening to the specific needs of our customers.

Hence, our Sandalwood and Clove Post Shave Balm has been developed using the best ingredients available.

It contains prickly pear seed oil which will calm and soothe the skin after your shave, and then glycerine to smooth it, and prevent any dry or rough patches developing. Its masculine scent of sandalwood and clove adds a luxurious end to your daily shaving ritual, as well as containing antiseptic properties to protect your skin.

To use the post shave balm, simply dispense a one pump dose after shaving and massage into your face. It you want to see a video to see exactly how to follow each step in our professional shaving system including the post shave balm, watch it here.

Suitable for all skin types, the post shave balm can be bought on its own or as a set with the pre shave scrub and shaving cream with from the exclusive Pall Mall Barbers 3 Step Shaving System.

Shaving Cream for Men

Shaving cream is a must for a good shave.

The second step in our exclusive 3 step shaving system is the shaving cream.

We developed the Pall Mall Barbers shaving cream over several years. Applying our experience as barbers, listening to our customers and noticing what products worked well.

The result is this Sandalwood and Clove Shaving Cream with its luxurious scent and thick lather.  It contains prickly pear seed and jojoba oil which combine to create a smooth, creamy lather that encourages the bristles on your face to stand up, so that you get a smoother and more comfortable shave.

To use this shaving cream, all you need to do it wet your face with warm water, dispense one pump of the cream from the canister directly onto the face and lather it up with a shaving brush. Using circular movements with your shaving brush with generate a generous lather.  We’ve got a great video of Erin demonstrating the technique for you.

Once you’ve finished your wet shave, rinse any remaining shaving cream off your face with cool water and pat your face dry – don’t rub it with the towel.

The natural products in this shaving cream make it suitable for all skin types, even sensitive ones and it comes in a 100ml dispenser which will last quite a while as a single pump dose is all you need for your daily shave.

This product can be bought on its own or as part of our 3 step shaving system – a professionally developed range of shaving products specifically designed for men, to give the closest and smoothest shave possible.

Barber Shop Gift Voucher Make Great Gifts For Men

Looking for some inspired gifts for men?

Gifts for men can be really tricky especially at this time of year, or so everyone tells us.  We have to disagree though. As we’re sure the one thing any man would be delighted to receive is a gift voucher from Pall Mall Barbers!

As a traditional barbers in Central London, we offer full barbering services such as wet shaves and beard trimming as well as men's hairdressing services.  We've also got a range of luxury products for all the grooming requirements of a man who likes to look good, and they all are great gifts for men. But if you’re really not sure what to get that special someone, then a voucher would be the perfect gift.

A real treat for any man, is a luxury wet shave. So imagine receiving a gift voucher from one of the oldest and most respected barber shops in London (yep, that’s us) to experience the closest, smoothest shave ever. With a men's shaving gift voucher from Pall Mall Barbers, you will be sure to impress the man in your life. Our men's shaving sets make a great gift too for any man with the highest quality shaving razors and shaving brushes. Or for the well groomed male who has everything, why not treat them to a manicure set for men? With a men's shaving gift from Pall Mall Barbers you won’t leave anyone unhappy! See our range of shaving products.

We recently launched our eponymous Pall Mall Barbers range of haircare and hair styling products for men, so whatever the hairstyle of choice for the man in your life, we’ve got the perfect product.

Also, our luxury 3 step shaving system has been developed by professional barbers using the best quality ingredients and with the masculine scent of sandalwood and clove. You can buy each of these shaving products for men individually or as a set.  They would make great gifts for men.  Or buy a gift voucher and let him decide exactly what he’d like to try.

Our quality vouchers are sent in a beautiful high quality card case that looks classic, masculine and stylish- in keeping with the Pall Mall Barbers brand that stands for style and excellence making a perfect gift for any occasion

For a range of values to suit your pocket, you can call into our Central London barbers shops or purchase them online on our gift vouchers page.


If you still can't decide, why not call into one of our Central London barbers shops and get some advice. We'd be happy to help.

Beard Shaping and Beard Trimming Advice

For all things beard related, Pall Mall Barbers really are the experts. So if you're looking for  beard care, styling and maintenance,  the team have compiled their top tips for guys participating in Decembeard.

