In the heart of the current political season, and in the interest of full disclosure, I must say that I have always been pro-Gillette throughout my personal shaving career.

It started way back in the mid-nineties, when I fell in love with the Gillette Mach 3 right out of Harvard Law. Three blades at the time was revolutionary (not as progressive, but certainly more moderate than the Schick Hydro 5 Power Select and it’s five blade setup) and I used it faithfully for years.

That being said, I was totally unaware and fully surprised when I recently received the Gillette ProGlide Styler for review. So rest assured, this review comes to you as the result of a fully non-partisan effort.

The 3-in-1 features the ability to shave with the Fusion ProGlide Power Blade, the Power Trimmer to trim your facial hair or beard, and the Precision Edging Blade to make crisp, defined lines to finish your cut or look of choice.

Right out of the box, I immediately liked the weight, feel and contour of the tool to fit in your hand.

The Precision Edging Blade is a great touch and totally removes the need for a separate tool to tighten up you sideburns, mustache, beard or just your look in general.

The Power Trimmer came with three adjustable attachments to trim up a beard or sideburns, but you could just as easily use it for some spot manscaping or even to trim a wild hair on your head.

The coolest feature on the Fusion ProGlide Power Blade is the built in Microcomb at the base of the razor. This helps by guiding your hair to the blade so you can shave, even against the grain, in a more controlled, close manner. The razor didn’t feel as solid as I would’ve liked (it felt somewhat flimsy), but it gave me a very close shave.

While using it, I got the feeling that this is a great 3-in-1 tool for a person who does a lot of traveling. There are very few attachments to carry around and lose while on the road. Also, there is no need for a charger because it is battery powered. Switching attachments was somewhat difficult at certain points.

The ProGlide Styler is waterproof and is also contoured and coated in rubber, which means that it’s not only more difficult to drop should you be shaving with a wet hand, but it could also withstand said drop should it hit the sink.

The built in Organizer Case was also a nice touch to make keeping track of the attachments and interchangeable parts even easier.

Accompanying the ProGlide Styler was the Fusion ProGlide Shave Gel. Interestingly, the shave gel was actually clear and barely foams up in the sense of a more traditional shaving cream. It definitely made it easier to see the area you were shaving, so you can “see where to shave and edge more accurately”, which was true. There was no blind shaving, which was a great touch and definitely lent itself to the quick shave a man may need to undertake when he is on the road shaving in a hotel room for business.

The versatility is what any user of the ProGlide Styer will like the most. It is a quick and easy alternative to using separate tools for each shaving task.

For more information, click here.

Sometimes, “smelf-confidence” can be misplaced. Maybe it’s that booger you have hanging out of your nose that you’re unaware of, your wife that’s overly “friendly” to your homies on game day, or just that funk that emanates from your body that you’ve gotten so used to you don’t even notice anymore.

While Old Spice can’t help you with your incompetence, or your slutty wife, it can help you with your scent. The Old Spice Champion collection has an Offensive Odor game plan that breaks down as follows:

Old Spice Champion Body Wash Gel Douche

It’s first and 10 and you’ve got a long way to go to get clean, AKA to the end zone. Strip down like John Travolta at an all-male bath house and hit the showers with your bottle of Old Spice Champion Body Wash Gel Douche in your, ahem, hand. Before you apply it to your body, take a whiff and notice the effective, yet not overly apparent scent. What does it smell like, you ask? I’d say it’s similar to the Original Scent of the Original Old Spice, yet toned down a few notches, like John Travolta when he’s out with his wife. Lather up — we’ve got a drive to “consummate” here.

Old Spice Champion Body Spray

It’s second and six after a solid gain on first down thanks to the effectiveness of the Old Spice Champion Body Wash Gel Douche. Now that you’re out of the shower, let the all-out assault of the Old Spice Champion Body Spray on your body begin. Apply it liberally, like Obama wants to apply his healthcare bill. Cover your body in it and you’ll notice quickly that has a refreshing scent like you’d expect from any Old Spice product, but it also has the refreshing tingle and scent of Original Scent crossbred with baby powder. You may say, “Oh, Paul, baby powder, what’s the deal man? I’m a man, man!” Yes you are, but your lady isn’t. She’s the one, after all, nuzzling your body with her ample bosom, so let’s keep her bosom happy. Game, set, you.

