Category Archives: Review

The Lavish Gentleman’s charcoal mask; a review

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I’ve been using the charcoal mask I received for free from The Lavish Gentleman for a couple of weeks now, and I feel I can give a few opinions.

Overall, I do enjoy using it on days I don’t shave. It goes on easily due to it’s low viscosity, it don’t flake when it’s dry, and it comes of quite easily with a wash cloth and warm water.

The active ingredients are activated charcoal and kaolin clay, both of which are absorbents. The rest of the ingredients list is, well, not long but has a lot of long words in it. Still a shorter and less scary than some of my beloved wife’s facial masks though, so there is that.

The big question is; does the mask make my skin cleaner / better / younger / faster?

And the answer is… honestly, I’m not sure. It certainly don’t make my skin any worse – but with the added focus I’ve had on my facial skin – especially in the area around my nose, which have given me a lot of trouble in the past –  since I started using the facial cleansing oil from The Lavish Gentlemen daily, it’s hard to say if the oil or the mask is doing the heavy lifting. I won’t stop using it though; if it is helping I certainly don’t want to backslide.

As I said, I do enjoy using the mask twice weekly. Some people might consider the asking price a little high (almost 24 USD / fl.oz at full price), but given how little I actually use of the product the small jar will last a long time. If you have trouble with oily skin or clogged pores, you can do a lot worse (and spend a lot more money) than trying the charcoal mask from The Lavish Gentleman. While you’re at it you might want to grab some of their cleansing oil too; that have become part of my daily routine.

PS: they are currently having a 30% off sale, and it looks like the promocode WegianWarrior15 still works and stacks on top of the sale… so why wait? You can get it for almost half off!

Review of The Lavish Gentleman’s Natural Strength Oil Cleanser

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TL:DR?
It works as advertised. It smells nice. It’s dead simple to use. Should come in larger bottles, but compromises must be made I guess. Get some.

The longer version?


A few weeks ago I noticed that The Lavish Gentleman was tweeting about the opportunity to try their oil cleanser for free, and since I enjoy trying new products and ways to improve my shave I reached out and asked for a sample. I was honestly expecting a sample-sized sample, but what I received a little over two weeks ago was a 30ml (1 fl.oz) pump bottle along with a post card sized instruction sheet and ingredient list. So thumbs up right away for providing something I could read without putting my glasses on in the morning.

The active ingredients are marula oil – harvested from the nuts of a tree native to Sudano-Sahelian range of West Africa, or so Wikipedia tells me – and rosehip oil. While I had to look up the former, rosehips are near and dear to me; there are several wild rosehip bushes where I live, and they make the most wonderful flowers – although I’m not sure if The Lavish Gentleman uses oil from the dog rose, which is what grows wild here. The cleanser also contains a number of other oils, detailed on the ingredient card.

The scent is a little hard to describe… sort of a cross between some of my wife’s makeup cleansers and the cooking oil in my kitchen, with a hint of citrus. A rather pleasant smell to be sure, and one that don’t linger particularly long on my skin – which is good since that means it won’t conflict with my aftershaves

Going back to Wikipedia, marula oil traditionally used as a moisturiser, massage oil and cleanser in parts of sub-saharan Africa while rosehip oil allegedly helps combat damage – anecdotal evidence suggests it assists in the healing of scar tissue according to Wikipedia – and is commonly used in skin care products.

Directions for use couldn’t be simpler: Apply to dry skin, massage gently, rinse off using a wash cloth and warm water. It slotted itself right into my morning routine, replacing the various soaps I’ve rotated between in my preshave wash. It left my skin feeling noticeable cleaner and smoother than most soaps I’ve tried so far, and despite this being the cold season my skin haven’t dried out during the days I’ve used it. As an added bonus some of the problem pores on my nosewings seems to have cleaned up too, an area that always give me trouble in winter.

 Before
After

My only real gripe is the small bottle it comes in; I checked The Lavish Gentleman’s website, and so far at least they don’t seem to sell larger bottles. Given my current rate of use, I guesstimate the current bottle will “only” last five or six weeks total… a 100ml (approximately 3 fl.oz) bottle would been a very handy size for me – alongside a small one to bring in my carry-on when I have to go flying or in my GoBag. I can totally see giving myself a cleanup before landing using this cleansing oil, or a quick cleanup in the field even if I don’t have time to wash or shave.

To summarise: For me, it works great. Washing my face before my shaves are easier than with soap, since I don’t risk soapy water running down my chest. My skin feels smoother and cleaner, and some of the pores that normally give me trouble in winter have cleaned up. The scent is pleasant, and the instructions for use are straightforward enough to follow even before the morning coffee. I will certainly keep up with the daily use of it, and most likely order some more before I run out – despite the risk of having to pay import customs.

Would I recommend it? Yes. It might not work for every face out there, but it’s assuredly worth trying.

Added bonus; the charcoal mask offered by The Lavish Gentleman looks interesting as well… as much as I like Pereira Shavery’s shaving soap with activated charcoal, I can definitely see the appeal.

