Special Post: Truefitt and Hill Ultimate Comfort Shaving Creme (Unscented)

And....... we're back! We are back with a special review. Yes, even I am surprised that after seven years this site is still up and visible. Seems I forgot to follow through with my notice (below) and take it down at the end of 2014! haha. Thanks to the more than 1,000 visitors over the past 12 months- I hope you found this site interesting and a little entertaining. But now, on with the review.......

Just as a reminder, I typically use a Gillette Fusion 5 blade shaver.

Review: Truefill and Hill (Ultimate Comfort Shaving Cream Unscented)

Application

I am not particularly loyal to one shaving cream or another. I often use Anthony Shave Cream (All Skin Types) and am very happy with that product. However, due to poor planning (ie: forgetting to restock), I recently used the horrible supermarket staple "Shave" that I needed to purchase recently. I say this to reflect my more recent experiences that inform my use of the Truefitt and Hill product.

I was informed that I do not need to use much of the product so I was cautious squeezing it onto my palm. The cream dispensed nicely and there was good control over the cream as it came out. This is a bit different to my experience with the supermarket "Shave" product as it never seems to dispense well. The Truefitt product spread over my face well, with the application being very smooth and felt both creamy and very light compared to some other products.  

The actual shaving experience.

For a guy who reviews shaving products, I don't keep my blade in tip-top condition. This can be a great test of shaving cream, as it has the extra battle of managing a blade that isn't always at its sharpest. The biggest test is often that first drag across the face. It can be rough and a little painful if the cream isn't great and blade isn't sharp. The Truefitt shaving cream just seems to laugh at a dull blade. It glided over the skin smoothly, without any pulling or dragging, removing the facial hair without repeated strokes. Rinse, repeat and try a different part of the face. The same outcome, again and again. Minimal effort with a great result.

That spot just under the nose can be difficult to shave properly. I ensured I had adequate cream to the area and turned the razor around to use the trimming blade. With a stroke or two, the facial hair in that annoying place was gone with ease.

The tube states unscented and this is basically true. There is no perfume smell to it, however, there is a pleasant and relatively subtle aroma associated with the ingredients.

How's the skin (post-shave)?

The post-shave skin felt good. In fact, the word I would use is "moisturised". Reading the back of the tube, I note that the company states the product includes "moisturising lavender oil". It is a nice claim and obviously, the amount of lavender oil would affect the moisterising effect. Nonetheless, the skin did not feel dry. There was no irritation, no redness and no post-shave discomfort.

Remember above I said that I was advised to use only a small amount of the cream? Well, the advice was correct. A small amount was suitable for the full shave. Yes, it sounds like a marketing statement, but it was certainly my experience. So, while the product isn't the cheapest around, its volume goes a long way.

Blade cleaning

Pretty darn good. Water seems to rinse between the blades nicely, leaving little residue. Please don't face-palm when I say this but I sometimes provide a "deep clean" to remove residue by dropping the razor (handle first) on the shower floor. I was surprised to see that the razor was remarkably clean after using the Truefitt product for several days. Other products cause much more of a build-up, compared to this cream.

Any problems?

One thing that really bugs me is the tube itself. As mentioned in previous posts, I shave in the shower, so this means the tube is located in the shower as well (kinda makes sense, really, doesn't it?). The tube is on a shelf about waist level and this means the shower water can run over the tube. Strangely, the water can then collect in the cap, meaning that the cap is opened, water spills onto your hand. This is trivial, I know, but I do find it a little annoying.

So, would I buy it again?

The product is not cheap, coming in in excess of $35, even at discounted outlets. However, it's a great product and if you normally spend more than $20 on your shaving cream then I would certainly say to give it a go. I think it's a fantastic and comfortable shaving cream, well worth the money.

Moving to a new focus

Since the start of 2013, I have tried to present an independent perspective of subscription shaving. It has been a lot of fun and I have been pleased to have met a number of great people. However, things have changed and I now want to focus on different on-line pursuit. So, here, just before the end of 2013, I am signing off from The Monthly Blade for the last time.

 

I also want to say THANKS! to everyone who has participated in this blog site in one way or another. A couple of huge shout-outs:

• The guys over at Aussie DollarShaveClub.com
• The team at Raz*War and
• Thom, over at the awesome BadHairBoy (where service is awesome!).

I recommend these three companies products and service. Each seem to be built to ensure the customer has a great shaving and purchase experience.

My extra special thanks to Mrs TMB whose review, feedback and comments have always been appreciated. Well, mostly.