Old Spice Champion Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant

It’s third and one. You’re moving the ball down the field in an efficient manner, but efficiency doesn’t sell, sex does. So slather on the sex, AKA Old Spice Champion Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant, and assault the opposing team’s (or any lady of your choosing) front line! “Believe In Your Smelf” and fire that pigskin over them mountains — go deep! Thanks to the scent of the Old Spice Champion Deodorant, you’ll already have the requisite confidence to cock your arm behind your head, exposing your great smelling armpit, and find your #1 wide out Greg Jennings running a fly pattern to an easy TD!

The Old Spice Champion Gold Collection is available in somewhat limited edition via the website here, or at any reputable store in your area.

A month ago, New England Patriots star wide receiver Wes Welker announced he had undergone a cutting edge procedure to fight the effects of male pattern baldness called hair transplant surgery.

Recently, we spoke with Dr. H. Rahal, owner of Rahal Hair Transplants, about the specifics of the procedure and what men can do to prevent thinning hair.

Bullz-Eye: What is hair restoration surgery?

Dr. Rahal: Hair restoration surgery could also be called hair relocation surgery, as it involves taking hairs from one area of the head and moving them to another. Most men who are suffering from hair loss will retain hair at the back and sides of their head. We call this the safe zone. This is the donor area, and we extract hairs from here and implant them into the zones where hair has been lost. We only implant individual follicles in their natural groupings of one, two, three and occasionally four hairs. This ensures that the result looks and feels totally natural.

BE: How did you get involved with the science of men’s hair loss?

DR: My brother had a hair transplant procedure in the early 90s. The result wasn’t great and got me thinking about how the technology could be improved. I’ve been performing hair restoration since 1995 and, yes, my brother is a patient of mine!

BE: What is the most ridiculous old wives’ tale you have ever heard about why men lose their hair or a way to regrow it? Does massaging the scalp while laying upside down help at all?

DR: I believe a lot of people tried that back in the 80s. It doesn’t work as the root cause of hair loss is genetic. There are a lot of myths out there regarding hair loss and a lot of people claiming to have miracle cures. One in particular that stands out is the claim that rubbing your finger nails together can help you regrow hair and stop it going gray.

BE: Why do some men lose their hair and some do not? What bearing does your father’s hairline have on yours?

DR: Genetics is the main cause of male pattern hair loss, but it’s difficult to predict and no single family member can indicate your own potential for losing hair. Looking at the general picture of how much hair loss is seen within your family can give some indication in how likely you are to lose hair and how far that hair loss might advance.

BE: How much does stress cause hair loss? How about diet or exercise?

DR: A healthy lifestyle helps keep hair healthy, but many hair loss sufferers take their health seriously but continue to lose hair, so unfortunately, making wise lifestyle choices alone is not enough. Stress can play a part in the onset of hair loss and there are conditions, such as Telogen effluvium, where hair loss is directly related to emotional or physical stress. That’s why it’s important to consult a physician to determine the cause of your hair loss.

BE: How is a hair transplant different from hair plugs? Is there a difference?

DR: Technology has come a long way since the days of hair plugs, and while the basic principle of moving hair is the same, the methods we use and the results we achieve are on a different level. Hair plugs are very conspicuous and they draw attention. This is why so many people continue to associate hair transplant surgery with hair plugs. When something about a person’s appearance doesn’t look natural, the human eye can spot this very easily. A great hair transplant is a combination of the latest refined surgical techniques and the artistry of planting hairs so that their position and angulation appear completely natural – on the level of the individual follicles and when viewed as a complete design.

BE: What is the success rate? Is there a chance the hair transplant won’t be successful?

DR: With any surgery, there is a chance that the outcome won’t completely meet expectations. There are physiological factors which are hard to predict. However, we typically achieve a growth rate of 95-99%. We also  offer a Growth Guarantee as part of our commitment to patient satisfaction, where we will replace any non-growing hair transplant graft free of charge.

BE: How long does it take to see results?

DR: Transplanted hairs begin to grow at roughly three months after surgery. Typically, a patient will notice a significant improvement by around five months with the result continuing to improve until 12-15 months after the procedure.

BE: What makes it superior to other methods?

DR: Hair transplants are the only permanent solution to hair loss.

BE: How does it compare in success rates to the use of Rogaine or Propecia? How does the procedure differentiate itself from those popular methods?

DR: Many people benefit greatly from using treatments like Propecia and Rogaine, but these drugs are mainly successful in preventing further loss of hair. I highly recommend that patients use these treatments, but in most cases, hair transplant surgery is the only way that a significant amount of hair can be restored.

