On Monday, November 2 Gillette Fusion and Rollingout.com sponsored the “Men of Style” awards at the infamous 40/40 sports bar and lounge in Manhattan. This event was hosted by Fonzworth Bentley and Malikha Mallette of Power 105FM. Vivica A. Fox was in the building where Ed Lover (The Ed Lover Show), Malik Yoba, Chuck Creekmur (allhiphop.com), Miguel Perdomo and other celebrities as well as local NYC barbers received awards for style and/or dedication to their craft.

Guess what? These people get paid to endorse Gillette!

We all know how much the beloved Daily Mail likes to champion a cause. And having thoroughly exhausted the debate on Wheelie bins the paper has now turned its guns on men’s number one grooming product – the humble razor. The company that has done most to outrage the paper’s sense of fair play (I know, don’t laugh) is Gillette. The thrust of the argument is that (shock of shocks) Gillette is making a huge profit on its Fusion razor and accompanying blades.

Earlier in the summer the paper claimed that the mark up on some shaving items was more than 4,000%. Seemingly, instead of keeping the costs down Gillette is forcing customers to pay for celebrity endorsement from the likes of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer instead. Blimey, what a surprise to discover that we’re not just paying for the raw materials themselves but for the advertising campaigns, the multi-million pound research that goes into creating the products and, to cap it all off, celebrities to endorse it too. I know, I was shocked too.

But not as shocked as Asda is it seems. The supermarket giant, jumping on the Mail’s bandwagon (and with absolutely no thought of shifting units or creating publicity you understand) are helping the British consumer out by slashing the price of their Gillette razors by up to 40%. Will King, the man behind Gillette rival King of Shaves and champion of the recession-hit man on the street, has waded in on the debate too, claiming his cheaper Azor razor is a much better deal for consumers (partly because of the very lack of the expensive research, ad campaign and celeb endorsement I suppose). Like Asda, he’s outraged that a company should make such a huge profit out of the average working man. Touching innit?

Dear readers, never have I heard such a bogus debate (or, if you prefer, such absolute bollocks) in all my life. So, there’s a huge mark-up on razor blades? Well, Gillette are the market leaders and they got there not just by creating a product that men keep buying because it works but because they spent money creating an identifiable, sexy brand. It’s what brands do. The consumer pays for this. We all know that, right? When I buy a £300 pair of Prada shoes am I under any illusion they cost a fraction of that price to make? When I buy a £35 bottle of fragrance advertised by a A-list celebrity am I so deluded I think it cost £33 to make and the endorsement came free? And why do I continually buy Kellogg’s cornflakes instead of as Asda’s own? Because, through bitter experience, I’ve discovered they taste better and sometimes you have do have to pay more for a quality product.

But it’s not just the ridiculousness of the argument that rattles me it’s the hypocrisy of those that spout off about it. Asda’s toiletries buyer, Graham Speak, for example, is quoted as saying: ‘Instead of lining the pockets of Federer, Henry and Woods, we think companies like Gillette should ditch their razorsharp pricing and put customers first, charging a fair price for an everyday product that doesn’t cost a lot to make.” So who the hell paid for Sharon ‘mum in a million’ Osbourne when she appeared in those Asda ads then? The tooth fairy?

Shaving. It’s kak. It’s ok to admit it, although sadly it is a neccessary part of everybody’s day to day life. Luckily for me, my facial hair is not yet advanced enough to require me to shave every day. Every second or third day for me personally will ensure a smooth face.

The worst part of shaving is the cuts. Aside from stubbing your toe, paper cuts and getting hit in the testicles (for guys), cuts from a razor on your face is the worst thing in the world. It hurts like hell, bleeds like hell for about 15 minutes and looks like you put your face in a blender. And if you’re really unlucky, they leave unsightly scabs on your face for the next week or so, that just screams to everybody “Hey look! I don’t know how to shave!!”

My personal experience (only using disposable razors), is that Gillette really does make the best. I’ve tried no-name brands, I’ve tried Bic. I’ve tried two blades, I’ve tried three blades. The only razor that I’ve found to consistently NOT cut my face to shreds is Gillette razors. No matter the brand or number of blades, there is just something about Gillette that just works for me. Maybe it’s the tilting heads or something, I don’t know.

Now, before this starts sounding like a Gillette advert (no, I’m not getting paid: I wish though!), let me point out some things. I don’t think we need 5 blades on a razor, Gillette, so please stop pushing your Fusion down my throat. I don’t see the point of a battery powered manual razor: what’s the pulsing going to do except cut me? I hate your “precision trimmer” concept on your Fusion: You know what we used to call “precision trimmers”? Razors! Finally, your products are such a rip off. I am not going to pay R200 (or whatever crazy price they are asking nowadays) for three blades; especially when you are putting a 4,750% markup on them (check this article for more info on that one).

In short, I like your razors but you are crazy. Thank you.

Oh, and please comment on this story and share your best (or worst) shaving stories. I for one would love to read them.

