Pall Mall Barbers - A Month in Headlines

We’re just taking a quick breather from the busy shop floor, and we thought we’d give you a few headlines from the past month at Pall Mall Barbers. We’ve been busy as usual!

Movember Shave Off

The annual charity grow-a-thon came to an end on November 30^th and our stores were packed with gents coming in for luxury wet shaves as a reward for their fundraising efforts. We also awarded our #SweeneyPallMall competition winner after enjoying a month of ‘taches to sort through on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Al Talks Politics On BBC London

Our very own Al was invited to chat to Robert Elms on November 28th, who hosts the daily politics show on 94.9 FM. As part of the ‘Whose London’ feature on barbers and hairdressers, Al shaved MP’s live as he was interviewed about the barber trade, politics (his favourite subject) and the Movember event. Nice work, Al!

Barbers Don Their Christmas Jumpers

Always keen to raise a few quid for charity – and even better if we get to dress up in the process – the PMB team pulled on their loudest knitwear for Save The Children’s Christmas Jumper Day on December 13^th. Encouraging customers to donate a quid by texting ‘teampallmall’ to a dedicated Save The Children donations number, we managed to raise over £100 for the charity.

Short back and sides: Nickelback

You may have already heard from our blog that rock giants Nickelback popped in for the PMB treatment on their day off between stadium gigs back in early December. They even gave us VIP tickets to see them at the O2 the next night. Lovely chaps.

Opening Hours

You can get your Christmas cut and shave at our Trafalgar Square and Fitzrovia stores right up until 5.30pm on Christmas Eve. Our Fitzrovia store is then shut until January 2^nd, but our Trafalgar Square store reopens on Friday 27^th and stays open until 5.30pm on New Year’s Eve. Why not book in for a treatment before you hit the town, or come in for a bit of R&R when we reopen both stores on January 2^nd?

Looking Forward

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal clients for their continued custom this year. We look forward to grooming you all to perfection in 2014. Look out for our loyalty card in early 2014 which will give a little something back every time you choose us for your cuts, shaves and products. We’ll also be launching our new-look website in the spring, as well as our luxury Pall Mall Barbers signature range shave systems.

Wishing you all a superb Christmas and a prosperous 2014.

Richard, Daniel and the PMB Team

I’D EVEN CUT MY HAIR AND CHANGE MY NAME… Nickelback Get The PMB Treatment

So what does a multi-million album selling rock band do on their day off between playing sold-out stadium gigs?  What might one of the biggest bands of the decade do with a spare day in London before they head for the South African leg of their world tour?

Bit of a lie in perhaps, a spot of lunch in town? Some Christmas shopping and a trip on the London Eye? Or what a good hair cut with a luxury wet shave? Grooming, pampering, and a bit of a British culture fix in one. That’s how Nickelback rolled when they were in town for their O2 Arena concert a couple of weeks ago, and the team at our Trafalgar Square store were only too happy to oblige.

Al, Erin, Sharon and Adrian treated the foursome to a signature hair cut each, plus a luxury wet shave. Four rugged rockers walked in, and four smooth gents walked out. The guys enjoyed their first Pall Mall Barbers experience so much that they treated the team to tickets for their concert at the O2 the next night.

The band got us great seats and VIP passes so we could hang out with them backstage afterwards. What a night we had - thanks guys, and enjoy the rest of the tour. Now we all just want to be big rock stars…

Pall Mall Gentleman Event – Tuesday 12th November 2013 Boisdale of Belgravia

On Tuesday night, gentlemen’s club Boisdale of Belgravia was descended on by an eclectic mix of London’s most stylish guys and girls – from media types to lifestyle bloggers, journalists to models and stylists, the jazz club and restaurant was packed to the rafters with movers, shakers… and some pretty impressive facial hair.

Safe to say, the inaugural Pall Mall Gentleman event went off with a bang, and we’re already looking forward to planning our next little soiree. The vision was to put on an evening that gave our guests a taste of what it is to be a true Pall Mall Gent, so we invited some of our esteemed friends along to share the finest products and the most exclusive lifestyle and grooming services London has to offer. The fizz flowed and Boisdale’s canapés were superb. New friends were made, appointments set and networks extended.

