Man In The Mirror

This week my guest is one of UK’s top hairdressers, Adam Reed. Adam has been nominated for Hairdresser of the Year multiple times, he has worked with superstars such as Madonna and One Direction as well as the great and good in fashion and editorial over the last 30 + years. He is also a brand ambassador for ghd and L’Oréal Professional. Adam has just launched 4 perfumes for hair & skin that are part of his 'Arkive Makes Scents' range. He is a huge fragrance fan and, in fact, has a ‘fragrance library’ as part of his Arkive by Adam Reed salon in Covent Garden, London. I’ve never met anyone that has such an encyclopaedic knowledge of products and brands and his list of favourites from his daily routines is probably the most extensive ever!We also spoke about Adam’s neurodiversity (he was diagnosed as having ADHD fairly recently) as well as the struggles he’s had with his mental health in the past. This episode was recorded in early November 2024 in Adam’s Arkive salon in London. I really appreciated how open and candid Adam was and I hope you take something from the conversation we had.Adam mentioned too many products for me to link them all here, so due to word count restrictions it’s probably better that I just list them:Marvis - Liquorice ToothpasteFenjal, Vaseline Intensive Care & AKT - DeodorantsEstée Lauder - Advanced Night RepairImperial Leather - Hand SoapSkin Rocks by Caroline Hirons - Gel CleanserKiehls - Facial Fuel range, Beard OilBadedas - Bath GelDiptyque - Tuberose Candle, Tam Dao FragranceMason Pearson - HairbrushCharlotte Tilbury - Magic CreamThis Works - Sleep OilSanta Maria Novella - Jojoba OilReome - Active Recovery BrothYSL - Nu ConcealerHaeckels - Various productsGloved by Tom Daxon - Hand SoapsBoots - Eye MistYou can find Arkive Hair & Skin Fragrances here:https://arkiveheadcare.com/collections/fragrancesThe Arkive hair products are here:https://arkiveheadcare.com/Arkive on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/arkivebyadamreed/Adam’s personal Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/adamreedhair/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit————————————————————————————————Special thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music.

This week my guest is Jun Lim, Creative Director and Founder of South Korean fragrance brand BORN TO STAND OUT. I met Jun a couple of months ago at Jovoy in London. He was introducing the brand to some of the UK media and I was struck by his singular vision and his mission to do things differently. It’s fair to say that South Korea is well known for skincare, but less so for niche fragrance brands. In just over 2 years BORN TO STAND OUT has made real waves, both in Jun’s home market and around the world. There are over 20 fragrances in the range, all in a bold (of course!) red and white bottle. There is an emphasis on gourmand notes, musks and ‘pleasures of the flesh’. Popular perfumes include Dirty Rice, Drunk Saffron, Fig Porn and Filthy Musk. See what I mean? This is not your typical brand, both in terms of the names, the aesthetic and the juice inside. Jun has created BORN TO STAND OUT in his own vision. The products are inspired by HIS dreams, memories and experiences. It was a real honour to spend time with him and fascinating to get a different perspective away from the prevailing (and my own!) Euro-centric views.Some of the products Jun mentioned were:Vaselinehttps://www.boots.com/vaseline-original-petrolium-jelly-50ml-10226343Baby S.O.S Cremehttps://www.ohfeliz.co.uk/penaten-baby/little-helpers-sos-cream-with-dexpanthenolAlpecin Shampoohttps://www.boots.com/alpecin-caffeine-shampoo-250ml-10081360BORN TO STAND OUT FragrancesYou can find Born To Stand Out on the web at:https://borntostandout.com/BTSO on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/borntostandout.official/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit————————————————————————————————Special thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music.

Thanks for joining me for the third episode in the new series (8.) This week I'm building on a wonderful conversation I had over lunch at a Creed launch last month with model and content creator Ben James. We happened to be seated next to each other and I found him to be so engaging and illuminating I thought I had to ask him to come on the podcast! Ben is a ‘plus size’/‘big & tall’ model, which he explains in more depth in our chat. He is 6’ 6 and has a 42” chest, so is not traditional ’sample size’. He models for brands such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Jacamo as well as cultivating a huge following (275K) on TikTok for his outfit advice and content about watches. Ben is also a photographer who has shot campaigns for brands here in the UK and U.S. Whilst Ben is now at a stage where he’s using his height as a positive force in his career, he was over 6 ft as a young teenager. Standing out - and the adverse attention that attracted when you’re so young had a real impact on his weight and his mental health, which he says more about during our conversation. Ben was a really frank, honest and articulate guest who made me re-evaluate my attitude to height and stature - and made me realise it can be a more complex and nuanced thing to deal with, especially as a young man.Some of the products Ben mentioned were:Cerave - Cleanser https://www.boots.com/cerave-foaming-cleanser-236ml-10246702#BVRRContainerHeath - Eye Serumhttps://www.heathlondon.co.uk/collections/face/products/eye-serumFjor - Hydrolytic Moisturiserhttps://www.fjor.life/products/hydrolytic-moisturizerSPF, Sea Salt Spray and Jade Roller/Gua Sha Penhaligons Helfeti https://www.penhaligons.com/uk/en/product/halfeti-000000000065188931Christian Dior - Oud Rosewoodhttps://www.dior.com/en_gb/beauty/products/oud-rosewood-Y0996414.htmlMolton Brown - Clementine & Vetiverhttps://www.moltonbrown.co.uk/store/fragrance/citrus-fragrances/sunlit-clementine-vetiver-eau-de-parfum-100ml/NMR342Ben is on TikTok athttps://www.tiktok.com/@ben_jjamesAnd on Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/ben_jjames- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG: https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/