Wonderful present

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My beloved wife – who is the one who suggested I look into traditional wetshaving to begin with – got me a wonderful present for the holiday; a tiny, cutesy Proraso travel kit. It has the most adorable little boar bristle brush, a rebadged Omega 50068 (unless I’m mistaken – definitely an Omega though).

For comparisons sake, the last photo shows the diminutive brush next to my other Proraso branded Omega brush, my 10048. It’s sooooo tiny, and sooooo adorable!

Review of a prototype Pereira Shavery scuttle

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I have been lucky enough to receive a prototype scuttle from Pereira Shavery, and I must say I’m very happy with the design and functionality of it.

The design of the bowl takes keys from the ceramic shaving bowl and soap dish Pereira have been selling for a while now. White, with a black interior, and the pear tree Pereira Shavery logo in blue on either side. A very pleasing colour scheme to my eyes, and one I believe will look at home in every bathroom.

The bowl part of the scuttle is very close to the size of the ceramic shaving bowl at 10 cm (4″) across and 5 cm (2″) deep, while the scuttle as a whole is 14 cm (5½”) wide, 20 cm long (8″) and 7 cm (2¾”) tall. While large, it is still comfortable to hold due to the finger loop which I slip my left thumb through while my palm fits under the base of the scuttle.

The inside of the bowl have a raised pattern of ridges and bumps, aiding greatly in the rapid building of thick luxurious lather. The design  reminds me of water turbines and the intake of jet engines… while I realise not everyone will see the same thing in the pattern, it endears me to the bowl even further.

As with Pereira’s other bowls, this have a built in brush rest – a very nice and useful addition to any lathering bowl or scuttle. It means your brush have a place to stay while shaving, rather than having it sit on the counter-top or fall into the sink. It also gives a place to rest the brush handle against while soaking, rather than sliding around. This is a detail I find very handy, since both my largest and smallest brushes can rests comfortable and safely.

Water capacity is a generous 350 ml (0.35 litre, 1½ cups / 12 fl oz) if you fill it completely, or around 300 ml (0.30 litre, 1¼ cups /  10 fl oz) if you leave an air gap on top. This is more than enough to keep your lather warm, even if you for some bizarre reason decide to shave outside in the middle of a Norwegian winter… not that I would ever want to try that myself.

As an added bonus that aids both display and storage, I’ve noticed that the ceramic soap dish from Pereira – the one you can buy with their fantastic soap – fits rather nicely in the scuttle.

I’m not sure what these will sell for or when they will be available, but if you’re in the marked for a scuttle that looks good and which will keep your lather warm in any temperature you should keep an eye out at Pereira Shavery – or even sign up for their newsletter.

Review of a Periera Shavery prototype plastic lather bowl

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I’ve been lucky enough to receive a prototype plastic lathering bowl from Perira Shavery. Having used it a fair bit, I feel it’s time to make a review of it.

It’s unbreakable – dropping it from almost two meters (close to 6 feet 6 inches) up onto the bathroom floor only makes it bounce (and will make your wife come to see what you are up to). You’ll honestly be more likely to take chips out of the floor than this bowl, it is almost infantry safe!

The Pereira logo is embossed on the underside of the bowl – subtle, but there to let you know who made it. The prototype I was lucky enough to receive is – as you can see from all the photos – black, but I’m told that it will be available in several other colours as well; the classic black and white, faux wood for a timeless feel, bold avocado green for those wanting to make a statement, and bright red to make sure you’ll always spot it.

The inside of the bowl have a raised pattern of ridges and bumps, aiding greatly in the rapid building of thick luxurious lather. The design itself is one that speaks to me on an almost sub-conscious level; it reminds me of water turbines and the intake of jet engines… while I realise this may not speak to everyone the same way, it endears me to the bowl even further.

The sturdiness also makes it a convenient travel bowl; you don’t have to worry about the luggage handles breaking it when it cannot be broken! With an inside diameter of 12.5cm (5″), you easily fit your razor and brush inside it while travelling – or for convenient storage if your shaving den is modest in size. You can also comfortable fit a whole puck of soap inside it, for travel or storage.

As with Pereira’s other bowls, this have a built in brush rest – a very nice and useful addition to any lathering bowl or scuttle. It means your brush have a place to stay while shaving, rather than having it sit on the counter-top or fall into the sink. It also gives a place to rest the brush handle against while soaking, rather than sliding around.

The plastic bowl also big enough to fit my largest brushes, something not a lot of lathing bowls can do in my experience. For that reason alone I’m happy to include the plastic lathering bowl among my regular bowl rotation, since no other bowl I have will let me really swing my big Omega board brush around in the same way as this does.

I’m not sure what these will sell for or when they will be available, but if you’re in the marked for a bowl that you can bring with you when travelling or just like your bowls big enough for any brush you should keep an eye out at Pereira Shavery – or even sign up for their newsletter.

Review of the BullDog Beard Comb

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Bottom line up front; It’s a comb. I got better ones for my short goatee.

I bought the BullDog comb as part of a package deal along with beard shampoo, beard oil and beard balm, and didn’t actually realise the box contained the comb until I came home and unpacked it.

