Whether you proudly Instagram your charcoal face mask, or think serum sounds like 2018’s hottest Xbox game, we’ve got the building blocks for looking dapper on the big day
1. Hair products
Gone are the days when you slipped over a tenner for a short, back and sides – style-conscious grooms can now expect to spend anything up to £30 on a decent haircut. And it’s worth it when the barber leaves you looking like the missing Shelby brother. It’s probably not practical to have a cut on the morning of your wedding, so book in the day before and ask for a tutorial in how to style your hair the same slick way.
Freestyler Matt Paste, £10.99 and Pomade, £10.99, both Braw Beard
2. Face wash
Just because you’re not having to remove makeup every evening, doesn’t mean your skin doesn’t need a thorough clean. Pollution, grime and sweat can all build up and leave your coupon congested. Kiehl’s Facial Fuel is formulated with caffeine and citrus, and also preps your face for a more comfortable shave.
Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash, £19.50 for 250ml, Kiehl’s
3. Beard oil
Multi-use products are massive in the grooming world. Whilst some women’s ranges are astonishingly specific, often you can pick up something in duty free that does it all. Lab Series’ new Grooming Oil is the Swiss Army Knife of shaving products. You can use it under shaving foam to cushion skin, instead of shaving foam for more precise clean-up or even to soften your beard and enhance its shine.
The Grooming Oil 3-in-1 Shave and Beard Oil, £27, Lab Series
4. Eye cream
Whether you blame it on wedding planning or NSFW stag antics, your last few ringless weeks are going to take it out of you. Pop an eye cream in the fridge and get in the habit of using it each morning. Anti-aging properties aside, the cooling sensation will wake you up, but stepping up your game is sure to pay off by the time the photographer starts snapping.
Total Revitalizer Eye, £34.95, Shiseido Men at Allbeauty.com
5. Fragrance
Scent is one of our most powerful senses, so buying a new aftershave to debut on the big day means your brain will create a connection between this special time and that smell. With so much other extravagance on the go – who knew tying bows around chairs cost so much? – you may as well push the boat out on the items you’ll have long after the hangover has gone. Oud Save The King is a quintessential British fragrance house’s take on an Eastern scent, with oud, suede, and earl grey bergamot notes.
Oud Save the King, £150 for 100ml, Atkinsons at House of Fraser
6. Washbag
Your wedding and honeymoon are occasions where a bag for life crammed with toiletries just won’t cut it. A durable leather number will last for years, and this FIDIR washbag also comes with separate sections for wet and dry items. The Scottish brand has collaborated with Highlands-based artist Hermione Gibbs on a special limited edition version, and the painterly lining looks seriously cool.
Leather washbag, £49, FIDIR
7. Moisturiser
If you only stump up for one post-shower product, it has to be a moisturiser. Clinique Men’s Maximum Hydrator Activated Water-Gel Concentrate might be a bit of a mouthful, but it couldn’t be simpler to use. It absorbs instantly, feels super light and boosts skin’s moisture reserves for 24 hours. The gel is filled with tiny spheres that are filled with water-binding ingredients and antioxidants which are released when it’s worked into the skin.
Clinique For Men Maximum Hydrator Activated Water-Gel Concentrate, £36, Clinique
8. Concealer
Bear with us on this one, or should we say Bare? We don’t think for a second that Scottish men are so hindered by toxic masculinity that they would run in horror at the mere suggestion of a quick slick of concealer around the eyes and over any pesky blemishes. This BareMinerals’ coverup will last all day though, so if it’s making you feel like less of a tough guy, just slick it on in the morning and dispose of all evidence by setting it on fire or crushing it with a really big rock. Grrr.
BarePro 16-Hr Full Coverage Concealer, £23, BareMinerals