latey, i've had a lot of guys shoot me questions about my grooming routine, so i'm trying to really start incorporating more of this content to help keep you guys in the loop about what i'm trying out. with that said, i recently came across a new brand called olivina, and they sent me a decked-out goodie bag with a variety of pieces from their assortment. check it out. -j
i want to start by saying that i really appreciate the mission of the brand. they're all about giving our bodies more of what it deserves, and they even focus on the obvious but often under-appreciated fact that our bodies are one of the few constant things that remain with us from day one to the end of this race called life. furthermore, everything's eco-friendly and vegan-formulated, meaning it's not only good for your body, but the planet too (which is obviously a major plus in today's world).
now, for the actual products, they've got a wide range of grooming essentials, including moisturizers, soaps, shaving creams, deodorants, and colognes (just to name a few)—plus, their candles are an added bonus. inspired by the wood-aging traditions of American distilleries, their primary scents include ginger beer, bourbon cedar, and juniper tonic. sounds pretty sweet, right? well, let's see...
bourbon cedar cologne.
reminiscent of an old school cartier fragrance, the scent is super masculine. the citrusy top notes weren't my favorite, but as it dries down, it breaks out into a woodsier smell that's smooth and nice. perhaps not your everyday city-dweller scent, but definitely a decent choice for these wintry weekends.
soap bars.
scents: bourbon cedar, juniper tonic, ginger beer.
well... they're bars of soap. not that much that needs to be said here, but i will call out two things: (1) they lather really well, which is always an important thing for me when it comes to body wash products, and (2) they smell really good. i think ginger beer is probably my favorite here.
natural fragrance candles.
scents: juniper tonic, ginger beer.
as soon as you light these two, you get the instant feel of a relaxed weekend. juniper tonic has slightly more of a pine feel to it (obviously), but they both have a smooth sweetness that's reminiscent of the drinks they're inspired by. needless to say, they're pretty nice for a laidback evening at home.
restorative hand rescue.
it was a little hard to get it out of the container, but it smells really good (the scent is cedar and bergamot—one of my favorite fragrances of the bunch) and the oils make application super smooth.
bourbon vanilla lip balm.
unlike the hand rescue, this one's less smooth and not the most moisturizing, but that flavor... it tastes like breakfast. :)
face scrub.
scent: bourbon cedar.
this product does exactly what it says it's going to do. the ingredients come together to create a really deep scrub that leaves your face feeling pretty fresh. definitely one of the toughest scrubs i've ever used.
if you want to try out the line, i'd definitely suggest the soap bars and face scrubs. you can get your hands on anything you're interested in above or check out more of the assortment—they also have shaving products, deodorants, and more—by visiting olivinamen.com. be sure to let me know what you get.