Hawkins & Brimble

Hawkins & Brimble is a British men's grooming brand founded in 2016 [8]. It makes skincare, hair care, beard care, shaving products and body care built around natural ingredients, and markets itself under the tagline "Born in London. Worn by Gentlemen." The company sells direct online and through retailers, and by the early 2020s described its range as reaching some fifteen countries [8].

The brand presents two locations. It bills itself as "Born in London" and lists a London office on Kirby Street [1], while regional business press places its operations and chief executive in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire [9]. It remains active, with live regional storefronts across several markets [10].

According to a CEO interview in the regional magazine Great British Life, founder Stephen Shortt started the brand in 2016 after failing to find premium men's grooming products he liked in British High Street shops [8]. The brand's own account echoes this, saying he struggled to find male grooming products that were as gentle on his sensitive skin as on the planet, and set out to "raise the bar" for gentlemen worldwide. Shortt developed the early range with the help of a British master barber [8].

The brand draws its image from an older idea of British grooming. Its about page describes products "inspired by the superior grooming standards forged behind the oak panelled doors of Mayfair's exclusive 17th century members' clubs." That heritage framing is a marketing motif rather than a corporate history: the company itself dates only to 2016.

Hawkins & Brimble positions itself as a natural, sustainability-minded men's grooming brand at the premium end of the market. The company says it uses "nothing but the gentlest natural ingredients," summarised on its packaging as "No parabens. No SLS. No added nonsense." It frames its mission as demystifying male grooming and educating men on grooming standards, natural ingredients and "positive choices."

That positioning extends beyond products into men's wellbeing. The brand partners with Andy's Man Club, a UK men's suicide-prevention charity built around the motto #ITSOKAYTOTALK, through checkout round-up donations, product samples for the charity's support-group attendees, and shared mental-health content. The company says it sees itself as "more than just a grooming brand" and cares about customers' overall wellbeing.

The range spans face care (skincare, beard care and shaving), hair care and styling, and body care, alongside an eau de toilette and gift sets. The company presents its products as "crafted with natural ingredients by master barbers," with recipes it describes as developed "under the watchful gaze of a master barber." A recurring signature is the pairing of elemi and ginseng — two of the natural ingredients the brand highlights — which appears in products including its Elemi & Ginseng Eau De Toilette and Elemi & Ginseng Beard Oil. Other ingredients the company features include almond oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, ginger, shea butter and panthenol (pro-vitamin B5).

On animal testing, the company states that none of its products are tested on animals. Its vegan claim is qualified: it describes all products as suitable for vegans except its hair wax, matt clay, water pomade, beard balm and moustache wax. The brand lists no formal third-party certifications such as Leaping Bunny, the Vegan Society or B Corp.

Sustainability is a stated priority for the brand. It says it was "one of the first brands to move all our plastic packaging to aluminium or glass," and has repackaged best-selling products into aluminium bottles paired with "100% recyclable pouches" that customers refill rather than replace [3]. The company also says its cardboard is made from recycled board, that it uses no plastic in transit packaging, and that it works to reduce carbon emissions by favouring mainly UK-based suppliers. The brand describes its products as British-made [8].

At the 2019 Beauty Shortlist Awards, Hawkins & Brimble won Best Men's Skincare Range, alongside three product wins: Best Moisturiser for its Daily Energising Moisturiser, Best Beard Oil for the Elemi & Ginseng Beard Oil, and joint winner of Best Men's Skincare Product for its Energising Eye Cream [7]. The brand was later profiled in a 2022 Great British Life CEO interview covering its origins, Gloucestershire base and international growth [8]. Business press in Gloucestershire reported an HSBC investment supporting expansion into markets including the United States, China, Australia and the Middle East [9].

The brand is active. Founded in 2016, it operates live regional storefronts across markets including the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and Singapore, and maintains its Andy's Man Club charity partnership [10].