The Male Waxing & Shaving Blog

Archive for February, 2010

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.
Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve added a new treatment to the shave menu here at Waxing for Guys. We’ve been using a straight edge cut throat razor to shave beards, well now we can use that same style of razor to shave your head!

There are quite a few guys who like the look and feel of a smoothly shaved head, but its one of those shaves that isn’t really that easy to do yourself. So why not let us do it for you!

That is what it says on the box of the gift set from The Shave Doctor. These fantastic mens shaving products are now in stock and I cannot recommend them highly enough. In my view the best complete shave products on the market!

So why not get along to the Shave Shop and check them out for yourself.

So I have completed the shaves for the first Razor in the Big Razor Test, and this is going to take some time! There are nearly 30 razors to get through, hence the name. Each model of razor will be tested twice, once as a quick shave and once as a full shave. The products used and routine are outlined here for future reference. For each test the razor’s will be marked out of five for the following categories:

1. Grip – How is it to handle?
2. Glide – Is it a smooth shave, or does the blade feel like its dragging?
3. Closeness – How smooth a shave does it feel, was it a good shave?
4. Comfort – Was it comfortable to use, did it cause lots of nicks and cuts?
5. Ease – Is it easy to use or does it require a bit of skill and practoce
6. Value for Money – Is it worth it?

And then the results from both shaves will be averaged out to give an overall result. So how are the shaves being conducted? Here is the procedure for each one:

Quick Shave

1. Use Men-U facial wash in the shower to prepare
2. Rinse and dry
3. Apply Men-U Shaving Cream with Men-U Premier shaving brush
4. First shave with the grain
5. Rinse and re-apply Men-U Shaving Cream with Men-U Premier shaving brush
6. Second shave across the grain, checking skin and shaving to give a close finish
7. Rinse, cool skin with cold flannel
8. Smooth over with Men-U Facial Moisturiser

Full Shave

1. Use Shave Doctor facial wash in the shower to prepare
2. Rinse and dry
3. Apply Shave Doctor Shaving Oil
4. Apply Shave Doctor Shaving Cream with Men-U Premier shaving brush
5. First shave with the grain
6. Rinse and re-apply Shave Doctor Shaving Cream with Men-U Premier shaving brush
7. Second shave across the grain, checking skin and shaving to give a close finish
8. Rinse, cool skin with cold flannel
9. Smooth over with Shave Doctor Moisturazor