Since 2011 Beating Bowel Cancer has invited men to take part in Decembeard and raise money to help those affected by bowel cancer by getting sponsored to grow a beard. Every December, the campaign is designed to raise money for the charity, helping and supporting people with bowel cancer and their families and raising awareness of the disease, its symptoms and the need for early diagnosis.

TOP TIPS

• In the initial stages,  use trimmers to beard trim and keep it sharp. Even light stubble can look stylish with some lining out and shaping.
• Don’t throw your razor away just yet; keeping the neck and cheeks clean shaven, this gives the beard a more prominence and adds to the overall shape.
• Shave away the flyaway hairs on your cheeks and keep the lines on the face quite natural with a nice curved line.
• Your neck line, depending on your beard type i.e. natural, styled or stubble, will vary.  But try not to let the beard grow too far down the neck; taking the neckline higher will give a fuller and thicker look.
• When determining the neckline, start anywhere between the top of your Adam’s apple and the crease in your neck that leads to your jaw.
• To keep the beard looking neat and healthy use a shampoo and/or a conditioner, you will notice the difference straight away; it will be easier to manage and will become a lot easier and a comb will fly through those knots.
• A good looking beard requires good styling and home maintenance. A small beard kit is essential to keep it  in line. A basic kit should consist of Scissors, a fine tooth comb, beard oil and a moustache wax.
• To keep unruly facial hair in order with a healthy shine, add a few drops of beard oil and smooth over the beard. Pall Mall Barbers Sandalwood and Clove Beard Oil which helps to condition beards.

Even with these great tips, you may not fancy doing it yourself. If that's the case, call into one of our barber shops or make an appointment online and book in for a beard trimming service from London's beard experts.

We trim your beard and get it into shape for you, so that it'll be easier to care for and maintain.

You can also pick up our luxury Beard Oil in store or order it online here.  And we've got a great video of Erin from Pall Mall Barbers showing you how to use it. Watch it here.

Men's Cologne

Men's cologne is a very personal choice, but as one of the oldest and most respected barbers in Central London, we’ve got years of experience that has given us great insight into what men really like and the types of products and scents that they’d choose.

Using this experience, we recently launched our classic signature men's cologne. Developed and designed by Pall Mall Barbers, our men's cologne has top notes of spicy clove and rose spiked with lively, woody hints of cardamom and almond. This clean, energising scent is further enriched with sandalwood tones and base notes of sweet vanilla and tobacco.

It’s light enough to be worn during the day but spicy enough to be suitable for the night time too. It’s the perfect finishing touch for your skin after shaving and  compliments our popular 3 Step Shaving System that was also specially designed to make your shaving experience exceptionally smooth.

Our men's cologne is available in a classically styled, very sophisticated looking 50ml glass bottle and can be bought on line or in one of our barber shops in London.

Especially for the Christmas season, we’ve put together a great gift set comprising of our eponymous 3 step shaving system along with a bottle of our men's cologne.  It would be a lovely gift for someone really special.  Have a look at the full gift set for men.

Shaving Lesson from Professional Barbers

Have you ever thought about having a shaving lesson?

You’ve probably been shaving for years, but have you ever wondered if you’re doing it right? Ok, so the end result may look alright but is there any way you could be getting a closer, smoother shave?

At Pall Mall Barbers in Central London, our barbers really are the very best at what they do.  Their experience has been built up over years of barbering and their knowledge is often sought by the media – you might have seen them on various TV programmes and in high profile publications sharing their expert advice?

So what better way to get top tips on your daily shaving routine than booking in for a shaving lesson from the best in the business?  You can book online or why not treat someone you know to a gift voucher for one of these shaving lesson?

We have 3 different types of shaving lessons:

Open Blade:
This is the epitome of the masculine self-care ritual. Our barbers will teach you how to shave properly with an open blade – you’ll learn about hair growth, skin products, the right way to hold the blade and how to save money on blades in the long-term.  Once the most popular way for men to shave, the open blade razor is becoming more popular again.

Safety Razor:
You’ll learn the art of the safety razor with advice and a personal demonstration on how to get the closet shave possible, how to use the right products and make sure your skin’s condition is optimised.