BE: Are there any side effects?

DR: There are no side effects to hair restoration surgery.

BE: Is there any way to prevent hair loss from starting in your younger years, if you are afraid you may be in line for future hair loss based on genetics?

DR: People who believe that they might have the genetic predisposition should check their hair regularly, but not obsessively, and consider treatment if or when hair loss begins.

BE: I recently heard an interesting theory, that hair loss was akin to a fungus or a cancer caused by an external force rather than internal genetics/heredity? Could this possibly be considered as true?

DR: There are lots of wild theories out there, but I think you can discount this one as untrue.

For more information, visit Dr. Rahal’s website here.

I’m not going to screw around here, guys. The Schick Hydro 5 Power Select razor is the best razor I have ever used. I could seriously just end the review right there.

Was it the battery-powered, multi-speed vibration that gently eased and spread the whiskers from my face during the shave? Was it the LED Digital Interface that lit up to show the multi-speed vibration between three different settings? Was it the “Fliptrimmer” razor with the flip-top back that allowed me to flip back and shave to the contours of my face and precisely trim any area I desired?

It could have been any one of those aforementioned features, but there were a few more in particular that caught my attention.

How about five blades, hence the name Hydro 5? For years, I have been using the Gillette Mach 3, with nary a negative thing to say about it. But I had never used a razor with five blades before; I immediately realized that three were inferior. Yes, five is more than three, wisenheimer. But I mean in terms of feel. And not just on the relatively contour free, non-sensitive areas like your neck or sideburns.

For me, the most sensitive area is where my mustache would be if I could grow one (if I were a man), i.e. the area right below my nose, above my upper lip. I anticipate this will be a painful exercise literally every time because it has been for about 15 years; the only way to numb the pain was to load up on high quality shaving cream (or whiskey) and have at it.

But with the Hydro 5, I glided over that area with absolutely no problem, and almost no friction — I couldn’t believe how well it worked. The combination of slight vibration of the razor with the ridiculous amount of blade-age left me with mouth agape in amazement. Almost on cue after I finished my shave, a neighbor came over to my house and used the bathroom. He came out holding the Hydro 5 in hand (which I had left on the sink), accompanied with a look of bewilderment on his face.

“Five blades! Five fucking blades, man?” he sputtered. “That is why you have such a clean shave — those grimy hairs don’t stand a chance!”

What aided those five blades was the Hydrating Gel Reservoir at the tip (which is water activated), just preceding the five razors. If there was ever a gimmick, I swore this was it as I perused the package prior to opening the Hydro 5. As men, how many times have we heard about “cooling gel” or some other “lubrication strip” that proves to be nothing but slick marketing?

Not only could I feel the effects of the gel, but I could see the gel coming out of the razor as I pressed it against my skin. The gel is comprised of vitamin E and aloe, which is even more soothing in use than it sounds in print.

The most amazing thing about the Schick Hydro 5 Power Select is that it retails for only $12.99. Even though it’s priced along the lines of a disposable razor, just holding it in your hand and feeling the weight of it proves that it is anything but and can hang with any of the overpriced razors on the market.

The following day I had two separate people comment on how smooth my skin looked, with one person asking me if I had “gotten a haircut or something because I looked different.”

Buy the Hydro 5 Power Select from Schick. It is the best money you will ever spend on a razor. For more information, click on this link.

How else are you going to review a men’s body grooming product than by shaving every inch of hair on your body with it? It would be easy to just do chest hair, write a review and call it a day, right? Wrong, Buster.

I’m talking about all body hair below the neck. I would’ve shaved my head and face with it, but the instructions explicitly stated, “Do not shave your head or face with this.”

The sleek design of the BodyGroom BG2040 really appealed to me. It was silver, like the medal Michael Phelps collected in his “signature” event, the 200 fly. It was literally two grooming devices in one that fits comfortably into the palm of your hand. On one end is the shaving unit, and on the other end is the trimming unit.

So I will break it down, body part by soon to be hairless body part. As you’re reading this, envision Marv Albert’s voice reading to you, lovingly, tenderly. “YES! And the FOUL!”

Chest

I am not a “bear” like this guy, and I’m not hairless like Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte either, but I need to trim my chest hair on occasion. The issue I’ve encountered with almost every product made specifically for men’s body grooming, however, is that in the case of an electric, it can never give you that shave down to the skin; stubble is almost always visible. No chick on earth is attracted to chest hair stubble.

