RockFace taking care of your man – Review and Giveaway

If you like to look good and smell great with a minimum of effort and fuss leaving you more time to work hard and play hard, then Rockface is the range for you.

RockFace is a brand designed for a real man. All their products have the same citrusy woody fragrance so you can streamline your grooming and fragrance regime in one easy step.

Currently there are 8 products in the range:

• Shave gel – priced: £3.95 for 200ml
• Shave butter – priced £4.99 for 75ml
• Post shave balm – priced £4.95 for 100ml
• Moisturiser – priced £5.49 for 100ml
• Shower wash – priced £3.95 for 100ml
• Face and body scrub – priced £4.99 for 150ml
• Deodorant spray – priced £3.45 for 150ml
• Active body spray – priced £3.49 for 150ml

Recently Mark was kindly sent a range to try out. I must admit I was a little surprised by his reaction to this giant gift packet.

Normally he is a quite fussy “client” when it comes to skin care – he has a few products he likes and it is not easy to even get him to try something new. I think it is all about the fragrance – yet he liked RockFace and he was more than happy to give them a try, including the face and body scrub… which I tried to make him use for years with no positive outcome.

So what were Marks findings: “Good selection of useful products though I still haven’t figured out the need for an active body spray. The fragrance is indeed very attractive and I like the green colour of some products; not sure why but using them makes me happy”.

From my point of view I wanted to check if a “male” version of a face and body scrub is any different to the girly ones I know, so I tried it. To my giant surprise it was an amazing experience. This is one of the best scrubs I’ve used. It is quite gentle yet does its job perfectly well and it leaves your skin unbelievable smooth… no wonder Mark’s forehead doesn’t feel like a sheet of a sand pepper any more.

Mark likes it, I liked it, therefore with some confidence I can say I am sure you would like it too.

Now there is only one question left: when is the after shave or a perfume with the same scent coming out to complete the routine?

Now Rockface whose generosity has no bounds has very kindly offered 3 products to one of my lucky readers. The winner will be able to pick what they fancy to try out and if they are fast, it should arrive just before Christmas, so you will have one gift less to worry about.

To be in chance of winning the three RockFace products of your choice please follow me and RockFace on Twitter and RT the following tweet:

Follow me and @Rockface4Men to #win 3 products of your choice from http://t.co/tOnmhypGTa Full T&C on: http://t.co/DbEwR2fXhg #RockFaceXmas

— Agata @ BarkTime (@AgataPokutycka) December 9, 2014

Good Luck!

T&C:
1. Open to UK readers only.
2. One obligatory entry per reader – follow me and RockFace on Twitter and RT the tweet as stated above. Any extra RT will be counted as an additional entry.
3. There will be 1 winner in total.
4. The winner will receive a bundle of 3 RockFace products of their choice. The prize will be provided by RockFace.
5. Winner will be picked at random and informed within 7 working days via Twitter.
6. Winner will have 7 working days to claim the prize, after this time, a new winner will be selected.
7. Closing date is Wednesday 17-12-2014 at 23:59pm, any entry made after this time will not be counted.

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions
Loquax – Home of The Lucky Duck
SuperLucky Blog Giveaways Linky

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20/12 WINNER UPDATE

Well done Laura ‏@LAFhusky

New Discoveries – Furminator by Ween

Lately I have felt a bit like a slacking blogger… first there was Easter and I really did not have a lot of time to blog and then straight afterwards came the flu, which put me out of circulation for a while… but now I feel better and I am back!

Last month I wrote my first New Discoveries post… I enjoyed a lot the sharing with you something which I found to be quite amazing, so I have decided to continue with it. Every time I discover something worth sharing I will tell you about it 🙂

So let me tell you a story…

A few weeks ago I read a thread on one of my Facebook groups all about dog grooming. Basically someone was getting a puppy and they had asked what other owners where using for grooming. As I am always on the lookout for something I might have missed or something regarded as better or easier when it comes to pet care I studied the replies very carefully. A lot of the products were very familiar to me but one was not – a furminator. Weird sounding “tool” I thought but off to Mr. Google I went. I found out what a furminator was and now I wanted one! It is a brush designed in a specific way that it effortlessly removes all the dead hair / fur. I don’t have one but I wanted to try it out.

My initial research left me in an “unhappy” state. I wanted a brush but I didn’t really want to spend £40 on it. So on to step two, it was time to look at “bargain” sites. I found a few furminators on Amazon and eBay which could do but they were not perfect – the price was better (around £15) but they were either too small for my dogs or if they were the correct size they didn’t have particularly great customer reviews. So I quit. Not for ever just for the time being… I decided to put a pin in this purchase idea and revisit my options within a week or so…

Then came Saturday and off shopping I went. My brother in law (to be, I think… one day) had come to us from Poland for a visit and so off we went shopping to procure a list of items requested by my sister and my parents. Step one TKMaxx, as it is always a good starting point for any shopping spree 😉 So we are walking around and filling the basket with weird items… and then we hit the sales “red card” home section… Roman being a strange fellow is offering me some weird product to try and buy – one of them being a cooling bandana for dogs – great idea if we had a Chihuahua in the house (it was in size XS) and then he passed me something really odd looking – a bright green tool, which I could only describe as a window scraper… to my huge surprise it was a dog furminator in size XL and price tag of £5.20. Serendipity don’t you think?

