Once properly established and refined, your shaving ritual should be less a chore and more an opportunity for private indulgence, leaving you feeling clean and refreshed.

Serious exfoliation

Unless you suffer from a Benjamin Button-esque infliction, it’s likely that you’re going to have to shave on a regular basis from now until your dying days, so recognise the importance of pre-shave preparation.  An exfoliator (1) performs the unglamorous job of ridding the face of dead skin and excess oil, and removing dirt from your pores. The process serves to eradicate puffiness leaving you feeling fresh-faced and wide awake.

Pre-shave lubrication  

A pre-shave oil (2) acts to further prepare the face; essential oils and gylcerin soften hair cuticles, appeasing any rebellious growths before their imminent removal, necessary when facing all but the most insignificant of stubble.

Best shaving cream and badger hair brush

The next step is to apply a high quality shaving cream (3); the canvas on which your craftsmanship will take place. Naturally such artistry requires the finest of implements; there’s a reason that badger hair brushes (4) have stood the test of time – they are as much a statement of character as they are a practical shaving tool, and a finer investment than most financial institutions these days. The cream should be applied with light brush strokes that are more renaissance painter and less amateur exterior decorator. 

Using your razor blade correctly

Once sufficiently lathered, reach for your well-crafted blade (5) and gently begin at your sideburns, working down in the direction of hair growth. Move onto your cheeks and jowls, taking care to note any changes in hair direction; using smaller, controlled movements will help avoid razor-rash or in-grown hairs. Rinse thoroughly with ice cold water to close your pores and remove any remnants of cream or oil.

Essential post-shave skincare

With your skin silky smooth and glowing with newness, you are as vulnerable to any harmful environmental conditions as a snowflake in hell. At this stage there are a number of post-shave creams and after-shave balms (6) available; you should be using products that will replenish lost moisture and help with skin regeneration while avoiding anything containing alcohol which may dry out the skin and tighten pores over follicles, leading to in-grown hairs.

For the perfect wet shave, we recommend the following:

(1) Jack Black – Face Buff Energising Scrub (£16.00)
(2) D.R. Harris – Arlington Pre-Shave (£18.00)
(3) D.R. Harris – Arlington Luxury Lather Shave Cream (£26.00)
(4) Murdock Silver Tip Badger Brush – Light Horn (£88.25)
(5) Murdock Fusion Razor – Ivory (£88.75)
(6) Jack Black – Post Shave Cooling Gel (£19.50)

The Perfect Wet Shave is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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3. Murdock Mayfair Stylists Recommend…

Use the right shampoo and conditioner – The endless proliferation of shampoos on the high street means its a gamble trying to choose the right one.

Check out our online selection for detailed descriptions of some of the best men’s hair care around.

Invest in a comb or brush – a couple of decades ago, any guy with even a passing interest in his appearance was likely to have a pocket comb on his person at least 90% of the day. With the current trend for slicked back styles of the 1950s, now is the perfect time to invest in a good brush or comb.

Right: The Fonz – never without a pocket comb.

Choose the right styling product – once there was Brylcreem and it covered a multitude of sins. But these are more enlightened times – pomades, pastes, gums, crèmes – we’ve got them all, and they all work a hell of a lot better if you use the right one.

Again, check out our online shop for an idea of what’s right for you – or come into one of our stores for more professional advice.

Get the Most From Your Hair is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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The French Riviera has always been in vogue and before the oligarchs descended upon Cannes, the cream of British society would step aboard ‘Le Train Bleu’ at Calais each week and migrate to the provincial Côte d’Azur each winter, to escape the cold surroundings of London town. The likes of Noel Coward, Edward Windsor & Somerset Maugham would be on board, stopping off in Paris to pick up artistic contemporaries Cocteau and Coco Chanel. 

Each visit to the Rivera resulted in many of London’s elite frequenting Grasse, the birthplace of French perfume, to have some exclusive and personalised scents created.  Having returned from the Mediterranean, we too have rediscovered one of the oldest fragrance houses, Molinard. Established in 1849, this family-run business has become an authority in the perfume industry. Building on their authenticated Parisian boulevardier and dandy-aesthete clientele, Molinard and its fragrances have obtained a reputation of genteel debonair, and continue to attract gentlemen seeking a timeless scent.

New to Murdock this autumn is a trio of Molinard’s signature scents, available for you to come in and discover for yourselves.

