Going on a date this Valentines day, it’s important to make a good first impression. Whether you sport a beard, goatee, or no facial hair at all, you can send the message that you take good care of yourself by culling your stubble. True, the 5 o’clock shadow can make you look like a bad boy, but this isn’t your average hook-up – you’re playing for keeps here!
Over the past few months we have received an influx of shaving products to review, and it only seemed appropriate to tell you about them for this, the month of love and romance. So take a gander at these products, some of which you might have been previously unaware. Learn a bit about them through my experience, and then go get ‘em loverboy!
Nivea for Men: Active 3
Scent: ***
Smoothness: *****
Removal: **
Visibility: ***
Economy: *****
“Active 3” refers to the fact that it is 3 products in one: shampoo, shave, and body wash! By far it offered the smoothest shave, and one of the nicer, more distinguished scents. While it lubricated well for shaving, this same trait made it difficult to wash off completely, even under the bombardment of water in the shower. Nevertheless, it’s hard to beat the portability; take it with your favourite razor and you’ve got your showering essentials covered.
LUSH: Prince
Scent: ****
Smoothness: **
Removal: ***
Visibility: ***
Economy: **
With essence of triple orange blossom, this luxury LUSH creation had a pleasant smell of subdued creamsicle. As I drew the razor across my face, I could tell the cream was staying put, but lubricating, it was not – in fact it seemed more of a waxy texture that was making the blade stall and lurch, and it was difficult to wash off. To solve this dilemma, the instructions suggest soapy water to rinse your razor and clean your face afterward, which may or may not prove to be an inconvenience. I myself tend to use plain warm water, so I didn’t really get along with this concoction.
Every Man Jack
Scent: ***
Smoothness: ***
Removal: ***
Visibility: ****
Economy: *****
The Every Man Jack shave kit and travel kit make for nice classy gifts that are actually affordable for the every man, and come with far more than just the shaving cream. Both kits come with tubes of the following: face wash, shave cream, face lotion, SPF 15 lip balm, and SPF 15 face lotion. The travel kit goes one further with a tube of 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner, while the shave kit provides a handsome travel bag that you might use with the travel kit.
The shave cream was non-frothy, making it easy to see my underlying facial hair for better sculpting accuracy. It lubricated moderately well, and had such a light scent of mint that it was almost undetectable. On the plus side, it won’t interfere with your cologne or after shave, but on the downside...you might need cologne or aftershave. It took a few rinses to remove, but nothing unreasonable.
ShaveMate All in One
Scent: **
Smoothness: *
Removal: *****
Visibility: **
Economy: ***
This is, of course, the cream that is dispensed out of the handle of the ShaveMate All in One Razor.
The cream has the same consistency of the cheap travel-sized shaving creams: it smells synthetic, but is super easy to wash off, which might not be such a good thing. Its frothy consistency meant I was sculpting in the dark on the first stroke, and scraping up a storm after that—it really didn’t stick around to lubricate.
Priced roughly the same as the Every Man Jack shave kit, you’re paying purely for the convenience in this novel product. They say there is enough in each razor for 10 shaves, so a pack will keep a non-fussy daily shaver (un)covered for about a month.
The Razor: ShaveMate All in One
What a neat idea, a razor and shaving cream canister in one! It’s ideal for travelling, and you won’t need to fumble with a separate can. The dispenser has a twist lock to ensure no cream escapes by accident if it gets squished in your luggage. The six blades offer a far superior shave over your typical disposable travel razors. Though it has somewhat of a low-grade plastic feel, you get 3 in a packet and it comes with its own shower hook!
Obviously I reviewed the men’s equivalent of the shaver, the Titan 6, but I used it to test a variety of shaving creams. While I was able to obtain the same end result, the process of getting there was the make-or-break distinction.
Cream Criteria
Scent – did it offer a pleasant scent that might draw in the same sex, or did it smell like cheap crap?
Smoothness – did it keep the razor lubricated enough to be a painless shave, or was it a razor-burn nightmare?
Removal – did it wash off cleanly when I was done, or did I have to scrub like a son’bitch?
Visibility – could I see and sculpt my beard underneath, or was I braving the fog of war?
While You’re At It...
Shave the Planet
By: LUSH
If you find the triple orange blossom of Prince too fruity, Shave the Planet offers a more muted sandalwood scent. We reviewed the Shave the Planet gift box in our March 2009 edition.
Diva 6
By: ShaveMate
Pretty much the same as the Titan 6 - 3 in a pack, with built in shaving cream - but in bright pink! The obvious choice for lipstick lesbians and drag divas on the run.
