Test Flight: Dollar Shave Club (with Guest Wingman Paul Blase)

Every so often, even The Wingman needs a wingman. Today, The Savvy Guyde brings you some words of wisdom from my friend Paul, a businessman, hockey player, and all around good dude.

You've heard the ads on the radio or in podcasts. You've seen the ads on TV. You've wondered if this Dollar Shave Club is the real deal, right?  Read on, my minions.
---------------------------------------------------------

Let’s be honest. You wish you had that cunning, sophisticated charming appearance of someone like Pierce Brosnan. I mean, seriously, he’s a man’s man. Dresses sharp, has that look like “I’ll hold the door open for you, but I’ll kick your ass if you don’t return the favor.” But how’s that possible for someone, like myself, when I have a lobster face because my $25 razor and seemingly six-figure blades (with dollar store quality, I might add) can contour in every direction, solve calculus problems, and accurately predict the results for March Madness, yet continuously give me razor burn? I’ve tried creams, heated lathers, gels, and a myriad of aftershave product to no avail. Until one day I finally decided that those annoying Facebook ads had won.

 Ok “Dollar Shave Club,” I thought. “You’ll get my money for one month.” I mean what the hell, right? It’s only a few bucks with the worst case scenario of ending up with an equally crappy razor. So I logged on to the Dollar Shave Club website and did a little bit of research on their products. They offer three types of razors, three post-shave products, one...um...hygiene product, and 4 newly introduced hair products. They operate on a per-month subscription, or their “Less Hairy” option which is a once-every-other-month subscription. Basically here is my review of their services: 

Razors

 Dollar Shave Club offers three types of razors. The Twin, a two-blade razor that is offered for the awesome price of $1 per order. The 4X, a four-blade razor that is offered for $6 per order. The Executive, a six blade (plus single trimmer blade on the back side) for $9 per order. The Twin comes with five cartridges per order, while the 4X and the Executive come with four. Each razor has a special handle that is mailed for free with your first order. Just say you decide the 4X is not enough, or maybe even too much, Dollar Shave Club sends you the new handle with your new selection of blades free. I, personally, have the 4X so my reviews will be based upon that. 

Simply put, it’s amazing. The handle is far from cheaply made. It’s a comfortable rubber grip with sturdy plastic bases. It also contours for a comfortable grip, which is a plus. I’ve found in the past with my vibrating, calculus solving, six-figure razors that the plastic handles tend to slip around in my hand from time to time. Let’s be honest, whether you’re a guy or a gal, shaving is a wet activity. The creams or soap doesn’t make it any less slippery. So, this is definitely a plus. The blades snap right in just like any other two-piece razor. The razors come packaged together in a unit of four. Dollar Shave Club proclaims in their ads “ Our Blades Are f***ing Great.” and I’d have to concur with that statement. These aren’t cheapo dollar store blades. They are sharp, straight, and perform well, especially when paired with another one of their shave products. 

Shave Products

Dollar Shave Club offers “Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter” in a 3 oz travel size, or 6 oz standard size. They also offer “Post Shave” lotion for moisture and “Repair Serum” to help combat bumps, burns, and ingrown hairs. I’ve tried neither of the latter, mostly in part to the success of the former. The Shave Butter has to be, quite honestly, the greatest shaving “cream” I’ve ever used. It’s clear so you can see exactly what you’re shaving. On top of that, it’s much like I have imaginary space ships orbiting my facial hair trying to abduct them. My beard seems to “stand up” and when I stroke the “f***ing great” blades across it, effortlessly I get the closest shave I’ve ever had. I couldn’t highly recommend the Shave Butter enough. Even if you’re a math major who’s passing your tests and paying your tuition off of your March Madness bracket winnings and don’t want to change blades, I suggest trying the Butter. Having said that, I’m assuming the lotion and serum are equally as bad-ass.

Hygiene and Hair Products 
 Recently Dollar Shave Club has introduced a line of hair products called “Boogie’s.” The types are hair clay, hair cream, hair paste, and hair gel. These days, I tend to keep my hair (or lack thereof) shorter, so there’s really no need for me to order these products, therefore I cannot offer a full review. But if Dollar Shave Club’s consistency stays true, there’s no doubt in my mind that they work. 