The latest superbrand to jump onto the viral bandwagon is Gillette. In a series of animated videos, Gillette explores how its famous and very expensive “shaving systems” (a.k.a razors) like Fusion can be used to shave off unwanted hair from well…every part of the human anatomy! I guess the idea goes back to Gillette’s age old strategy of increasing usage, and frankly, it makes sense. The age of the metrosexual male has long dawned upon us!

Conversational, light hearted and easy on the eye, i love the way the virals are executed. Most importantly, the quality & packaging of content balances the very obvious brand connect.

Remember that the viewer (just like me!) is “viralling” content not because of its brand pedigree,  but because of the calibre of storytelling that the video exhibits.

HOW TO SHAVE YOUR GROIN

HOW TO SHAVE YOUR ARMPITS

HOW TO SHAVE YOUR HEAD

Gotta love those people over at Gillette. Earlier this year (during the Daytona 500 actually), they premiered a new Young Guns ad that featured “Sound the Alarm” by Shapes of Race Cars – easily one of my favorite tracks of ‘09, and now they have just premiered a new ad featuring Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods, and Roger Federer, and the song “Dream Within a Dream” by Action Action. Think it’s a coincidence that the ad came out right as the US Open was ending and Wimbledon was beginning? Haha. Unfortunately for Gillette, Tiger didn’t win, but I will be shocked if Federer doesn’t take Wimbledon – I always love watching his game on grass.

As for the song, I had heard of Action Action before, but wasn’t too familiar with their music – many bands get lumped into the whole post-punk/synth rock genre, and it’s easy for good ones to get lost in the shuffle. However, after seeing this ad the other day and hearing the beautiful, droning synth, I knew I had to hear more,and “Dream Within a Dream” has been on repeat ever since…unfortunately, the album’s not out yet so I have to be streaming it on MySpace, but once it is, you can bet it will get worn out on my iPod. Unlike many of the aforementioned synth rock bands, Action Action actually has solid songs that serve as the backbone for their sound, not the other way around. 

Action Action on MySpace

Gordon Brown might think he has a monopoly on strategies to see us out of the recession but how about this as a rival to his car scrappage scheme? This weekend in Manchester (in the Arndale Centre to be exact) Gillette are doing a novel promo where they’ll happily swap grubby old razors for brand new Gillette Fusion jobbies. And all this for absolutely nowt , as they say in them parts. With any luck such schemes will be popping up all over the land this year. Watch this space.

YouTube totally made my day today! I don’t know how I found this one, but I’m glad I did.  It seems Gillette (razors & whatnot) has a YouTube account. Along with videos of quick tips for shaving your face, head, chest, back, and armpits was this little gem~~

OMG! LOL!  Well, what are you waiting for guys? Don’t you want to immediately run out and get a Gillette Fusion Power Razor to make your “tree” look “taller”? Just remember and use common sense to avoid putting your equipment at risk.

Common sense should tell you that “trimming the underbrush” isn’t gonna fool anyone… except yourself!  I’m not saying we don’t appreciate tidiness…. it’s just that a razor can’t preform miracles But, by all means fellas, buy away!

$7.99 at Amazon.com

Moonstruck Mommy

According to my closest pals one of my least endearing qualities (other than my standoffishness and an unerring knack of saying ‘I told you so!’ when things go cataclysmically wrong) is my innate scepticism. I am the world’s worst doubting Thomas, from a long line of doubting Thomases, whose family name is (rather appropriately) Thomas.

I’m no less sceptical of all the claims made by grooming products (many of which have undergone ‘rigorous’ testing on five people in Switzerland/India/Stoke Poges).

So when Gillette launched a multi-blade razor onto the market many moons ago I was, to say the least, rather doubtful of its efficacy. In honesty, I thought it was just a cheap male marketing gimmick – you know, ‘bigger is better’, ‘more is…more’. Of course, that rather changed once I actually tried the product for myself.

Having sported something approximating a beard for several years I’m actually more of a stranger to razors than most, though I still have to use one shave my cheeks (yes, I’ve heard all the jokes thanks…) and having tried numerous ones I can truthfully say that more blades = better results.

But don’t take it from me. Last night on BBC Two’s Professor Regan’s…Health Spa Gillette’s multi-blade technology was put the test. The Prof herself is a bit annoying if you ask me (a bit like the interfering mum you dread) but the insight into what goes on at Gillette’s Technology Centre in Reading was fascinating. The centre itself is legendary (a bit like the mysterious Area 61 in Nevada but without the aliens and spaceships. Perhaps.) and it’s a treat to see what goes on inside. And there were some wonderful glimpses of ‘human testing’. So if you’ve always wanted to know why five blades are better than one have a look at this.

So I’ve been seeing the new Gillette Young Guns commercial a lot lately, and thought I’d blog on it. While it’s always good to see Denny, Kyle and JGR get some airtime, I do find it a bit corny that the new Gillette razor is inspired by video games. That said, it looks like Denny and Kyle sure play a mean game of Wii. I think it’s no mistake that even in this commercial they have Kyle playing the “bad boy” role as he pushes Denny.

