The Mr Porter Men's Travel Grooming Box

Craig of That Dapper Chap tries out the Mr Porter mens grooming box and gives us five top tips for looking good on your travels

For summer 2016 Mr Porter are offering us a great travel grooming box to keep you fresh on that cultural foodie city break or those two weeks in the sun. Having just returned from Marrakech I want to share some tips for staying well groomed and presentable for those holiday pictures.

But first let me introduce you to the contents of the box. Costing £75.00 you're getting a huge amount of products, all from leading brands such as LAB Series, Clinique, Bumble & Bumble and Tom Ford among others.

The unopened Mr porter gift box. What delights await?

When travelling, particularly on a city break, you want to pack light. With restrictions on what you can pack in your hand luggage, and the amount of liquid you're able to take on flights, you need to consider the size of your bottles. Do you really need to take a full size shampoo, conditioner and shower gel? They're gong to weigh a lot, and you'll never use them all in the three nights you've got booked in Prague! When I've taken full size bottles on trips I've ended up leaving them in the hotel room just so I have space to cram in all the souvenirs that I've bought. 

The contents of the Mr Porter travel grooming box

Top Tip: buy minis. You'll get everything that you need, just in smaller sizes. Just like the Malin & Goetz Grapefruit face cleanser which comes in the Mr Porter box. A little goes a long way, and the fresh citrus burst is going to freshen you up after your afternoon in the Moroccan souks. 

To save on bottle sizes Mr Porter have included a great thickening shampoo from Bumble & Bumble which not only smells great but is going to add body to your hair which can sometimes be affected by heat in hotter countries. 

There's also the purifying qualities of lavender in the Czech & Speake Oxford & Cambridge body wash, again in a handy smaller size bottle.

The Malin & Goetz grapefruit face cleanser in a great small size tube

Just wash your face as usual for a citrus fresh feeling

Other great additions to the box and your overnight bag are the Spearmint toothpaste from DR Harris and the Tom Ford intensive purifying mud mask, which draws excess oil out of the skin leaving you feeling clean and refreshed. Again, both of these are smaller sizes to save space and weight.

Don't be the guy who forgets to take his toothpaste!

The Tom Ford mini tube of the mud mask, ideal for tired and dull-looking skin

Freshening up and reducing excess oil with the Tom Ford Intensive purifying mud mask

5 Top Tips for keeping fresh and looking great on your break

1. If travelling to a hot country avoid a wax hair product as it'll flop in the heat. try a gel or a hair spray.
2. Take a cologne soap. Three birds, one stone!. These give you the benefit of that fresh cologne smell while you wash away the excess of the day. Save on bottles, save on space, plus it doesn't count as a liquid. Check out the Byredo, Mister Marvellous Cologne soap bar (also included in the Mr Porter grooming box.
3. Take a good deodorant, particularly if you're travelling to a warmer climate. Your current roll on may just not be up to the job, and you do not want to find that at 4 o clock in the afternoon as you're entering that restaurant that you smell like a character from a Dickens novel.
4. If on your break there are a few late nights at the beach bar, take a good eye remedy to stop you looking haggard and hung over the following morning. The Erno Laszlo antioxidant eye serum (again contained in this box) will do a great job with its vitamin C and Aloe Vera, which will help reduce dark circles and puffiness.
5. Lastly, drink plenty of water, keeping hydrated will maintain your skin and give you a healthy look. 

Happy travelling!