Shaving – Do try this at Home

It’s a pretty common occurrence at the shop to have inquiries about what exactly is involved in a Wet Shave.  For men who have for decades been shaving perfectly adequately at home, they want to know what we can offer that they don’t already do themselves.  Anyone who’s been to our store and experienced a shave from one of our expert barbers will attest  that what we offer is luxury in a barber’s chair, though that’s not to say that there are ways to make your home shaving routine a little more like the real McCoy.  Here are some tips on what you can do in your own bathroom

If you’ve ever had a traditional shave you’ll know there’s nothing quite like it.  From the smell of the shaving cream and the feel of the hot towel hitting your face to the unbeatable smoothness of the final results, it’s an unforgettable rite of passage.  Plus, there’s something liberating about having someone else do all the work.  What is essentially a daily chore turns into a relaxing indulgence.  But there’s another benefit to having a traditional wet shave.  If you’re observant (and are inquisitive enough to ask a few questions) you can pick up some great tips about technique and then incorporate them into your routine at home.  Men on the whole aren’t taught how to shave and so they get it wrong from the start, leaving their first experience a bad one.

Pall Mall Barbers are expert barbers and considered by many to be London’s favourite barbershop

Luxury haircuts and wet shaves

Tools of the Trade

For a traditional approach to shaving, kit yourself out with these essential shaving tools.

The Hot Towel

To prepare your skin for the shave, give yourself a DIY hot towel treatment by dipping a towel into a sink full of hot water, wringing it out and plopping it onto you face for minute or so.  It’s how we, the professionals always kick off a traditional shave.  To aid this process you can use a product like American Crew pre shaving oil or even a simple almond oil.  Rubbing the oil into the skin helps soften the skin, reduce friction for the razor and helps lift the hairs in readiness for cutting.

The Razor

Razors are a bit like cars – some handle better than others and driving an Audi Q7 is always going to be better than driving a clapped out old banger.  So to groom like a lord invest in a decent razor – we would always recommend one of our “Regal” range or if you’d like something a little more unique our double edged razor.  Like many traditional style razors it uses a “butterfly” design head which allows the top to be opened to allow the insertion of double-edged blades.  It also allows for the razor blades to be continuously adjusted, ensuring you have total control as you’re shaving.  But what about open or cut throat razors, you ask?  Well, they are the crème de la crème, but we’d suggest coming to the shop for some lessons before embarking in “extreme shaving”.

Pall Mall Barbers is a quality barbershop in London’s West End. We offer cut throat shaves

The Shaving Brush

Start by investing in a quality shaving brush like our Art Deco Badger Hair Brush.  Not only is it the best way to create a creamy lather, it also helps lift your stubble and exfoliate the skin, ridding it of the dead cells which can clog your razor.  The best brushes are made of badger hair – one of the few animal hairs that holds, rather than repels moisture.  To protect your investment always hang your brush upside down on a brush stand after use.  This prevents water seeping into the handle, causing the hairs to rot.

Shaving Cream

Face the facts: there’s nothing gentlemanly about a cheap own brand shaving foam, so switch to a traditional shaving cream – they’re richer, creamier and often kinder to the skin.  Or use a traditional shaving soap, like D R Harris’ Arlington Shaving Soap.  It will work brilliantly with your new shaving brush.

The Balm

A soothing balm is essential for calming irritation, re-hydrating skin and kick starting the skin’s natural repair process.  One brand that proves very popular in the shop is Jack Black.

Stylish haircuts in a traditional setting. Great gifts for men

BBC Generation Earth – Filmed at Pall Mall Barbers 28th May‏

On a bleary eyed Monday morning at 9am an intrepid television crew came to Pall Mall Barbers for a spot of filming. There were five people in the team; the Assistant Producer, the Director Nat Sharman, the Camera Operator, the Sound Recordist and the presenter Dallas Campbell. It was for a new BBC television show “Generation Earth”.