Also of note, the ad features a really good song from a band that’s been making a lot of waves around here lately, Shapes of Race Cars. They’ve got this cool anthemic, glam thing going on, but with a modern indie rock sensibility about them. Beyond super convenient name, Shapes of Race Cars have a great driving sound to them, as they are up-tempo and anthemic, which always makes for a good drive in my opinion. Check it out below.

I’m not an electric razor person and I’m not yet a straight blade guy. I’ve tried all three of these “premium” disposable blade razors and here is the reviews.

The Quattro by Schick is the worst of the bunch. It sucks. It’s the Ford (not Mustang) of razors: crap mileage and crap performance, a total lemon. I had to drag it accross my skin over and over and still ended up with a crap shave. It is no good with over 24 hours growth. It does not rinse easily. The blade is too big to get in the tight spots. And the razors dull quickly. It’s crap. 

Rating: 0/10

The Gillette Fusion has an unholy 5 blades and looks like a razor for high-tech androids. It’s the German Luxury Sedan of razors: overpriced, overly designed and overly austentious. It gives a nice shave and can cut through some pretty good growth. The cartridges last for a good while. It’s a quality razor. The drawback is the head is so huge and inflexible that it does not get the tight spots. The single blade on the flip side is not that great either. 

Rating: 5/10

The Gillette Mach 3 is the best of the bunch. It’s the Nissan Skyline of razors: high performance, great mileage and clean design. It gives a great shave. Super close. Each cartridge lasts a bunch of shaves. The blades stay sharp. It cuts through thick growth well. The head is a bit smaller so it can get the tight areas. It’s hands down the best razor on the market. See how it says, “World’s Best Shave”? It’s true.

Rating: 10/10

Verdict: Mach 3 is hands down the best razor I have used. Schick Quattro is crap. The Fusion is servicable but not all that.

Let’s face it, fellas, electrolysis is out. And shaving, albeit the most painful and tedious ritual ever, is in. There are some who firmly believe that a close shave, smooth as a baby’s bottom, will improve your sex life. Who are we to disagree?

Surrounded by gravity-defying condos, gourmet shops, and the occasional pharmacy, the first ever eShave retail shop stands out in this safe, private residential stretch of 1st Avenue. Its floor to ceiling glass storefront is a fishbowl for casual passersby, magnifying white walls, counter tops, and a central island cutout for essential items; it’s not easy to drift by this oasis without stealing a closer peek.

Anywhere else in town this scene might not be such a tug on the inner-shopper-chic, but in Sutton, the quiet east side neighborhood, minimal pulls the heart strings like a soft West Village ballad. This sleepy residential enclave is quite comfortable being anonymous, in contrast to the high end retail hubs and outlandish new boutique havens of this once farmland-rich island we all know as Manhattan. Ideally, perhaps, it would only be a matter of time before beauty conscious men from every borough swiped their metrocards and hailed taxis in a frenzy for the ultimate new style-tech trend to hit the shaving industry. Once acquired it would give them, once and for all, a cure for the common shave. We should all be so lucky.

President Danielle Malka, however, doesn’t see it as luck. The jolly, bubbly romantic French statement of elegance, prancing around in black, isn’t above giving a consultation at 7:30 on a Friday night, and as you fall in love with her products, you see exactly from where they must have inherited their appeal. “They’re toys for boys,” Malka says, defending with affection, her brainchild that became an internationally viable business seemingly overnight. She’ll tell you with confidence that the shaving industry needs a kick in the ass and, judging by her global brand, she’s the one to do it. Eleven years in the making, eShave presently manufactures and distributes its products in over 16 countries, including Japan, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the United States.

The eShave line boasts several scents, including a white tea shaving and after shave cream that both refresh as you apply, and each (5 in all) represents a particular type of skin sensitivity. Malka knows how to accommodate her clientele, as she’s proven at her two month old shop, providing a minimal space in which reluctant men can easily view and sample her products, as well as receive a consultation from any of her experienced staff.

What’s more is that while eShave razors are all hand made and can be customized to each individual through a wide variety of colors and display stands, the blades are familiar and dependable; eShave proudly uses Gillette Fusion blades on its signature razors. So, at least we know we don’t have to abandon completely what we’ve safely come to depend on from our neighborhood pharmacy. “I’ll give you all the tools you need, all the technology you need,” Malka says. As for the rest, “it’s artistic, fun, appealing. This is a modern shave brand, as opposed to what’s been in the market up until this point. I’m bringing something new to it.”

eShave New York is located at 993B 1st Avenue (between 54th and 55th Streets). Contact the store at 212-838-0807. At only $35, the eShave starter kit is the perfect holiday gift. Visit www.eshave.com to review the complete collection. Subscribe to receive weekly shaving tips, sent personally by Danielle Malka, or send in your own tips to share with the world.

photo by Daniel Krieger | Read my review on Edge

On to the U.S. Open, and more television ads.

Now, I understand these people always want more money (and who can blame them), but aren’t they embarrassed by this shit? It make-a-me cringe.

And yes, it’s true that anything with Derek Jeter in it makes me want to kill myself, but the last ten seconds of this ad are simply inexcusable.

Roger and Tiger, I’m ashamed.

