REVIEW: Next Gay Thing

Right off the bat I will say that I really appreciate that ‘next gay thing’ make sure the products they send come in a sample size which is sufficient enough to actually try multiple times so that you can get a real sense of the product. I have also given prices for each product if you were to buy direct from the company who made hem to give you a sense of the value in the ‘next gay thing’ subscriptions.

So let’s dive in with the first product...

Codage Paris Creme Gommante - Scrubbing Cream

50ml - £39.00

When I set up my profile I was keen to point out that I often get dry skin in some places on my face and oily in others. The dry skin is often quite flaky above my eyebrows and it drives me crazy. It looks like some kind of permanent sunburn with skin peeling off in flakes. I have tried several scrubbing or microbead products (don’t worry environment friendly folks, I have since stopped using them) over the years and they have always been a little hit and miss. I was definitely keen to give this a go.

The product itself is everything you would expect from a scrubbing cream. It has a crystallised texture. You apply this one on dry skin in circular motions concentrating on the areas of concern and then start applying a little bit of water gradually whilst continuing the circular motions until you are ready to rinse it all off. The aim of this product is to physically buff the skin and eliminate rough patches of skin.

For the first pass the results were promising and my skin definitely felt clearer and softer. It does recommend that you apply this a couple of times a week. With continued applications, it does seem to be helping but I do still find that area above my eyes a little dry however I reckon this is a ‘it takes time’ thing. It definitely left me with a soft sheen which looked polished and clean which I really liked. My skin did also feel smoother even after the first use which is a definite win!

I would absolutely never pay out just shy of £40 on a product that I hadn’t tried before (I’m not made of pink pounds ya know!) but having the opportunity to actually try it, I would definitely consider buying some. Straight away I’m seeing the benefit of the ‘next gay thing’ subscription in that I can try various products without committing to any hefty price tags until I know I like the product.

Barber Pro Face Putty

3 x Sachet (6 treatments) - £4.95

Again, in the quest for better skin, I jumped on the activated charcoal face mask train as soon as I saw demo videos on YouTube - You’ve probably seen the videos of people screaming whilst removing the mask after it has set. I often find blackheads on my nose and they are a real pain to remove so I had given other brands a try but this was my first try with Barber Pro.

This one is applied just like the others. You stick the tar black liquid on your face whilst avoiding the hairline, your eyes and your lips. You don’t want to be ripping those off... You then leave it to dry for around 20 minutes and peel off the mask taking away blackheads and impurities with it!

Unlike others I have tried, this comes in sachets. This in itself is fine itself but i did find it a little bit awkward as I fumbled around trying to both squeeze the product from the sachet onto my fingers without dripping it everywhere and making a hot mess. On subsequent applications, I put the contents of the sachet into a little tub and applied with a face mask brush which massively reduced the amount of mess I made! This one is a little bit runnier than previous products I had tried which probably didn’t help the mess I made.
Regardless of my inability to extract a liquid from a satchel without making a mess, once it had dried I got to remove the mask. I had avoided the beard area with this application because I’m currently doing #movember2017 and didn’t fancy ripping out what little hair has grown so far... the mask came off easily and despite what you see in the videos, did not feel like it was ripping my face off - I am yet to actually have that happen.

The results were fantastic and in particular, my nose looked a lot clearer. My skin felt great on a more general basis too. Again, they recommend you use this once or twice a week and I will definitely be using this product going forward. I was pleasantly surprised to see the price at £4.95 which is one of the cheaper charcoal face masks on the market and it definitely gets the job done.

Bryt Combed Cotton Socks

1 Pair - 8.95

Up until now I have always been the kind of guy to say, ‘well a pair of socks is a pair of socks, right?’ I’m pretty sure I am not alone in this either. I have always been happy to grab a multi-pack of cheap and cheerful socks in the usual places you’d expect to see them. I was certainly a little surprised to see a pair in my subscription box this month along with the underwear but it did get me thinking. I spend a lot of time (and money) buying nicer underwear that I feel good in. I’m not the sort of guy to buy cheap underwear because I find the fits and production are usually terrible and they just don’t sit well on me. Aside from getting certain styles for the #disney365 project on Instagram, I don’t do cheap. If I don’t do cheap undies why am I ok with cheap socks? Surely the same rules apply? Well I can tell you this much after slipping on a pair of the Bryt socks, there is a difference. They were more comfortable and just felt a lot nicer on my feet. Where some cheap socks will leave my feet feeling sweaty by the end of the day, these did not. Like I say, there isn’t too much I can say about socks but these were a fabulous and welcome addition to the pack and I will be looking into buying more!

Skin&Tonic Steam Clean Cleansing Balm

50g - £27.00

This one was very different for me. First you apply the balm to your face and neck and then take a cloth that has been soaked in warm water and hold it against your face for a minute to steam and activate the essential oils. This may seem a little bit of work but it was worth it and afterwards my skin felt great. This one is for normal to oily skin which was really beneficial for me. While I have some really dry areas, other areas such as my forehead and nose get quite oily which is not helped by my wearing glasses (I blame that but it may not be the case). Between this and the scrubbing cream my skin felt wonderful, fresh and balanced. Additionally, because the product is like a wax, a little bit goes a long way making it great value for money.