Molinard Homme I:       A subtle but confident fragrance, it is perfect for everyday wear. Par aromatic excellence for the go ahead nature.

Molinard Homme II:     Woody and sensual, sweet and seductive: a scent for vivacious occasions. A prerequisite for the social connoisseur.

Molinard Homme III:      Brave and fresh, effluvious and refined: an olfactory portrait of an adventurer. For the gentleman who likes to experience the world.

Murdock London is a set of three Barber’s and Gentlemen’s Stores with shops in Shoreditch, Liberty and Mayfair. Established in 2006 it offers traditional services for the modern gent, as well as offering a cultivated retail experience. Each store is distinctly unique, combining the traditional elements of a barbershop blended with a contemporary feel. Our customers are a heady mix of young media and designers through to some of London’s most modern and refined Dandies.

For more information please contact Lewis Corner on 0207 495 7310 or lewis@murdocklondon.com

Molinard: The Scents of the French Riviera is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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This unique illustration is by Laurence Bell, who as just finished an Art and Design Foundation course at New College in Nottingham.

As part of his final project, he visited London to take various photographs of modern and traditional architecture, places of interest and fashion. One of the photographs was of himself having his hair cut at our Liberty concession.

He used coffee to reproduce the photograph as an illustrayion which then formed part of a final twelve piece collection, exhibited at the college this summer.

In October 2010, Laurence will start a BA (Hons) degree in Visual Communication (Illustration) at Loughborough University where he hopes to continue to develop his passion for drawing.

Murdock Art is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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From old favourites to some more unusual suggestions, we present our personal selection of summer beverages to cool you down this August.

• The Pimm’s Cup - 

Ah, a classic English drink, staple of many a summer party or boating event. I recently drank one in Spain with added aniseed liquor, which gave it a rather nice kick. You can play around with the fruit used and the flavoured syrups, but this one’s best left to its old school roots.

1 1/2 ounces of Pimm's Number One

4 to 5 ounces of 7-Up or Sprite

wedge of lemon sprig of borage or, if unavailable, slice of cucumber

(Recipe sourced from Forbes.com)

All you need do is combine the ingredients over ice into high glasses. Strawberries, pineapple, apple, kiwi and mint work well in combination too.

• Free Love Cocktail -

While Murdock would shudder at the thought of advocating unprotected sex, this unique cocktail is a rather more sophisticated alternative to the perennial ‘Sex on the Beach’ (ahem). Said to be born around 1890, when early feminists fought against both the Victorian ideals of sexuality and the threat of Prohibition, this cocktail will surely be a hit with lovers of the creamier cocktail.

1/2 of an egg white

3 dashes anisette

1 1/2 ounces of gin     

1 ounce of fresh cream

Pour ingredients over a shaker of fresh ice, shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Burnt bra garnish optional.

• Vanilla and Fig Daiquiri -

This is a spiced take on the traditional Daiquiri, that I sampled at Kasbah’s on the Cowley Road in Oxford. Highly recommened. 

• Iced Mint Tea Cocktail –

This is an immensely refreshing cocktail in hot weather, and works well with tapas or Moroccan food. It can also look rather attractive in Moroccan glasses or garnished with sprigs of mint leaf. Best of all, it feels rather guilt-free. What’s another cup of iced tea?

4 whole mint leaves

1/2 cup pre made sweetened ice tea

Small splash lime juice

1/4 cup vodka

Lime wedge or wheel (optional garnish)

• Vodka Espresso –

Coffee-based cocktails are god’s gift to man. The sugar, booze and caffeine gives you the perfect perk to start the evening. This number was invented by legendary mixologist Dick Bradsell. Rumour has it that a famous model walked up to the bar one night and asked for a drink that would “Wake me up, then fuck me up”.

Place in a shaker two thirds filled with ice add a large (60ml) shot of vodka, a small (30ml) shot and a half of fresh espresso coffee (or very strong filter coffee), 2 dashes of sugar syrup and a splash of coffee liqueur (Toussant or Kahlua). Shake and strain into a Martini glass, then decorate with three coffee beans.

Other coffee-based cocktails we’re rather fond of are White Russians, imbibed by the Dude in The Big Lebowski and other such fine chaps.

• South of the Border -

This is another coffee-based tipple, but this time, Mexican-style.