I’ve long bristled under the 3 and 4 blade razors that dominate the market today. Perhaps they provide a marginally closer shave (I doubt it), but I find these enormous razors cumbersome and unable to handle the curves of my chin and neck. Worse, the replacement blades for these products are extremely expensive and hardly worth the dubious marginal difference in shaving quality. The flexible head provides absolutely no value, as there’s nothing that a flexible head provides that a flexible wrist can’t. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that flexible heads actually make things more difficult for people when shaving. Lastly, these blades now come with a lubricating strip that provides no comfort and dissolves after about a week of use, exactly when Gillette wants you to replace its blades…and make them more money. Needless to say, they have cornered the market on men with too much dignity to stoop to the electric but not enough daring to step up to the barber’s straight razor.

the grim future of shaving technology

I recently became reacquainted with the simple razor after landing in a foreign country and finding that my airline had misplaced my luggage. The simple razor is a single blade, fixed head, no lubricating-strip product that still matches the performance of any 3 or 4 blade product on the market. Because it had only one blade, I ran the blade under water to clear it after each stroke, but I only needed one stroke to catch everything – something I can’t say about the clunking Mach 3. Shaving the mustache, the chin, the neck, and near the sideburns became much easier with a smaller, fixed blade, and it was on this overseas trip that I decided to finally abandon the 3 and 4 blade products that had long frustrated my face and wallet.

Upon returning to the States, where there is someone to sell you anything you want, I quickly went searching for a similar simple blade. Surprisingly, my local RideAid doesn’t carry that product. Without anything as simple as a 1 blade fixed head razor without a lubricating strip, I had to compromise on a 12 pack of Schicks for about five dollars (less than the cost of a single Mach 3, by the way).

i'd like to go simpler, but this works just fine

The blades on my compromise Shicks aren’t perfect: they have two blades instead of one and sport that gooey strip I have always hated. But they are still extremely small and have fixed heads, and so they still provide a far better shave than the 3 and 4 blade razors I have always previously tolerated.

The point is that for someone who shaves on a daily basis, there’s simply no reason to be trapped in the expensive racket that is the Mach 3, Quattro, Fusion, etc. These monstrosities are mostly here to generate a profit for their producers. A simple razor with as few blades as possible, no lubricating stips, no flexible head, and no batteries or other silly contraptions can still do the job just as well as anything on the market. As far as I am concerned, Occam’s Razor applies even to razors themselves.

Folgende Produkte nehmen teil: 

Balea Men Rasierer

Gillltette Fusion

Mach 3 Turbo

Bewertet wird in den Kriterien:

Optik

Handhabung

Rasur

Gründlichkeit

Hautgefühl am Tag danach

Kosten

Jetzt wird`s interessant:

Balea men: 

Optik: Der Balea besticht nicht gerade durch eine moderne, junge, dynamische oder scharfe Optik. Außerdem zieht er Schmutz an.  Hier nur eine 3.

Handhabung: Der Balea ist geschwungen geformt und soll gut in der Hand liegen. Leider ist er etwas zu kopflastig, also vorne zu schwer und erschwert dadurch eine wirklich schnelle leichte rasur weil man dadurch aufpassen muss, dass man sich nicht schneidet. Schwer zu Reinigen, Rückstände bleiben. Der Kopf ist zwar beweglich aber eher Träge und beschert so bei der Handhabung eine 3.

Rasur: Die Rasur hat merklich gekratzt, die Haaren wurden eher gerissen denn geschnitten. Die Klingen waren spürbar weniger scharf als die der Konkurrenz, aber trotzdem auf einem guten Niveau. Auch wenn der Rasierer günstig ist, schneiden kann er! Leider nicht so gut und spürbar gröber als die anderen. Das Schneiden der Koteletten war schwer und enorm schmerzhaft.   Rasur: eine gnädige 4

Gründlichkeit: Dabei machte er eine gute Figur, wenn auch nicht perfekt. Für den Preis ist es erträglich manchmal wo 2 mal drüberfahren zu müssen. Gründlichkeit: 2

Hautgefühl am Tag danach: Was leider überhauptnicht passte war das Hautgefühl, trotz Balsam und auch ohne (also am Balsam liegt es nicht, er war nur Wirkungslos) hat es merklich gekratzt und die Haut war gereizt. Note: 3

Kosten: Gut und Günstig würde ich sagen, also hier eine 1!

Fazit: Sparekönig. Der  Balea überzeugt durch den Günstigen Preis (ca 3,50 €) und den günstigen Wechselklingen (5€ für 8 Stück). Eine Rasur kommt laut Stiftung Warentest auf 8 cent. Was weniger gut war war die Hautverträglichkeit und die Handhabung, genauso wie die Rasur an sich da diese etwas an den Haaren riss. Endnote: 2,7, danke des günstigen Preises. Sonst würde ich sagen: Wenig empfehlenswert. Für Sparefrohs eben. 