Mádara Organic Skincare Fine Line Minimising Cream

50ml - £35

It is all in the name really. This one is a simply to target the signs of aging. I would say my skin is in a reasonable condition in terms of wrinkle and lines and I wouldn’t say I look particularly ‘aged’ considering I still asked for ID in certain venues (I’m 34 so go figure). That said, there is no harm in using this to stave off those wrinkles. Obviously at, this stage it is a little bit more difficult to tell whether it is working or anything, but my skin did feel good after applying it so time will tell.

Andrew Christian Almost Naked Cotton Tagless

1 Pair - Prices vary from £14.99+

So, this is the ‘big one’ if you excuse the crass and obvious pun. The key feature of the ‘next gay thing’ pack is a brand-new pair of underwear each month. Once again tailored to the specific styles of underwear that you would usually wear. I am a pretty much anything goes kind of guy, at least in terms of trialling them. I’ll soon stop if I don’t find them comfortable - yes, I’m talking to you loose-fitting boxer shorts! While I am willing to try any type of underwear I do have high expectations and tend to buy the very best if I can.
I am definitely a subscriber to the notion that men should be able to feel sexy in underwear too. In our society, there is a lot of time and money that goes into creating women’s underwear that is intentionally alluring or sexy. There are a handful of companies out there that do the same for us guys but it is down to us to embrace the styles which we feel sexy wearing and what our partners what to see us in. This in turn tells the product designers what we want more of. Sexy doesn’t have to mean PVC or rubber by the way lads!!

Andrew Christian was definitely a brand I wanted to try but had never got around to actually ordering them. Their website is full of so much choice I genuinely didn’t have a clue where to start. ‘Next gay thing’ have certainly changed all that with this pair of boxer-briefs.

As suggested in the name, these are designed to feel like you are almost naked or not wearing any underwear at all. They also boast an anatomically correct pouch oo-er! Well I can tell you right now, both claims are spot on. When I put them on I was really impressed with the fit. The ‘waistband’ sits just perfectly where you would want it and the material has the right elasticity around the legs to fit appropriately. And what of the anatomically correct pouch? Well this is my absolute favourite feature of these. The front pouch has been very cleverly designed to allow your junk to sit exactly where it would if you weren’t wearing any underwear at all.

Now, I will concede that some guys may shy away from this style. They certainly do not leave too much to the imagination but for the most part, nobody else aside from you and whoever gets to see you in the semi-buff is going to know so that can and should be easy to get past. Not everyone is going to be trying to build body confidence (see HERE for an explanation) and posting pictures of themselves on Instagram wearing said underwear (yes, I may be crazy or stupid, possibly both). The point I am trying to make is, if you’ve ever worried about them being too ‘revealing’, don’t! Only you need to see it if you so wish...

Photo by Aaron Weight

Why do I think more guys should ignore the look and try the style? Because they fit so incredibly well and allow your [insert tacky metaphor name] to sit exactly the way nature intended without going commando. I genuinely believe a lot of guys would be surprised at just how much better you feel wearing a pair of these. A lot of fitted underwear out there doesn’t actually leave a lot of room upfront meaning everything gets squished and squashed into places that just aren’t that comfortable. Even if they don’t squash everything I find that they push things in directions that can be uncomfortable and as the day goes on, the fit seems to get worse as the fabric flexes and stretches. Similarly, I often find that by the end of the day, the leg elastic isn’t very effective on a lot of underwear so it has ridden up. I blooming hate riding up! These did not do any of that. The fit and comfort lasted right the way through to bedtime that night.

Finally, on the undies, I love the way they look. Not only do they allow everything to sit where it should, they look pretty damn good while doing it. Ok, so maybe my picture doesn’t necessarily show that off (and no, I am not fishing here, I have a husband for that) but I am trying to make a point by posting pictures too. First and foremost, this goes hand and hand with my own body issues but additionally, to show that normal guys can and should wear underwear they feel good in. As with all modelling, it is deemed from on high that only the very sexiest and most beautiful bodies can be used to show off the clothes that a company wants to sell. Despite the fact the vast majority of people do not have those bodies. I am a very keen supporter of seeing everyday bodies in modelling campaigns alongside the hot pecs and abs guys for instance which is a topic for another article. Don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate that sex sells, but for me, it isn’t the ONLY thing that sells!

I strongly suggest that you try this brand of underwear!

How was my overall experience with ‘next gay thing’? Superb! The parcel was discrete (if you need it to be) and arrived pretty soon after actually signing up and making payment. Above all, I was beyond happy with the value for money. My subscription is the ‘Out‘N’Proud pack which came costs £34 per month. Given the value of the products that came in the pack, I feel like I am quid’s in! As long as that continues I will be very happy to continue the subscription.

If you want to look into a ‘next gay thing’ subscription of your very own head over to the site HERE. If my first experience is anything to go by, it is definitely worth your while!

I do just wanna make a shout out to Aaron who did the underwear shots which probably wasn't a very comfortable photoshoot for him. x-D

Thanks for stopping by reading x