The Male Waxing & Shaving Blog

I was recently lucky enough to experience an amazing treatment at the Mandarin Oriental Spa in Barcelona. They use the fantastic product range from british company Espa, one of the best range of professional skincare products available in my opinion.

At the end of my treatment I was discussing some suitable products for my skin with my therapist and she gave me a small brochure outlining the full product range. One of the products was the Skin Balancer: 24 Hour Balancing Complex which has the description below:

A light and non-greasy cream/gel moisturiser which helps to calm and purify oily, congested or combination skin. White thyme, sage and lemon actively work to soothe, cool and correct the effects of skin imbalance leaving your skin feeling clean, smooth and hydrated. Even skin prone to oiliness can become dehydrated, so it is important to use a balancing complex in order to regulate oil production and keep the skin healthy and supple.

Having had this used in my treatment the description really did sound wonderful, and I considered buying it … but at €53 I decided against it. I was looking through the brochure, and in the general (ie for women) section there was another product that looked interesting, a 24 Hour Balancing Complex:

A light moisturising blend of natural skin balancers and antioxidants which calm irritation and rebalance congested skin. Lavendar oil helps to regenerate and repair skin cells, whilst sage oil stimulates blood circulation and tones the skin. Essential oils of chamomile and Vitamin C-rich lemon soothe, purify, nourish and reduce stress. The perfect treatment for purifying oily, combination or slightly dehydrated skin.

Both of these products are a 24 Hour Balancing Complex, but they have just been described very differently to appeal to the different markets. The first would immediately appeal to guys, those with razor burn / irritation would be interested. They may not think so much about toning or reducing skin stress, whereas for women more detail about the individual ingredient benefits. It is a really good example of how to describe products and treatments to appeal to guys.

Another example of this comes from The Shave Doctor products, unlike most shave ranges this doesn’t include a Moisturiser product. Instead it has a product named as a “Moisturazor” as a lot of guys may not like the idea of moisturising but using a product as part of their shaving routine wouldn’t be a problem.

Today I took delivery of a few new products, or rather products that are new to Waxing for Guys. I’ll post about some of the others over the coming week, but today I want to talk about a new wax I think I will be moving to very shortly!

I have always used Hive Options waxes, lately using their Green Tea product. And I’ve always been happy with the wax and the result, but recently I’ve been thinking should I look to change. And so I ordered a tin of Perron Rigot Escential Green Tea. And today I got to try it out for the first time.

This isn’t the first time I’ve tried a Perron Rigot strip wax, I do have a tin of Cristal Ocean available that I use for clients who are allergic to the rosin in most waxes. But I’m not a big fan of I must say, I’ve just never got on with the texture of it for some reason. So was very interested to try a different product from the range.

The first thing to note about this is the cost, it is about 230% more expensive then the Hive wax, so to justify that cost it has to be good … very good!

The wax has a very distinctive fresh grass type of smell to it, and that is no bad thing. There is also a slight glittery shimmer to it that looks very nice, but how it looks and smells aren’t what a wax should be judged on. How does it perform in a treatment.

The first thing you notice about the wax is how thin you can spread it. Not just thin, but really really thin! I was able to cover an entire side of the back with wax before I had to remove it, it doesn’t dry out on the skin … great for speed waxing! Also when it comes off it not only takes every hair with it but it also all comes off so the skin isn’t left feeling sticky. And any little bits left over you can just dab with a strip and they come off easily enough.

So, about that 230% price increase … is it worth it? Definately! When you do a treatment you can see just how much wax you have used from the pot as it goes down. Using this it felt like using a tiny amount of wax to what I am used to, so it lasts longer and goes further! And it is more comfortable for the client.

The 800g tin it comes in can be inserted directly into the heater or it can be warmed slightly and poured into the heater bucket. For my trial I’ve just used it in the tin, I would probably use it in the bucket on a daily basis as it is a bit easier with the scraper bar and its easier to control the temperature.

I’m quite excited about this, sometimes its good to do stuff that’s a bit crazy in the name of a good cause! Waxing for Guys is a Primary Sponsor for the Birmingham Twestival that is taking place at the end of this month!!

