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.

With Father’s Day coming up we’re all looking for gift ideas, and shaving products are always a good option. Grooming Lounge has put together a luxurious gift set around a luxurious dark leather travel bag created exclusively for them by renowned leather goods maker Mulholland Brothers. They stuff the bag with some great shaving products, including Mug Cleaner Face Wash, Beard Master Shave Oil, Beard Destroyer Shave Cream and Best for Last Aftershave. But my favorite item is the Ivory razor with chrome stand. As someone who just leaves his razor lying on the sink counter, the weighted chrome stand is perfect for holding your razor. Check it out along with other gift ideas at Grooming Lounge.

Do you ever just pick something up because it looks cool? I couldn’t even tell you the last time I did, but when the cruZer products from Braun arrived in the mail, I had to play with them because they just looked cool.

The cruZer line is a series of shaving devices created to express the diverse personalities of the men who use them. Your facial hair and body style express your own personality and attitude, and the cruZer line was designed to “underline your personal style.” And how does Braun plan on doing that? Unparalleled versatility.

I received two electric shavers from Braun: the CruZer6 Face and the CruZer Beard & Head Trimmer.

The CruZer6 Face electric razor is marketed as a 3-in-1 shaver, styler and trimmer, and it really was each of those, not just slick marketing. Its primary function is to shave your face, but even if you rock a goatee or Fu Manchu, you could still use it to touch up existing facial hair. The Trimming Comb is a plastic sheath that fits over the head of the shaver that you can adjust to four different lengths, which makes it ideal to trim and maintain a beard or other type of facial hair.

Another feature that speaks to the versatility of the CruZer6 is the Twistable Trimmer on the back side. The trimmer has long been a staple of an electric shaver, but unfortunately, its lack of adjustability is also well known. Not only does the CruZer6 trimmer extend out from the base of the shaver to give you an additional couple inches to work with, it also has two different sizes of trimmer head — narrow and wide. Instead of adjusting your style to fit the function of the razor, the CruZer6 adjust to the needs of the user and provides additional flexibility that other electric razors don’t. In a pinch, you could even use the CruZer6 to shave and manscape or trim any other body hair because it is so versatile.

Since I was so impressed overall with the CruZer6 and its design, I decided to put it to the test. I used it on two separate occasions — once, after not shaving for a period of five days, and then again two days later to compare and contrast. I will have you know that I hadn’t used an electric since I was roughly a freshman in high school because I have always found the shave to be inferior compared to a razor. Not only was there always more irritation (thanks to having to go over trouble spots repeatedly) and little white bumps, but it just didn’t really feel as refreshing as shaving with a razor.

The first thing that jumped out at me was how wide the saving head was — its width was wider than any previous shaver head I had encountered. Plus, the flat SmartFoil technology was more favorable compared to multiple, rotating heads. It made the shave much cleaner.

The CruZer6 did have a little trouble handling the five days of growth, but that is to be expected from any electric in that scenario. But what it didn’t do was rip my hair out, or prove to be uncomfortable. Two days later, I fired up the CruZer6 again and was not disappointed. The shaving head cut a wide swath through my facial hair and didn’t require me to go over the same spots repeatedly — it was essentially a one and done scenario. There was some difficulty around the contours of my neck, but what was cool was being able to pop out the twistable trimmer and handle those areas. All in all, it was a much better experience than the last time I shaved with an electric. And it was quick — I was done in roughly seven minutes. Some other nice features? It only takes five minutes to charge (making it ideal for use during travel), it’s waterproof and easy to clean.

The CruZer Beard and Head Trimmer was actually the first of the two products I used because my faux goatee/soul patch combo was in dire need of some love. Since I am an old schooler at heart, I had been using small grooming scissors to even out the hair that encircled my chin and the hair below my lip. But, since you can rarely be objective on matters regarding yourself, I could never know for sure how even or uneven my trimming actually was.  

The first thing I noticed when I unsheathed the trimmers was the beard comb which lets you choose between six different length settings. Nicer still was the ability to go from one length to another simply by sliding it into the desired position, rather than having to fumble around with and remove attachments of different lengths.

Since I like to keep my facial hair a little longer, I set it to six and cautiously proceeded- but my caution proved to be unnecessary. After a few strokes, the hair on my chiny, chin, chin was even and looked sharp. And the trimmer didn’t tug to pull on my hair; it trimmed it rather than pulling or tugging it out. It was very smooth. The beard comb is also removable, which allows you to cut or even fade your hair. I loved this because as the proprietor of a fade, trimming the fire breathing demon of neck hair needs to be done between cuts and makes the fade look better for longer. In five minutes, my neck hair was trimmed and I felt clean. And my skin wasn’t irritated after like it can be with other electric clippers.

The need to trim my soul patch lead me to the discovery of the next feature — a sliding trimmer (separate from the primary trimmer on the front) located on the back that extended and slid out with the push of a button. It was narrow, but not too small, which allowed you to trim whatever hair you were targeting in an efficient manner. I neatly trimmed up the three sides of my soul patch and looked in the mirror — I was impressed.