Which brings me onto the next product... There’s really no way to avoid this one. “One Wipe Charlies” are essentially baby wipes that help keep you...um.. clean and fresh in areas you may need to wipe. When I was living in the Twin Cities, Minnesota I thought to myself “That sounds interesting! I won’t have to use it though.” Now that I’m in Charleston, South Carolina and the brutal humid summers are rapidly approaching, there may be a review for this in the coming months. Stay tuned.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Who's got your back? I do.

New product updates

In my never-ending quest to find suitable grooming products, I take the chances so you don't have to. That's the job of the Wingman. Learning from the experiences & wisdom of others is your job, young Padawans.

As we've established before I spend a fair amount of time with razor in hand making my pate smooth as freshly-squeezed Italian silk. That said, I've gone through a long list of shave products & razors in my time.

I think I may have finally found the perfect disposable razor in the Schick Quattro Titanium. It gives a good, clean shave without hacking my skin like a cheese grater, stays sharp for several shaves, and comes with a clever edging blade on the reverse of the pivot head. It's moderately priced and came with a nifty coupon in the package for the next pack. Bonus!

When I bought the razors, another product caught my eye on the shelf above. Always on the lookout for the best in shave goo, I spied a tube of Every Man Jack Shave Cream. I'd never heard of these guys before, and the stuff had a very snazzy upscale looking container, so I have it a shot. Their whole product line is geared toward grooming a refined gentleman without bankrupting him. But does it work?

According to the website, "This rich, low-foam formula softens and preps your skin and beard for a more comfortable shave. Won’t dry out skin or clog pores, either. Made for sensitive skin..." and that it contains something called Squalane derived from wheat germ, which lubricates and softens; olive oil extract that hydrates; chamomile that soothes; and aloe that heals. Nifty. So what doesn't it have? No parabens, no phthalates, no dyes, no sodium lauryl sulfate, and wasn't tested on animals. But does it work? Yes and no.

It is indeed a rich and low-foam cream. Problem is, that richness also clogs the bejeezus out of my razor. It will give you a great shave as long as you start with a steamed, damp beard or scalp, and you clean out the razor often, and I do mean often. If you often shave in a hurry, or lack patience, this might not be for you.

I had also previously stated that I wanted to try some of the new stuff coming out from AXE. While I haven't tried the shave products, I did go ahead and get one of the skin products. I'm always concerned about heavy scents in products so they had to first pass the sniff test. I took a whiff of the BOOST Energizing face wash and it smelled odd and kinda strong, almost off-putting. My face didn't need energizing, so I then smelled the CHILLED cooling face wash. More pleasant but still pretty strong, and my face wasn't feeling warm enough to need chilling. Instead I opted for the generally low-fragrance CONTROIL oily skin face scrub, because while I'm not prone to severe face grease, I do have a bit of shine in the T-zone. Gang, this stuff is the real deal. It only takes a small amount of scrub to lather the whole face and it leaves you feeling exceedingly clean. I highly recommend this product.

I also recently tried the Warming Anti-Blackhead Cleanser from Biore, just on a lark. They aren't kidding about the warming; as soon as you squirt this thick goop onto your fingers it starts to heat up and that heat  feels really interesting on your face. The heat soon fades, almost too soon, as you work it into your skin and the little beads that every facial cleanser is infused with these days scrub you clean. Of course, the bulk of the action is done through salicylic acid, found in every anti-acne product on the market. If you have a blackhead problem, give this a try & see if it help.

Okay, gang. That wraps up this latest update.  Feel free to let your wingman know if you've found stuff that works, or if you've found success based upon my advice. Who's got your back? I do.

The Straight Skinny on Shaving

Face it, fellas, nobody actually enjoys shaving. It's a task, a chore, a means to an end, something that has to be done and separates us from lesser primates.

However, it doesn't have to be a disaster. You don't have to look like you got caught in an unexpected fight with a vegetable peeler. I'm a somewhat hairy bastard, and me & the razor have been chummy-chummy for about 25 years now. I'll see if I can impart some helpful tips, both on taming your beard but also the all important shaving of the cranium. I will not, however, give you the How To Shave speech filled with Against the Grain vs. With the Grain crap. You're a grown-assed man and you know HOW to shave. I'm just offering tips to make it easier.

