Sly Bald Guys' Blog - Bald Related Product Reviews

Defend Your Dome

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:11:55 -0700

Many of my readers know that I prefer the matte look to my dome versus a very shiny look. They also know that I am a HUGE advocate of wearing sunscreen ANYTIME a person is going out into the sun. Well, I'm always excited when a product comes out that tackles the two objectives of keeping my dome protected with sunscreen and keeping the shine to a minimum.

Last January I heard of a product called Dome Defense by the company Dome Essentials (http://www.domeessentials.com) that "reduces shine" and provides protection from the sun with SPF 26. I immediately contacted them to let them know that I would love to try out their product. To my shigrin, they sent me a box filled with a tube of Dome Defense, two of their t-shirts, and two of their baseball caps, and two skull caps. All of them are great products!

So, why did I wait this long to tell you about Dome Defense if I've know about it since January? Well, I wanted to make sure that it was a time of year that you would use this product and take notice of it. Otherwise you would just read about it and go on buying your typical stuff.

My Review:

This product does what it says it will do! It reduces shine on your head while at the same time protecting you from the sun. I've tested this product at BBQs, on the golf course, and in my daily adventures and I have yet to be disappointed.

Pros:

Sunscreen that protects your dome.
Matte finish if you like to reduce shine
Reasonably priced. ($12.00 for 4 oz at the time of this post)

Cons:
Only available online

For a better head shave just exfoliate

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:00:00 -0700

One of the known secrets on Sly Bald Guys is that in order to get the best head shave possible it helps to add exfoliating your head to your preshave routine. How do you do this? Well there are two favorite products here that we use. The first product is HeadShed from HeadBlade. HeadShed is my favorite, mostly due to the smell of it. As HeadBlade's website details, it smells like a cross between cookie dough and cocoa butter. To use it, just squeeze a bit into your hand and rub it into your scalp. Rinse after 30 seconds. To learn more about or to buy HeadShed go to HeadBlade.com. You can also buy HeadShed at Sally Beauty Supply.

The second favorite product is St. Ives Apricot Scrub. This product works just the same and just as well as HeadShed, though it has a citrus/apricot smell. St. Ives is available in most drug stores and large stores such as Target and Wal Mart. Though, you might have to come up with an excuse when one of your buddies sees it in your shower.

How to carry on all of your head shaving gear when travelling

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:14:16 -0700

As some of you have noticed, until yesterday I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. Well, this was due to me travelling for business part of the time while I was absent from the blog. While I was in the Denver airport trying to get through security, it made me realize that I've been thinking of doing a post on "how to carry on all of your head shaving gear while travelling" and now is the time to do it. Here's how:

First off, you need to know the rules. If you haven't travelled in a while, then you probably don't know that you have to separate all of your liquids from your other stuff and put them into on quart (not gallon) sized bag and each liquid item must be in a 3 oz container or less. The TSA outlines this as 3-1-1 as the picture up above details.

Secondly, it is important to separate your razor, blades, and other non liquid items into a separate bag. Remember, you DO NOT need to pull this bag out when going through security. Also, you can bring a safety razor (HeadBlade, Fusion, etc) on the plane with extra blades. Here's what the TSA says about razors in their prohibited items section:

"Razor-Type Blades - such as box cutters, utility knives, razor blades not in a cartridge, but excluding safety razors (must be checked)."

From that line, it's my best guess that straight razors and double edge razors should be checked and you should not attempt to carry them on.

One of the toughest thing about this 3-1-1 rule is that it can often be hard to fit all of the things that you need into 1 quart size bag, so here is a list of all the products that I know of that come in bottles or packages that are 3 oz or less.

Shaving Creams/Oils/Gels

HeadSlick by Headblade - 2 oz
Pacific Shaving Oil - 1/2 oz and 2 oz sizes
Shave Secret Oil - 1 oz
KOS Shave Oil - 1-2 oz
Matte for Men - 2.5 oz

Exfoliating Scrub

HeadShed by HeadBlade - 2 oz
St. Ives Apricot Scrub -1 oz (Found in the travel section of stores like Target)

Lotions

HeadLube Matte or Glossy by HeadBlade - 2 oz
Matte for Men with SPF 25 - 2.5 oz
Neutrogena - 1 oz (If you stay at a DoubleTree they often provide this for free)
Neutrogena with SPF - 1 oz (If you stay at a DoubleTree they often provide this for free)

Bump Control

ClearHead by HeadBlade - 2 oz
TendSkin - 1 oz

One thins you'll notice is that HeadBlade has a product in every category on this list. They actually sell a travel kit that you can buy. The best part is that once you buy it, you can then refill the little bottles with product from your regular sized bottles. Both of Matte for Men's products are also below the 3 oz limit.