Pall Mall Barbers are expert barbers and considered by many to be London’s favourite barbershop

Generation Earth is a new BBC1 landmark documentary series. The series aims to be a fascinating look at innovation, engineering and visionary thinking all over the world. We hope to capture the scale of human kind’s ambition and ability to adapt the planet to suit our growing needs.  Today we're changing our planet with extraordinary speed and unparalleled scope. Our feats of engineering are rivalling Mother Nature and our ambition knows no bounds. This is the story of how we've made our planet fit for purpose. The series is presented by Dallas Campbell who is well known for presenting BBC’s ‘Bang Goes the Theory’.

Luxury haircuts and wet shaves

Dallas Campbell (born 17 September 1970 in Kilmacolm, Scotland) is a British television presenter and television and stage actor. His acting credits include Spender, A Touch of Frost, Family Affairs, Casualty and Holby City. His film acting credits include Hard Men and Fallen Angels.

After attending schools in Darras Hall and Ponteland, Northumberland, Dallas continued his education at Glenalmond College in Perthshire, Scotland. From 1989 to 1992 he studied Drama and English at the University of Northampton. In 1997 he appeared in the play The Warp, which is the longest play ever performed (over 24 hours).

He was the screenwriter and director of the short subject film No Deposit, No Return in 2004. In June 2008 he joined The Gadget Show, which he left (in 2009) to be replaced by Ortis Deley.

He holds the slot car (scalextric) world land speed record as of 2008 (while being a presenter of The Gadget Show). He is one of four presenters in the BBC science magazine programme Bang Goes The Theory.

Pall Mall Barbers is a quality barbershop in London’s West End. We offer cut throat shaves

Episode 1 of Generation Earth, ‘A Place to Live’ looks at the extraordinary change in where we now call home. More than half of the world’s population now live in urban areas. In December the film crew recorded a 30 storey building in China being constructed in 15 days. Here is some time lapse footage of the building work – it is truly extraordinary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdpf-MQM9vY.

Stylish haircuts in a traditional setting. Great gifts for men

When the editing of the episode is completed the plan is to intercut the footage of this buildings construction with the presenter Dallas growing a beard / not shaving for 15 days.

The sequence that was filmed on Monday sees Dallas having a wet shave to end the sequence.  We believe this is a rather neat way to finish an article, in our humble opinion. 

Beards for all Shapes and Sizes

There’s no denying that facial hair is very fashionable right now, but like a see-through sarong some facial fashion looks great on a cat walk or in a photo-shoot but will look embarrassingly out of place on some men’s faces.  This is often due to the shape of the individual’s face and the type of cut of the beard.  If you get it right you’ll look fantastic but if it’s wrong, you’ll feel awkward, shy and possibly even paranoid.  To ensure that your beard ambitions suit your face type take a look at your face in the mirror, decide which shape is yours and follow these guidelines.

Pall Mall Barbers are expert barbers and considered by many to be London’s favourite barbershop

Long, Thin Face

Avoid:  Goatees or hairy biker beards which will only add length to your chin.

Go for:  Moustaches or sideburns: the former will draw attention from the lower half of your face, while the latter will help round out any squareness.  If you really want a beard, try leaving the sides slightly fuller than the front.  This will fill out your jawline, giving the illusion of a wider face.

Round Face

Avoid:  Thing moustaches and full beards or any hair around the jawline as these will only make your face look rounder.

Go for:  A precision-cut goatee of “jazz spot” under your bottom lip.  These will optically narrow the face into a point at the chin.  Don’t try this if you have several, very obvious chins.  It will just draw attention to them.

Pall Mall Barbers is a quality barbershop in London’s West End. We offer cut throat shaves

Stylish haircuts in a traditional setting. Great gifts for men

Square Jaw

Avoid:  Thick, wide “Wolverine” sideburns.  They might look good on Hugh Jackman, but will just make your face look boxier.

Go for:  A full, rounded beard to soften the squareness of your face.

Bald Head

Avoid:  Full beards and bushy sideburns that have no hairline to emerge from.  Too much growth will unbalance the look of your head and you’ll end up looking like Uncle Albert.

Go for:  Subtle goatees and beards, trimmed short.  They won’t look too obvious, but will look modern.

Luxury haircuts and wet shaves

Small Chin

Avoid:  A moustache – it will act like a roof to your “small house” of a chin and make it look even more recessive.

Go for:  A sharp, neatly trimmed goatee or full beard – both will draw out the chin.  A goatee especially will draw the eyes upwards away from the non-existent chin.  Be sure to keep it neat and tidy.