So now you know how I come around to owning this weird sounding grooming tool.

I must admit it was love from first use!

I am not sure what you use to groom your dogs but I normally use a slicker brush on Lilly. I found that it is taking the most amount of loose hair in the shortest time, but Lilly is not a huge fan of it. I guess a slicker brush has a lot of sharp pins and even the one with ball pin heads must hurt her a little when used repeatedly in the same spot. She lets me groom her but she is not happy about it, she moves around and twists and turns… However with our new furminator there was totally no movement; it is like she doesn’t even feel it. It removes hairs within minutes and Lilly totally doesn’t mind. The teeth in the furminator are not sharp so there is nothing to hurt her.
The furminator is advertised for all type of dogs, though I didn’t really believe it… there is no tool which will do it all but… I was wrong! It worked just as perfectly on Bunk as it did on Lilly.

I am very impressed with our new grooming tool. It is solid, a bit too heavy maybe for really long sessions, but it works perfectly!

On the day I bought it, when we returned home we went for a walk with the dogs and within 5 or 10 minutes Lilly was all done, no loose hairs coming out of her whatsoever. Probably due to the flu but I didn’t think about writing this post at that time, so sadly there is no pile of fur to show you as proof but I hope you can take my word for it.

The company who manufactures this brush – Ween – is a bit sketchy to me – maybe because I do not understand the website. If I had found this as an online link and checked out their website I do not think I would have gone for this brush… and it would have been my huge lose!

Now that I own the brush, have used it and now know how it works I would have absolutely no objections to spending £40 for it in the first place. Luckily I found it for just over £5 but still even if the Ween furminator would cost around £40 (again no idea how much it retails for) knowing what I know now I would recommend it and I would buy it at this price.

So now I wonder, do you own a furminator?

Did you ever hear about it?

What is your must have grooming tool for dogs?

Priceless tips on how to groom and trim your Newfoundland

Our Bunk before and after grooming session.
Thank You Maja from Cancrimo Kennel.

Grooming your Newfie can be really challenging at times, at least at the beginning when you are not to sure what to do and how to do it… but it has to be done and someone has to learn how to maintain his or hers coat. Searching the net I found this fantastic picture guide which will help any Newfie owner.

Post below is reblogged from Mukota Newfoundlands.

General Trimming:

Before

After

You can start to groom your dog when it is completely dry, perhaps the next day. If this is your first time grooming your dog, don’t do it before a show. Incorrectly groomed coats need time to grow out. The most important rule: it is better to cut less than too much! Good quality scissors are very important. Remember to comb out the entire coat carefully before grooming.

Newfoundlands, must have medium length coat, without over-long and wispy bits of hairs. Groomed dogs MUST still have a natural appearance; be careful and don’t leave visible cut marks!

Paws

Start with the front paws. Beginning under the paw, cut the coat that grows between the pads

before

after

Lift the coat between the toes, combing upwards, and cut using straight scissors. Your goal is a nicely rounded foot; be careful not to cut too much. Nails shouldn’t be visible. If you do cut too much, don’t worry, the coat grows quickly on the feet. On the rear part of foot the coat must touch the ground with a gentle upward curve.

before

after

Cut the hind paws in the same manner.

We will now use the thinning shears, and from now use only them and the comb. Cut only in direction of the coat, never upwards – comb the coat in the part you are working on and cut, comb and cut.

Forequarters

First even out the feathering. Begin on the back part of the leg, next the outside, then the inside. Cut the inside of the leg more if your dog has a narrow chest, but don’t exaggerate!

The front legs should prolong the line of the shoulder/upper legs. Do not leave any long coat – especially on the elbows! Trim all indesiderable wisps of coat on the shoulders and upper arms to make “clean” lines.

Hindquarters

Look from behind and trim the coat downwards from croup to feet. Cut more on the inside leg if your dog moves close behind, less if moves correctly.

Looking from the side note the angulations, cutting excess coat under knees and hocks. Because Newfoundlands must have short heels trim coat starting from the hocks downward at a 45° angle, and the lower part vertically (see illustration).

Chest

Coat on the chest often grows too long and needs to be trimmed quite a bit. Be especially careful trimming the throat. If coat below the breast-bone is too long it gives the illusion of short forelegs, so trim to a soft curve. Trim excess coat on the sides downwards from ears to the breast.

Underline

Start from the back going towards the front, left flank, then right flank. Trim coat on the belly and breast starting from the hindquarters towards the armpits. Don’t cut too much or it will give the impression of legs that are too long or too short.

Lift the foreleg and trim under the armpit blending the line of the chest with the underline. Repeat with the second foreleg.

Now examine body of your dog from the rear. The shape of the underline must be rounded to the flanks, it is insufficient to trim only the underline.

before

after

not like this!

Trim more behind the armpits, or when moving the coat here will appear to be too long.