Endnote 2,7

Gillette Fusion: 

Optik: Wow, der ist futuristisch, wirklich ein schönes design, aber für mich zu verspielt und man hat sehr Schnell Kalkreste die den schönen Rasierer verdrecken und außerdem wirkt sich das design mit dem geschwungenen Kopf wenig positiv auf die Handhabung aus. Bewertung: 2

Handhabung: Der Gillette ist wie schon erwähnt oben mit einer Art Schlinge ausgestattet. Doch liegt er gut in der Hand, nur eben vorne etwas zu schwer. Außerdem hat er am unteren Ende einen Kleinen Knubbel der etwas stört. Der Kopf passt sich so wunderbar leicht jeder Unebenheit an und federt mit dass Rasieren Spaß macht. Leichte Reinigung, keine Rückstände.  Zusammen: 2

Rasur: Flusch. Das wars. Der Fusion fusioniert sozusagen mit der Haut und war kaum spürbar. Die Haare wurden schön sanft entfernt und wirklich sehr nahe bei der Wurzel abgetrennt, wordurch der Fusion auch das gründlichste Bild hinterließ. Die Klingen sind spürbar scharf, und man sollte Respekt vor ihnen haben, denn ich habe mir bereits eine unschöne Wunde zugefügt mit diesem Haar-Fusionator. Leider sind, wahrscheinlich weil die Klingen im Vergleich zum Mach 3 geschrumpft sind, die Klingen nicht so beständig und wurden spürbar schneller Stumpf als die des Mach 3. Wäre ein 1er Kandidat, wird wegen des Klingenverschleises und der Schnittgefahr aber abgewertet, also: 1,5

Gründlichkeit Wirklich gründlich, leider wegen dem großen kopf etwas aufwändig überall hinzubekommen. Trotzdem: 1

Hautgefühl am Tag danach: Ja, da rasiert man gerne, tolles Hautgefühl. Und die Gründlichkeit merkt man auch noch am Tag danach. Note: 1

Kosten: Der Schwachpunkt des Gillette Fusion ist sein stolzer Preis. Der Rasierer kostet, oft mit Rasiergel geschenkt da Gillette den Rasierer nicht loszubekommen scheint, ca. 12€, aber die Ersatzklingen sind die Melkkuh der Industrie. 24€ für 8 Klingen die noch dazu schneller Schlapp machen liegen an der Grenze des Möglichen und Moralischen. Darum gibt es hier eine 4!

Fazit: Scheinbar verkauft sich der Gillette Fusion nicht so gut, denn er wird oft mit Rasiergel (dem exzellenten Gillette Hydra Gel) feilgeboten, in den USA sind bereits die designtechnisch veränderten Versionen Phantom auf dem Markt, die Elektroversion ist bereits in Europa auf das schönere Schwarz umgestellt und heist hier Stealth. Aber er ist wirklich ein exzellenter Rasierer, kaum Hautirritation, enorm gründlich und scharf. Nur enorm teuer.  Die Stolperfalle. Darum die Gesamtnote: 1,9

Gillette Mach 3 Turbo

Optik: Wunderschönes glänzendes Schwarz. So will man seinen Rasierer.  Der Glanz verschwindet leider darum. Note: 2

Handhabung: Er ist zwar für mich etwas zu kurz, aber liegt perfekt austariert in der Hand und ist agil wie ein Kampfflugzeug. Damit geht das Rasieren am schnelsten und Sichersten.  Dass, die Griffgummierung etwas zu hart ist ist ein Detail für Mädchen. Verletzungsgefahr gleich null. Hier: 1,5

Rasur: Schneidet sehr gut, verglichen mit dem Fusion aber spürbarer. Er reißt nicht und ist sehr schonend zur Haut. Dem ist nicht viel hinzuzufügen außer eine 1,5 für die Rasur. 

Gründlichkeit: Sehr Gründlich und genau, die Koteletten waren schnell getrimmt und schmerzten nicht. 1

Hautgefühl am Tag danach: War sehr gut, und angenehm weich und gründlich, fast wie beim Fusion. Darum hier: 1,5

Kosten: Sind leider auch nicht gerade billig, zu Gute Kommt dem Mach 3 Turbo hier, dass mit dem normalen Mach 3 auch die neuen Klingen verwendbar sind, bzw. für Sparer die alten Mach 3 Klingen auch im Mach 3 turbo Funktionieren. Der Rasierer Kostet je ob Turbo oder nicht 10-11€, die Ersatzklingen bringen es im Vorteilspack  (12 Stk.) auf ordentliche 18€ bis 20€ (Turbo), das ist teuer aber jedes  vergleichbare Marken Rasiersystem ist teurer, wenn man  zB Wilkinson betrachtet. Laut Stiftung Warentest kommt eine Rasur auf 16 cent.  Darum gibt es hier eine kleine Aufwertung auf 2,5

Fazit: Der Beste Rasierer rasiert zwar nicht am besten, gewinnt jedoch da er im Ergebnis mit dem Gillette Fusion mithalten kann. Gesamtnote des Testsiegers: 1,5

Anmerkung: Ich habe absichtlich keinen Wilkinson Sword Rasierer getestet. Aus den folgenden Gründen: Er wurde kein Testsieger bei der Stiftung Warentest. Diese Test setzt bestimmte Annahmen voraus. 

