You may recall that back in July, I ordered 17 samples thanks to a sale at Maggard Razors. The samples included three complete product groups (pre-shave, lather product, aftershave) of the same brand or line, and then piecemeal samples of various soaps, creams, and aftershaves I’ve been wanting to try.
I’m to the point where I’ve almost tried everything at least twice, so let’s offer up some reviews.
Proraso Aloe & Vitamin E Protective (Blue) pre-shave, shaving cream, and aftershave balm: You already know that I love the Proraso white (sensitive skin) line, and I wanted to give these a try to see how they compared. While the first use had me wondering–the performance was great, but I wasn’t convinced by the fragrance–, I came around and fell in love with the products. They all perform as well as the white line for me, and the smell is pleasant and not too strong, fading away by the afternoon, so it isn’t always in my face, if you will. All three products provide a very well lubricated and protective shave and finishes with a high-quality, nicely lubricative balm that I always look forward to. You will note that I have gone ahead and ordered these in their full-sized versions based on their sample performance.
Proraso Menthol & Eucalyptus Refreshing (Green) pre-shave and shaving cream: While there was no sample of the aftershave balm in this line available when I ordered, I found it to be a pleasant and effective change of base to the White and Blue products. The products performed almost identically to the blue products, telling me that the base to all Proraso products is solid and consistent. The pre-shave has a strong menthol vapor that shoots up my nose and a coolness that lays down a nice cool groundwork to the shave. The cream follows with less of that coolness, but it’s still there. While I typically paired the blue aftershave balm with this line, I have ordered the whole line in its full-sized version, and will report on the balm at a later time.
Proraso Sensitive Skin (White) pre-shave, shaving cream, and aftershave balm: Yes, I bought samples of something I already love. Yes, I justified it as being because I could use them as travel size containers. No, I haven’t actually tried them, and yes, I did purchase some of the shaving cream to use in addition to the soap form of this line that I already have based solely on the experience with the creams in the Green and Blue lines. I love the White line and I don’t think that will ever change.
Zingari Man Artisan Aftershave Sego Balm: I’ve got other Zingari samples, but I haven’t used those more than once so far, so I’ll report back in a future post. The sego balm is nice, but remarkably similar to the Nivea Sensitive Soothing Post Shave Balm–neither thick or thin, it falls somewhere in the middle, moisturizes well, but unlike the Nivea, does not carry much of a fragrance at all. It works well, and I’ll keep it in mind in the future, but the Nivea and Proraso balms work well for me and I don’t see a need to add another aftershave product to the mix.
Edwin Jagger Hydrating Pre-Shave Cream: I was anxious to try this as I really had just two types of pre-shaves (okay 3, but I’ve given up on the pre-shave oils as they don’t work well for me). The Proraso products are somewhat soapy lotions that have small dots of…something. They’re incredibly oily and soapy at the same time, giving to a lot of slickness that really helps my shaves. The other is the Razor Emporium pre-shave soap stick, which is really a very slick soap that rubs on my face and then gets lathered lightly. It works well, but not as well as the Proraso products. The Edwin Jagger is a menthol-infused lotion that seems to rely on its being a lotion to provide lubrication, which is fine, but it doesn’t work as well as the other two. It’s okay, and I like the cooling feel of the menthol, but I just don’t see the need for it when I really do love the Proraso pre-shaves.
Cella Aloe Vera Shaving Cream (Green): Like Proraso, Cella (another Italian producer) likes to give their lines distinct colors. Their primary line is red, and from what I’ve heard, has an almond fragrance to it. The green line is tailored more to those with sensitive skin, with an aloe vera formulation. And while they call it a cream, the sample is hard and needs to be scooped into a bowl to be worked into a lather. It lathers well, provides more than adequate lubrication and cushioning for the shave, and doesn’t have much of a scent beyond just a light soapy fragrance. I do really like this, and will consider if there’s a way to fit it in longer-term.
That’s it for now. I’ll come back probably in about a month with a part 2 to wrap up the reviews. Still to come in that are the rest of the Edwin Jagger line: a shaving cream and aftershave lotion, the Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream, the whimsical Barrister & Mann 42 shaving soap, and the Zingari Man Artisan Unscented Shaving Soap and Aftershave Serum.
I’ve got some older samples from Stirling Soap Co. and Razor Emporium that I’ll need to review in the future, and I’ll have to review some of my other shaving soaps as well.
More content to come!