Top Trimming Tips

Sideburns tend to look best when they end just below the midpoint of your ear.

If you’re growing a bear or moustache start when you on holiday.  By the time you return you’ll be over the unsightly, itchy stage.  The scruffy growth stage is fine for the beach but not for the office.

Keep things symmetrical.  Studies have shown that women find men with symmetrical faces more attractive.

Moisturise.  The skin under facial hair can become especially dry, partly because hair tends to wick moisture away from the skin.  So when moisturising pay particular attention to the skin under your facial hair, massaging your regular moisturiser in thoroughly with your fingertips.

If you’re planning intricate or fiddly designs, invest in a magnifying shaving mirror which will help you get better accuracy.

Always trim just outside the line of your beard – that leaves you room to tidy it up properly with a razor.

Invest in the right tool s – take a look at the Pall Mall Barber shaving range for some beautiful high quality shaving equipment.

Pall Mall Barbers’ very own Adrian barbering in new ITV show “Mr Selfridge”

Pall Mall Barbers are expert barbers and considered by many to be London’s favourite barbershop

A typical day at Pall Mall Barbers will include a few dozen stylish haircuts, a number of luxurious wet shaves, the offering of a number of beautiful shaving products and vouchers and some general banter to pass the time – all in our beautiful barbershop.  However Wednesday was in no way typical for one of our barbers.  Adrian has been contacted by a big production company, looking for an authentic barber to perform in a period show alongside the American TV and film star Jeremy Piven in a new ITV drama about the life of Mr Selfridge.  They had tried using actors but they just did not have the fluency of movement .  As the director was looking for a slick montage of Jeremy Piven getting groomed and ready in the morning it was absolutely essential that the barber looked and acted the part with expertise.    

Pall Mall Barbers is a quality barbershop in London’s West End. We offer cut throat shaves

Stylish haircuts in a traditional setting. Great gifts for men

So it was with much excitement that Adrian headed off to glamorous Neasden where the company had converted an old carpet warehouse into a huge studio containing all the main sets.  As with any filming work there are long periods of waiting with very little to do and Adrian found himself talking with Jeremy Piven who proved to be a very nice and inquisitive man – asking about the barber shop and Adrian’s views on facial hair.  It was most certainly a day never to be forgotten for Adrian and we all can’t wait to see him in action when the show is broadcast next year.

Luxury haircuts and wet shaves

Here’s a little we’ve found out about the coming hit drama:

Award-winning actor JEREMY PIVEN (Entourage) will lead the cast as American entrepreneur, Harry Gordon Selfridge, in new drama Mr Selfridge (working title), about the life of the flamboyant and visionary American entrepreneur, produced by ITV Studios for ITV1.

Created by multi-award winning writer Andrew Davies, Mr Selfridge tells the story of ‘Mile a Minute Harry’, a man with a mission to make shopping as thrilling as sex. Pioneering and reckless, with an almost manic energy, he created a theatre of retail where any topic or trend that was new, exciting, entertaining - or sometimes just eccentric - was showcased.

Jeremy Piven takes on the role as Mr Selfridge following a successful eight-season run on hit drama Entourage, in which he won three Emmys and a Golden Globe for his portrayal as Ari Gold. Born and raised in Chicago, Piven has a successful career on stage and screen with credits including, Runaway Jury, Old School, Black Hawk Down, Serendipity and Guy Ritchie’s Rocknrolla. Piven also starred as Boddy Gould in Broadway hit Speed-the-Plow and in Neil LaBute's Fat Pig. Most recently, he appeared in films Angels Crest, starring alongside Elizabeth McGovern, Mira Sorvino, Kate Walsh and Lynn Collins, and I Melt With You, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film festival.

Joining Piven in Mr Selfridge is KATHERINE KELLY (Coronation Street) as the confident and alluring socialite Lady Mae, whose connections prove vital for Harry as he builds his empire.