Double Edged Razor:
A very popular razor, learning how to use a Double Edge Razor will help you achieve excellent results with your daily shave. As well as offering you a brilliantly close shave you will also save a substantial amount of money over time by using one, as blades for the Double Edge razor can be much cheaper than typical replacement blades. It’s a beautiful looking piece of male grooming equipment, and will last you many years.

A shaving lesson gift voucher would make a great present for the man who has everything.  It's a real treat and the benefits he'd pick up would last a very long time.  So, go on, treat him..... or yourself!

3 Step Shaving System from Shaving Experts at Pall Mall Barbers

If you’re looking for the best shaving experience – one that gives you a close, smooth shave and will nourish and protect your skin, then we have just the thing.

Introducing Pall Mall Barbers 3 Step Shaving System.  Developed by our team of experienced barbers and their  knowledge built up over the years in our Central London barbers shop, the system comprises of  product for a pre-shave face scrub, a hydrating shave cream and a post shave balm.  All featuring the luxury scent of sandalwood and clove.

Start using these products and you will really notice the improvement in your skin and the quality of your shave.

Pall Mall Barbers Sandalwood and Clove Pre-Shave Cream includes prickly pear seed oil to moisturise the skin whilst Amazonian guarana seeds add texture to the invigorating face scrub. This prepares your skins by getting rid of any dry or deadskin cells on the surface, so that when you shave, your razor gets closer to the skin.

Next, the Sandalwood & Clove Shaving Cream also includes prickly pear seed oil with the added moisturisation of jojoba oil, which combine in this hydrating shaving cream to deliver a luxury lather, encouraging the hairs on your face to stand up for a closer shave and the smoothing properties will give you a more comfortable shave too.

Finish your routine with Sandalwood & Clove Post Shave Balm, A cooling shaving balm again featuring the superb prickly pear seed oil which will calm and soothe the skin after shaving.It has the added ingredient of glycerine which will also soften the skin and prevent dry rough patches.

These products are available individually or as a set, and make a great gift for someone special or to treat yourself.

We’ve also got a really useful video with one of our highly talented barbers going through each step and demonstrating how to use it.

Pre-Shave Scrub for Men

Preparing your skin with a pre-shave scrub. 

You’ll often hear a professional barber say that one of the first steps in getting a smooth, close shave is to prepare the skin. And so, after years of experience shaving the men of London, we’ve developed our very own Pre-Shave Scrub.

Pall  Mall Barbers Pre Shave Scrub contains prickly pear seed oil that moisturises the skin, whilst the Amazonian guarana seeds add texture to this invigorating scrub. So not only will it remove any surface dead skin cells but it will do so gently without pulling on the skin and aggravating it. It’s therefore ideal for sensitive skin. Our  pre-shave scrub also contains, cocoa butter and shea butter, some of the best ingredients to lubricate and soothe the skin.

This is the first step in our unique 3 Step Shaving System – a system designed by professional barbers in our London barber shops, that not only protects and nourishes your skin, but also ensures that you get a smooth, close shave. Using the Pre-Shave Scrub as part of your shaving routine will help to open the pores and remove dead skin cells, helping the hair bristles to stand up and for your razor to get closer to your skin.

To use this Pre Shave Scrub, all you need to do is to wet the face with some warm water and apply a one pump dose. Massage gently into your skin for a couple of minutes and then and rinse your face with warm water a few times. Pat dry with a towel. You’ll notice a difference in the feel of your skin straightaway.

If you’d like to try the Pre-Shave Scrub and better prepare your skin for its daily shave, you can buy it on our website or in any of our Central London barber shops. It would also make a great present for any guy who’s looking to improve the condition of his skin and the quality of his shave.

We've got a great video with Erin demonstrating each step of our shaving system so you can see exactly how to use the pre-shave scrub.  Watch the video.

It’s available individually or as part of the Pall Mall Barbers 3 Step Shaving System.

 

New Additions

Ever keen to expand our all-star team of barbers, we’re delighted to introduce you to a few new starters who’ve joined us in recent weeks and months. Book in with one of them today and see just why we hired them.

