The Flint+Flint skincare range sets out with the ambitious, and somewhat risky, aim of being a spa-quality skincare product that will be just as attractive to both men and women. This is by no means a simple task, subtle differences in fragrance or texture can make a product more appealing to men than women and vice-versa. Even making the packaging appropriate for a unisex market is a big ask for any skincare range, so Flint+Flint had set themselves quite a challenge before they’d even got started.
We’ve been gifted a selection of their products over the past two weeks to see if they would be appropriate for a man’s skincare regime and how they actually perform as individual products. Here is a summary of what we found:
Quality – 5/5
The range gets off to a great start with the high-quality texture and performance that you would come to expect from products with the kind of credentials F+F do. Every product feels unique and the individual textures feel appropriate to their purpose. The exfoliator feels light and delicate in the way it feels when applied to the skin, the moisturiser is thick without being greasy and the serum is light and refreshing when applied to freshly shaven and exfoliated skin.
Favourite Product: The glycolic cleanser both in quality and performance is a fantastic product for cleaning pores and ridding your skin of any oily build up. Once applied there is a very light tingle and (after 2 mins) once you wash it off your skin feels clearer and younger. Overall a great performing product.
Fragrance – 3/5
The F+F range does suffer in the fragrance department, as we mentioned before it’s very difficult to find a middle-ground that will satisfy both men and women. It’s not that the products smell too effeminate or that they don’t smell good, it’s just that they just don’t smell appealing (though we understand this is a subjective factor).
The serum and the cleanser don’t have any real scent to them whilst the moisturiser has a vanilla/cocoa-esque scent to it that can make it a tad overpowering when used for the first time. We tend to prefer cleansers and moisturisers have a clean/refreshing scent (citrus, mint or alike) to help compliment the overall experience. However, we would reinforce the point that this is our personal preference so feel free to take it with a pinch of salt.
Favourite Product: The moisturiser x3 fits its scent the most as its luxurious texture fits the sweeter scent and we can imagine this would appeal to users (even if it isn’t to our taste). The product certainly fulfils the idea of this being a “spa moisturiser”.
Packaging – 4/5
F+F have really managed to bring unisex design into the packaging of their range. On the one hand the grey background and white text contrast seems elegant and understated, whilst the splash of colour on the single cross adds a stunning contrast that would suit both a man or woman’s bathroom cupboard. The products have a nice weight and don’t feel tacky when held in the hand ensuring that they should stand up to travel and being crammed into a wash bag without bursting open.
Pricing – 3.5/5
The entire range is at a premium price level, certainly not the most expensive but by no means cheap. No single product comes in at less than £10 and the higher quality stuff costs close to £50 per bottle. Without a doubt you’re paying for the outstanding quality and performance of the product, something that we cannot argue with.
However, if we are paying this much we do expect it to be premium across the board and, taking into account our issues with the fragrance, this does seem a tad expensive.
Favourite Product: The glycolic cleanser again takes this as it costs £30 and is an absolute wonder to use. We highly recommend trying this to see if you’ll enjoy the whole collection. A triumph for Flint+Flint without a doubt.
Overall – 3.5/5
As we said at the beginning, Flint+Flint have set themselves an ambitious objective to appeal to both male and female markets with one collection. For the most part they’ve certainly managed to do this for a male market and, to our mind, without excluding female consumers. However, by trying to satisfy all parties there are areas of the collection that can be improved which, although minor, could drastically enhance their appeal to both genders.
For any gent looking for a contemporary and luxurious skincare range this is certainly one worth checking out. The quality alone makes them worth a try and we’re sure you’ll find at least one or two that will become regulars on your bathroom shelf.
By Adam Walker.