• Gute Rasur
• Gute Hautschonung
• Günster Preis (weshalb Wilkinson ausschied, da er laut Stiftung Warentest weniger gut abschneidet als Gillette, aber teurer ist)

Deshalb die Auswahl. Der Fusion verspricht absolute Hatuschonung und eine Gute Rasuer, wordurch 2 der Kriterien erfüllt sind, der Mach 3 stellt eine interessante, weil kostengünstigere aber genauso vielversprechende, Alternative zum Fusion dar. Und der Balea men Stellt den guten aber günstigen Rasierer laut stiftung Warentest.  Hier findet ihr den Test auf den ich mich bei der Angabe immer beziehe als PDF Dokument. 

Warum wurden Gillette Fusion Power (STEALTH) und Mach 3 Power (NITRO) nicht getestet?

Diese Rasierersorte verspricht ein noch besseres Rasierergebnis. Allerdings waren die beiden Modelle für meine Vorgaben unpassend. einerseits wären sie zu teuer gekommen, wegen der teuren Ersatzklingen und den Batterien. Außerdem wollte ich einen authentischen Test von nicht batteriebetriebenen Rasierern. 

Elektro oder Nass?

Ich bevorzuge die Nassrasur, da ich sehr empfindliche Haut habe. 

Wie wurde getestet?

Ich habe die 3 Rasierer je 3 Tage hintereinander benutzt, Rasiergel war immer Balea Rasiergel Sensitiv, wegen meiner empfindlichen Haut. Nachbehandelt wurde mit dem Balea Aftershave Balsam, mehr empfehlen würde ich den Nivea  After Shave Balsam Sensitiv da er meine Haut deutlich weniger Reizte, auch wenn 8€ schon ein stolzer Preis sind. Vorgang war immer: Duschen, Gesicht mit einem Gel reinigen, Gel – 2 min warten, Rasieren, Kalt ausspülen und Balsam verwenden. 

Das reinigende Gesichtsgel war von Balea, ich habe es aber zu sehr austrocknend gefunden. 

Tipps zum Rasieren gibt es in diesem Video:

Once again, an update with some grooming products reviews.

G7 Power Scrub
I bought this on sale from the GAP. It is a volcanic ash face scrub. It is terrible. It smells like old people and if playdough could go sour. I threw it away. Maybe that is why it was on clearance.

G7 Deodorant Spray: Mixed
I also bought this from the GAP. It is a deodorant body spray. It is actually pretty good. The scent dies off rather quickly, but still smells rather good. It costs $10 which is a little more than I wanted to pay, but it is potentially worth it.

Travel sized items
I also just went on a short trip and wanted to bring some travel-sized items. I bought: Gillette Fusion Hydra Gel, Crest Pro Health Mouthwash, Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo, Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner, Gillette Oil Control Face + Body Wash. All of them worked great. The only bad item was the lid for the Gillette body wash. It was difficult to get the cap back on once you had soap in your hands.

Today, I have been a decadent prick. I purchased the Gillette 5 blade ultra hot shit premium vibrating razor.

Actually, I went out to buy new blades for my trusty Gillette Mach 3 Turbo, but then, the lovely orange/blue/grey razor started staring at me, so I couldn’t help getting it out of its confines, and making it all ready to scrape my skin off! while vibrating, ofcourse.

Anywho, the verdicts, etc.

Build+packaging+initial comments:

Photo:

This is a 5+1 blade safety razor, with 5 blades for shaving, and one for trimming, etc.

It includes a AAA sized battery, which allows for a more “comfortable, effortless glide with minimal skin discomfort”.

Package rating:

Easy to open, does not need any specialized tools, just a little bit of effort. The battery is enclosed in the package itself, though its missing from the picture as I put the battery in already. Packaging is sturdy, and finally, gillette has added a good holder for the razor, though sans a cover, which is very needed in India, where dust seems to penetrate even dust proof cabins etc.

Build quality: Cheap plastic, mostly. Garish orange colour, though I’ve heard that prettier varieties are now available in Blue/Grey variants.

The razor on its “Stand”, sans the packaging:

Caveat: I use regular shaving creams with a brush, so the entire experience is a bit cumbersome, but I want to use this with the Nivea shaving gel. The Gillette shaving Gel is quite annoying as it has a weird smell, and is just simply not to my taste(taste? smell, rather).

Shaving experience: After smothering my face with a rich minty lather using the Dettol Menthol Fresh shaving cream and my “some dead animal hair” shaving brush, I removed the razor gingerly from its base, and turned it on. Bzzzzzzzzz is the sound that comes from the razor, much less annoying than electric shavers, which seem as if there are hornets around your face, and some in your cheeks and eyeballs too. Those seem to shave, this seemed to cling to my skin tighter than when used without the battery. The strokes were very effective, seemed to clear out most stubble with minimal effort. I did manage to disfigure one of my sideburns by accidentally using this razor the way I use my Mach 3, which is to use the backside of the blade as a foam mover, so I may see where to start shaving from!

