Horace is a slick Parisian grooming brand that has been garnering my attention over the past couple of years. With clean branding, it’s no surprise it’s getting blokes’ attention. There’s an honest feel to it which is appreciated in this day and age, with a healthy product range that can suit most men. I got a bunch of their products and want to offer a review on each of the items I used. There is of course and wider and more extensive range but hopefully it can shed some light on some items you may be interested in considering.
With a great price point it’s easy to buy into and not feel any damage to the wallet. Plus, it looks good in your bathroom.
Disclaimer: Below is an honest Horace review. I've been gifted a couple of products a few years ago, while I have returned to purchase my own grooming and skincare products as well as replenish the ones I like out of my own pocket. I use most of them everyday
Tonic Lotion
I started using the Tonic Lotion post-shower as a shortcut to getting my skin feeling good if I didn't have enough time to add other routines. You'll see below a number of things that I use, but in all honesty I can't be bothered to do all of them. But using the tonic straight after showering (I used a face scrub and the Horace Beard Shampoo), is a great option before using a moisturiser.
Beard Oil
An exceptional beard oil that after a week’s worth of use I found a vast difference and improvement in my beard’s softness and general volume. It carries a subtle pleasant fragrance which is appreciated rather than something overpowering. The little ampoule sized bottle is very nifty and I didn’t have to wait an eternity for it to dispense the oil. On the contrary, the oil flowed smoothly with the right amount administered when tapped in a controlled manner. This is very good indeed and is already on my ‘buy again’ list. (I've actually bought this 3 times – and it lasts ages).
*****
Beard Oil - €11
Beard shampoo
A little goes a long way. I’ve had other beard shampoos that do nothing exciting and hardly lather up. This on the other hand gives you a nice foamy lather which makes you feel that you’re actually washing the beard. I noticed my beard feeling fresher and fuller after a week or so worth of washes. It uses a mix of Jamaican black castor oil which encourages hair growth, aloe vera and argan oil ensuring your beard stays soft and moisturised. I have a medium length, dense beard and I can see this being could for even longer fuller beards. Those with shorter beards may be best suited to sticking with beard oil post washing/cleansing or using less amount when washing.
One good development by Horace is that the listened and got rid of the pump which the Beard Shampoo featured at its launch. Now it's a simple flip cap that lets you squeeze the bottle to dispense. No more messy nozzles. I think this has far become my favourite beard shampoo ever – when comparing to all the others I've used over the years.
*****
Beard Shampoo - €13
Purifying Face Cleanser
There is great potential here but unfortunately it falls short rather quickly. The Binchotan (Japanese activated charcoal) which gives it its black colouring makes it look exciting – as if encouraging that this could be a dark horse of a product with the smart ingredients used. However, I was disappointed in the lack of break down when mixing with water to easily apply to the face. It seems a little to gloopy and I found that half of what I put into my palm to mix and wash my face seemed to be ineffective and rather than being worked into my face, ended up in my sink basin or shower floor. This might mean you have to take more time to work the cleanser into something that can be more easily applied, however I feel this a real let down. *°°°°
Purifying Face Cleanser - €12
Face Moisturiser
I find the moisturiser a little too watery for me, but applies fairly well to the face. It absorbs well enough although I found I had to use a little more than expected to gain results (I do have fairly dry skin though which is always emphasised when coming out of the shower - even if I don’t use a face scrub).
***°°
Face Moisturiser - €14
Mattifying Face Moisturiser SPF30
I upgraded the original Face Moisturiser with the SPF Mattifying Face Moisturiser as I felt I needed some more UV protection. I actually like the mattifying aspect on this as I tend to get greasy skin sometimes with other moisturisers. However, some people who ended up getting this after my recommendation said it didn't work for them. Bear that in mind if you find your skin struggles if it's dry.
Mattifying Face Moisturiser SPF30 - £19
Natural Deodorant
I’ve been converted to stick deodorants for nearly a decade now, slowly upgraded to better quality ones and ones that suited my body temperament. It’s always nice to try out new ones to change up my routine. Horace’s offering is an attractive one, with the natural deodorant stick coming in their deep blue branding.
It starts off very well with a fresh natural fragrance powered by essential oils of eucalyptus, rosemary and sage. It’s built with an anti-bacterial complex based on diatomaceous earth and tea tree oil to work at absorbing odours. However, I found that after a few hours I had to reapply as I found myself smelling sweaty which I hadn’t done from previous deodorant sticks. Whether it’s just me, but they say that it takes some time while switching between deodorants and anti-perspirants so complying with going through a ‘breaking in’ period if you will longer than I would like leaves me begging for more from this.
****°
Deodorant - €12
Face Scrub
I like the fun nature of the packing being like a toothpaste tube (be careful not to accidentally brush your teeth with it), and you only need as much as you’d dispense on your toothbrush. However, the composition of the scrub is a little too gritty for my liking. It does it’s job well enough, and you can feel that within a heavily textured scrub there are even larger elements to help give a layered scrub affect.
***°°
Face Scrub - €12
Gentle Purifying Shampoo
This is a solid shampoo that helps to ‘gently purify your hair and scalp’. I like it’s no-nonsense approach but packed with nourishing ingredients like rosehip extract, red ginseng babassu oil. It has a lovely mint and citrus fragrance which makes it a pleasure to use and invigorating when struggling to wake up early in the morning.
This shampoo is made for normal to greasy hair, however I might be more personally suited to the Gently Moisturising Shampoo which is more geared toward dry hair, which I have. However, I did find that it gave my hair a bit more strength and volume os nothing lost there. Both shampoos have complimenting conditioners for strengthening or nourishing. Determine your hair type and go try. ****°
Gentle Purifying Shampoo - €12
& Horace Eau de Parfum
A real pleasant surprise this one. Given as a sample in my order, I didn’t pay any attention to it until I was sorting out my grooming product. I thought to give it a go and found it rather appealing. They say the eau de parfum will bond with your clothes as well as will with your skin, revealing fresh, woody, and spicy notes. It lasted the whole day and was very soft in character which I think is a pleasant thing to wear around the house while working from home. If you want to try it before buying, for yourself I’d suggest getting some of their other products and asking for a sample 😉
*****
& Horace Eau de Parfum - €60
What I’d like to try next within Horace’s range;
Texture Hair Styling Spray - offering textured effect (which I ended up getting and really enjoy!)
Cream Pomade - for medium hold and natural finish which is my desired look
If you'd like to try some Horace products for yourself, following the link below to get 20% off your first order. Super truc.
www.horace.co
