One of the tensest moments in the seminal 80s classic movie “Predator” is the scene where Sergeant Mac Eliot shaves his face in the jungle, sans shaving cream, with a cheap plastic razor while awaiting an encounter with the Predator.

For years, that one scene impacted the way I shaved my face. If it felt any better than the way it looked, I assumed I wasn’t doing it right. The act of dragging cold metal across dry, fractured skin in an effort to remove facial hair is the manliest thing there is — how in the world could it be pleasurable? And if it was, was I even doing it right?  Hence, stumbling blindly through mediocre shaving products for years, and even knowing full well that I was doing it.

TwinLuxe is redesigning the concepts of shaving and men’s skin care together, at the same time, with a line of products to bring pleasure back to the shaving ritual. The TwinLuxe line is comprised of seven different skin care products. I received three of them: Smooth Shave Cream, Booster Serum and Renewing Face Wash & Scrub. The bottles themselves looked clean and sleek and hinted at the experience that was to come. There was a distinct order to applying the following products which I followed diligently.

First, I applied the Face Wash. You could immediately feel a tingling sensation as soon as you rubbed it on. Simultaneously, I noticed the smell and the way it made my skin feel upon application. The scent was as much aromatherapy as it was a shave product, and my skin felt vibrant and alive as I worked it into the area I intended to shave. There were little rough pieces of scrub that were so tiny you couldn’t even see them when you pumped the cream into your hand, but you could feel them briskly scraping against your skin upon application. Also, you really only needed to squeeze a small amount of cream out of the pump to get the proper amount to cover your entire face and neck areas.

Next, I applied the Booster Serum, which came in a cool little pump that portioned out the exact amount needed with just one squeeze. I spread it evenly around my face and intended shaving areas. It made my skin feel tight and composed, but it also felt like a moisturizer as the serum didn’t dry out immediately.

The actual Shave Cream itself was a vision — just upon laying my eyes on it I could tell a pleasurable experience was in store. The cream looked a lot like whipped cream, although the urge to eat it was temporarily staved off. The simple act of dipping my fingers into it let me know immediately that nothing about it was substandard. It was thick yet light and airy. It wasn’t just a glop of overly dense cream masquerading as a soothing Shave Cream — it was easy to spread over the areas I intended to shave and felt good.

One thing I have noticed over the years while using certain products like Gillette or Edge shaving cream is that upon application it almost becomes a race to shave, because once the air hits it, it begins to dry out and evaporate. But not with the Shave Cream. It never dried out or evaporated because it was so thick to begin with. And even though it was thick, it came off smooth with one swipe of the blade in any given area.

Finally, after I was done shaving, I applied one more pump of the Booster Serum which now functioned in the role of after -shave. But instead of shocking my skin into submission and making it tense up and feel hard, it moisturized and protected my entire face, making my skin feel light and smooth.

After following the steps and applying the three different products, I can honestly say that my skin felt completely different than the post-shave feeling I have generally become accustomed to. It felt rejuvenated rather than stripped down.

What TwinLuxe is doing is giving you an entire shave experience. They aren’t just throwing some shaving cream on you face from a white container with the words Shaving Cream in black and then throwing a razor against your face haphazardly to complete the task. I found it to be energizing and pleasurable and the extra time it took to shave was worth it.

The one perceived negative about TwinLuxe was the price. The Smooth Shave Cream costs $34 a bottle, the Booster Serum costs $76, and the Renewing Face Wash & Scrub costs $38. But while it may be more expensive than the eight dollar bottle of shaving cream you’re used to, it is nothing like it. You really are paying for a higher quality, multi-faceted product than a regular shaving cream. Plus, you are using less cream to get more out of the experience, because with all three products, you didn’t need a heaping handful to achieve the desired result.

So, sorry Sergeant Mac Eliot — the jungle is now urban and the “Predator” is inferior shaving products. Once you try TwinLuxe, you’ll never be able to shave with your old products in good conscious.

To order, check out the website: http://www.twinluxe.com/