Charity Shave Event at Murdock Shoreditch
M
urdock Shoreditch Manager, Darren Agyei-Dua, is putting his scissors down this November in order to run the New York Marathon – and all for a good cause.
Darren will be running for the Prostate Cancer Charity – a worthy campaign that shouldresonate with London’s gentlemen; prostate cancer is the most common cancerdiagnosed in men in the UK, and one man dies of prostate cancer every hour in the UK.
Darren is aiming to raise over £2000, so to help him got on his way we're hosting a charity shaving event on Sunday June 6th at Murdock Shoreditch. On this special occasion, every wet shave will be £15.00, a saving of over 50% on our regular prices. Staff will be working voluntarily from 9am to 8pm so that all money raised can go directly to the Prostate Cancer Charity.
For more information or to book a shave, call 020 7729 2288 or email shoreditch@murdocklondon.com.
SPONSOR DARREN ONLINE AT JUSTGIVING
Alternatively, check out the facebook group.
Father’s Day at Murdock
Original Father’s Day Gifts
Here’s your four week warning: Father’s Day. June 20th. So now you have ample time to get your dad something a bit special, something more than the usual pair of socks or bottle of scotch.
Here’s a couple of original gifts to treat your old man:
1. Father’s Day Facial and Shave
A good wet-shave is something most dads appreciate; there’s something inherently mature and fatherly about the process. The traditional cut-throat shave is a masculine form of pampering that stays on the right side of indulgence. By including a revitalising facial, this experience has a modern, functional twist that any practical minded bloke can enjoy.
BUY FATHER’S DAY FACIAL AND SHAVE
2. Murdock Leather Bags
With Father’s Day falling at the start of the summer, it is a perfect time to get your dad something useful and practical, especially if he is a keen traveller. Our collection of quality, hand-crafted leather bags are ideal for any well travelled gent. Whether you pick up a handy wash bag for grooming essentials, or a larger weekend bag for city breaks, these are gifts that any father will cherish.
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3. Murdock Shaving Essentials
Men are practical creatures who like nothing better than receiving presents they can actually use and that will enhance their lives. For such guys, a new piece of shaving kit is the ultimate gift – and the Murdock range ticks all the boxes: hand made in Sheffield, all equipment has a sturdy feel and is built to last, with brushes and razors that can be used and enjoyed daily.
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Murdock’s Classic Shaving Brands
Here at Murdock we have a deep respect for the fine traditions of wet-shaving. As well as ultra-modern skincare brands such as Jack Black and Zirh, we stock a great deal of more traditional products.
Here’s a quick run-through of the classic products that make great gifts for any discerning gentleman this Christmas:
Established in 1926, Proraso has been the leading Italian barber shop shaving brand for many years. The secret behind Proraso’s enduring success is their combination of simple and effective formulas with bold, artfully designed packaging.
DR Harris is a traditional English brand with real heritage; formerly known as the Harris Apothecary, No 11 St James Street London, DR Harris dates back to 1790 and is the oldest pharmacy in London. For almost two centuries, this family business served the gentry and the Court of St. James. In 1938 they were granted the Royal Warrant as chemists to Her Majesty the Queen Mother. Customers have ranged from Ambassadors and Statesmen, Field Marshalls and Admirals to Drakes and Dandies.
We use these products exclusively in our Traditional Wet Shave.
To say that the Pinaud brand and its Clubman line of fine men’s toiletries have staying power is an understatement. After all, men have been using the products since 1810 when Edouard Pinaud, a perfumer, opened a shop in Paris.
Today, Clubman offers a wide range of men’s grooming products. A popular seller, the Clubman Moustache kit includes a tube of wax and a custom moustache comb/brush.
Mining their vast and proud traditions, Portuguese brand Confianca combine the original designs and packaging of their classic products with a dedication to high quality.
Murdock have taken on their premier man’s range, the O Melhor line (means ‘The Best’ in Portuguese). From the beautiful and stylish packaging to the soft lather of the soap and the classical masculine fragrance, it’s obvious that Confianca is a brand worth discovering.
A Touch of Portuguese Class
Confianca (or Saboaria e Perfumaria Confiança Sa to use the company’s full name) was established in 1894 in Braga, northern Portugal, and has grown from humble laundry soap manufacturer to world renowned producer of luxury soaps.
The brand was born as a reaction to Portugal’s reliance on imported soaps and perfumed goods. Within a few years Confianca found themselves on top of the domestic market, and with the financial clout to mass produce their own soaps and print their own labels. The original designs adhered to the Art Deco conventions of the 1930s and 40s, and soon became a massive part of the brand’s success.
Through the twentieth century Confianca grew steadily, producing toothpastes, creams, eau de colognes and medicinal soaps, often formulating brand new recipes and registering multiple patents. Essential oils, extra-fine extracts and other exotic ingredients were sourced from former Portuguese colonies around the globe, allowing Confianca to truly claim that they produced some of the best soaps in the world.