Using both the CruZer6 and the Head and Beard Trimmer was like a shaving intervention — I had been living in the dark ages using a razor and scissors, and in the process, limiting myself and my style. And I wasn’t even aware until I broke my normal pattern. In addition to being effective, both cruZer products just looked cool sitting on my sink. If someone used my bathroom and saw them I could momentarily fool them into thinking I had my shit together.  

“Wow, Paul has really turned a corner in his life. I never thought that dude would grow up.”

To check out the entire cruZer line from Braun, visit theofficial site or follow this link.

I got a box in the mail from eShave and it contained the Orange Sandalwood Collection, which was comprised of three crucial components for an enjoyable shaving experience: Pre-Shave Oil, Shave Cream and After Cream Soother.

The Pre-Shave Oil was really thick, like a balm, rather than a cream type that a lot of companies use, and it softened the skin immediately. After a minute or two of applying a layer of the oil and then rubbing it in, I literally felt like I could shave even without the shaving cream — my skin was loosened up and felt soft. The pre-shave could’ve easily been a moisturizer. I wasn’t surprised to learn that the Orange Sandalwood Pre-Shave Oil was named the Best Pre-Shave Oil of 2011 by Men’s Health Magazine. The only thing I didn’t like was the scent — Orange Sandalwood. It was too purfumey and was trying really hard to be equal parts aromatherapy and Pre-Shave Oil, when the latter was sufficient.

Speaking of thickness, the Shave Cream was exactly that — cream — not some crappy gel that would dry out the minute the air hit it. It was actually very similar to the shave cream offered by TwinLuxe that I reviewed a few weeks ago. Both were high quality and coated and protected your skin, greatly smoothing the act of shaving. Though I favored the TwinLuxe product, if you’re on a tight budget, the eShave version is $22 for a 4 oz. bottle, while Twin Luxe charges $34 for a 5 oz. bottle. Both are very high quality and are vastly superior to any gel-based shaving cream on the market.

The After Shave Soother was probably my favorite of the three products I received from eShave. It was at least the one that distinguished itself the most from other similar products. So many after shaves on the market are not sufficient with just one application — after you put it on once, some of them even dry your skin out even further and you’re forced to apply some lotion or an additional product. But the eShave version was thick without being gloppy and felt great. I only had to apply one coat and I was good; my skin wasn’t dried out 15 minutes later, it was still firm and moist. It just felt good.

But seriously, the Pre-Shave Oil is so versatile that you could even use that as an after shave soother or post shave cream. It will leave your skin looking a little glossy and moist, so you may not want to use it before you go out. But it’s easy to see why Men’s Health was so enamored with it. The Sandalwood scent was a little much at times, particularly with the Pre Shave Oil and After Shave Soother. I like Sandalwood as a scent (I actually have a bar of sandalwood soap next to my sink right now), but felt like it was somewhat overpowering and unnecessary for a product that was already solid even without the added scent. Overall, eShave’s shaving products put them on the top tier with any other big name product on the market.

Prices are what you would expect for above average products and I always say it’s hard to put a price on looking and feeling your best! Purchase products directly from the EvolutionMan.com website.

We first tested the AphaGel Shave Gel for Sensitive Skin and we felt the quality in this product when first applied. The ShaveGel is Dermatologically tested without any fragrance. The company claims the low-foam formula helps protect, moisturize and lubricate your skin throughout the shave giving excellent razor performance and glide. Ideal for sensitive skin and we found that to be true.

Next up was the razor that came with the travel kit. The razor works like a charm and has the award winning Azor System Razor which features unique flexible hinges that allow the four long-lasting Endurium blades to follow every contour of your face whilst pressing the blades progressively closer onto the skin for a superbly comfortable yet close shave. I then went right to the King of Shaves Face Balm which employs a unique Skin Surface Enhancing technology, with Hydrocreatine to protect, moisturise and condition your skin leaving it non-greasy, supple and smooth. Formulated with menthol to give you a cool, refreshed feel. I foind this to be one of the better after shave balms I have tried and the price is very reasonable.

For my next shave I tried the King of Shaves Shave Oil which protects, moisturizes and lubricates your skin throughout the shave giving superlative razor performance and glide. Your face will be left smooth, supple and moisturized. Up to 100 shaves from one bottle is no joke for small a small travel friendly package. I really enjoyed this product and I’m using it today as it really soothes your face and delivers one of the best shaves you could image. Top notch!

Overall the products we tested from King of Shaves were of high quality, practical and packaged properly.

Knowing that this set is about as natural as you will find out there in shaving products combined with the fresh clean feeling you get your day off to a smart start! I really noticed how smooth and moisturized my face felt after finishing off my shave with the EverBlade after shave product.

Granted you will pay more for EverBlade than off the shelf shaving products at your drug store but if you are going for the natural shaving products and want to do your own thing you will probably be happy with your purchases.