Thursday, October 9, 2014

TwinLuxe Shaving Cream: Reviewed

I have been safety razor and brush shaving since January 2014. It all started with a 1963 Vintage Lady Gillette Starburst safety razor that I bought, and then my obsession began. I spent some time searching the internet for videos and blogs on how to do a successful and safe double edge shave. I joined a few well known safety razor shaving forums and facebook groups. I am by no means a professional, but have definitely learned a lot and am actually enjoying my shave. It is no longer a chore, it is a luxurious experience where I take time to pamper myself.

I had been using a very cheaply made base model badger hair brush in the 100% PURE Badger grade, which sounded great when I purchased it about 5 years ago for my husband (sadly it was not as spiffy as it sounded). At that time I did not know there were actual grades of badger hair or anything of knots or other wet shaving lingo. Using my husband's shaving brush was not particularly fun, it shed 10 or more hairs each shaving session and was so small it cramped my hand. It was my dream to one day have a long handled vintage brush (preferably butterscotch Bakelite) with a large knot (diameter of the badger brush--I wanted 28 or 30 mm). After patiently waiting almost 10 months, my brush of my dreams showed up on ebay and wasn't too terrible in price considering it was to some, the Holy Grail of vintage shaving brushes. The knot was fully replaced with a 30 mm Finest Badger which to some is silver tip or close to it.

Trust me, just like I, and other ladies go crazy over a nice purse (or shoes for some of you), these men on these shaving forums oggle these shaving brushes and have crazy collections and even take pictures of their "shave of the day"--which is the brush set up they used on that particular day and with whatever soap or cream they chose, along with aftershave, and anything else. These guys have 3 or more (thats a low number, as some have 10 or more) high end brushes and would switch them out like I switch purses. So It was luck that I snatch this beauty up. :) The shaving scuttle is a strawberry theme (I collect vintage strawberry stuff when I find something interesting) and is marked James Kent of England and is really old but very mint in condition. The shaving brush is butterscotch Bakelite, and marked Adoration, set in rubber. (I swoon) The white scratches on it are sings of years of LOVE from whoever used it in its day. I am unsure what year the brush is.


I normally use a shaving puck hard soap, but had the chance to do a review of a luxury spa quality shave cream for men that is designed for use with a shaving brush. It is called TwinLuxe Shaving cream. I wanted to try it out in case the company ever made a ladies shaving cream and to get ideas for my husband. The cream comes in an attractive 5.2 oz jar. It is sturdy and well made, and looks very high end. It would look wonderful in a gift set for a special guy in your life. (Or yourself if you are a man reading this)

The fragrance is reminiscent of a sophisticated, well dressed man, and reminds me of those original scent fragranced creams in popular mens shaving brands. It is a nice smell. The cream in the jar looks very thick and when applied with a dry brush as directed is a little more difficult than I am used to. I did have a smooth shave and my legs were soft afterwards. I did not have any cuts/nicks, however it did clog up my safety razor more than I am used to, but this did not make my shave any less smooth. The cream does a great job, it just takes a little getting used to. I did however, have the most luck with this when used with a wet shaving brush.

The cream does seem to have some chemical sounding ingredients, but it does have some nice, natural ingredients.

To see me using this cream in action (fully clothed in my shower) Please see The following videos: (Part 1 (dry brush application) and Part 2 (wet brush application))


PART 1:




PART 2:



For all skin types - even the most sensitive. Mild, non-irritating, hypo-allergenic and paraben free.

Key Ingredients:


Glycerin: Helps attract water to the skin by maintaining skin's homeostasis.

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter): Smooths out wrinkles and fine lines and moisturizes and soothes irritated and inflamed skin.

Butylene Glycol: Reduces itching and inflammation.

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein: Stimulates proliferation of fibroblasts that improve cell metabolism; improves Collagen 1 synthesis; reduces wrinkles and increases skin’s smoothness and flexibility.

Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract: Exhibits high concentration of polyphenols that have anti-aging properties through collagenase inhibition; improves moisture of the stratum corneum.

Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract: Rich in tannins and salicylic acid, molecules associated with natural and safe skin cell turnover; improves skin tone, texture, and appearance.

Centella Asiatica Extract: Boosts blood circulation, promotes wound healing and elasticity, improves collagen foundation of the skin, and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties.

Full Ingredient List:

Water (Aqua), Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Myristyl Myristate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Pentylene Glycol, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Duboisia Leichardtii Leaf Extract, Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Cocamide DEA, Butylene Carbonate, Hydoxyphenyl Propamideobenzoic Acid, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Isopentyldiol, Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxycitronellal, Lilial, Lyral


Manufacturer Recommended use:
apply a generous amount on face (or legs if you are a gal), then spread with dry fingertips or dry shave brush (can also be used brushless). Rinse blade under hot running water.

How I use it: I soak my shaving brush in hot water for about 2 minutes, and then shake it out about 3 times. I put some cream on my wet legs (shaving at the end of the shower works best for me as it softens my leg hairs) and then use my shaving brush to glide the cream along the length of my leg. I use my safety razor and with a light hand, I shave my legs. I rinse my razor frequently. My razor gets clogged when I shave with this cream with a dry brush.


For more information on this cream, you can visit their website:
Twin Luxe Shaving Cream

Connect with this company on:
Facebook

Here we have my "Shave of the Day" :)


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.





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