So, my gauge for the success of the body groomer was based on this. I trimmed the hair with the trimmer, and the built-in “hair length selector” worked to perfection. Then, I flipped the BodyGroom around and used the shaving head and was immediately impressed, because it got the hair down to the root, leaving behind no stubble. Afterward, my skin felt like I had used a razor because it was so smooth.

Forearms

I have forearm hair and I’m not afraid to admit it. There, I said it. Not as bad as this guy, but not hairless, either. And I like a crisp, trimmed look because it feels great. The slightly rotating head on the shaving unit was perfect for getting the hair trimmed around my wrist and elbow, and it ensured an even shave from wrist to elbow as well.

Armpit

Shaving,or even trimming armpit hair sucks, but it’s something we just have to bite our lip and do. Using the trimming edge of the BodyGroom made it very simple — no hair was ever pulled or tugged. It took maybe a total of three minutes and I moved on with my life.

Privates

Now the part everyone wanted to hear, the “money shot” if you will. This was maybe the easiest experience I’ve had trimming down there because the BodyGroom doesn’t have any sharp edges or razors that could potentially cut you, nor did it tug out any hair. It was painless and very easy to use.

Cleaning the BodyGroom was even easier than using it; the little rotating head on the shaver popped right out so I rinsed it, let it dry and re-inserted. Additionally, charging it only took about 20 minutes, which gives you just under an hour of usage/battery life.

No matter your personal hair situation, you can benefit from the versatility and ease of use that the BodyGroomer provides. In fact, we’re so confident you’ll like it that Bullz-Eye is giving one lucky reader the new Philips Norelco grooming tool to try out. Click here to enter for your chance to win. The contest ends on September 5th and the winner will be notified via email.

When I was a kid, there was no such thing as hair paste or sculpting clay. Your choices were Dep or Royal Crown Sculpting Cream.

Royal Crown Sculpting Cream came in this tiny circular canister with a metal lid. Inside, the cream resided, and looked more like a lubrication product for heavy machinery than a hair product. And once you applied it, it felt like lubrication product for heavy machinery. Your hair was basically plastered down to your head and it looked like you were always sweaty (like Don Cheadle) and needed to be smoking a Lucky Strike unfiltered cigarette.

And once it was applied, you wouldn’t dare run your hand through it, because it would be fully coated and moist by the time you got to the back of your head. Your look”(think wet, matted-down dog) remained the same throughout the day and left some really questionable ooze on your pillow.

A good paste is something that still eludes the majority of companies on the market today. Most of the pastes still don’t have the holding power that makes a paste, a paste.

A paste that comes out of a tube is straight up substandard — don’t even waste your time. It will coat your hair, but won’t allow any styling, and generally, your hair lays down flat after an hour or less after application. If you’re in a club or bar and you sweat even slightly, your hair will lay flat, like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Kramer switch to low flow showerheads.

But the paste from Verb is the real deal, the genuine article if you will. With Brylcreem, another old school product, the old slogan was, “A little dab will do ya.” And it would mat you down, but you wouldn’t be able to style or sculpt your hair.

The product from Verb not only allows for the ability to legitimately style your hair, but it doesn’t leave residue or become crusty. The thing that was really cool was the fact that you could re-style your hair throughout the day. Additionally, you (or your special lady) can run your fingers through it and it doesn’t feel sharp, crusty or unwilling to move.

How does Verb accomplish this? Perhaps the paste’s ingredients, which is “free of sulfates, parabens and even gluten.”

Another nice feature is that you don’t have to fully coat your head to spike your hair or sculpt any way you choose. I literally used enough to cover the tip of my index finger and that was enough to keep my look (think Blue Steel) all day. Which also means that you don’t have to buy the product constantly; one circular container would last you several months. And at just $12 per container, it is an absolute steal.

Check out the Verb Sculpting Clay in addition to other products from Verb.

After the last product review I did ended up being somewhat of a dreadful experience, I’d be lying if I said a feeling of dread hadn’t since settled over me. I was really hoping the next product I tried wouldn’t lead me to another “dread” end. But alas, the shaving products from Dreadnought Shaving we’re anything but “dread” on arrival.

So, what is a Dreadnought? A “dreadnought” is defined as:

1) A person who fears nothing

2) One that is among the largest and most powerful of its kind

The Dreadnought Avenger Shaving Brush was a little piece of awesomeness I didn’t even expect. It was solidly built, but not heavy or cumbersome, and when using it, you could tell the impact it made right away. I followed the instructions and added a dollop of Dreadnought shaving cream.