I think most guys experiment with shaving long about the time we hit sixteen, or so. We're desperate to look older and feel more adult, and we somehow think that by growing facial hair and shaving we're that much closer to manhood. Little do we realize that the sooner we start shaving it off and growing it back, the sooner we start a lifetime of scraping our faces with sharpened metal on a regular basis. At first we relish that it grows back faster and coarser, because we're suddenly all manly & shit, and then after a few years you yearn for those childhood peachfuzz days. A lot of us remember either mock-shaving alongside Dad on the weekend or wasting half a can of shave cream messing about with an old Gillette safety razor without the blade in it. That's what gets us in the thought process of needing to shave in the first place.

I had a wee stripe on my upper lip when I joined the Army and barely needed to shave once a week. Boot camp started the daily shaving regimen, as the military frowns upon facial hair, and after my soldiering days were over I let the facial hair grow out a bit. I couldn't bear the thought of a big bushy Grizzly Adams beard circa 1977 so I went with a short jawline beard, longer than the Don Johnson or George Michael stubble but still pretty short. I kept that for a couple years and then decided to go with a Van Dyke goatee, since that was all the rage at the time.

I loved the show as a kid but I can't grow a beard that big.

I kept the goatee for several years before going back to the jawline beard. It breaks up the roundness of my face pretty well. Y'know, fellas, you really have to pick your facial hair design to compliment your face's  shape. If you have a narrow long face, a long beard just makes it that much longer. If you have a Charlie Brown-type round melon, a beard makes it less round. Honestly, I would avoid just a mustache by itself. The solo 'stache is a weird 70's retro throwback that calls to mind skeevy porn stars and used car salesmen.And unless you're Amish, a Mennonite, or a tugboat captain, a beard sans mustache is also a no-go.

No. A thousand times no.

I recommend you get an inexpensive trimmer to keep the facial hair tidy. The average one is about 20 bucks. Mine is a Wahl and works great. To trim things down, start with the guard that gives the longest hair, trim things up, and if that isn't short enough to suit you, keep going with shorter guards till you achieve the desired effect. I myself use the shortest guard.


Something that generally benefits your skin is to exfoliate. That scrubs away the dead skin cells that, among other things, can clog your razor and keep the blade from making good contact. You can go with the St. Ives Apricot scrub, and I hear that AXE has a new scrub. If you're really feeling like treating yourself invest in the minty scrub from Clinique. Yeah, I know, I know...it's from the makeup counter at the upscale mall store but it works. It used to come in a cannister jar but now I think it's in a more manly tube.

Another helpful tip: shave in the shower. Sure, we're used to the tried & true shave-in-the-the-mirror-at-the-sink method. The benefit of the sink is it's usually well-lit and you have a big mirror to work with. Admittedly those fog-proof shaving mirrors for the shower are seldom very clear or very fog-resistant, let alone fog proof, but it's still a worthwhile investment unless you really think you can do it strictly by feel.

Warning: May or may not stay clear as you shave without you squirting water on it often.

Why the shower? Two very solid reasons. First, the key to a great shave without getting razor burn is lubrication & moisture. Your skin (and the shave lather) can dry out at the sink and that can cause nicks and scrapes. I only shave at the sink as a last resort. The other reason is the hot water will soften your whisker bristles and make for an easier shave.

Shave cream vs Shave gel?

 Neither for me. Sure, you can use the cheaper jumbo can of Barbasol we grew up on. It's been around forever and it's easy on the wallet. For me, though, I've found that lathery creams clog the bejeezus out of the razor. And the gels, like Edge or Gillette...they look all cool & sci-fi hi-tech when they hit your palm in a blue gel puddle, but, well, when you lather it, what does it become? Shave Cream. Less thick than the Old School Cream, but still cream nonetheless.

I gave up the gels & what not when I started to shave my head. I was really concerned about razor rash and shaving bumps on my melon, especially the first few shaves, so I decided to try the more exotic approach. I can recommend three products, all readily available and reasonably priced. The first one I tried was Bump Stopper Shave Gel. It's a bit thick and tended to clog the razor almost as bad as shave cream but it's easy on the sensitive skin of your scalp. I then tried Bump Patrol, and it works great, both in the shower and at the sink. I like it a lot. I recently tried the shave gel from Bald Guyz, and it works better in the shower than at the sink.

RAZORS: What to use?

Yeah, that's the $25,000 question. Every time I turn around there's some hot new razor on the market with slick new features and 26 blades and lasers and soothing strips and a latte maker...and they all promise the greatest shaving experience ever. Bullshit.