 

Many you get lots of nice stuff from Santa and have a fantastic 2014. 

 

Thanks everyone!

Raz*War Aftershave balm

Why am I talking about balms? Well, the underlying reason for using an aftershave balm to to calm and soothe the skin after the trauma of shaving. Guys, let's face it, dragging a blade across your face, regardless of the brand of blade, traumatises the skin. Hair is sliced, skin is abraised and follicles are ripped.

Brut 33 and Old Spice (and, yes, 4711 for those of a particular age) taught us that there is nothing better for our freshly shaved skin than to splash alcohol based fluid onto it. I am sure the screams are still echoing around suburbs throughout the world. Fortunately, aftershave balms came along. 

A soothing, calming creme that made the skin feel nice- not like it was on fire. It may have a nice fragrance but that is not the purpose of the fluid. The aftercare balm is supposed to make you feel comfortable.

The first aftershave balm I used for this series was the Raz*War Aftershave balm. It claims to re-hydrate the skin after the drying effects of shaving. Furthermore, the website states:

Razwar's All Natural Shaving Balm consists of glycerin to hydrate the skin, hamaelis water to promote blood circulation and vitamin E to soften the skin. The 100% natural fragrance is made from different tree species, for example sandalwood from natural vanilla and benzoin. These oils are especially sweet to the skin.

No mucking' around- this is good stuff.
No girlie smell.  A balm for blokes.

Hydrate the skin? Yep. Soften the skin? Hmm, nice. I have to say the initial claims are delivered in spades. The balm felt great and did what it was supposed to do. It made my face feel really good. Smooth and soothed, noticeably removing any burn from the shave I just had.

The website then talks about the fragrance. Now, for some aftershave balms, I am pretty indifferent to the aroma. If you are going to use something with the words (and I use this only as an example) "Christian Dior" in the title, you should expect a balm with a distinct, identifiable fragrance. 

But, there are many, many balms out there that do not have a designer house smell. So, gents, if you want to wear an aftershave balm that does NOT have a strong fragrance- the Razwar Aftershave balm is the one to get. It has a nice smell but it is immediate, subtle and soft. Minutes after applying it, I asked Mrs TMB her thoughts about the aroma and she questioned whether I was wearing anything. Make no mistake- no scent is not a bad thing. Indeed, for many people, it is preferable.  

RazWar Aftershave balm is highly recommended as a cooling, calming post-shave balm that makes your skin feel refreshed.

A week or two of aftershave balms....

This is the stuff!
Awesome in a tube!

Long intro to get to my point.... but I do eventually get there.... I have a friend in hospital, so I will dedicate this blogpost to anyone who is recovering from surgery. May my writing be a distraction from your recovery.

I used to adore my Fahrenheit aftershave balm. Application was glorious, smooth and creamy with an amazing smell of old wood, asian spice and (so the label suggests) blokey kero. Yep, that's what I said. Kero. (For people reading from outside Australia, that's an abbreviation for Kerosene). What I particularly liked was the way the aftershave balm calmed my skin down after shaving. 

My skin never liked shaving and if you remember one of my very early posts, my facial hair isn't thick. When I was younger, I would shave too close, with a blunt blade and... well. Bloodshed. Or, at the very least; angry skin. So, the aftershave balm was a blessing. Soothing and smelt very  good!

As things went on, I changed by habits and routine. For a long while, I used nothing on my face. Oh, some aftershave lotion if I was going out, but otherwise nothing. A while ago, Badhairboy tweeted his daily routine of using one of his skin products on a daily basis... and that got me thinking about skin care. (Yes, yes. Apparently twitter DOES work as a sub-conscious sales tool. I bought the product to give it a go as well :) 

All-Natural Raz*War
Aftershave balm

And now, we are having our bathroom renovated. In clearing it out, I found a heap of aftershave balms that I had stashed away. So, over the coming weeks, I am going to plunge back into the Aftershave Balm experience. 

Still a bit lost with the links? Skin care. Bathroom findings. Aftershave balm. Got it? Great!

Every week, I will use a different aftershave balm and report back to you, my readers, about my thoughts, the feel, Mrs TMB's comments and any other feedback I get about the balm. With a tip of the hat, the first will be the all-natural Raz*War Aftershave balm.

Raz*War: Quick Bits

I stated in an earlier post that I shared some Raz*War products with friends and acquaintances to give them a try. Be sure to read my concluding paragraph at the end....

