See Dave Do

Category: Featured

  • Grooming Essentials For The Modern Gent

    Generally when people discuss beauty, the conversation is centred around women. Your average guy doesn’t really talk about his daily grooming routines, products he uses, or anything of that nature. As time goes on I’ve been noticing a bit more attention to the gents side of things and figured I would share some of the products i use and essentials I believe should be in every guys bathroom.

    FACE

    With the evolution of technology and ease of use for most products, some traditions are being lost over time. Mainly the straight shave! I know it looks intimidating wielding a sharp blade essentially to groom your facial hair. But let me tell you, it’s the best shave you will ever have!  Don’t know where to start?


    This is all you need to get started, no need to get crazy with non replaceable units, although they look great they may not be as practical to start off with. The Equinox Professional Barber Straight Edge Razor is all you will need to get that amazingly close shave. Just don’t forget to add a shaving brush and soap to get it all done right!

     

    HEAD

    Hair is so important, and usually overlooked by guys, using whatever is available in the shower usually  products left there by their significant other (totally guilty of this lol). There are some dope products out there that will keep your hair clean and smelling fresh too. Not to mention styling product that won’t make your hair crazy greasy and will hold whatever style your go for.

     

    K+S makes some good shampoo, don’t settle for regular clean hair, get that salon feel. They formulate their product for all kinds of hair and scalp conditions. So for an all around product I would recommend this set. It’s not CRAZY expensive, but think about how often do you really buy shampoo and conditioner? Well worth spending some $$ to look and feel good.

     

     

     

     

    Hair product is crazy important for you gents! depending on your style of hair, there are products available to keep it healthy while still looking good. Personally I try to stay away from waxes and anything that repels water, mostly because it sucks to wash out sometimes. Which is why I’ve gone with paste and putty type styling products, they give me the hold i need to achieve my desired look. and they aren’t overly heavy or difficult to wash out.

     

     

     

     

    An absolute must in any guys bathroom! A grooming kit for those touch ups between, salon/barber visits. If you want the well kept beard look or the constant 5 o’clock shadow. For those who like to ensure their under arms, chest, and other areas are nicely manscaped. ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL

     

     

    SKIN

    I don’t know about you but after I get out of the shower I NEED to moisturize, my hands and face for the most part. I hate moisturizer that is oily and doesn’t get absorbed by my skin within 5 min. To be honest I only use one product for all my moisturizing needs.

     

    L’occitane Shea butter hand cream is all I use…..it’s like Franks Red Hot….but for my skin. I PUT THAT S**T ON EVERYTHING!

    It’s does it’s job very well, and you won’t be having a hard time picking stuff up due to greasy hands right after. This is probably on of my favourite products on this list. Go out and spend the money to get it, you’ll thank me later.

     

     

     

    So thats a short list of products that you’ll find in my bathroom. You can find all these products on Amazon.ca and they will be shipped to your front door, no need to go to the store and have a scavenger hunt for anything anymore!

    what are your favourite products and rituals?

  • New Gear I’m Picking Up In 2017

    New Gear I’m Picking Up In 2017

    So for all of you that follow me on Instagram you know that I love taking photos and recently have started shooting video projects (mostly for Mel). So I figured I would layout some items that I’m thinking of picking up to add to my arsenal of awesome stuff in order to be able to create great content!

    So what do I want that I don’t already have?! Well truth is that I have everything I need to shoot photos, but now that I’m starting to venture into the world of audio and video, I noticed that I’m lacking a few things if only just to make life easier for myself. One rule that I have mostly followed is not buying high end stuff unless I know that I will need it right now. As you may know, I have recently partnered with Amazon and become an Amazon Associate so I will be bringing you cool stuff that I come across, and purchases I plan on making on a variety of things so stay tuned!

    DJI Phantom 4

    Lately I have fallen in love with drone footage, the amount of amazing B-roll you can shoot using one of these bad boys is absolutely incredible. I have the DJI Ronin Gimbal and strongly stand by their products, so naturally I’m inclined to pickup one of their drone units.

    Neewer 7″ HD Monitor

    Now that I have a DJI Ronin, first thing I noticed that it’s pretty damn hard to look at the onboard screen to monitor video scenes as they are being filmed. To get around this I’ll be picking up an external monitor that I can mount on the Ronin itself and not only can I monitor, it’s also like twice the size!

    Neewer 18″ Ring Light

    This one isn’t so much for me as it will be for Mel, she has started shooting more and more Youtube videos with her talking into the camera, outfits videos, hauls, etc. This ring light will provide all the necessary light needed in order to properly expose a scene.

    Rode Video Mic

    Audio is probably one of the most overlooked areas when shooting video, as such unless you want to invest in a body pack lav kit, this is a great alternative especially if you are shooting on location.

    Aputure LED Lighting Kit

    Again another set of lighting, because at the end of the day, light is everything when it comes to photo and video. I will be booting up some shows for clients, this site, and my gaming site, so investing in a good set of lights is essential. especially now that LED continuous lighting is more readily available and pretty affordable.

     

    Polaroid Variable ND Filter 77mm

    Complete control of lighting on bright days is UBER important! variable ND filters allow you to determine the light that your lens has access to. Think, sunglasses for your camera!

    Amazon carries these along with a wide range of other products that suit most budgets. So don’t forget to check the reviews on products before you buy and make sure to do your research and you’ll be sure to find stuff that suits your needs!

    What gear will you be picking up this year?