Clemence: A whizz at scissor cuts and texture cuts

Store: Trafalgar

Clemence came to join our award-winning London team from France where she previously worked in luxury barber shops. Clemence joins the PMB Trafalgar team with eight years’ experience behind her. She already has a loyal client base who keep coming back for more of her solid professional advice and sharp cuts.

Romeo: Master of skin fading and wet shaves

Store: Fitzrovia

Clients already love Romeo’s friendly, style-conscious approach to barbering, and he’s made himself an indispensable member of the Fitzrovia team with his great advice on gents’ grooming and style. Pop in and say hello or book a wet shave, cut or style consultation with Romeo today

Michael: Simply an outstanding all-round barber

Store: Trafalgar

Cheery barber Michael is never seen without a smile on his face in the Trafalgar store, and brings a whopping twenty years’ barbering expertise to the Pall Mall Barbers team. Book in with him today and see what all the fuss is about! Did we mention that we have an app for that now?

Bookings on the go? We’ve got an app for that!

So you’re stuck in back-to-back meetings all day and have to entertain clients at lunch. Or perhaps you’re working an all-nighter to meet a deadline and have no time to think, let alone schedule in some well-earned professional grooming. We’ve all been there: you’ve been meaning to call your barber all week but there never seems to be any time to sit down with your diary and make that phone call.

Gents, we’ve listened and we’ve come up with a solution. The free Pall Mall Barbers app is now available to download from the Apple App Store. With this handy little app you can manage all your future haircut and wet shave appointments from your iPhone, and view available booking slots with your favourite stylists in real time. The app even allows for cashless transactions if preferred – simply go to ‘Buy Services’ and pay up front for your next treatment securely using your credit card details. In other news, the app also gives you access to PMB special offers and will link you to our social media pages. It also displays all our contact details and updated hours of business for both stores.

And it’s not just for booking your regular treatments either – you can book shaving lessons, friction massages, facials and beard shaping through the app too. All bookings are saved to your personal info section on the app, which stores the dates of all bookings and details of all purchases made for future reference.

Have a play, and let us know what you think!

The Very Thing For Father’s Day…

We’re going to keep this one short and sweet because the message is clear: don’t buy your dad socks, pint glasses or “comedy” golfing tat this Father’s Day. And please, not another tie. He doesn’t need another tie. There is only one thing the old man would love to be given on June 15th this year, and that’s a Pall Mall Barbers voucher for a haircut or a luxury wet shave. Give us a call today on 0207 930 7787and we’ll send one out to you, or pop into our Trafalgar Square or Fitzrovia stores to pick one up. Hey - why not treat yourself as well and book the two of you in for a bit of father-son time over Father’s Day weekend? A cut and shave before the big game, perhaps?

We also sell a whole range of shaving and grooming accessories in store and online, from stunning butterfly razors to badger shaving brushes, our signature styling products as well as offerings from Crew, Jack Black and DR Harris; shaving mugs and stunning deerskin washbags. Another popular gift for the special guy in your life is a shave lesson voucher. Choose between learning how to use a safety razor, double edge razor or an open blade razor, and treat Dad to an hour’s tutorial with one of our shave experts. He’ll pick up loads of tips for getting himself a professional shave in his own bathroom, and may even pass on some tips to you.

And it’s probably worth dropping a few well-timed hints around the kids or your other half if you’re a dad dreading yet more pairs of Homer Simpson socks this coming Father’s Day. Or just spell it out loud and clear, and forward them a link to this page.

Got Plans Monday Night?

We told you we’re popping up all over London this spring, and on Monday evening we’ll be taking part in Men’s Day at Equinox on High Street Ken. A style event in collaboration with MatchesFashion.com, the evening kicks off at 6.30 with a chance to shop an edit curated by none other than Esquire Magazine. We’ll be there all evening dishing out expert style and grooming advice, and some of our best products will be available to try and buy too. Other attractions throughout the evening are refreshments, a HPE Clothing trunk show, a variety of mini spa treatments and a DJ set to finish off the night with.

So be our guest – we’d love to see you there on Monday. Just email gentry.long@equinox.com to get your name on the guest list.