By sticking to products on this list or other products that you find that are below the 3 oz limit you should be able to fit all the product you need into the quart size bag. Remember that if you're are going to be somewhere longer than a week it will probably be a good idea to bring larger portions and just check your bag.

Is that a booger? No, it's just your nose hair.

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:51:29 -0700

I would like to send out a reminder to all of you guys that women and men are not big fans of talking to guys with nose hair that looks like it would strangle you if you got too close. Honestly! If you look into the mirror and can see hair petruding out of your nose then it's time to get rid of it. This also goes with ear hair. Just get rid of it! So, how do you do this? Get one of these...

The Phillips Norelco Ear and Nose Hair Trimmer.

This little gadget only cost about $13 at Amazon.com and works great! I do get pretty dark ear hair and I've always just used tweezers to pluck them out but it's hard to find them when looking in the mirror. With the trimmer I just have to run it over my ears and there's no sign of the hair anywhere. I'm lucky so far in that I don't really have visible nose hair, but to make sure this trimmer wouldn't tear up the inside of my nose I stuck it up there and turned it on. It tickled a bit but there weren't any cuts. This trimmer also comes with two attachements so that you can trim your eyebrows. So, if you have issues with hair growing out your nose or out your ears, then this is the product for you!

How to use the HeadBlade

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:41:14 -0700

You're all excited because you just got your new HeadBlade, one of the best razors for head shaving. You rip the packaging open, pull that bad boy out and you head to the bathroom to try it out. Then it dawns on you, "How do I use this thing?" All the sudden the blades look enormous, it feels akward, and your knees start shaking in anticipation of what your head might look like when you're done. Relax! It's very easy to use and will provide you one of the best shaves ever, you just need to remember a few simple things.

KEEP PRESSURE OFF OF THE BLADE! - This is in bold and caps because it is the main thing to remember when using the HeadBlade. If you forget everything else that is written here, remember to keep the pressure off of the blade. The blade is sharp and will do the cutting on it's own, so no added pressure is needed. Instead, keep the pressure on your middle finger (this is the finger you should have in the ring) and the finger over the wheels (if you have a sport) or the glider (if you have the classic).
Use long, even strokes - Place the HeadBlade at the beginning of your hairline and glide it over your head, all the way to the end of your hairline. For example, if you start at your forehead you should end up at your neck without ever lifting the blade. Pick up the blade and move it over to the next line of shaving.
Go front to back, then back to front - Or vice versa. The point is to shave your entire head sticking with the same direction, for example from your forehead to your neck, or neck to forehead. Then turn the HeadBlade around and do a second pass in the other direction. This will help you get the smoothest shave possible.
Find the best blade for you - Not everyone is going to love the blade that comes on the HeadBlade and HeadBlade knows this; that's why they have provided an adapter for other blades. There are several blades that you can choose from. HeadBlade Doubles, HeadBlade Triples, Gillette Atra, and Atra knockoffs. These all use the yellow adapter. The other blades that can be used are the Gillette Sensor, Gillette Sensor Excel, and Sensor knockoffs like Personna. These all use the black adapter which should come with the Sport. The double blades from Atra and HeadBlade are loved by many, but have also known to wreak havoc for new users as they tend to be less forgiving than other blades. Give either some triple baldes a try or the Gillette Sensor blades. Just remember that Triples clog easier and may not get as close as double blades.
Rinse Often! - Make sure you rinse your blade out after every stroke. This keep your blade unclogged for the next set of hair that it needs to cut.
Watch the HeadBlade 101 video over at HeadBlade - http://www.headblade.com/headblade-101.html

Slumbercap - how to keep your head warm while sleeping

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:37:15 -0700

We're in the middle of winter right now and it can be tough to keep your head warm at night, especially for us bald guys. I know, I know I live in California, so what do I know about being cold? Well, last weekend my wife and I went to a marriage retreat in the mountains. At the retreat we were given a little cabin to sleep in. The cabin did have a heater, but the second night we were there the heater went out in the middle of the night and it was about 30 degrees in our cabin. I rarely wake up in the middle of the night, but my head was right by the window and was absolutely freezing! I got up to look for my hooded sweatshirt so that I had something to cover my head and then I rememberd I had brought my

Slumbercap that was just sent to me. It then dawned on me that this was the perfect opportunity to review this product.

I went into my bag, grabbed the Slumbercap and threw that baby on my head! Within seconds my head was back to a comfortable tempature. I don't remember much after that since I was back to sleep about the time my head hit the pillow. The beautiful thing was that my head stayed warm all night and I didn't sweat from wearing the Slumbercap.

The Slumbercap was created by Ruth Klampert back in the early 90's to provide women who were going through chemotherapy a way to keep their head warm while battling cancer. When she took some samples into the cancer research center a nurse suggested that she created some for men also. The Slumbercaps for men are made out of 96% cotton and 4% lycra, so basically they are a slightly stretchy cotton cap, similar to a beanie or skull cap. The men's size is about 8 inches long and is the size of your standard beanie. I was also sent a womans size, which the design is basically the same as the men's, only a bit shorter; similar to a skull cap. I actually prefer the women's size more than the men's.

Why a Slumbercap instead of a beanie at night? Well, the Slumbercap is not as heavy as material so it lets your head breathe more and reduces the possibility of sweating. This also make is much more confortable to wear for the entire night, where as a beanie could get irritating.

To learn more about the Slumbercap, go to http://www.Slumbercap.com. They currently cost $14 for a men's and $12 for a woman's.

HeadWash by HeadBlade

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:25:26 -0700

HeadBlade has recently came out with a new product called HeadWash. What is HeadWash? Consider it shampoo for the guy that doesn't have any hair.

I visited HeadBlade back when they had just finished developing this product and I was lucky enough to get a sample of it prior to it hitting the shelves. It came in handy that evening because I ended up having to stay in LA for a couple more nights unexpectedly and it saved me from having to use hotel soap to wash the dome.

When I first used HeadWash, I was expecting it to have either a menthol smell or be fragrance free since that is what I'm used to with their other products. Upon opening the bottle, I was amazed to find a light and refreshing fragrence that smelled slightly like apple with something in it. I couldn't figure out what that something was until I read the description on HeadBlade's page that it contained apple and cucumber.

After using it, my head felt very clean and refreshing and it didn't dry out my skin at all like some face washes I've tried.

Pros:

Light and refreshing smell
You can order it right along with your other HeadBlade products
Didn't dry out my skin

Cons:

There weren't really any cons unless you aren't an online shopper. Currently HeadWash is only available online.

New HeadWipes from HeadBlade

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 02:04:43 -0700

Yesterday I arrived home to find a new package waiting for me. I was wondering who would send me a package since I hadn't ordered anything in awhile. As I looked at the label closer I saw that it came from Todd over at HeadBlade. Excited to see what he sent me I tore open the package and to my surprise were the new HeadWipes from HeadBlade!

I was surprised because I didn't expect them to come out this soon, but I was glad to see them. A couple months ago I was visiting HeadBlade down in So. Cal. and Todd hinted to me that they were coming out with some, but didn't indicate when. Well, now I have them and I think they are great!

The HeadWipes come individually wrapped so you can store them in various places so they are available when you need them. Upon opening them you will find that they have a light minty smell that is not overbearing. The wipes feel nice and refreshing as you wipe the cloth over your dome and leave your scalp feeling clean. HeadWipes are antibacterial, so they help reduce any bacteria that you might have on your head from your daily activities.

To learn more about the HeadWipes, head over to HeadBlade.com.

Shave Secret - The best shave you can get from Wal-Mart (ssshhh, don't tell anyone)

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:24:23 -0700

The other day I was cruising through Wal-Mart while my wife was looking around and of course I head over to the shaving section to see what products they are currently selling. I'm used to seeing the usual big name brands when I happen to go to Wal-Mart, but this time was a little different. After my conversation with a little old man that was looking for a styptic pencil, I noticed something that I had never seen before - Shave Secret. No, it's not a secret, it a product called Shave Secret. If it was a secret, it wouldn't be in Wal-Mart. Then again, I hadn't heard of it, so maybe it was a secret. Anyways...I grabbed it off the shelf to see how good this Shave Secret product really is.