  • SeeDaveTravel: CUBA – Grand Memories Varadero

    SeeDaveTravel: CUBA – Grand Memories Varadero

    Escaping the cold once winter hits, I would say is a necessity of life when you live in 6 month of winter. Mel and I decided that last year we were not going to spend new years in the cold at some party somewhere in Toronto. We waited for last minute deals only to realize that there are none between Dec 25-31. We hopped on to a popular online travel site and booked a one week stay at the Grand Memories in Cuba.

    I haven’t been to Cuba in roughly 10 years (Damn I feel old saying that lol). A lot has changed since my last visit, most notably the introduction of the CUC (Convertible Peso). This is one of the very few complaints I have to visiting Cuba, the other being how short staffed the resort was.

    The CUC is a currency invented by Cuba solely for the purpose of tourists, and as such is nothing more than a CRAZY cash grab! It’s currently worth more than most currencies in the world including CAD and USD. That being said your money doesn’t go as far as most other caribbean islands. That aside, there is one rule to live by when I travel ~Make the most of it. Otherwise you will have a terrible time!

    So we did, Enjoying as much time in the Cuban sun as humanly possible. The Beaches in Varadero are some of the best in the Caribbean, with almost snow like white sand and beautiful turquoise clear water. There is nothing like enjoying a refreshing ice cold Cubata (Dark rum, coke, and a splash of lemon juice) while enjoying the hot sun and ocean.

    The resort overall was nice, well kept, and had a good variety of activity areas and things do to during the day as well as night. If staying on the resort isn’t your type of thing, a $5 bus ride into Varadero city will have you mingling at some wonderful bars and clubs with live music dancing the night away. They are have some great places to eat as well as some local artisan markets where you can buy some great souvenirs.

    As far as excursions, there is one in particular that if it’s available i always recommend and take during my stay to any island. THE CATAMARAN excursion is a full day affair, taking you out with roughly 50-60 other people for a day out on the ocean. Stopping for a stint of snorkeling  on a secluded reef, followed by a stay at Cayo Blanco which has beaches generally found on postcards and ads for Cuba. All with a wonderful lobster buffet lunch. A word of caution that if you don’t understand or speak any spanish you may find yourself eating horse meat if you’re not paying attention to what the chefs are saying (which is actually quite delicious). Some people opted to leave the “steak” line once I informed them of what was being served (it’s not for everyone I guess). All in all it was one of the best days while I was there.

    So my advice for those that want to get away somewhere warm. If you haven’t been to Cuba, go check it out but do your research beforehand and be prepared for issues that may arise. Other than that, Cuba is really a beautiful country. So if you’ve been or are thinking of going let me know!

     

    What is your favourite sun destination?

     

     

  • TOKYO – Best Hotels That Won’t Break The Bank

    TOKYO – Best Hotels That Won’t Break The Bank

    Many people always hear about how expensive Tokyo is. Every time someone tells me that, I laugh a little.
    Like anywhere else in the world, Tokyo is only as expensive as you make it. If you enjoy 5 star restaurants and high end hotels, obviously it will be expensive! However it doesn’t have to be. When I travel to Tokyo i have two criteria that must be met:

    1] Central to where/what I will be doing. 2] Has to be a reasonable price.

    So below is a list of places that I have personally stayed at. Keep in mind this is based on my set budget for board as well as the fact that I spend most of my time near the Shibuya district. Also this list is in no particular order. Cost per night on all these hotels ranges anywhere from $95-$120/pppn CAD, some include a full breakfast some don’t, prices also fluctuate by season obviously. Usually In early fall as prices for flights and hotels are a bit cheaper, as well as weather is warm still.

    TOKYO GRANBELL HOTEL

    This is the most recent hotel I stayed on my last trip, the closest hotel to Hachiko I have stayed at [5 min walk] to Shibuya station. Rooms are a bitt smaller than normal for a standard room, but they are clean, serviced daily, and always helpful at the front desk.

    HOTEL ASIA CENTER OF JAPAN 

    The first hotel I stayed at all those years ago, have stayed here a few times. This hotel is about 3 km from Shibuya station. Hidden just off a quiet side street, this hotel is a bit of a challenge to find especially if you didn’t get a pocket wifi after arriving. Decent size rooms with basic amenities.

    APA NISHI-AZABU

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    APA Nishi-Azabu
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    By far the most comfortable beds out of the lot of hotels, but seeing as I don’t tend to spend much time in the room this wasn’t a feature I care much about. Located in Nishi Azabu, a higher end posh area of Tokyo this hotel is a 5 minute walk to Hiro-o station. In the area there are a few quaint restaurants and bars, just note that prices in this area are a bit higher than others but still worth it for the food. For the nightlife scene i would go elsewhere as drinks are a touch expensive and some bars do have either expensive entrance fees or sit down fees.

    TOKYU STAY SHIBUYA SHIN MINAMI GUCHI

    A larger room size than the typical Tokyo economy hotel, has a kitchenette as well as a washer/dryer combo, which was my favourite feature!
    being able to throw in a load of laundry before i started the day and having a completely washed and dried load of laundry when i got back to the hotel was AMAZING!
    being a 6 Minute walk to Shibuya station is a huge advantage of staying at this hotel as you will be in the epicenter of everything Tokyo. No need to worry about missing that last train if you decide to have a night out on the town. Shibuya has so much to offer as far and food, nightlife, and entertainment you won’t have to venture far to find good food and great nightlife!

    Now these are all suggestions based off my experience and the things I enjoy doing while in Tokyo, I tend to spend a good majority of my time while in Tokyo in the Shibuya ward. Shibuya is a great spot for food, bars, and nightlife, which is what I spend most of my time doing when I visit because I travel there to see friends and hang out. Tokyo is so vast that you might want to venture off and stay/visit other areas. Be mindful when booking a hotel that Train service tends to cut off at midnight and start back up at 5am.