As Skyfall fever grips the nation, Ahmed Zambarakji looks into 007's grooming routine. If we can't go out with Daniel Craig, at least we can Bondify our men
Among the plethora of predictable and somewhat questionable 50th anniversary Bond-branded products that ended up on my desk in the run up to the launch of Skyfall was a bottle of “dangerously sophisticated” 007 fragrance pour homme (£32 for 75ml available nationwide). Needless to say, the fragrance itself is more Beano than Bond - an adolescent attempt at smelling refined. And for the record, Ian Fleming actually references Eucris by Trumper as the agent’s scent of choice in Diamonds are Forever - get him an authentic and unusual gift with the crown-topped bottle, £40 for 100ml from trumpers.com
Indeed, it takes a lot more than a truckload of silly merchandise to emulate Britain’s foremost secret agent.
Should you be in the business of Bond-ifying your man, leave the branded miscellany to the teenagers/ hardcore fans and look to some of Britain’s older institutions for inspiration. Men’s collective championing of Bond means your guy is more likely to get grooming if a product/place /practice has 007’s seal of approval.
George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Sean Connery
In spite of 21st-century Bond’s penchant for big, trendy brands, Fleming’s original character always went for classics. Think established, low-key labels: Dunhill, Pinaud (the Elixir Shampoo is featured in On Her Majesty's Secret Service) and, of course, the aforementioned Geo F Trumper, a faintly Dickensian barbershop-cum-grooming emporium nestled away in Mayfair, where Sir can get a shaving masterclass on site.
The suiting would be sourced from Savile Row, but,for those who would choose Daniel Craig over Sean Connery, Bond-approved threads have also come from the likes of Armani, Brioni and Tom Ford. Mr Ford most recently made a two-piece dinner suit and cufflinks bearing Bond’s family coat of arms for Skyfall.
Most importantly, a Bond-like grooming routine would have little to do with vanity and everything to do with self-confidence. Perfectly manicured hands instantly establish the alpha male with a single handshake (nails filed to perfection by Bastian Gonzalez; bastiengonzalez.com ), while hair that greys at the temples can create an air of maturity (yellow hues are to be neutralised by way of Philip Kingsley’s trio of Pure Silver products, £51 from philipkingsley.co.uk ). A regimented skincare routine doesn’t attempt to hide fine lines so much as fight fatigue (see Lab Series’s Instant Skin Booster; £38 for 50ml from labseries.co.uk , also out this month).
And if all of the above fails, find solace gazing at Daniel Craig in Skyfall, out on October 26.
Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig