Review: êShave Cucumber Starter Kit - http://www.eshave.com/This year for Christmas I received an êShave starter kit from my dad. I'd seen these products on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", and was intrigued. I looked them up online and, after seeing the prices, decided that this was a good, total luxury, completely unnecessary, holiday gift opportunity. I informed my dad of this holiday desire, and what follows is what materialized under the tree. The kit included a razor handle, badger shave brush, small razor stand, and cucumber shave and after shave creams.
êShave Shaving RazorThe êShave razor handle is an expensive, I would even say overpriced, stylish, very comfortable, little item. It is available in nine colors, of which I received ivory. Appearance wise, the handle is good looking, very good looking, if not more at home in a modern art museum then in your bathroom. It's even spurred comments from guests wondering what it is and where they can get one too. The main handle is made of Luxon, and is ergonomically designed to fit quite comfortably in your hand. The end tapers nicely to a point allowing it to slide into your palm, and is comfortable and easily manipulated from any angle.
The end, where the razor actually attaches, is made of plated metal (I don't know the actual underlying metal) and is available in three finishes: nickel (mine), gun metal, and gold. At the very end a small plastic tip juts out which the actual razor blade attaches to. Supported razor heads include the major Gillette and Schick options. Both 3 and 5 blade razors are supported, however; each uses a different handle so your stuck with whichever one you order.
The handle is top heavy, which is good, and the weight distribution is just about right, if not a little heavy overall in my opinion. Obviously, the actual shave performance is mainly determined by the razor head and products used, but this handle does give excellent control and ease of movement. Overall its a very nice handle, a definite luxury item, but excellent none the less.
The only issues I could have with it is the plastic tip that the razor head attaches to, and cleaning the metal head. The plastic tip seems sturdy, but I would imagine with enough force could break off. I'm surprised on such an expensive item they choose to use plastic for the connection. As far as the metal head, there's one part where it insets and little groves are cut out (for design sake.) This area tends to collect muck when you shave and is difficult to really clean out because of the inset and the size of the grove detailing. You have to go in with a small fold of towel with your finger but it is an annoyance sometimes.
êShave Badger Shaving BrushAppearance wise the badger shaving brush is similarly styled to the razor handle and comes in seven color options. The badger hair itself is available in three qualities from lowest to highest: fine, finest, and silvertip. I received the "fine" grade which êShave defines as:
"Best suited for first time users. Better than a pure badger this good quality badger hair is available at an affordable price. It is a good quality hair that will soften with time. This brush should last several years with minimal maintenance."There are also three handle options with reference to the overall handle length: short, medium, and tall. I received the tall variety, which is long enough to grasp completely with your hand, though; I generally hold it by the end when in use. The handle itself is made of Luxon, like the razor, and it elegantly designed. The base flares out slightly to provide a good pinch grip when you're applying the lather, and also provides a nice stable base when setting the brush down upright on a counter. A small carrying strap is also provided which cinches around the base and may be easily attached and removed.
Out of the top of the handle the actual badger hair emerges. I don't know much about badger hair to really base a quality estimate on, but it seems nice, thick, and bushy. There seems to be plenty of hair for the size of the brush, and the top of the hair is tapered to form a half sphere which glides nicely over your skin. I've used the brush for four moths now and have had no signs of hairs falling out or other wear.
Before this I had never used a brush when shaving; now I don't know how I could live without it. For those of you who haven't used a badger brush before, go get one! Now! First off, it makes up a lather the likes of which you can't duplicate with just your hands. It's warm and frothy, and covers excellently. The badger hair holds just enough water that it both warms your face and whips up the lather all at the same time. I've also noticed with the brush you can use much less shaving cream. A little goes a long, long way. If you need more froth, just dip the brush lightly in water and you're good to go. It also exfoliates your skin, which feels very nice, and picks up the hairs, so overall the shaving experience is much smoother.
I've tried the brush with both the êShave shaving cream and Headroom's Headslick. Both work well, and I've found that the lather stays on my head longer using the brush. Before with Headslick I'd lather up my head and by the time I got done with one half the lather was all but gone on the other. Not anymore! Overall the badger brush is an excellent investment in my opinion. Granted the êShave version is an expensive luxury version (you can get cheaper badgers or synthetic), and like I said, I'm not enough of an expert on badger hair to know if the price for this version is right or not, but it's a very nice brush that I'll be using for years to come.