However as the consumerism of the 1980s took hold, the company began to proliferate their products again and again, creating bath gels, perfumes, shampoos and other goods outside of their comfort zone. After spreading themselves too thinly for a number of years, Confianca’s financial situation began to look perilous; fortunately for us, they decided to go back to doing what they do best; high quality soaps in a number of ranges.
Mining their vast and proud traditions, Confianca continue to use some of the original designs and packaging from their classic products whilst conserving their dedication to high quality.
Murdock have taken on their premier man’s range, the O Melhor line (means ‘The Best’ in Portuguese). From the beautiful and stylish packaging to the soft lather of the soap and the classical masculine fragrance, it’s obvious that Confianca really is a brand worth discovering.
Fighting Talk
Brave Soldier is undoubtedly one of Murdock’s favourite skincare brands, coupling the highest quality protection and care with a real appreciation of the needs of the modern man. The brand have successfully managed to blur the line between high end grooming products and the essential pieces of kit that any active urban warrior needs to stay comfortable and protected.
We’re talking about the obligatory flawless skincare and effective post shave maintenance, but also moisturising sun block, anti-chafing body lotion and specially tailored first aid packs for cycling enthusiasts.
Originating from the hot roads of Southern California, the Brave Soldier range is the brain child of Dr. Ezra Kest, successful dermatologist and endlessly keen adventure-athlete. This blend of professional skincare and slightly less-professional outdoor pursuits is the bedrock of the brand, which soon found an appreciative clientele. The initial aim was to create a product that would help ‘road rash’, the extremely painful grazing that occurs when you fall off a bike at high speeds, heal quicker and reduce scarring.
Nowadays, the product range is broader than the initial healing balms, but the appreciation for natural ingredients and cutting edge dermatological science remains.
Check out the Brave Soldier range online or instore at Murdock this summer.
Baxter of California
The Murdock online store continues to expand with a classy new skincare range from across the pond; Baxter of California.
ZIRH is Here
As much as we at Murdock respect and value traditional brands such as DR Harris and Acqua di Genova, we are aware of the importance of progress. With this in mind we’ve been after a high performance, modern range for a while, and we’ve finally found it in American brand Zirh. For over 12 years, Zirh have been producing great shaving and grooming products using the latest in skincare technology.
The success of Zirh lies in the simplicity and quality of their products, with individual items tailored for each area of the modern man’s grooming regime. While the packaging may seem slightly at odds with some of the more traditional aspects of a barbers like Murdock, we can ensure you that the products stay true to our core values of high quality and peerless service.
Introducing Jack Black…
If Zirh is a grooming range from the future sent to protect men’s skin from harm, then Jack Black is a just a regular guy who believes he deserves the very best modern life has to offer. Eschewing over-complex science-talk or an obsession with elaborate fragrances, Jack Black likes to keep things simple.
Another brand originating from America, Jack Black offers fuss free grooming, real solutions and visible results. Multi-functional products such as the All-Over Wash make grooming convenient and portable without compromising quality. The Intense Therapy Lip Balm and Industrial Strength Hand Healer give serve more specific purposes, but with the same ease-of-use and portability that comes with quick application and absorption.
A Brush with Greatness
July 2, 2009 by James
Filed under Facial Hair
Murdock explain the benefits and the subtleties of the badger hair shaving brush.
Keeping Your Beard in Shape
April 16, 2009 by admin
Filed under Facial Hair
Beard trends come and go so it is as important to be aware of what looks fashionable, as it is to find a style which will suit your facial features. Keeping the beard long and natural will always have a certain timeless quality, but if you take this option make sure you go for a look more in common with Prince Michael of Kent and less like Tom Hanks in Castaway.
Frequent grooming is the key to beard success and is where your sense of personal style will come into play, so before you go shaving big areas around your beard, have a think about what will sort your face-size and face-shape.
Beard maintenance should begin with a trim to the required length, either by using an electric beard trimmer or by using a pair of sharp scissors, taking care not to nip any skin. Have a good look at where your beard naturally grows to; this will usually be to just below the cheekbone in a natural curve. Above this there may be a smattering of hairs which seem to be out of place; shave these off without mercy.
Below the chin is a different story. This is an area I often see much more varied beard growth-patterns, directions and thicknesses. Some beards just keep going, seamlessly merging with chest hair whilst others come to a natural but abrupt halt somewhere above the Adam's apple. If it grows neatly, then just tidy up the endline, in the same way as you did around the cheeks.
If your growth is erratic and looks unkempt then consider shaving away to create a tidy line. Start by shaving just a centimetre off the bottom, and keep going until you are happy. This will help you work out what suits your face-shape and features. Also this way you leave room for error of the razor. Aim to work in an arc, with a slightly flattened apex; start in the middle with the width of your razor and work sideways from there. The higher up your neck you go the more of the arc you will see. Avoid going right below the jaw as this can look like you are trying to create an artificial jaw-line and can look a little odd in profile. If you are slightly large in the face, this will definitely run the risk of looking as though you are 'drawing in' your jaw. In such cases you are better off leaving the natural growth underneath (kept very short) while growing it slightly longer above the jaw to create softer lines but with better contrast.