On Thursday 25 March 2010, people in hundreds of cities around the world will come together offline to rally around the important cause of Education by hosting local events to have fun and create awareness. Twestival™ (or Twitter Festival) uses social media for social good. All of the local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go direct to projects.

The event this month is to raise money for the charity Concern.

Concern Worldwide was founded in 1968 to meet the needs of people living in extreme poverty, for whom every day is a fight for survival. Concern is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of poverty. Their mission is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives – improvements they can sustain without ongoing support. Concern meets the needs of these people in a caring and personalized manner, respecting their human and cultural dignity. They are committed to reaching the most vulnerable, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Concern’s work is informed by a vision for change and their education programs target the poorest people in the poorest countries in the world, with particular emphasis on reaching out-of-school children such as girls, orphans, street children, working children, children affected by conflict, children affected by HIV and AIDS, and children with disabilities. Concern’s education programs currently reach over 700,000 people in 25 countries across the regions of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Please follow @concern on Twitter to get a glimpse of their staff tweeting from around the world; including their efforts on the ground in Haiti.

I’ll post some more details in the coming days. But in the mean time, check out the event website and come along! You could even win a free wax and shave!!

Just when you thought the razor was fairly standard now, Shick – owned by Energizer (them of the bunnies) have come out with a “complete reinvention of the razor”.

A complete reinvention of the razor, the Schick Hydro results from years of testing and consumer collaboration, making it the most thoroughly researched product in the brand’s 87 year history.

Over this extensive development period, thousands of consumers provided their insights into the shaving experience and their feedback on prototypes, models and technologies. Consumer testers included men and women of all ages, from all walks of life, and with a wide range of sensitivity to adjustments in razor technologies.

“We had conversations with thousands of men, and what we heard, in short, was the shaving experience needed to be refreshed. They told us the potential for irritation kept them from feeling good during their shaves and that they wanted something that would refresh and rejuvenate them,” said Dan Kinton, senior brand manager for Schick. “With Schick Hydro, we knew that if we could create a shaving line that actually made men feel better, we’d be able to return shaving to its rightful place as a refreshing daily ritual. Our goal was to create a razor that gives back the hydration other razors take away.”

Read the full press release or checkout the new website.

It is launching the US in April, and I’m not sure of a UK date yet – but they sell under the Wilkinson Sword brand.

I came across the fascinating article yesterday, it shows just how sharp razor blades are under a very powerful microscope. So if you’ve ever wondered how smooth is smooth or how sharp a razor is, then I’d definately suggestion having a look at this article.

You can now follow Waxing for Guys on Twitter! You’ll automatically get to see when a new item is posted here to the Blog, and we will also post news, stories, and maybe even some giveaways! So if your on Twitter please feel free to follow us. And you can of course become a Fan of Waxing for Guys on Facebook too!

King of Shaves recently launched the latest version of their Azor Razor … the Azor M Alloy System Razor.

Designed and manufactured in the UK and tipping the scales at 47g, compared to the 17g Azor, the Azor M is perfectly balanced and ideally weighted for maximum control and comfort whilst shaving. The Azor M utilises King of Shaves’ internationally patented “Bendology Technology” flexible hinges which allows the Azor’s head to bend and follow every contour of your face whilst pressing the blades progressively closer onto the skin for a superbly comfortable yet close shave. The unique wishbone shaped head design provides greater visibility when shaving.

The latest addition to the award winning Azor line-up also introduces the new v2 slim blade cartridge, that makes shaving under the nose and other hard to reach places even easier. The tactile handle features side creases for improved dexterity and grip, trim guides for shaping and styling facial hair, a larger skin pre-tensioner (reducing the risk of unwanted nicks and cuts whilst helping to prevent in-growing hairs) and an improved soft-touch cartridge ejection mechanism making it even easier to change blades – not that you will be doing that very often as our Endurium coated blades last longer!