MANicures and Facials in Fitzrovia

Ever look down at your hands tapping away at that keyboard and wonder whether your nails could do with a little TLC? Or could that face of yours do with a bit of attention – a bit of pampering – from time to time? Some professional skincare consultation perhaps, a rejuvenating massage or a good hydrating mask…

As part of our ongoing drive to deliver our customers head-to-toe perfection, we are soon to be offering a range of professional manicures and facials at our Fitzrovia store. Watch this space for more information, but in the meantime let us give you a taste of what will be on offer.

Danae will be performing Express and Luxury Manicures in the chair while you have your hair cut. The Express option takes half an hour and includes a hand massage and skin buff, filing and shaping of the nails, and cuticle removal. The Luxury Mani includes all this and an invigorating scrub for super smooth hands.

The Express Facial take thirty minutes and is also given in the Barber’s chair. This is a soothing and relaxing treatment that’ll fit in with your haircut appointment and leave you feeling super smooth and revitalised. The Signature Facial takes a little longer at 45 minutes, and it’s a more prolonged facial massage with added skincare consultation and a moisturising facial mask treatment.

Ask us in-store for more information about our upcoming treatments, and we hope you’ll book in with us soon. Go on lads, you’re worth it.

Pall Mall Barbers: A Head to Toe Service

Many of our customers often chat to us about the need for a quality shoe care service to help keep them looking sharp from head to toe. And since we always like to give the people what they want, we arranged some meetings with a few shoe polishers in town and are now pleased to announce that we’ve found the Jaunty Flâneur – the very best of the bunch. We’ve already done a couple of events with them in the past few weeks and the response to their shoe polishing service has been fantastic.

Our collaboration with the Jaunty Flâneur is a true meeting of minds: we’re both committed to delivering a great service using quality products. In the Jaunty Flâneur’s case, it’s about using a mixture of mink oil renovator cream to nourish the leather, and shoe cream to return colour to the shoes and get a shine from that all-important beeswax content. This is then topped off with a beeswax polish to protect against water and dirt, and to deliver that visual impact of a high shine.

Their polishing service is available from next week at the Fitzrovia store, so just drop your shoes in with us and then pop in and collect them a week later. Prices start from £12 for a standard polish and £24 for a glaçage (glass-like) polish. They’ll also be offering a full range of high quality cobbler services. If you’ve invested in a pair of shoes, using a good cobbler is a no-brainer and regular maintenance is the key to those kicks lasting a lifetime.

And for those of you keen to take care of your own shoes at home, we’re also working with the Jaunty Flâneur on a range of bespoke polishing kits to be sold in our stores. The kit should be dropping in the summer, so watch this space.

Just call us your all-round concierge service…

http://www.thejauntyflaneur.com/

Pall Mall Barbers in The New York Times

We were really chuffed to have been featured in John Freeman’s superb article on barber shop culture and the tradition of shaving in The New York Times Style Magazine recently. A true wet shave aficionado and a globetrotter like many of the guys and girls on our team, Freeman’s article invites the reader on a journey that stops off in Berber-style tents in the Atlas Mountains and tucked- away corners of Istanbul. He meets espresso drinking barbers in Beirut and vodka-pouring stylists in Manhattan. And then, he rounds off his article with the icing on the cake: us. Freeman says of our Fitzrovia store:

The tiles were gleaming white, the countertops granite and the barber’s brush was made of badger, not horsehair. My barber looked a lot like Stanley Tucci (must’ve been Elias…) but spoke with a South London accent… All I could feel was the gentle sweep of his blade, his occasional request for more hot towels. Time slowed down… all else was right with the world.

We totally agree with Freeman’s belief that visiting a barber shop, wherever you are in the world, is a reassuring ritual that connects us with others and reminds us that we’re all human and have the same basic needs. Popping into a barber shop for a wet shave is a bit like, as Freeman says, going out for a coffee or heading to a bar for a drink. It makes the world feel less alien, helps us ‘gain a foothold’ when we’re in unfamiliar places.

And getting a wet shave is good for the soul, too. Freeman’s had his fair share of shaves around the world and would happily trade an hour on the therapist’s couch for 45 minutes in the barber’s chair: “There’s so little we can actually control in this world, but even the unruliest beard can be managed.”