Also starring is FRANCES O’CONNOR (Piccadilly Jim) who will play Harry’s wife Rose, acclaimed French actor GRÉGORY FITOUSSI (Spiral) as Henri Leclair, Harry’s flamboyant creative director, AISLING LOFTUS (The Borrowers, Dive) as shop assistant Agnes, TRYSTAN GRAVELLE (Anonymous) as ladies’ man Victor, the Assistant Manager at Selfridges in-store restaurant, and ZOË TAPPER (Desperate Romantics) playing a celebrated stage entertainer, Ellen Love, who becomes the new ‘face’ of Selfridges.

The drama is set in London in 1909, at a time when women were revelling in a new sense of freedom and modernity. Harry wanted to indulge, empower and celebrate these women and so opened the doors of his lavish department store, on London’s famous Oxford Street.

Through the innovations and spectacular events Harry staged within the store, the stories will shine a light on hidden moments of the history of women, be it fashion, cosmetics, technology or domestic affairs.

Harry’s colourful life will play out against the rich tapestry of London at the turn of the century. In his leisure hours he was a gambler, and although happily married, he enjoyed the company of glamorous show girls and film stars. His womanising was legendary and he very much lived life in the fast lane.

Based upon the book Shopping, Seduction and Mr Selfridge by author Lindy Woodhead which is the account of the real life story of Harry Gordon Selfridge and his store, the series will go into production in April in London for transmission on ITV1 during 2013.

Andrew Davies and his writing team have cherry picked the most intriguing aspects of Harry’s real life and used them as a spring-board to create a big, glamorous city story. There is a rich cast of fictional characters to fall in love with, whose fortunes are all interlinked with his own extraordinary story. From the opulent life of London’s social elite, to the bright lights, glamour and back-stage intrigue of London’s theatres, from board rooms, private poker games and smoky music halls to the working men and women trying to make their own success, this is period drama firmly set in the advent of modernity.

The ten x 60 minute episodes of Mr Selfridge will be produced by Chrissy Skinns (Marchlands, Secret Diary of a Call Girl) and executive produced by ITV Studios Drama’s Kate Lewis. Andrew Davies (Bleak House, Pride and Prejudice) is the lead writer alongside Kate Brooke (Case Sensitive, Murder in the Outback) and Kate O’Riordan (The Bad Mother’s Handbook, The Kindness of Strangers). The first director will be Jon Jones (Titanic, Northanger Abbey).

Said Peter: "The story of Harry Selfridge and how he transformed the world of retail is fantastically rich territory. Andrew Davies and the team have created a compelling and entertaining series that is part family saga and part workplace drama."

Kate Lewis, Executive Producer for ITV Studios added: "It’s impossible to read about the real Harry Selfridge and not be enthralled. Here’s a man that had it all and lost it all in the most spectacular fashion. His life and the extraordinary legacy he left behind are dripping with drama."

Pall Mall Barbers is Officially a Work of Art

A rainy Monday morning I wouldn’t have thought would be a particularly creative time, but here at Pall Mall Barbers we welcomed one of the most decorated British Artists to the shop. Whilst our barbers were cutting the hair and shaving the beards of a number of regulars, Mark Wallinger and his team were setting up their camera to capture the “hypnotic state” of the barber shop and in particular it’s swirling red and white pole.


For those of you who are not au fait with Mark Wallinger here’s a little bi-og of the man and his work;

Mark Wallinger (born 1959) is a British artist, best known for his sculpture for the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, Ecce Homo (1999), and State Britain (2007), a recreation at Tate Britain of Brian Haw's protest display outside parliament. He won the Turner Prize in 2007. In October 2010 he and 100 other leading artists signed an open letter to the Culture Minister Jeremy Hunt protesting against cutbacks in the arts - he created a new work, "Reckless", for the protest.

Ecce Homo in Trafalgar Square 1999

I spoke with Mark about his idea for this current barber piece and though it is still a work in progress his inspiration was the symbol of the barber pole and the routine of the barber. After getting his idea for this piece he started to keep his eyes peeled for the perfect location and that’s when he came across Pall Mall Barbers. It’s no surprise he found us as we sit right next door to one of the most prestigious art galleries in the world, The National Gallery, but it wasn’t convenience that Mark liked about our shop. In his opinion we have a beautiful shop front, with not only the traditional décor but also the history of the Blue Plaque of St. Mortimer Wheeler. When you “pan back” from the shop, you also see it sandwiched between a café and massage parlour giving it a wonderfully urban visceral feeling.