The razor has a RRP of £6.99 with blades costing between £0.81p and £1.25 depending on the pack size. Very competitively priced, and a very different design … so how does it compare? Well this will naturally be a part of the Big Razor Test to compare.

Perron Rigot, the industry leading french wax and depilatory product manufacturer recently launched its latest product range.

The new range is a collection of three new hypoallergenic products suited to the most sensitive skins, especially formulated to minimize allergy risks.

1. Cirépil Pure non-strip wax; velvety texture, easy to work, exceptionally gentle removal;
2. Alcohol-free Eau de Cristal lotion;
3. Pearlescent Oil; light, fluid texture.

Cirépil Pure, a non-strip wax is rosin free and formulated to minimize allergy risk. A pure white colour without fragrance, this wax is suited to all hair and skin types. Being one of the new generation non-strip waxes it is particularly suited to intimate waxing, underarms etc.

Eau de Cristal Lotion is derived from sea water, cleans and remineralizes fragile and reactive skins. Enriched with aloe vera and olive oil, its soothing and healing action is ideal for dry and sensitive skin. Suitable for use on all parts of the body, and in particular the most sensitive places, it can be used before and after waxing.

The Pearlescent Oil, with its light, fluid texture and formula based on calendula extract (with its healing and softening properties) and coconut oil (which moisturizes and regenerates), is ideal for after-care modelage. Its floral, powdery fragrance, allergen-free, associated with mother-of-pearl, leaves the skin soft and gently fragrant. Use before waxing on cold or dehydrated skins, and after waxing for the finishing touch.

And for those looking for a hypoallergenic strip-wax there is the existing Cirépil Cristal Océan. This wax has a special formula using synthetic resin so it is rosin-free. And for the most sensitive of skin types it is also fragrance-free. This is a very fluid wax that lets you spread a very thin layer very close to the hair root, making removal more gentle and more effective.

So this is the first blade to face the review! So we are starting off with a disposable razor from the biggest name in men’s shaving. This is a very different type of razor, particularly for those more used to changeable cartridge style razors.

The pack of 8 razors cost £3.19, with each razor therefore being a nice 40p each. I must just make a comment about the packaging as I really liked this, they pack is a small plastic bag and to open it you tear a strip off the side. This then reveals a zip-loc style sealer so you can keep all the remaining razors safe and clean inside the packaging. A nice touch I thought.

You start to notice a difference with disposable razors immediately, they are a complete plastic body so feel a lot lighter in the hand. The grip is comfortable, and nice to hold, doesn’t slip around between your fingers and you can still keep a good grip with went hands.

The head on the Blue II Plus consiss of two blades and a very well lubricated strip and is a fixed position. So it doesn’t tilt and move according to the contours of your face … you have to do that yourself. And this is one of the big differences, I found I just nicked the skin a couple of times and felt the blades just scraped the skin in a few areas leading to a little bit of irritation.

The result was quite a close shave, but only because of extra awareness on the second shave. I found that it wasn’t as close as I would like for the first shave, you wouldn’t be able to get away with a single shave with this … and if I did this would have lost a point on the closeness.

Overall, a good enough razor but one that you’d need to stick with to practice a little and get familiar with. I’m not sure it would be too good for those with thicker beards – or how it would cope with a few days more growth.

Scores
Grip: 3
Glide: 3
Closeness: 3
Comfort: 2
Ease of Use: 2
Value for Money: 3

Total Score: 16 / 30

I’m a bit late picking this up, but a few days ago Procter & Gamble Company announced the latest product in the Gillette shaving range, yes they have done it again and designed a razor that is better, smoother and more comfortable then all their previous razors that were better, smoother and more comfortable then all their previous razors.

As is the way now for Gillette this will come in the standard and “powered” varieties.

So there you have it, the best a man can get just got better! This new razor is launching in the US in June 2010 and around the world at some point after that, yet to be announced. But as soon as I can get hold of one I’ll bring you a full review and my own opinion of it.

One thing that I think we can be sure of … it is going to be expensive, the current Fusion Power blades cost upto £2.51 a head!!

For the corporate view here are some bits from the press release.
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