Place in a shaker two thirds of ice, a large (60ml) shot of tequila, a small (30ml) shot and a half of Kahlua, a small shot of fresh lime juice, two dashes of sugar syrup and a dash of egg white. Shake very thoroughly and strain into a Martini glass. (recipe sourced from www.viewlondon.com).

• The Gin and Tonic -

Toast of the Empire and one of the most popular cocktails in the world. Personally, I prefer Hendrick’s gin, but Bombay Sapphire will also do the trick. Plenty of ice is needed, and a wedge of lemon or lime. Replace the lemon/lime with a couple of slices of cucumber for a fresher, more contemporary aftertaste.  

• The Mojito –

Ah, the Mojito. King of the cocktails. I could talk about the Mojito at great length, but I’ll restrain myself. Instead, I’ll provide you with the original authentic recipe from the Mojito’s place of birth, the Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba. This is the Mojito Hemingway used to drink, and he should know what makes a good ‘un. Yours truly has sampled the mojitos at the Bodeguita del Medio and can vouch for their perfection (recipe sourced from tasteofcuba.com).

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)

4 mint leaves, 1 sprig of mint

Havana Club white Rum (2 ounces)

2 ounces club soda

Place the mint leaves into a long Mojito glass and squeeze the lime juice over it.  Add the powdered sugar (I find brown sugar works best), and then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler, though you can also use the back of a fork or spoon. Add crushed ice, add the rum and stir, topping it off with club soda Garnish with a mint sprig.

Other options: The Mojito is a perennially popular favourite (mainly because, as my friend suggested, it’s very hard to screw up), and as such, can benefit from being shaken up (groan). You can replace the club soda with ginger beer, and some of the mint with cucumber (I suggest 6/8 mint leaves and 4 sliced, peeled cucumbers).

You can also add Angostura bitters to cut the Mojito's sweetness, which is a popular version in Havana hotels although not the true Bodeguita recipe.  Some Cubans also use "guarapo" in place of the powdered sugar, which is a sugar cane syrup available in the Latin food section of some supermarkets.

Finally, many Mojito recipes add fruit to the mix. I had a rather delicious summer fruit Mojito at the Grand Cafe in Oxford. If you’re looking for something really exciting, try the Beetroot Mojito, created by Executive Chef Katsuya Fukushima at Café Atlàntico in Washington, D.C. The recipe can be read here.

• Mai Tai -

The Mai tai was invented in 1944 by Victor Bergeron, also known as Trader Vic. He blended Jamaican rum, lime juice, a few dashes of orange curacao syrup, fresh orgeat and rock candy to create this cocktail. It is believed that the drink was served to some friends who remarked "Mai Tai, Roa Ae!" which in Tahitian translates to "Out of this world". The Mai Tai is generally based on rum, Curaçao liqueur, and lime juice, though the juices used can vary (pineapple can be a refreshing alternative).

Dangerous Liaisons

Want to push the boat at your cocktail party? Murdock suggests a slightly more dangerous alternatives. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.

• Surfer On Acid - 

1 part Malibu Rum

1 part Jaegermeister

1 part Chambord

1 part pineapple juice

Shake the ingredients over crushed ice in a cocktail shaker, and served in a frosted martini glass.

This cocktail was first discovered them at Moose McGillicuddy's in Honolulu in the early ‘90s. Lethal but colourful, and really rather trippy.

Written by Sophia Satchell-Baeza

Murdock’s Top Ten Summer Cocktails is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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The traditional shaving brush has been around for centuries, with a design that has remained classically consistent; long bristles, a dense load and a smooth handle that can be held between thumb and forefinger.

The finest brushes are made with (real) badger hair, used because of its ability to hold significant amounts of water. The water is then mixed effectively with shaving soap to create the perfect, rich and luxurious lather. Thicker and more emollient lather translates to less razor skipping and dragging; a closer and cleaner shave. Additionally, the bristles will lift hairs and stubble up off the skin, leaving them softer and more easily removed.

A badger brush will also act as an exfoliator, another big benefit. Using one avery couple of days will efficiently remove dirt and dead skin, reducing the likelihood of any blemishes and leaving your face downright radiant.

The final benefit is perhaps less quantifiable, but we think using a brush definitely makes shaving more enjoyable. Using a nice piece of equipment improves any task, so invest in a badger hair brush and start looking forward to your daily shave.