Topline

Sometimes the topline doesn’t need trimming. If coat on the neck and croup is very thick so it looks as if your dog has a mane and is too high in the croup, use a dematting comb to remove the excess undercoat.

before

after

before

after

Tail

Trimming the tail is only necessary if it looks like a flag.

Head

Start from the ears. Trim coat so it doesn’t project past the edge of the ear, always combing downward. The tips of the ears must be rounded not pointed.

Trim under the ears. Trim any greasy coat growing under the ears, and coat on the cheek at the base of the ear.

Often behind the ears the coat is soft and over-long, damaging the shape of head. Trim it downward from the earset.

Comb coat on top of the head upward and trm to obtain a rounded shape.

Stand the dog on the ground and ask somebody to show move it for you. You will see any areas that need corrections. Show dogs need to be trimmed once every 2-3 weeks.

This page has been provided by: Iwonna Salak of Logrus Newfoundlands

How to keep your dog pretty – general dog grooming tips

Every dog needs grooming, no matter how small or hairless it is, but some need it more than others… like with Lilly and Bunk… Lilly needs a brush and a quick bath, and that is all. Bunk however requires much more work and a detailed knowledge in order to keep him pretty most of the time.

In general the number one rule is: when it comes to dog grooming – never groom a dirty or a wet dog! So step one must me a bath… but hang on, before we can bath our furry friend he/she needs to be nicely brushed so there are no tangles. So let’s start from the beginning…

Step One – Brushing!

The most important tip I can offer in this matter is to know your tools – there are 100s of different tools on the market and believe it or not they all serve a different purpose. Different length of the coat will require a different brush or comb, some might benefit from the use of thinning shears or a special de-matting comb. Doing some research in this area will save you a lot of money and hassle, as having good tools that are the correct tools for the task in hand, will speed up the process and make it much more easy and pleasurable for both you and your four legged friend.

While brushing make sure you don’t miss a spot and take special care around ears and tummy areas, so you do not hurt any sensitive parts.

Once your dog is all brushed you are ready to proceed further.

Step Two – Bathing!

This part is causing us a bit of a headache, simply due to the size of Bunk. He is not so easy to handle so we end up using the garden hose pipe on him… weather permitted of course… and thus always give him his bath outside. With a standard size dog, you can use your bath or even a shower. Whilst bathing it is important to use quality products, as you really do not want to run the risk of causing a skin irritation. Lately we were using Scruffy Chops shampoo and conditioner. They are perfect for all types of skin including sensitive skin. Scruffy Chops claim to use natural ingredients which are very beneficial for dry, itchy and irritated skin and they do smell divine. We especially like the Muddy Marvellous conditioner, which is made from ingredients like dead sea mud, minerals, oatmeal, shea butter, aloe vera, jojoba seed oil… if you didn’t try it… give it a go. So, when you pick your bathing spot and a selection of bathing product – shampoo, rinse, shampoo, rinse, conditioner wait a few minutes and rinse… just make sure that all product are rinsed off completely before you turn off the taps.

Step Three – Drying!

Depending on your dog you are looking at towel, a stack of towels or a blow dryer. It is important to dry your dog as quickly as you can especially if it is a long haired breed. If you are using a blow dryer be very careful around ear, nose and eyes area.

If the weather allows we normally would take Bunk for a walk straight after his bath, this way he can dry a bit in a natural way, which is preferable to the monstrous drying job with a pile of towels and a blow dryer.

Step Four – Back to Brushing!

Now your dog is all clean and dry, so it is time for a proper brushing and re-brushing.

Step Five – Trimming

If needed, you can trim your dog into your desired shape. We do it with Bunk but never with Lilly, as she doesn’t really have any spare coat to trim 🙂

If you decide to undertake a trimming task upon yourself, spend some time beforehand and do your research. It is not as easy as it might seem and if you don’t feel very confident it might be advised to look for a professional help in this matter.

Step Six – Nails

Depending where you walk your dogs it might be necessary to trim their nails, especially if they don’t do much roadwork. If they are walked a lot on a hard surface you may avoid this part of a routine as nails will have worn down and shouldn’t be long enough. If you walk them on a field predominately you will need to trim and a good nail cutter is a must, so it goes quick and easy. A good quality sharp pair of clippers will make the job easy and drastically reduce the risk of hurting the dog as you try and force blunt clippers to cut through the nail.

Step Seven – The Finishing Touches

Now, your dog should be all clean and fluffy, but there are few more things to take care of. We always finish with cleaning the ears and eyes… some people would do teeth at this point as well… we do not. Make sure you have a special dog ear cleaner and be very careful and gentle while doing it… one move that goes too deep and you can really hurt your friend. Make sure when you have finished that you leave their ears nice and dry, never forget to remove all excess liquid you used for cleaning. For our final touch we use an eye cleaner, just to give them this extra sparkle 🙂 and to remove the endless supply of gunk they accumulate in the corner of their eyes.

Can you think of anything I forgot?

Or maybe you know something which will help speed up the process?

Please do share!

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I received one pouch of Zest in Show shampoo and one pouch of Muddy Marvellous conditioner from Scruffy Chops for free for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.