Hi and thanks for checking out episode 2 of the new series. This one is a very freewheeling conversation that took place on a narrow boat (the ‘Disco Volante’) near King’s Cross, London. The Disco Volante is a floating lab and the spiritual home of new fragrance brand Vallense. I sat down with founder Will Borrell and discussed the brand, the debut collection, Will’s background, why he moved into perfume - and everything in between! I really hope you enjoy our chat, I found Will to be brilliant company - fascinating, funny, charming and a real zest for life. Thanks for inviting me on board, Will!Some of the products Will mentioned were:Dermalogica - Micro-scrub Folianthttps://www.spacenk.com/uk/skincare/cleansers/scrubs-exfoliants/daily-microfoliant-MUK200030223.htmlThe Ordinary - Niacinamidehttps://theordinary.com/en-gb/niacinamide-10-zinc-1-serum-100436.htmlDr David Jack - All Day Long Moisturiser https://drdavidjack.com/collections/moisturisers-spfs/products/all-day-longNo. 7 - Energising Moisturiserhttps://www.boots.com/no7-men-energising-moisturiser-50ml-10334936Vallense fragrances can be found at:https://vallensefragrances.com/On Instagram Vallense is at:https://www.instagram.com/vallensefragrance/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit————————————————————————————————Special thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music.

It’s the first episode of season 8, so ‘welcome back’ if you’re a regular listener and ‘hello’ if this is your first time! I recorded this episode in late August at Harrods, the world famous department store in London. I had the opportunity to host an event there with one of my favourite brands, Jusbox and to introduce their new fragrance ’54’ to press and to customers. The creative team who worked on the launch joined me on stage and so it seemed like the perfect chance to record this podcast while we were all together. ‘’54’ is a collaboration between Jusbox, perfumer Julien Rasquinet and U.S. content creator and YouTuber Sebastian Jara, a.k.a ‘The Perfume Guy.’ So I sat down with the trio of Andrea Valdo (Jusbox co-founder, an old friend of the podcast and previous guest!) Julien and Sebastian and talked about ’54’, how they worked together, the inspirations and how it all came about. If you were there at Harrods you’ll know that the event also featured Chiara Valdo, Andrea’s sister and fellow Jusbox Co-founder. She is a massive part of the ’54’ story. As always on the podcast I like to chat to the guests about the products they love in their morning and evening routines. Admittedly, there wasn’t time to make it a massive part of this particular episode, however these are the products mentioned.Reuzel - Strong Hold Pomade (Sebastian’s choice) https://reuzel.uk/collections/pomade/products/blue-pomade-strong-hold-high-shineLigne St Barth - Facial Fluid (Andrea’s choice) https://www.parfumdreams.co.uk/LIGNE-ST-BARTH/Care/HOMME/Moisturising-facial-fluid-Homme/index_39740.aspx?variation=53152Lightly scented soap and anti-dandruff shampoo (Julien’s choice) Jusbox can be found at:https://www.jusboxperfumes.com/On Instagram Jusbox is:https://www.instagram.com/jusboxperfumes/Julien is at:https://www.instagram.com/julienrasquinet/Sebastian is on IG and YouTube as follows:https://www.instagram.com/theperfumeguy/https://www.youtube.com/@ThePerfumeGuy’54’ from Jusbox is out now and can be found in the UK at:https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/shopping/jusbox-fifty-four-eau-de-parfum-78ml-24190525- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit

It’s the final episode of season 7 and I’m ending with a guest I’ve wanted to get on the podcast for a long while. Adam Hurly is an American journalist (now based in Portugal) who writes about grooming, fragrance and lifestyle. As a grooming writer you will have seen Adan’s bylines in GQ, Robb Report, Forbes, to name but a few. He’s about to embark on his own brand new project called ‘Blue Print’, which is going to be a content hub and community for all things grooming and will launch in the autumn/fall this year (2024.) You can sign up for more info now at the following address:www.grooming.tipsIt was a real pleasure to connect with Adam again after our meeting in London. I’m a big fan of his work, I’m in awe of his knowledge and writing style, but more than any of that he’s such a warm, positive ‘radiator’ person who has been so generous with his time and expertise. There’s no one better to discuss products and routines with, so here’s his current edit (it will have changed next week, for sure!) Cardon - Clay Cleanser https://cardonskin.com/products/purifying-clay-cleanserCardon - Daily SPF + Moisturiserhttps://cardonskin.com/products/cardon-daily-spf2Horace - Hydrating Serumhttps://horace.com/en/product/hyaluronic-acid-panthenol-serumUrsa Major - Force Field SPFhttps://www.alyaka.com/products/ursa-major-force-field-spf-30-50mlDavines - Love Smoothing shampoo, conditionerhttps://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/c/brands/davines/Tretinoin - available on prescription, so seek medical advice on this.Le Labo - Cedrat 37 and Thé Matcha 26https://www.lelabofragrances.com/fine-fragrances-2.htmlBianco Profumo - Neroli Pomodorohttps://biancoprofumo.com/products/neroli-pomodoroOn Instagram Adam is at:https://www.instagram.com/adamhurly- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -You can ‘tip’ me via the link below. This really helps me with the podcast running costs (it’s a costly business!): https://ko-fi.com/maninthemirrorYou can follow me @maninthemirrorpod on IG:https://www.instagram.com/maninthemirrorpod/On TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yousmellgreatwhatisit————————————————————————————————Special thanks to Anders Sundberg for ‘Man in the Mirror’ sound mixing and production, Andy Goff @goff_andy for the artwork and Andy Gilbert (ATRX) @andygilbert_atrx for the theme music.