Here's a  summary of the four types of badger hair shaving brush:

Pure

Pure badger hair brushes use the most common hair of the badger. The hair is coarser than the more expensive types, due to its larger shaft, but it is still excellent at retaining water and providing an impressive lather. Darker in colour due to the natural markings of the animal.

Best

Best badger brushes are made with finer hairs, which are of longer length and lighter colour. A best badger hair brush is more densely filled with hair than the pure badger hair brush, and will produce a correspondingly superior lather.

Super

Super badger hair brushes use hair that has been graded and selected to provide a superior performance to best badger hair. It has a softer feel on the skin and is excellent for lifting and preparing dry beard hair.

Silvertip

Silvertip badger is the rarest grade. The shafts and tips on these hairs are of the finest quality, and are extremely soft on the skin. These brushes create an excellent lather so are perfect for more sensitive skin types.

Badger Hair Brushes: The Benefits is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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Even if you’re a modern day dandy with the right wardrobe, you’ll need the benefits of youth and supreme confidence to pull this style off.

If you think you’ve got what it takes, pop into Murdock today, and we’ll make your undercut a cut above.

Firstly, what is an undercut

The undercut is a variation on the bowl cut, so that the side or sides and back are cut or shaved very short, leaving a much longer top layer to partially cover the shaved side. The reason that someone might select an undercut over a bowl is mainly due to the fact that the undercut retains its shape better when the head is moved.  The style was made famous by David Bowie in the 1980’s, and has been a staple of the punk, cyber and goth looks throughout the 1980’s and ‘90’s, mainly due to the rise of the industrial music scene.

Recently, it’s made a big comeback due to the celebrity endorsements of Brazilian model and socialite Alice Dellal, as well as pop singer Rihanna. For the gents, look no further than the shaven locks of upcoming model (and son of troubadour Nick), Jethro Cave. This is how a true undercut should look (assuming, of course, one has the youth and style to pull it off).

Jethro combines a dapper, if brassy, fashion style with a lock of long black hair shaved off on one side. Such undercuts require little maintenance, apart from regular shaves to keep them at their required length. They also work well when contrasted with messy hair (à la Jethro), or even, dare we suggest such a thing, with a ponytail, like the Argentinian footballer Martin Demichelis. The key to the undercut is the contrast of textures and lengths.

Conservative options

Now these are all quite extreme, fairly long styles – very popular at the moment is a modern take on the undercut which stays relatively short on the top as well. This disconnected version doesn’t have an ‘under’ as such, but retains the contrasting lengths and daring spirit.

Keep your hair textured with Murdock Matt Putty, our versatile and highly effective replacement for Brylcreem.

Written by Sophia Satchell-Baeza

Hair 2010: The Undercut is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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The whole style, mise-en-scene and design of the film is very current – adhering to a lot of the traditional and artisanal trends that are prevalent in fashion today. Here’s what Oscar nominated costume designer Jeff Kurland, who worked on the film, was aiming for:

“What I was trying to do was create a kind of corporate atmosphere that's not futuristic but that you could not date. You couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was…. I looked at what was going on in the teens, the twenties, the thirties, as well as what's going on now, because you're not doing fantasy, you need it to fall within reality…”

He has clearly achieved this and then some, creating a-near perfect symbiosis of contemporary business and corporate style with a respect and feel for the old ways.

Focusing on the hair, here’s our take on the styles and how to achieve them:

Cobb (Leonardo diCaprio)

As Don Cobb, DiCaprio sports a classic, swept-back hairstyle – just as Kurland was aiming for, this is a timeless style which has been worn from the early part of last century onwards. To achieve this look, get a nice clean cut before towel drying and applying a touch of Shine-On product. To keep the hair in place, blow dry backwards before finishing with Murdock's very own Hair Play.

Arthur (Josep Gordon-Levitt)

While Cobb's character is fraying at the edges with a suitably loose hairstyle, Arthur is much more in control, sporting a a shorter and tighter version of the same cut. The main difference is in the finish – towel drying hair then applying Vanilla and Tangerine Texturiser while the hair is still damp. It is essential that you comb the product through to get the separation and definition.

Eames (Tom Hardy)

Tom Hardy's Eames is arguably one of the best things about the film, adding a good slice of charisma and humour. Unlike the other two styles mention, this hair has a definite parting cut into it – while this may require more work (you will have to comb the parting regularly rather than just run your hands through it), you will benefit from a more striking and adventurous look. Keep it cut short and style with John Masters Hair Pomade.