The only minor issue with the brush is storage when not in use. You have to hang the brush upside down in order to properly dry the hair. There is no way to do this with just the brush itself, so you either have to buy a stand or improvise. êShave sells some nice, expensive, stands if you like, or I just use the supplied cord and hang it over the towel rack.
êShave Cucumber Shave CreamêShave shave creams come in six different blends, each with different skin type and use profiles. I received the cucumber, which they describe as: "For all skin types, cools, smoothes and energizes skin". The shave cream is a somewhat half cream, half foam, consistency wise, and comes in a nice jar with a large enough mouth to easily dip a brush into. It may be used with or without a badger brush, though I have only used it with one.
My first impression of the shave cream was the smell. I don't really know what a cucumber smells like exactly, but if this it it then I love it. The sent it strong, though not overpowering, and very cool and pleasing. When using a brush it lathers up very nicely and instantly provides a cooling sensation on your skin. I'ts more frothy then Headslick, and I find holds better coverage after it's been on your head for awhile and doesn't drip down. Performance wise it gives a clean, slick, shave I would rate highly.
Overall this is a very nice shave cream. It's a little pricey, but, using a brush, a jar will last quite a while, so I believe it is worth the investment. It has now taken the place of Headslick in my shave arsenal.
êShave Cucumber After Shave CreamThe after shave cream comes in three varieties. êShave describes the cucumber as: "For normal skin, packed with Vitamins A and E, cooling and soothing effect". It's a light, smooth cream, which absorbs quickly into your skin. I found it did a excellent job of moisturizing and provided a very pleasing cooling, spa like sensation. Like the shave cream it has a very pleasant, cool, sent which seems to fit very well for an after shave. When used on the head it does leave some shine, so I follow up with a matte lotion.
Again, overall this is a very nice, upscale, after shave cream. I'm not sure if I will keep using it after I run out due to the cost, and only online availability from where I am, but it's a nice treat.
êShave R Razor StandThe kit also came with this little stand for the razor handle. The metal head part of the razor handle rests on the top of the stand, and allows the blade to remain elevated for better drying and hygiene. It's elegantly designed, made of the same metal as the razor head (I think), and is available in the same three finishes to match the razor. Overall it looks very nice and complete with the rest of the collection. For what it is though, it seems a bit pricey. They do say on the site it's "hand made", so that may be responsible for the price, though; I'm not really sure why you wouldn't just mass forge it in a mold. You could improvise other options but it does complete the overall look nicely. They also make a range of other stands which mount to the wall or also hold your shaving brush.
Overall ConclusionsThe êShave line is a very nice, upscale, product line from which I feel there are some good regular use products, and some more extravagant luxury items.
- The razor handle, though very nice, is definitely a total don't really need it but its cool item; it's kind of like the Headblade S4 Shadow... sigh... next Christmas.
- The brush is a definite must have for any regular shaver, be it face only or whole head. Like I said, it need not be êShave's version, but it's a nice one. Eventually I plan to upgrade to one of the nicer quality badger hairs and see what I think.
- The shave cream I love. I plan to continue using it, perhaps trying out some of the other varieties. They also carry traditional shave soaps if that's what you prefer as well. It is on the pricey side as far as shave creams go, but using a brush it will last you quite a while so I believe it's worth it.
- The after shave is very nice, and somewhat more of a luxury item as opposed to the shave cream in my opinion. It does work very well but there are a lot of other quality after shaves out there at a lower price. We'll see if I continue to use it or break down and go with something cheaper once it runs out. It also takes a hit with products such as Matte For Men's Complete Head & Face Lotion, which works as a after shave, normal moisturizer, and sunblock, all while still at a similar price point. They also make a after shave "lotion" that appears to be a more liquid type product which I have not tried ("cream" vs. "lotion".)
- The razor stand is very functional, good looking, matches perfectly with the razor, and is somewhat overpriced in my opinion. You could improvise other solutions but it does match very nicely into the whole collection for a complete look. They make other stands as well for holding both the razor and brush, though again, very pricey.
You can check them out at:
http://www.eshave.com/