The dollop was described as “almond sized” and I didn’t think that would be enough, but I did it anyway. I was amazed, as that small amount covered my entire face and neck and there was actually plenty left over in the Avenger Brush that I had to wash out; in today’s green world of limiting carbon footprints and“minimizing waste, I felt ashamed. And all I could think about was the old “Keep America Beautiful” campaign with the old Indian crying. But I moved on and was somehow able to proceed with my shave.

The shaving cream itself had a very masculine smell, yet wasn’t overpowering. The cream actually looked to be almost a gel-like substance compared to a typical shaving cream — sort of like how Dep hair gel is to today’s hair paste. I thought it may be too runny, but as I applied it to my face, it was the perfect consistency. Shaving was easy and smooth; it was like the shaving cream adapted to my facial hair (if that makes any sense), and I never had to go over an area more than once with my razor.

And while the shaving itself was smooth, the Post Shave Balm came in and really just felt great. When I read the ingredients, I wasn’t surprised that the dominant ingredient was aloe vera because my skin felt rejuvenated and revitalized. Some after shaves are loaded with water or glycerin, which means in about five minutes after applying, your skin needs another application to get that fresh feeling again. But with Dreadnought, my skin felt tight and crisp for a solid 45 minutes post shave.

The only thing easier than using the Shaving Cream and Post Shave Balm in concert was cleaning the Avenger brush. From the product description: “After using your Avenger, rinse the brush clean in warm water. Give it a little squeeze to get rid of as much water as possible, give it a good shake, [and] then rest on its base so it can dry out.” I followed the instructions, and by the next morning, the brush was completely dry and soft, like I had never even used it.

Between the Shaving Cream ($19.00), Post Shave Balm ($19.00) and the Avenger Brush ($15.00), $53.00 is incredibly reasonable for the shave that’s in store for you — especially when you consider that each 100 ml canister of shave cream will provide a total of 50 shaves, or roughly $1 a shave. The value of the product combined with the price makes it unbeatable.

I highly recommend all three products which can be purchased through the company’s website at www.dreadnought-shaving.com.

Not all shaving products are created equal. No matter how they are marketed or what they cost, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a great, clean shave is in store for the man using them. The products I received from The Art of Shaving unfortunately reminded me of this.

I received a box from the good people at The Art of Shaving that included several samples of both the Pre-Shave Gel and the After-Shave Lotion, but no shaving cream.

The first thing I noticed about the Pre-Shave Gel was that it was very thick — thicker than anything I would normally use. After mixing it with water, it was thinned out somewhat, but overall the consistency remained. It was so thick, in fact, that you could comfortably use the gel as a shaving cream if you don’t have a very thick beard to begin with. Since no shaving cream was included, I tried it two different ways:

1) I substituted with some shaving cream I had on hand.
2) I shaved with just the Pre-Shave Gel alone.

Shaving with just the Pre-Shave Gel wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t that smooth or pleasurable, either. I had to go over the same area multiple times. Afterwards, it felt like a film still remained even though I had shaved all required areas.

Shaving with another shaving cream was rather similar to the first method; I just didn’t notice much of a difference. The ease of shaving was not increased and my skin still felt like there was some residue left on my face. Even after rinsing off and splashing water on my skin, I wasn’t crazy about the after effect and I didn’t experience that cool, refreshing, “clean face feeling” I normally would after a shave; it felt rather slimy, actually.

Using it made my skin a little softer, but it wasn’t noticeable in terms of an immediate, tangible effect. I could tell something was on my skin, more along the lines of a lotion, but it didn’t make me stand up and take notice like some other products had in the past.

So, I was understandably hesitant about trying the After-Shave Lotion. I tried it anyway and I really couldn’t tell the difference between the Pre-Shave Gel and the After-Shave Lotion, other than the Pre-Shave Gel was clear versus the vanilla color of the After-Shave. I looked at the ingredients and I wasn’t that far off in terms of similarity; Water and glycerin were the main ingredients in the After-Shave, while they were the second and fourth most prevalent ingredients in the Pre-Shave Gel.

If I would’ve had the shaving cream, maybe the entire experience would’ve been different, perhaps even pleasurable, but as it was, I wasn’t crazy about it like I was about some other products I’ve tried.

On the plus side, both products required a minimal amount of cream, because once they were mixed with water, they covered the entire surface area of my face. But as for quality, I just wasn’t sold. Both products really seemed to be more generic than I was expecting.