Personally I think it is very understandable that Mark was inspired by the barber pole, it has a fascinating history. The origin of the barber's pole appears to be associated with his service of bloodletting. The original Barber pole had a brass basin at its top representing the vessel in which leeches were kept and also represented the basin which received the blood. The pole itself represented the staff which the patient held onto during the operation. The red and white stripes represented the bandages used during the procedure, red for the bandages stained with blood during the operation and white for the clean bandages. The bandages would be hung out to dry after washing on the pole and would blow and twist together forming the spiral pattern similar to the modern day barber pole.

The blood stained bandages became recognized as the emblem of the barber-surgeon's profession. Later in time, the emblem was replaced by a wooden pole of white and red stripes. These colours are recognized as the true colours of the barber emblem. Red, white and blue are widely used in America due partly to the fact that the national flag has these colours. Another interpretation of these barber pole colours is that red represents arterial blood, blue is symbolic of venous blood and white depicts the bandage. After formation of the United Barber Surgeons Company in London, a statue required barbers to use a blue and white pole and surgeons to use a red pole. In France the surgeons of the long robe placed a red pole with a basin attached to identify their offices.

I can’t tell you what the final piece will look like beyond that it is a recorded piece of artwork; I personally am really excited about seeing the final piece. If Mark’s previous work is anything to go by I know it will be an extremely skilful piece of work with a provocative undertone. I will keep you posted on when and where it will be exhibited. I am told it will be shown in a gallery in Newcastle as well as on “Random Acts” on Channel 4.

Head Massage Tips from Pall Mall Barbers

During their haircuts at Pall Mall Barbers many of our clients tell us how they find different ways to deal with the excessive levels of stress that they go though in their day to day lives. Techniques like yoga, deep breathing, meditation and acupressure are just a few ways people relieve their stress. By far and away the most popular is the massage. Some of our barbers are well versed in massage techniques; don’t forget we do our own vigorous massage at Pall Mall Barbers, called, Friction. Here are some pointers for you;

Good Head Massage Techniques


Good head massage techniques basically include a combination of different pressure points, right positioning and strokes as these aspects tend to play a very critical role while giving a good head massage. A sensual shoulder massage can also be combined with the head massage techniques thereby allowing the person to relax the muscles of their shoulders, neck, head as well as back. Head massage techniques if practiced correctly can be very effective in providing relief from acute and chronic headaches. In fact many it has been observed that a good head massage plays a very important role in the individual achieving sound sleep and it also helps in the rejuvenation of the brain cells. One of the head massage techniques is to always use natural or herbal oils while administering the massage as it provides the required nutrition to the hair making the hair healthy and strong and even contributes to stopping hair loss.


Some of the popular oils used for a head massage are neem oil, avocado oil, olive oil and so on. In fact the oil obtained from the coconut is known to provides the hair with immense nutrition and also be extremely healthy on the whole. A good head massage technique is to spread the fingers on the head and then stroke the head gently in a downward and upward movement. Pressure should be applied on the head only using the fingertips. The direction of the fingers should be changed after every few minutes. After moving the fingers upwards and downwards, they should be moved anticlockwise and clockwise. Pressure should be applied to the back of the head and the sides using only the knuckles to enable the person to feel relaxed. Afterwards pull the top of the ears with the fingers till the person being massaged can hear a kind of a cracking sound which helps in reducing tension and also expands the ear muscles. Finally using ones index finger and thumb apply pressure on the eyebrows to get instant relief from a headache. Then you should conclude by closing the eyes and very gently massaging the sockets with only the index finger. Head massages are known to be very beneficial for providing relief from fatigue, insomnia, stress, sinusitis, migraines, increasing ones mental clarity, hair loss, scalp tension and hair thinning.



Benefits of a Head Massage:

A head massage is considered to be a very effective stress reliever.

A head massage is also known to relieve both chronic and acute headache.

A head massage is considered to rejuvenate the brain cells.

A head massage is very instrumental for achieving a sound sleep.

Conditioning and lubricating the scalp, thereby preventing flakiness and dryness.