Here is what they said.
____________________________

The International Correspondent:

My international correspondent was the only person I knew who occasionally uses a brush to apply shaving crème, so he was the logical choice to try out three of the "Ultimate wet shaving kit" products. These were the Modern Shaving Soap, Shaving brush and Shaving bowl.

I must admit that I was impressed by the weight and solid feel of the shaving bowl. If you were not planning to use it for shaving, it could make a decent weapon :-). So, onto the feedback.....

How do you normally shave?

I have used the Gillette twin blades for as long as I can remember, shaving usually every second day, changing the cartridge about every 2 weeks. I don't find any benefit in any more blades, whereas there is a marked difference in using twin blades over singles.

And the products?

I don't normally use a brush, I just apply and lather with fingers. The brush was ok, but more time consuming than 'fingers', so I wouldn't normally use it. The soap lathers quickly. So, if you can be bothered to take the time to use the brush and soap, it is marginally better than tube-and-fingers. These products were okay but not so much better that I would change to everyday use of that method.

The Domestic Correspondent

This was an interesting one. I provide the Domestic Correspondent with an El Che set (handle and blades) and said "Go forth and shave". About eight weeks later, I finally caught up with him again. In the between time, he had welcomed a new baby into their family.

I was eager to hear what he thought of the blades. So, after asking the necessary questions about the baby, I got stuck down to business. (Ladies, that's what we blokes do. A couple of questions, then move on...).

How do you normally shave?

I've used a cut-throat for... oh... as long as I have been shaving. I've used a "normal" razor a couple of times in that period but not many.

Okay. So using the Raz*War triple blade would have been quite a different experience from your normal shave. How was it?

It was good. It wasn't as good as the cut-throat but it gave a good shave. I had to go back over some places, and that is just something you don't have to do with a cut-throat. Oh, and this might be unfair but the blade didn't seem to last very long.

Really? How long did it last?

About a week but I usually get a month out of my cut-throat. So, the comparison might be unfair.
_______________________________
My Summary- while I appreciated the feedback about the products from my "Correspondents", there seemed to be a mis-match between the users and the products. What I mean is that their habits were different to the experience of these Raz*War products. Shaving is a personal experience and relies on acquired blade skills and whisker-softening habits. I believe the experience of my "Correspondents" demonstrates this wonderfully. Each were asked to use products that were different to their normal routines. And the outcome... overall still positive. Even though it was a change for them both.

Sounds like a thumbs-up to Raz*War! 

Not so much of a re-launch as an "I'm Back!"

Hi everyone.

Yep- it has not been you browser not reloading the page correctly. I have been on a blogging sabbatical. However, a new month comes with new blogs.... stay tuned.....

Raz*War El Che: The First Shaves....

I had some pretty high expectations around the Raz*War razor. The website establishes a high bar- making a point of its American made blades . However, rhetoric doesn't prove anything- it's all in the shave and the finish.

There is nothing too remarkable about the blade/ handle connection. The razor is three blades without a trimmer. That's no big deal as I have found the smaller (triple) blades are far more agile than the larger 5 or 6 blade razors. As I said last week, I remain enamoured by the Raz*War handle. It is the biz!

While I paid for the triple blade razor, Raz*War was good enough to include some shaving oil with my order. While I look forward to using their oil, I thought it would be unfair on other brands if I didn't compared same with same. So, I used the Proraso shaving creme with the fresh Raz*War blade.

A short time later, I was marvelling at the exceptional shave. It went by in a blink; smooth, efficient and an outstanding finish. Mrs TMB even commented on the silky smooth finish provided by the blade. After all the wonderful things I had said about a competitor over the last few weeks, I wondered if I had found something better. Without doubt, this was the best shave I had experienced this year.

What I noticed on subsequent shaves was that the first shave was pure luck. The next day, I realised that there was quite a different technique needed to using this blade. The head just didn't seem as mobile as other blades and, thus, I had a noticeable learning curve getting used to the razor.

Make no mistake, when it shaved well, it was awesome. However, over that first week, the decreased flexibility made my neck look like an outtake from a Twilight movie (ie: usually two nicks on my neck. Sometimes more) . I also have to admit that part (but certainly not all) the blame had to be upon me- I did keep using the blade longer than I should have. I blame myself for the pulling and nicks in the latter period of its use. Nevertheless, even when newish, this blade drew blood.

Here is the important part:  Things started to settle down with the second blade. I had obviously become more familiar with the different feel and pivot of the razor. I am interested to see how the rest of the blades perform (and how my shaving method continues to develop with the blade). More than  any other blade I have used, it is all in the angle. And now, I look forward to trying the Shaving Oil as well......