The Fusion Power has a sixth blade which is named a “precision trimmer” by Gillette, on the back of the blade.
Well, the shave on the cheeks was very comfortable, quick and used lesser effort compared to the Mach 3, but nothing substantial or sensational, as claimed by the advert, or the package instruction manual (yes, I read it to see how to insert the battery)

Shaving under the chin, and the neck area was similar when compared to the Mach 3, and I believe it may have been better, in some ways. This razor needs to be cleansed more often, when compared with the Mach 3. The glide SEEMS to take a bit more effort, but people with normal facial hair will find it much easier to be
hair-free in a single shave, rather than taking two turns to a. Make your face as soft as a baby’s behind and b. scrape some more skin off, and make your face burn when you use a good, purely alcohol based aftershave like Cool Water, which is what I use and can afford.

I had to shave twice, just to remove all the annoying hair under my chin, which is growing in the most disorderly fashion, i.e. in every direction possible!

The only thing that may work on these situations is a shave given by a barber, who has this ultra sharp blade on an unsafe razor(not a safety razor). It works for me, I do not know of people who have facial hair akin to grizzly bears, and need atleast a dozen shaves before they are finally classified as human. I am recognizable in two, at the max!

This is a good product for anyone graduating from Two to Five(or six) blades, and would be a small upgrade for people using Mach 3 and are just simply curious like me.

It is quite annoying to clean this razor, as it has “15 microfins” compared to 10 on the Mach 3, and are even nastier to clean, as there is still hair stuck into these microscopic fins, which I am unable to remove using traditional methods. These microfins seem like gills of a weird fish, or the underside of button mushrooms as far as I can tell.

The battery is easy to install/insert and changing the status of the razor from packaged to “Ready” takes about 2 minutes maximum, which is quite good. The Mach 3 had a casing that needed Braun/Bosch power tools to open and pry out, and If you live in a country plagued with powercuts like india, well you would need a scissor, tongs, and some other assorted implements, so that is big plus.

So, whats the scoop? Does this product rule, or drool?

Well in my un-expert opinion, it is OKAY.

Nothing amazing and mind blowing as far as I can tell, and it did not scrape all the skin off my face this time. So its good for first time razor buyers, or people upgrading from Sensor Excel/Sensor/Vector/Whatever/Disposables/Conventional Razors to the Fusion Power.

Its prettier than the others in some ways, if you consider bright orange and garish gunmetal type finishes to be “cool and sporty”.

I prefer the more subtle build of the Mach 3 Turbo and also the fact that it was made of some sort of metal, rather than plastic, which seems to be what this razor is constructed from. It does have a motor, which may short in the metal casing, hence the plastic build. Gillette claims its shower safe, but do not know of any men, who shave while showering, unless they are shaving bodily hair other parts and not the face(I do not do that, so I do not know of the experience and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to you).
The razor does feel a bit cheaply made, but I guess, time will tell about the sturdiness of the product itself.

Final Words:

Do not bother to upgrade if you are using a Mach 3 Turbo, unless you really really want to, and are bored with the existing razor you own, or if you are so very tempted to buy it just so that you may blog about a razor rather than doing something useful(which happened to me).

This is also bulkier compared to the Mach 3. A tad lighter.

Overall product satisfaction ratio compared to Mach 3: 60%

Overall product satisfaction as a first time user of a new product: 80%

Build Quality: 80%

Ease of use (???what the hell??): 80%

Annoyance while using the vibrator: minimal, did make the razor cling to the skin somehow.

Colour Scheme: Garish orange/Silver/Bluish

Base/Stand/Casing: 90%

My next upgrade shall be to the 10 blade system, which will be launched soon by some crazy razor making company, and this war seems akin to the megapixel war being waged by the digital camera manufacturing companies. Most of the race makes the actual product crappy. If you ask me, I am happy with what I bought, for two main reasons: 1. I got a vibrating, new, ORANGE razor 2. Well I just spent money on it, I’d better like it, or else its money spent for nothing(plus i got to blog about it!) Maybe someday we shall be running towards a bladeless razor, which will nuke the hair out of your skin, make it so microscopically small and embedded into your skin that it will scare the shit out of the hair before even planning to grow back!!!

Buy it if you wish.

One of the things I hate most about being a girl is shaving. Guys have to shave their faces, yes, but they can also have beards, and there’s nothing wrong with a little stubble. Oh wait, there is? Gillette’s new ad campaign says, “no Fusion, no kiss.” Apparently, girls do not want to kiss men who have any stubble at all. So men need to shave it all off with Gillette’s new Fusion razor. I totally disagree.

Stubble can be sexy, right girls? I’m not really big on beards (though some girls are), but to me, there’s nothing at all wrong with a little five o’clock shadow.

Gillette’s new ad campaign is probably one of the worst campaigns I’ve seen in a long time, due to content and message. The interactive video basically tells guys to shave or all they’ll get from girls are handshakes. If you tell the video you don’t shave, a super annoying man describes way too many types of handshakes to you. If you tell the video you shave, they proceed to give you kissing lessons. The kissing lessons consist of women who are half dressed with their boobs hanging out, talking about kissing.