Enhancing the vibrancy of the hair & adding to its lustre by spreading natural oil

Increasing the circulation of blood to the scalp and neck area

Preventing excessive hair fall and split-ends

Promoting the growth of new hair and adding strength to the existing hair

Protecting the hair from the harmful effects of certain elements, like the harsh sun

Relaxing the scalp and increasing flexibility

Replenishing and rejuvenating hair that has been dry and damaged

Softening the hair and making it easier to manage

Strengthening the roots of the hair, by nourishing the hair shafts



Studies indicate that using a head massage for headaches can help relieve the pain and discomfort to a great extent, but the relief is usually only short lived. While it is alright to use a head massage for a headache on a few occasions, it is important to ensure that you consult a doctor, if the headaches are frequent. There could be certain medical conditions or even eyesight problems, which lead to frequent headaches in people.

Pall Mall Barbers' Guide to Beards

We at Pall Mall Barbers see a lot of different trends, whether it’s in haircuts, clothes or indeed Beards. Man’s facial hair has become a hot fashion tool, with countless studies declaring that women find the beard far more attractive than the clean shaven. Clearly the fairer sex took the expression “taking the rough with the smooth” – quite literally. For the baby faced men out there this is a real kick in the teeth. But not all hope is lost – there’s a lot you can do with not much.

That said before embarking on your hairy adventure you will need to be honest. There are plenty of tricks of the trade to help fashion your facial hair but we can’t work miracles. Should you find your facial hair tricky to develop, you may want to avoid the frustration of trying to begin with.

And with that proviso in place, let’s begin by taking a look at the first step…



1. Commit to Growing a Beard


Growing out your 5 o’clock shadow is going to need a great deal of dedication and patience; undertaking the task requires you stick with it for several months before anything resembling a fully-fledged beard will appear.

It’s probably best to wait until you have a sufficiently long enough ‘break-in’ period before starting the growth, as ‘fluff’ and ‘dirty stubble’ isn’t a great look to take into the office.

Depending on growth rate, most men require four to six weeks before sculpting can commence, so a summer break or sabbatical is probably ideal for the task.

2. Overcome the dreaded Itch

After a week or so, you’ll find your lengthening stubble becomes a facial irritant. Itching is perfectly normal in the opening stages, and it will subside over time.

To avoid being victim to itching, as well as maintaining good hygiene, cleanse the beard daily with a gentle washing agent; baby shampoo is perfect for the job being both mild and cheap.


Moisturizer and anti-irritant salves can also help, but be careful not to use too much and avoid heavy creams that cling to the face; you may find they’re too thick against your stubble and clog up the underlying pores.

3. Soften your Whiskers


Your significant other won’t enjoy the bristly prickle of facial hair on their body during the early stages when the beard still feels ‘tough’. Use a gentle conditioner to help soften the follicles; you may find a ‘leave-in’ variety helps to offer continual softening over the course of the day.


Points to Consider


Facial hair can make you look older and ‘age’ your face. While this may have the positive effect of making a younger man more distinguished, it can also make an older man appear decrepit. Use your own judgement when in doubt. On a flip side to this it can help “frame the face”, especially if you feel you have a weak chin line.


There’s a time and a place. Office politics aside, some professions (especially those relating to food) have staff rules about acceptable facial hair; take a good look over the company handbook, or speak to someone in Human Resources, before embarking on what may be an objectionable endeavour.

Beards are distinctive. Just like a new pair of thick-rimmed glasses, a beard is a significant addition to your look; be prepared for friends, family and peers to make light of your new found whiskers. Remember, comedy is one way we deal with change, so be sure to make yourself part of the joke rather than the butt of it. Go with the flow but stand your ground.


Shaving will not help your beard grow more quickly. It’s an urban legend long since disproven by medical science; while the hair appears coarser after shaving, the speed of growth is merely an optical illusion – two millimetres of growth on a freshly smoothed face appears more prominent than two millimetres on an already established beard.

Finally once you have a beard, don’t forget to look after it. Having a beard isn’t the same as simply not shaving. A good beard will require “shaping”, “trimming” and “washing/conditioning”.

This blog is just scratching the surface of how to grow a beard. For the best tips on managing your beard come in and speak with one of our barbers.


photo by Juan Trujillo