For more information on The Art of Shaving, and for additional products, check out the company website at www.theartofshaving.com.

We recently received and opened the Old Spice Swagger gift set (with scratch n’ sniff included), and we were jacked up to find out what was inside. Swagger immediately gets one’s attention as it’s something that most guys either have or want to have! I can proudly say that I now have Swagger and I feel great about it! Old Spice delivers with their Swagger line, which includes a Deodorant, Body Wash and Body Spray that have what it takes to make guys feel clean and smell like a man.

Swagger Deodorant puts your odor on 24-hour lockdown and features a controlled scent release through the day and night, like one of those scent things you plug into the wall. Only this “plugs” into your armpits! There is no doubt that I felt drier after a long day at the office and then dropping 3 pointers in my basketball league like they were a bad habit. Next up is the Swagger Body Wash, which when used will probably clean the dirtiest of guys by incorporating scent technology that lasts eight hours, which in most cases is an average workday. Refreshing lather drop-kicks dirt and odor, does a clothesline on them, and then slams them with a folding chair. Hydrating formula leaves your skin smooth, not tight or dry or on the curb crying in the rain.

You see, Old Spice has put together a great combination of quality and value that guys can appreciate, and quite frankly that’s why Old Spice has flourished over many decades and is growing faster than my backyard tomato plants. Last but not least is the Old Spice Swagger Body Spray which considerably raised my game with the wife as she commented on my new scent, and I feel like I received credit for something that took a few seconds to spray on but went a long way with my bride. There is also a travel size body wash and anti-perspirant in the Swagger gift pack that appear to be a bonus!

It’s no secret that Father’s Day is near, so take advantage and pick up the Old Spice Swagger Gift Set for your Dad or anyone out there who wants to be a Dad. Guys like to argue and trade jabs about our different teams or views, but when it comes to cleaning up, we’re all on the same team, and Old Spice is a part of that team as one can see in this hilarious video:

The products from Jack Black will make the skin on your face so soft, it’s a virtual guarantee that if you use them and go to Florida, someone will eat 75% of your face. And who could blame them?

The Electric Shave Enhancer is composed of Natural Witch Hazel, Oat Kernel Flour, Lavender, Linseed extract, Sunflower Seed Oil and Glycerin. Marketed as unscented, I was able to detect the scent of lavender. As a man who has lavender growing in his garden, I locked onto that scent right away and was immediately relaxed. And BTW, it’s a very manly garden, with shit that will poke your ass.

The enhancer was smooth, not gloppy, and smelled good. I followed the directions and added a small amount to my face, with a small amount of water as well. Once I began to shave with my electric razor, I found it difficult to get a clean shave with one swipe.

Instead, I had to go over the same area multiple times. In general, something like that can cause a lot of irritation, but the Electric Shave Enhancer really did a great job of moisturizing the skin and kept it soft as well. That said, it was somewhat arduous to go over the same area again and again. Based on the thickness of the shave enhancer, I actually thought it might be more suited for a shave with a razor, so I put it to the test.

I lathered up my face and then proceeded to shave half with the electric and the other half with the razor. The side I used with the electric just didn’t feel as clean afterwards. Because the Shave Enhancer is rather stout, I had to keep going over the same area again and again; it was difficult for the electric to cut through the Shave Enhancer and get to the skin.

With the razor, the Shave Enhancer was great; maybe for someone with a thicker beard it wouldn’t have been sufficient, but for me it was. The Shave Enhancer almost functioned as a mixture of shaving cream and soothing after shave lotion. My skin never felt ripped open or vulnerable.

The following day, I tried the DIY Power Peel Multi-Acid Resurfacing Pads. Think of them as a more astute, successful version of the Noxzema acne fighting pads you and all your friends were using in high school. Functioning as a facial scrub, the pads exfoliate the skin, remove dead skin cells, improve texture and even help reduce wrinkles and dark spots. The other cool thing is that these babies are so powerful you only need to use them 2-4 times per week.

Upon applying the pad to my face, there was a slight, refreshing tingling sensation immediately, but it was very smooth. I thought my skin was clean prior to using it, but after swiping the Power Peel over my face, it was covered in residue I couldn’t see or wash completely with a wash cloth. And even though it opened my pores, my skin felt as though it was coated and protected. The following morning, I woke up and my skin felt great, and it looked clearer and felt especially vibrant.

For more information or to order either product, check out the Jack Black website at www.getjackblack.com.