The next morning I grabbed the little bottle and headed to the shower. And this is what I found:

The Shave

Like a lot of oils I've tried, Shave Secret provides great protection for your scalp and face while also providing a slick surface to shave on. The instructions state the following:

1) Generously wet the area to be shaved

2) Massage 3-5 drops of Shave Secret into a moist palm

3) Massage into the skin

4) Shave as normal. (Be sure to rinse your razor often)

5) No need to rinse the shaved area, just towel dry.

Considering I was shaving my head and it has more surface area than my face, I decided to use 9 drops instead of 5. This seemed adequate as I got a great shave out of it. I was able to do all passes on my head with just those 9 drops and didn't need to re-apply at all.

When it says to "Be sure to rinse your razor often" they are not kidding! This oil provides a slick surface on your skin, but is very sticky on your razor, so it tends to gunk up the razor pretty good.

Pros

This was a great shave and better than any product that I've used that is also on Wal-Mart's shelf.

It was less than $4 and will probably last two months using it on both my face and head.

It comes in a bottle that is only 18.75 ml, which I'm guessing is about 1 oz, so this is perfect for the traveler.

Cons

The smell is a very strong menthol like tree smell. Almost like Eucalyptos, but slightly different.

The razor tends to gunk up a lot, though this didn't really effect the shave, just a nuisance.

For more of about this product, you can go to ShaveSecret.com

Matte For Men Holiday Discount

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:52:51 -0700

The other day I got an email from Matte For Men about a new holiday discount they are offering. Here's the email:

We want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy Holiday season! To thank you for making our first year a very special one, we would like to offer you $5.00 off your next order over $30.00!

All you need to do to receive your savings is enter Coupon Code "051706" upon checking out and the discount will automatically be applied. This offer is valid through 12/31/07.

Once again, we appreciate your support and wish you and your family a great New Year!

Regards,

The Matte For Men Team

PS - Matte For Men makes a great gift for the Holidays!

To take advantage of this offer, just go to MatteForMen.com

Kiss My Face Moisture Shave Cream

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 22:54:35 -0700

I was recently at Whole Foods checking out the products that they have for shaving. While there, I ran across some Kiss My Face Shave Cream in a 1 oz travel size and figured, for $1.29 I should give it a shot. I've also seen other reviews of Kiss My Face on other shaving sites.

My review:

Kiss My Face Moisture Shave Cream is a non-foaming lotion similar to some of the more highly regarded shave creams that I've reviewed. Upon lathering it up, it was a little thicker than the other non-foaming creams that I've used which caused me to think that it would provide more protection than the other creams.

With my first pass, I found that the cream was not as slick as some of the more popular shaving creams. I think this was due to the thickness of the cream. As I made more passes, I found that more water was being added to the mix and causing the cream to become more slick than the first pass.

Overall the shave was above average as I got a close shave with minimal irritation. I would give it an overall rating of 3.75 out of 5. If you're in a bind and need some shaving cream, then I'd pick this over any of the typical products you find in an aerosol can.

Pros:

Non-foaming
Inexpensive
Available in chains such as Whole Foods
All natural
Fragrant free - at least the Fragrant Free product is. You can get it in Peach, Lime, Mint, Lavender, and Vanilla if you desire.

Cons:

Not as slick as other non-foaming creams.
The shave close, but not really close.

Preserve Razor - just recycle it when you're done

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:08:29 -0700

I recently received a Preserve Razor Triple in the mail asking me to review it. The razor is made by a company called Recycline, that specializes in recyclable products. In reading the packaging I was very curious about this razor because of the fact that it can be recycled when you're done with it. On top of being able to be recycled this razor handle is environmentally friendly because it's made from recycled Stonyfield Fram yogurt cups.

I opened up the package and found the razor to be very light! This made me even more curious as to how it would perform as most razor handles have a bit of weight to them. The model that was sent to me came with two triple blades which appear to be Personna Tri-Flexx blades. The good news about this is that it's compatible with the Sensor Excel blades that I already use! They also offer a double blade model and replacement blades for both.

In shaving with it, it handled great despite having little weight to it. Actually, I think it's lack of weight helped it in some of the more awkward areas.

Overall this is a great product, especially because it's so environmentally friendly. The handle is completely recyclable in communities in with #5 plastics recycling or with Recycline's postage-paid mailer you can just mail it back to them to recycle.

Check your local Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or health food store for this product. Or you can get them at http://www.recycline.com.