Right.

Of course there’s a time and a place to be clean shaven, but you don’t have to shave it all off to get a kiss from me. And guys who shave their chest and other body parts? Ugh, no thank you. I don’t want a man who feels like a girl. I’m certainly not saying back hair is sexy, but have hair where you’re supposed to.

Boys, don’t let Gillette tell you we’re not going to kiss you if you don’t shave for a couple days. Oh, but if you need Gillette’s kissing lessons, you probably won’t be getting kissed any time soon.

Evyl and I shave our cueball noggins and firmly believe that a smooth dome not only looks good but feels good, and it’s relatively low maintenance.
And many women dig it.
(we may post pictures sometime in the future. let us know if that sounds like a plan)

We both agree that the Gillette Fusion is the ultimate coconut shaver but have yet to agree on a shaving creme (or gel).
I’m here to settle that tonight.

For a mere $2.99 you can go into any CVS and purchase a can of “Nivea for Men” shaving gel. I probably shouldn’t let this little kitten out of the bag as there will be less for us.
Hey, we’re into sharing teh manlove here at Smoke and Evyl.
If it works for me and Evyl, maybe it could work for you ladies that read us.
It may be nice on the legs (or your face, if you work the Barnum & Bailey’s circuit, heaven forbid)
Hell, it may even be good for . . . nahhhhh.
Evyl has already addressed that subject.
And he’s done a damn fine job of it, if I don’t say so myself.
Kudos, buddy.
Pick up some Nivea and do your face a bigass favor.

let me just come right out and say it…i’m a product whore. my nails are always painted and i never leave the house without perfume. that said…these are a few of my favorite beauty products…

bare escentuals : bare minerals foundation
i’ve never been a fan of wearing lots of makeup on my actual face. eyes are one thing, but smearing crap directly on my skin has never quite appealed to me. then i was introduced to bare minerals. the company claims that it’s so natural that you can sleep in it! it’s only a powder, yet it can provide as much or as little coverage as you want. you can get the starter kit for only $60 at sephora. Sixty bucks seemed like a lot to spend on makeup to me, but the starter kit lasted me over six months! i’ve been using it for about two years now and will never put another thing on my face.

bare escentuals retro lounge eye kit
another bare escentuals product that i absolutley adore! i don’t do my eye make-up quite as eleborate as the picture on the box implies, but this is one of my favorite eyeliners ever. you can apply it wet or dry depending on how dramatic of a line you desire and it’s always easy and pretty!

clinique naturally gentle eye makeup remover
this stuff is strong enough to remove even the most water-proof mascara in the world, yet gentle enough not to hurt your eyes. i promise!

physicians formula “lash-in-a-tube”
you can find this at any drug store for like six bucks!

neutrogena fresh foaming cleanser
another product you can find at any drugstore, that i love far more than cleansers from pricier skin care lines.

cetaphil moisturizing cream
this stuff is like giving your face a drink! it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave behind a greasy feeling. and again…it’s cheap!

gold bond ultimate softening skin therapy lotion
my mom introduced me to this miracle lotion a few months ago and i don’t think i’ve ever loved a lotion as much as i love this one. you’re probably thinking the same thing i was at first. “gold bond? really? isn’t that for jock itch or something?” same brand. different stuff! my skin is painfully dry year round, but the winter months are absolutely unbearable. i would have patches of skin so dry that it would bleed sometimes. not to sound corny, but this lotion has changed my life! it seems thick at first, but it absorbs really quickly and keeps my skin moisturized throughout the whole day. i’ve seen it in other formulas such as “healing”, which contains aloe, but i’ve loved this softening formula with shea butter so much that i don’t think i’ll ever get around to trying the others.

loreal série expert vitamino color shampoo and color masque
one of my best friends does my hair and has recently started carrying this line at her salon. it’s a bit pricey, but worth every penny! my hair feels like silk and my color has never looked so great!

clairol natural instincts semi-permanent hair color
if i’m doing something drastic, i’ll leave it to my friend who’s the pro. if i’m just looking to brighten up my boring strawberry blondish hair, i always go for this stuff. my favorite shade is spiced tea it’s semi-permanent and never leaves a noticeable line at your roots once your hair starts growing, yet it’ll cover even the blondest of highlights!

gillette fusion razor
um yeah. my boyfriend is never getting this back.

opi nail polish
my nails are always painted. ALWAYS! i love reds and dark polishes more than anything else. it doesn’t hurt that they have such clever names for their polish, either! my current faves are…

who are you wearing?

my private jet

chick flick cherry

lincoln park after dark

dior pure poison
while nothing on this list is in any sort of order, i saved this for last because i love it so much. this scent is me. it is my signature scent. i’ve strayed from it only a few times (michael kors, armani code, chanel chance), but i always end up going right back to this little iridescent bottle of goodness. once, after not seeing a friend for a while, we shared a big long hug. we pulled away and i told him that he smelled good…he smiled, took a deep breathe in through his nose and simply replied, “thank you. you smell just like you.” it may seem silly to some, but that is a moment i will never forget. i haven’t worn a different perfume since!