This comb is shaped more like what I think of as a ‘normal’ comb, with a pronounced wedge shaped profile. The teeth narrows to a point, but are several millimetres thick at their base. The shape seems to help it untangle long beards, but also makes the comb slightly more awkward to hold in my opinion.

I honestly have no idea what sort of wood the comb is made out, but it seems quite strong.

For the most part this beard comb sits in the back, unused. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad comb… it’s just that I got better ones, and the shape of this one don’t work as well for me as the one I looked at last week. If I had a longer beard it would probably work better.

Review of Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb

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Bottom line up front; Once I got used to the shape, the best comb I’ve used for my beard so far. Recommended, especially if you have a stiff wrist or need help shaping your beard.

Alongside the metal beard comb I posted about last week I received a wooden, boomerang shaped one that is my current favourite beard comb. After a a few minutes of initial puzzlement as to how to hold it properly, using it was a breeze. The L-shape lets me grasp the comb in several ways a normal comb won’t, allowing me to comb my beard from all angles without having to twist my wrist.

The comb itself is – according to Pereira’s website – hand sawed from pear wood. Pear wood is a good choice for a couple of reasons; not only is it a hardwood which makes for a durable comb, but it’s also a great callback to the name Pereira – which means “pear tree” in Portuguese. It’s also a renewable resource, which is a good thing all by itself.

The comb is fairly narrow toothed, and I’ve found that it’ll easily undo most tangles in my beard. My only wish for improvement would be that the teeth were cut further towards the edge on the handle side of the comb, but that is a fairly minor issue. It works great on head hair as well, in case you’re curious.

The boomerang shape also is a useful guide in shaping your beard, thus keeping it symmetrical and even. The comb even comes with a handy tri-lingual instruction sheet for how to do just that, written in Portuguese, English and what Google Translate assures me is French (disclaimer; I don’t read neither Portuguese nor French). The soft curve on the inside of the comb can be used for defining the neckline of the beard and the outer curves, and the straight side is good for helping keeping the sides of my goatee from waving as well as maintaining other straight lines.

The packaging also shows the innovative mindset that Pereira displays in several of their products; it came in a CD-case. It can also – I assume – be stored in that case if you so desire, however I use mine every day and as such there is no need to store it; I just keep it on my bath room shelf.

The Pereira Boomerang beard comb have become my daily driver to get my goatee ready to face the world. If you only want one comb, this would be a good choice.

In related news I’ve learned recently that Pereira Shavery is planning a crowdfunding campaign aimed at, to paraphrase, “The Man who thinks he has Everything”. From what I gather exciting things are planned, and if you want to know more you can email them at giveaway@pereirashavery.com – if you use the subject line “I want in!” you’ll also enter their monthly give-away which starts this August and runs the rest of 2018.

Review of Pereira Shavery metal multi-utility beard comb

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Bottom line up front: A good choice for a daily carry comb. Handy size, indestructible and useful for more than just combing the beard.

A few weeks ago I got a package from Pereira Shavery that – along with other nice things – contained a metal beard comb of the general size and shape of a credit card. Ever since it’s lived in a pocket of my work clothes, begin pulled out and used every time I need to get my somewhat unruly goatee under control. So what have made this comb my daily carry?

Firstly, the handy size. It sits comfortable in a pocket, in a vallet, a credit card holder, or in the back of my cell phone holster (careful not to scratch the cell phone though). That means it’s always there when I need it for combing or other tasks.

Secondly, it’s metal and easily survives daily carry. In the past I’ve bent plastic combs and broken wooden ones. This metal combs just takes the abuse and keeps going… and the form factor makes it more resistant to bending than most other combs I’ve used.

Thirdly, it got a few handy other uses. The built in bottle opener works well, the little flat head screwdriver in one corner have come in handy on a couple of occasions (sometimes the right tool is the tool at hand), the so called can opener on the end have come in handy as a letter opener as well as lifting the ring on the end of soda cans… I’ve not yet got to try the spanner (wrench) yet, since every time I’ve had to unbolt something I’ve had better tools at hand, and I’m not entirely certain what purpose the elongated hole between the spanner and comb is supposed to have.

The most important part is off course the comb, and the comb works very well for me and my curly beard hairs. It can get hung up on tangles, off course, but nothing a bit of care can’t work trough.

Can I recommend the metal multi-utility comb from Pereira Shavery? For a daily carry comb, yes. I’ve carried it and used it daily since I received mine, to the point where I’ve managed to wear of the markings on the back.
For a comb that lives in your bathroom or shave den? It’ll work just as well there, but Pereira also offers some better options in wood for that purpose.

Beard comb round up

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Over the last few years my collection of beard combs have grown, and at some point I mean to do a review of each one… but for now, here is four sentences about my four beard combs:

This comb from Big Red was my first comb just for beards, and gives good control despite feeling a little flimsy.

The BullDog beard comb is okay, but feels more like a re-purposed hair comb than a dedicated beard comb to me.

The metal multi-tool beard comb from Pereira Shavery has become part of my daily carry at work, used two or three times a day.

The boomerang style from Periera felt a little odd in my hand the first couple of times, but it’s my favourite beard comb now – the 90° handle gives great control without having to twist my wrist!