Horace – Grooming Essentials for Men
Since Ape to Gentleman’s first male grooming article (way back when in 2009) we have kept abreast of the changing face of the industry. And in the past 10+ years we’ve seen some epic creations, some mediocre and some downright terrible. It’s been a fascinating decade.
One grooming company constantly on our radar is Horace. A French brand – and the French know their skincare like no other – they have continues to impress us in part due to their stylish product packaging, quirky marketing and simple product mantra: “Natural, easy and pleasant to use, and really really efficient: they are all formulated using ingredients with proven benefits.”
Horace has built up a reputation rapidly on the continent, particularly in its home country where it has become widely popular. But it never really made a great splash across The Channel and into the open arms of the UK market. Until now. For Horace’s male grooming essentials have started to cement themselves on our fair shores.
The Horace story is as wholesome as it gets: male grooming aficionados with unsatisfied experience in the male grooming market. And after trying practically every product out there, the founders decided to create their own with the aim of producing the best products at fair prices. And best of all, the brand includes its customers in the production of its product offering, getting real, honest feedback from the type of guys that will actually be using their skincare solutions.
Putting Horace To The Test
Slick branding and marketing spiel are one thing but for this partnership Horace sent us a key selection of its products to thoroughly test. And we are pleased to report not only did they look seriously handsome in our bathroom but they performed majestically…
Face Care
Purifying Face Cleanser: a face cleanser designed to purify skin and regulate sebum. The result is soft skin with no tight or dry feeling.
Face Scrub: incredibly gentle yet thorough, this face scrub gently removes impurities and deeply cleanses, unclogging pores and leaves skin clear and healthier. Formulated with seeds and butter extracted from Murumuru, a Brazilian palm tree known for its nourishing benefits it’s a superb facial scrub.
Mattifying Face Moisturiser: crafted for all skin types (and beards) it expertly moisturises and mattifies your skin without leaving a greasy or oily residue. You’re only left with an addictive almond scent (from organic plum oil).
Hair Care
Next up was hair care and Horace’s Gentle Purifying Shampoo: a sulfate-free shampoo suitable for normal to oily hair owing to its sebum-regulating ability. A light citrus and mint scent will leave hair feeling fresh, while red ginseng encourages growth of stronger and more resilient hair. And babassu oil protects and nourishes the hair and scalp.
We followed this with its Strengthening Condition: a natural conditioner formulated to moisturise and soothe hair and scalp. It delivers body and tonicity, while kokum butter nourishes and provides a healthy shine. There’s also an extra dose of ginseng to strengthen and tone your hair. The formula is gentle and suitable for all hair types.
After washing, we styled with Horace’s Texture Hair Styling Spray: a modern-day essential, this texturising hair styling spray delivers that coveted “I just got back from the beach” look. Offers texture, body and a light hold without weighing hair down.
Body Care
We washed our torsos with the Orange Blossom / Petitgrain Shower Gel: reminiscent of a Moroccan garden, it’s scented with orange blossom and petitgrain. It instantly transported us to a warm sunset landscape, just before a dinner under the palm trees. This dream is of course backed up by a raft of legitimate ingredients including gentle natural cleanser, working their magic without irritation thanks to the coconut by-products it contains.
Fresh out the shower, we used Horace’s natural Deodorant Stick: released after a staggering 2 years in development, it is alcohol- and aluminium-free and contains no harmful ingredients. It effectively reduces odours and crucially never leaves white or yellow stains on your favourite shirt. The masculine scent is delivered courtesy of eucalyptus, sage, and rosemary scent, while the entirely easy to apply offering leaves no sticky residue.
Conclusion
You’ll have seen by now the ridiculously low price point for a brand which delivers on key areas – design and style, natural ingredients and efficacy. Horace represents the value proposition of 2018 and beyond. And if you don’t believe me, take a look at the brands product reviews at horace.co/en to read to the plethora of satisfied customer feedback. Allez les Bleus!
Competition
Win 1 of 3 Complete Luxury Male Grooming Kits by Horace (worth £100)
A paid partnership with Horace – words and opinion are Ape’s own.