Pacific Shaving Oil for a Head Shave

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:31:25 -0700

Over the last week or so I've been using Pacific Shaving Oil to shave both my head and face. All I have to say is WOW! This is the best shave I've had with a shaving oil to date!

First off, a little about Pacific Shaving Oil. The oil comes in three different sizes, 2 oz, 1/2 oz, and single use sizes. This is very handy for traveling! Pacific Shaving claims that a person can get 100 face shaves with a 1/2 oz bottle. I would guess that would be about 60 to 75 head shaves. Still not bad!

When I opened the bottle, I was expecting to find that it had the typical menthol type smell that I've noticed in other shaving oils. I was completely wrong! Instead Pacific Shaving Oil had a very light citrus smell that only lasted while I shaved, hence it wasn't noticeable when I got out of the shower. This is probably due to the Grapefruit Peel Oil in the ingredients below.

Ingredients:

Hybrid Sunflower Oil, Laureth-4, Cyclopentasiloxane, Bergamot Fruit Oil, Avocado Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Kukui Nut Oil, Tocopherol, Tangerine Peel Oil, Grapefruit Peel Oil, Menthol

The Shave

I used Pacific Shaving Oil in the shower with my standard tool (HeadBlade with Sensor Excel blades). The directions on the bottle recommend to use 6 to 8 drops of oil per shave. Though, I know this recommendation was for the face, so I upped the dosage to about 12 to 15 drops per shave knowing that there is more surface area to cover on my dome than there is my face. I then rubbed the oil around my head, making sure that I covered all of the areas. When rubbing the oil in, it did "foam" up a little bit making it easy to see where I applied it, but the foam went away before I could even grab my razor to start shaving.

I then proceeded to shave using my normal routine of going from front to back. Then back to front. As with most products, I added about 3 more drops to the back of my head when going from back to front. This isn't necessary, as I still got a good shave when I shaved without doing this. But, I did notice that my head was a little more slick by doing this.

The shave was very nice as the oil is not as thick as other shaving oils I've tried. The result of this was less clogging of the blades and an easier clean up when rinsing the blade in between each pass of my head. I also believe this is the reason that I got a better shave with Pacific Shaving Oil than I have with other shaving oils.

Pros:

Light Citrus Smell
Low/non-foam shave
A very close shave
All natural ingredients
Very compact packaging

Cons:

I really can't think of any related to the shave!
As of the date of this post it's not widely available in stores outside of the West Coast. I'm sure this won't be the case for long.

Where and how much?

You can get Pacific Shaving Oil at http://PacificShaving.com.

Currently, the price of the shaving oil is $22.95 for a 2 oz bottle, or about 240 to 300 head shaves, $6.95 for a 1/2 oz bottle, or about 60 to 75 head shaves. You can also add on 12 to 15 single use packs to your order for $2.

I have personally seen Pacific Shaving Oil at Whole Foods, but to learn more about where they retail their product, go to http://www.pacificshaving.com/links.php. They currently list the following states as having retailers: California, Oregon, New Mexico, New York, Washington, and Montana.

New Bald Guyz discount

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:07:08 -0700

Hey guys, there's a new Bald Guyz discount on Sunscreen for Sly Bald Guys members. 40% off!! Check out the discount section to learn the coupon code.

King of Shaves AlphaGel Shaving Gel

nospam@example.com (Tyler) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:09:49 -0700

I've been trying out the King of Shaves Alpha Gel for the last week and have found that overall it's a good alternative to some of the products that we've reviewed here in the past, but not a great alternative.

The reason that I can't give it the complete two thumbs up is that I can't get a consistently great shave with it. One day I'll get a very smooth shave and the next day I won't. You may think this might be contributed the actual razor blade, but the great shave I got was actually with the same razor two days after getting just an ok shave.

Why would this happen? My theory is that due to the thickness of the gel, the blade can't always get as close as some of the thinner creams and gels that I've reviewed. It seems that you need to make sure you really wet the razor and your head when shaving with Alpha Gel if you want a really slick surface.

The weird thing is that I get a great face shave with it every time. I do use the Fusion on my face, where as I use the HeadBlade for my head.

Pros:

Does get a good shave
Typically a buck or two cheaper than the alterntatives
Provides the best face shave of all the gels that I've tried.
Doesn't dry out your skin

Cons:

I didn't get a consistently great shave
The strong menthol smell