Benjamin Mitrofan-Norris

Benjamin Mitrofan-Norris

As The Review’s Lifestyle Editor, Benjamin Norris takes the matter of his lifestyle both immensely seriously and perilously lightly, often in the same afternoon. A seasoned wine writer and specialist in perfumery, luxury hospitality, horology, gastronomy and more, he is an unwavering devotee to life’s finer things. Often found in Baltic capitals, Eastern European vineyards, dive bars and fine dining establishments alike, all while working as a copywriter for several of the world’s leading luxury brands, Norris brings a distinctive global swagger to luxury journalism.

Marine, Travel

SeaCloud II: Luxury Under Sail in the Cyclades

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There’s something to be said about pulling into the port of some far-flung Greek island, and feeling the eyes of locals and tourists alike locking onto the vessel you’re about to disembark; not in disdain, exasperation or resignation at yet another overstuffed cruise ship lumbering into harbour, but with a genuine sense of wonder and, dare I say it, a flash of envy.  That sense of astonishment, both for passengers and onlookers alike, is absolutely at the heart of what SeaCloud cruises do best. Utterly beautiful, each of the three tall-masted ships in this exclusive fleet has been meticulously designed to bring a swoon-worthy essence of romance and escapism back…

Beauty

Pride and Groom: Men’s Skincare

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It’s fair to say that men’s skincare has experienced a period of unprecedented and explosive growth in the past few years. While we can remember the men’s beauty section of even the more well-heeled department stores being little more than the corner of a shelf somewhere near the back, there’s now a hefty plethora of products, serums, creams, treatments, ointments and unguents to choose from. 

Food & Drink, Gifting, Style

Money can’t buy you love. And yet…

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Well, the new year is well and truly underway, and the calendar’s first opportunity for heartfelt gift-giving is upon us once again. 

Whether you’re a seasoned romantic or simply erring on the side of caution (which is, let’s be honest, always sensible when it comes to matters of the heart), Valentine’s Day has long been a chance to demonstrate your affection via the medium of gifting. 

Food & Drink, Travel

ViseVersa, The Hyatt Regency Lisbon

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It would be easy to say that the past decade or so has been kind to Lisbon – it’s subtly undergone the kind of glow-up certain other smaller European capitals keep putting on the backburner… and it’s been driven organically by tourism raised high on the shoulders of social media’s more gastronomy-oriented corners. 

Beauty, Travel

Where the Hot Springs Flow: Diving into The Well, Oslo

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It is perhaps one of the great tragedies of my life that I don’t spend every weekend in a beautifully crafted replica of a Kyoto bathhouse, surrounded on all sides by thirty or more totally naked Norwegians, each glistening with perspiration and a curated array of essential oils. However, my trip to the spectacular Oslo wellness resort The Well ensured – within an hour of arrival, in fact – that my existence would no longer be completely lacking this experience. 

Gifting

In the Name of the Fathers

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Father’s Day was never a big deal in my family. I always assumed that my dad was the kind of man, like many of his generation, who shied from the spotlight of attention and felt uncomfortable with any notion of having a day wherein he could sit back, relax and be showered with gifts.

DUNHILL AW23
Style

Dunhill’s Autumn/Winter 2023 Collection

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The word ‘classic’ is thrown around a lot, not least within the realm of menswear. Dunhill, with its commitment to excellence and an apologetically English sense of finesse, has consistently celebrated the timeless, the distinctive and the inherent elegance in the understated.

Gifting

What the heart wants

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This year, let’s do away with the predictable and the kitsch, and leave the acres of saccharine and heart-hugging bears on the shelves. From the fascinating to the flavoursome, the flirtatious to the finessed, these gifts are sure to set hearts racing this February. 

Edinburgh Skincare Gentlemens Gift Box
Gifting

Naughty or Nice

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Let’s elevate the art of gifting for Christmas 2022, and seek out items which encapsulate the essence of finesse for our nearest and dearest. We’re here to celebrate bespoke and small-batch producers. Let’s hear it for the independents, the pioneers, and those crafting the precious, the thoughtful, the unforgettable.

zighy-bay-oman-aerial
Travel

Wanderlust – Spring

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I’ve managed to undertake a whole lot of travelling through the various lockdowns. The problem? Aside from a couple of brief working jaunts to the Baltic states, it’s happened almost entirely within my imagination.

Alex Christian - Savills
Finance, Interviews, Property

Resilience and Positivity: An Expert View of Post-Covid Real Estate

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The main issue of the pandemic – and why it stands apart from other market challenges – has been one of logistics. It’s not that foreign investors don’t want to buy in London, it’s that they simply cannot get here to do so. We’ve seen incredible demand building up since the election in 2019, yet people haven’t been able to come to these shores for almost a year to close their deals.