Amen to that. You can read John Freeman's full article here: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/17/yes-please-the-razors-edge/

Gentleman's Finest Event 26/03/14

It’s all about pop-ups for us this year, and in addition to our appearances at Milk and Sugar and the London Wasps training ground in the coming months, we’re popping up at Regent’s Place tomorrow as part of their Gentleman’s Finest event.
We’ll be giving complimentary haircuts and wet shaves for a limited time tomorrow, so email Dan sharpish if you fancy booking in at dan@pallmallbarbers.com – we may have some spaces still available.

We’ll be in the Regent’s Place Den from 9.30 till 5.30 tomorrow (Wednesday 26th March) accompanied by our friends Oliver Sweeney Shoes, Harry Brompton’s London Ice Tea, The Fitzrovia Partnership, London Wasps, The Remedy Wine Bar and our very own shoe polishing service.

And don’t forget to enter our competition to win a pair of tickets to the Wasps-Gloucester game at Twickenham on Sunday 20th April, plus two luxury wet shaves. Just convince us in five words why you should win the prize. Submit your five-word entry on our Facebook page our by Tweeting us @palmallbarbers, following up your entry with #pallmallbarbers. Alternatively, you can enter by emailing your five words to info@pallmallbarbers.com.

PMB’s Festival Checklist

The clocks go forward in just over a week and we’re looking forward to the days getting longer, more of that lovely sun we saw at the weekend, and the start of FESTIVAL SEASON!

Whether you’re hitting up Glastonbury, Bestival or Lovebox this summer, it’s important for a Pall Mall Gentleman to always look his best. Even after three days in a tent. The team at Pall Mall Barbers are a bunch of seasoned festival-goers and have a few top tips for looking fetching in a field, so make sure these secret weapons make it into your wash bag this summer.

Talc
Hair getting a bit lank and greasy? Shower queues a mile long? Rub a small amount of talc in a circular motion through the hair. It’ll pick up grease and any lingering oil-based product in the hair. Simples.

Non-Setting Products
Feel fresher and use a lighter product in your hair during your festival stint, preferably one that doesn’t leave a residue. An ideal product for festival use is Pall Mall Barbers Matt Clay. Formulated by the boffs at PMB towers, you can easily shake out a light product like this and style it all over again in the morning.

Wet wipes and moisturiser
Don’t be the one who gets sunstroke and ruins it for everyone, lads. A quick once over with non-scented wet wipes will keep you fresh as a daisy all day, but it’s also essential to moisturise if you’re exposed to the elements all day. And only more so if you’re indulging in a beer or three. We swear by Jack Black Double Duty Moisturiser. With SPF 20 protection built in, your skin be moisturised and protected in one.

Smell good and get the girls
• Aftershave fades the soonest
• Eau de Toilette fades after a few hours
• Eau de Parfum lasts the longest.

We highly recommend Jack Black Eau de Parfum. It’s a fresh and clean scent that lasts long but is never overbearing. Most of the female Pall Mall Barbers find the smell attractive, so needless to say the male side of PMB are now all applying it liberally!

Have a great week,

The PMB Team

Ps. Don’t forget to enter our competition to win a pair of tickets to the Wasps-Gloucester game at Twickenham on Sunday 20th April, plus two luxury wet shaves. Just convince us in just five words why you should win. Submit your five-word entry on our Facebook page our by Tweeting us @palmallbarbers, following up your entry with #pallmallbarbers. Alternatively, you can enter by emailing your five words to info@pallmallbarbers.com.

Milk and Sugar With Your Coffee, Sir?

We’ll be making our pop-up debut next month when we set up a full-sized barber shop at Milk and Sugar, a showcase of all things urban and stylish, at Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.

Running from 3rd – 6th April, the event will feature exhibitions and stands from all sorts of in-the-know London lifestyle brands, from pop up gourmet restaurants to craft beer breweries, men’s fashion designers to inventors of all manner of weird and wonderful apps and gadgets. And, of course, the best cuts and shaves in London.
As part of the London Coffee Festival also taking place at the Brick Lane venue, Milk and Sugar is an elite collection of brands deemed inspirational by its curators, and we’re honoured to be part of an event that not only celebrates ingenuity and design but also a charitable event that donates half of each ticket price to clean-water charities in coffee-producing countries.