The front bar played host to two barbers’ chairs as guests were treated to a luxury wet shave with an audience. Our stylists talked the crowds through each step of the process as they prepared their patients for the shave of their life. All came away looking positively revitalized and baby-soft. Some Movember participants requested to keep their ‘tasches intact, some opted for a trim and tidy, and a few requested to have theirs whisked away altogether.

Other stands showcased the Pall Mall Barbers’ range of products as well as grooming goodies from our good friends at both Captain Fawcett and London’s oldest chemist, D R Harris.  Park Lane based Shoe Shine UK set up shop in the back room, imparting advice and performing their superb artisan shoe shines to plenty of happy chaps. London Dating Club drew a crowd with their professional advice for modern day dating in the capital. 

And upstairs another treasure trove awaited: guests were treated to professional portrait photographs by talented snapper Robin Bharaj and browsed luxury silk scarves for both men and women from St Piece.  King of cufflinks Simon Carter was also in the building with a range of stunning gifts from his Covent Garden flagship store. Needless to say, plenty of Christmas shopping was crossed off at the event, and our guests stepped back out into the night laden with purchases and goodie bags.

Watch this space for details on our next Pall Mall Gentleman event.

Thanks to:

@Boisdale

@CaptainFawcett

@DRHarrisLondon

@ShoeshineUk

@LondnDatingClub

@RobinBharaj

@KingOfCufflinks

Movember: Get Your ‘Tasche On!

It’s that time of year again, chaps. Yep, it’s time to get your ‘tasche on in the name of men’s health. And if you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, Movember is the month in the year that we men grow our moustaches with pride and raise money for testicular cancer, prostate cancer and mental health awareness.    

Pall Mall Barbers’ General Manager Dan ‘the tasche’ Davies is doing it for the gingers and growing his mo’ with pride (check out his progress and make a donation here), as is stylist and fellow mo’ bro Elias. Pop in anytime for an update on their progress - they’re both looking pretty dapper right now.

We’re also offering big rewards for our fellow moustachioed brothers in this most bristly of months.

First up is our online competition in conjunction with our friends at Oliver Sweeney. Post a pic of you and your beautiful mo’  to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #SweeneyPallMall and you’re in with a chance of winning a free luxury wet shave and haircut at our Mayfair parlour. And not only that, you’ll get a pair of Oliver Sweeney shoes thrown in too. Best mo’ wins. Simple as.

Ever keen to promote good grooming and dispense advice, the team at Pall Mall Barbers will happily give a free ‘tasche trim to any Movember participant – just pop into our Trafalgar Square or Fitzrovia store and we’ll sort you out. Office teams of six or more competing to raise the most for charity (or for the biggest, baddest mo’) can award a free shave at Pall Mall Barbers to the winner at the end of the month – just give us a call to let us know who’s competing and remind them to enter the #SweeneyPallMall comp while they’re at it.

It’s not too late to get on the mo’ train! And remember: those in the know… GROW!

A True Pall Mall Gent - Tom Hiddleston

 We’re not unaccustomed to the odd celeb spot here at Pall Mall Barbers, but when Thor star Tom Hiddleston turned up for a wet shave last month, we were pretty excited. And so were you, apparently - when we tweeted a snap of Tom looking all chiselled and cool in our barber’s chair it was retweeted and favourited hundreds of times within minutes.

Hollywood royalty Tom had his luxury wet shave with us on September 16^th, as part of a photo shoot and an interview with the Evening Standard published on Friday 18^th October. Modelling Gucci, Mulberry, Acne and Prada in a series of Mad Men style settings and shots, Hiddleston looked every bit the dapper gent, right down to that luxury wet shave. Tom was in town to promote Thor 2, which hits cinemas next week. For those not yet in the know, Hiddleston plays Thor’s evil brother Loki in the comic book saga, directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Our Trafalgar Square store even played host to the fashion shoot – Hiddleston was snapped drying his hands off on a towel in his barber chair, wearing a Bottega Veneta shirt and Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra watch. General Manager Dan had the task of wet shaving the War Horse star and Old Etonian, who found him to be a ‘top guy’ - great to chat to and full of admiration for our profession.

Check out Tom’s Evening Standard interview here. Thor 2 premieres in London on 22^nd October

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.