I can't see paying ten bucks for the razor and twenty for new blade cartridges, and then six months from now the razor is no longer sold and you need to switch again. I honestly get just as good results from disposable razors. Not the cheap-assed flimsy ones. Those are only single or double bladed and will hack you to ribbons. They make disposable clones of several of the big-name 3 and 4-blade refill razors and they work just as good. It's up to you though on refill vs. disposable razors.

This will rip your skin to shreds while leaving your hair intact to taunt you.

What about an electric razor? Honestly, I have never found an electric that gave me anything resembling a clean, close shave. If you have, more power to you.

Straight razor? I'm not that brave. Nope. Sorry. Vintage retro nostalgia cool factor be damned.

 

How about a splash of after shave? Um, no. Nothing like slapping some alcohol-based stink-infused potion into your open pores and freshly-scraped skin to make you wish you'd been smarter. Ask yourself why you would do that... If you're doing it for the great smell of Brut, slap yourself. That's what will make you smell like a strip club bathroom, layering an after shave on top of your body wash and deodorant combo to clash like hell. (I'll be covering this in an upcoming post). But if your skin is irritated and you need a post-shave soother, that's another matter entirely. There are a variety of products out there, like the ones from Neutrogena and Nivea, but I use the Gillette when I'm irritated from shaving too fast in a hurry. Just get the unscented one so it doesn't clash with your body wash and deodorant. I'm curious to try the new one from Axe though.

Shaving cuts? Invest in a styptic pencil. Trust me.

Some of you will actually go out in public like this, and that makes me sad.

Seriously, go invest.

Okay, gents. That about covers it. Go forth and sin no more. Who's got your back? I do.

The trouble with hair is...

...it grows back. Or, in some cases, it doesn't, at least not where you want it to.

We've already covered my thoughts on haircuts, but what about when you're losing your hair?

I myself had to come to grips with the fact that while my hair would grow rapidly, it simply wasn't growing in all the places it used to. I was, in fact, going bald at the crown and my hairline wasn't just receding it was in full-fledged retreat. This was just before I turned 40, and in addition to that milestone birthday and its associated stresses both real & imagined, I had a serious decision to make concerning my hair.

No sane rational man does a comb-over. It looks ridiculous. No one takes you seriously with a comb-over, not even Donald Trump.

This comb-over defies explanation

 Even worse is a rug. Most toupees or hair pieces look like someone sat a dead rat on your head.

I couldn't face the notion of just going bald down the middle and having a ring of hair around the sides & back. That simply wasn't for me. Might work for Terry Bradshaw or Hulk Hogan, but not me.

Nope, I decided that once the receding hairline was about to meet the expanding bald spot it was time to take it all off and shave it bald. It's not an easy decision to make. But, you have to remember, you're probably already so bald it won't be a drastic change or if you don't like it, the hair you still have will grow back. Now, if you aren't suffering any hair loss it's a little bit bigger decision I suppose, but again, it'll grow back.

Not every head shape is right for rockin' the bald look. Some heads are dented, misshapen, pointed, etc. Mine is pretty evenly round, not completely unlike Charlie Brown I suppose. I lucked out & have a good head shape for it. Also, I find that it usually works better if you also have some sort of beard or goatee as a counterbalance. Note, I said counterbalance as opposed to compensation. Some guys grow facial hair to make up for going bald, and that's not cool. Going bald? OWN IT.

Besides, a scientific study has said that men with shaved heads look more dominant. And as an added bonus, no gray hair! My hair is naturally going silver up the sides but since I shave it a couple times a week, I look at least ten years younger than I am.

Tip: If you decide to rock the bald, remember that you no longer have hair to block the sun and to use sunscreen or wear a hat out in the sun, at least till your scalp adjusts. A sunburn on your scalp is a cast-iron bitch. Been there, done that.

I recommend using a set of trimmers without the guard attached to shave your head as close as possible before you break out the razor.  Be patient and don't rush, because scalp cuts bleed easily and take awhile to stop. Plus, you don't want your melon looking like it was attacked by a rogue cheesegrater.

I suppose next we need to tackle my handy shaving tips for both the face and the scalp, including razor selection and choosing the right shave goo. Stay tuned for our next episode!

Who's got your back? I do.