We’d love to see you there and it’s sure to be a great event with something for everyone to enjoy. So if you do fancy coming along, you can book your tickets for the London Coffee Festival through the Milk and Sugar website (£11.50 in advance). You can also book in advance with us for a haircut, beard trim or luxury wet shave at our pop-up by selecting ‘Pall Mall Barbers Milk and Sugar Event’ when you book with us online.

And if the Milk and Sugar sensory overload all gets too much we’ll be handing out complimentary Harry Brompton’s Ice Tea all weekend.

Enjoy!

Time for a boys’ day out? We might have just the ticket…

Pall Mall Barbers invite you to enjoy reduced rate tickets to see London Wasps play Gloucester at Twickenham on Sunday April 19th. Book online at www.wasps.co.uk and enter the code pallmall2014 when booking tickets priced at £25 or over, and you’ll get a hearty 20% off. Tickets start at just a tenner, too!

The big match - known as “The Stinger” - takes place next month as a friendly in aid of Sport Relief. With acts like Little Mix billed to perform at the pre-match show, it’s sure to be a great way to spend the afternoon of Easter Sunday, whether you take the family along or head out with the lads after lunch.

And as part of a new collaboration with Wasps, we’re also going to be popping up at their home games over the coming months, offering our sharpest cuts and wet shaves to the public at their home ground, Adams Park. The last home match of the season - against Newcastle Falcons on May 3rd - is simply not to be missed!

To celebrate our new collaboration with one of Europe's finest rugby teams we’re offering a pair of tickets plus two luxury wet shaves to one lucky winner who can convince us in just five words why they should win this bundle for them and a mate. You can submit your five-word entry on our Facebook page our by Tweeting us @palmallbarbers, following up your entry with #pallmallbarbers. Alternatively, you can enter by emailing your five words to info@pallmallbarbers.com.

Ever fancied the idea of nailing a guitar solo on stage? Is that guitar under your bed gathering dust? Time to do something about it, we reckon. And if you’re a PMB member, we have just the solution for you…

First up on a packed bill of members’ benefits is our collaboration with guitar maestro Jon Dedman. With twenty years’ playing experience and as a member of the Registry of Guitar Tutors, Jon’s lessons are flexible and completely tailored to your interests and needs. Whether you’re a complete beginner with stadium dreams or an improving guitarist looking to take your music to the next level, Jon is offering PMB members their first lesson FREE, and a further 20% off when you book a block of lessons. With studios in Battersea and Liverpool Street, Jon can also tutor you at home or at work, or even by Skype. To get in touch with Jon and book your FREE lesson, drop him an email on Jonathandedman@hotmail.com. And if you need a rockstar haircut to go with your new guitarist skills, pop in and we can fix you up with the style you're after - we're partial to a nice Paul Weller cut ourselves...

Pall Mall Barbers in The Independent

Accustomed as we are at Pall Mall Barbers to a bit of media buzz, we were thrilled nevertheless to have been featured in The Independent (Friday 10th January) in an article about where our MPs get their hair cut – and how much they pay for the privilege. Our Trafalgar Square store manager and columnist Dan was more than happy to give the paper his thoughts on the importance of male grooming in Westminster.

The big topic kicked off when David Cameron’s hairdresser Lino Carbosiero was made an MBE in the New Year honours list - a debate that set Whitehall alight and had MPs up and down the country playing their very own version of hairdressing top trumps. Most hotly contested, unsurprisingly, was the price our MPs pay for their short back and sides, with the PM paying his barber £90 a pop at the top end, and Jonathan Reynolds shelling out a fiver back at his home constituency. A snip, if you will…

With our Trafalgar Square store just a short stroll from Westminster Palace and a short back and sides coming in at just £20 (the same as what Nick Clegg pays in Sheffield), it’s no wonder a clutch of MPs regularly choose our traditional surroundings for a well-priced tidy up on their lunch break.

And our man Dan’s sympathetic to our MPs’ need for a good hairdresser, reasoning that “image is such a big thing now. They could be the best politician in the world, but with a scruffy shirt and a ... dodgy haircut they could well be perceived in a different manner.”