A Look at the Hair and Fashion of Inception is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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In the words of Fred Allen: “Some movie stars wear their sunglasses even in church. They're afraid God might recognize them and ask for autographs”.

Sunglasses are an invaluable tool for the hot summer months – they have to be light, protective, and most of all, devastatingly stylish. The right pair can immediately update a tired wardrobe or transform a summer look.

Choose inspiration from the silver screen – are you James Dean? Colin Firth in A Single Man? Bond, James Bond? Here at Murdock, we have a stylish collection from vintage eyewear specialists, arckiv.. Utilising years of expertise in the history and design of eyewear, arckiv. have provided glasses for some of London’s finest theatre and film production companies. Each pair are characterised by a lightness of frame and structure, classic shape, authentic detailing and timeless masculine style.

The arckiv. Anglo American glasses give you that highly-desirable retro look, but with modern quality. Recently modelled by leading fashion blogger Prince Pelayo, these come in a distinctive, tortoise-shell pattern with a brown lens – invocative of a young James Dean whiling away the summer months with his beau Pier Angeli. Perfect for round and oval faces alike because of the smaller sized lenses, these are far more interesting and unique that the omnipresent Wayfarers and Clubmasters.

arckiv.’s Nylor spectacles channel Colin Firth in Tom Ford’s A Single Man; they exude a timeless, sophisticated masculinity, and work well to create an understated look. You have to be careful with thick-lensed spectacles, as they can quite easily fall into the tragic hipster look or make you look like a 1950’s maths teacher (for how not to do thick-lensed glasses, see Larry Gopnik in the Coen Brothers’s A Serious Man). Firth gets the look just right – the thick lenses create a veneer of intellectualism and style – the core elements of his character George, the stylish grieving English teacher in 50’s America.

Or why not try the arckiv. Terry Brogan sunglasses? These aviator-style shades are straight out of the 1980’s, but in a surprisingly classy way. The tortoiseshell rim balances well with the dark blue-tinted lens, creating a look that exudes vintage rocker style for those hot months on the beach.

With many more options to choose from, why not pop over to either our Shoreditch or our Mayfair stores and find a movie star style for yourself.

By Sophia Satchell Baeza

Vintage Glasses – Find your Inner-Movie Icon is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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3. Top Ten Quiffs

A staple of the British Teddy Boy movement of the 50’s, the quiff resurfaced in popularity in Europe in the early 1980s when the red-hot passion for big hair burned bright. It hasn’t budged since, enjoying a number of memorably en vogue incarnations.

Different styles include the Tony Curtis; named after the actor, this look was very popular during the 1950’s, before cult indie film director Jim Jarmusch led an on-screen revival in films like Permanent Vacation (1980) and Mystery Train (1989). In the latter, the shadow of Elvis hangs over proceedings, with the two main protagonists, Jun (Masatoshi Nagase) and Jonny/Elvis (Joe Strummer), sporting perfect quiffs to invoke their idol.

Speaking of ‘the King’, Elvis and James Dean must be the poster boys of quiff cool – please, please be careful yours doesn’t end up more Cliff Richard than Little Richard.

Prince Pelayo, the renowned fashion blogger and wearer of Murdock and arckiv. sunglasses, sports a modern quiff, showing that this age-old classic can be updated for the fashionable, 21st century gent.

In days gone by, the quiff was styled using slightly industrial products such as Brilliantine and Brylcreem – a comb was run down the front of the hair to create the tubular shape at the top, while the sides were slicked back.

For help styling your quiff to epic proportions, try Matt Putty texture paste, which will set your style in minutes and last all day. Matt Putty offers great flexibility and hold so you can experiment with wearing your quiff in different ways. Not only does it offer fabulous hold, but also a high definition of texture, to give your quiff its individual signature style. Pick your quiff and start playing.  

Here’s our top ten quiffs from film and music:

1.    Elvis Presley

2.    Jim Jarmusch

3.    James Dean

4.    Ian Dury

5.    Morrissey

6.    La Roux (that is a guy right?)

7.    Mark Lamarr

8.    John Travolta in Grease

9.    Frank Kermode

10.  Chace Crawford in VMan magazine

By Sophia Satchell Baeza

Top Ten Quiffs is a post from: Murdock Weblog

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